《Rising Phoenix》 Chapter 1 Translator: Aristophaneso Editor: Chrissy Prologue I: In My Dreams I Am Still Emperor 1 ¡°How will you kill me?¡± In the dim light of a cold, secluded palace, a woman asked, her palms on the table and her smiling face like a rose in the wind before his face. ¡°Poisoned wine? A white silk rope? Carrying a dirt bag? [1] Knife?¡± ¡°What kind of death do you want?¡± The man poured himself a cup of wine with steady hands, the transparent rice wine that filled the tilted cup reflecting her misty eyes¡­ These years, she had lived a life of mystery, and even to death refused to let him see through her. ¡°The most delightful way, I mean for you.¡± She smiled and rolled up her cuffs gently, showing him her palms. ¡°Allow this concubine to attend you one last time.¡± He smiled back, his thin lips curling up in mockery as he handed over the cup of wine. The wine was green like jade, and her wrist white like snow. A line of deep emerald green fell from her slender fingers and into a white jade cup like the tinkling of jade jewels. It was quiet, and the colorful silk bed curtain hung around the bed, covering all earthly sounds. This included the massacre of the rebels in the palace. Her people, the rebels. The blood and smoke were blocked; their ears could hear nothing except their breathing in the silence¡­ Calm, peaceful, and almost in unison¡ªin and out. Under the light incense smoke from the gold censer, their exhalations met and mingled, lingering and separating together. She held the wine cup and turned it carefully. ¡°Not afraid I¡¯ve poisoned it?¡± ¡°This Hidden Palace has been empty for many years.¡± He answered calmly, ¡°This wine has been sealed in a concealed compartment, and no one has ever touched it.¡± ¡°As for you¡­¡± He took a sip, leaving his sentence hanging. His gaze was like a blade, and his smile was the cold light shining on the edge. She smiled without a word while staring at her finger as if looking into a distant place. When she had been tricked into the Hidden Palace, she had been checked by the best poison master, the best hidden weapon master, and the best assassin. Even the finest piece of hair that didn¡¯t belong to her was destroyed, not to mention any poisons. Truly at this point, no one could poison him and reverse her ugly circumstances. However¡­ She smiled as she slightly bent her eyebrows in a surprisingly playful and cute curve. ¡°Do you feel the pressure in your chest?¡± Her naturally misty eyes stared at him, and he couldn¡¯t see the true expression behind those eyes. ¡°Do you feel the stings in your Dantian? Do you feel your Qi flowing backward, rushing back to your Qihai 2 ?¡± He stared at her, his face gradually greening. ¡°But what about before?¡± ¡°It is true that no one has come to this heavily guarded Hidden Palace since it was built.¡± She clasped her hands behind her back and walked a few steps before turning back and smiling. He trembled slightly. That year when the hidden palace was being planned, from design to the last stone, he had never let her participate in any of it. It was only just after the palace had been built that he had taken her once to look around. He still remembered the day the pear flowers fell like light snow in front of the Ji Ying Palace¡ªher silver dress brushing quickly over the moonlit floor, and her spinning movement like the opening of an elegant flower. She had leaned against a pillar in the corridor, looking back and smiling, lit by the dappled moonlight and the shadow of flowers. His heart was defeated by that smile. At that time, the love was strong. But it was during that beautiful night¡ªwith the light scent of pear flowers hung in the air¡ªwhen they had looked into each other¡¯s eyes as her slender figure briefly touched the concealed compartment. Did she leave behind a poison for years later? That beautiful smile, those lovely eyes, and the warmth when they held hands underneath the pear trees were just the empty flowers of a dream? While he had been immersed in the happiness of sharing a secret, she had already silently prepared for a disaster years in the future. She had been his enemy from the beginning. He didn¡¯t know where the pain was and couldn¡¯t even say if he was in pain; it was only as if something had shattered like a broken crystal. He seemed to hear the soft shatter, but he didn¡¯t know what had broken. A meeting like a long dream, both of us passing through. He slowly raised his cuff to cover his lips, leaving behind a scarlet mark. He wiped it calmly and quietly, and when he looked up, she had already turned around. Her straight back was slender and delicate, and as he stared at that silhouette, he felt that if he didn¡¯t ask now, he might never get the chance. ¡°You¡­ did you ever love me?¡± Just a few words, but so hard to ask¡­. She paused, and after a brief moment, she turned around and smiled sweetly. She said clearly, ¡°Never.¡± Looking from a window in the Hidden Palace, a beautiful begonia in full bloom withered and fell. ¡°Alright.¡± After a long pause, he smiled, and even on his beautiful face, the smile was no better than that withered and fallen flower. He turned away from her, the brightness in his eyes fading. He clapped his hands once. The clear and calm sound hung in the air. From the distance came a great roar that could challenge mountains and overturn the seas, rising up like a great wave underneath a hurricane¡ªit was like a wall shooting up in front of the palace, subduing the noise of battles and death all of a sudden. He smiled. From every crossroad and every corner of the palace, black shadows came out¡ªthey were his elite army. They would use their tempered steel to kill anyone who tried to rebel against imperial might, and slaughter every rebel who set foot on the jade stairs. Deep love and kindness were nothing; life and death were equal, and they had chosen different sides. His twenty years of love could no longer be used to water this poisonous poppy flower¡ªletting her run wild until today was enough. ¡°Aih, I still lost.¡± She stretched her neck to look outside, her tone relaxed. ¡°What a shame.¡± ¡°Yes, it is a shame.¡± He coughed lightly as he spat out some blood. ¡°Look, even though you¡¯ve planned for so many years, and even though you¡¯ve taken my life, your precious Da Cheng Empire will still fall today.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± She smiled. ¡°To die together with you is my honor.¡± He looked at her; the gentleness and sweetness in her smile were the same as the day they met. He looked away as the jade cup in his hand shattered. He ignored the bleeding and spoke to the air in an indifferent tone, ¡°Come.¡± Shadows of men appeared from every corner of the palace. She glanced at them and turned around calmly. Her long lashes lowered, covering her dark fluctuating gaze. Those secrets that couldn¡¯t be said would be buried with her body¡­ His cold voice echoed behind her, every word cutting gold and breaking jade. ¡°Take her below, lock her in the prison. Three days later¡­¡± He closed his eyes. ¡°Ling Chi.¡± ** [2] T/N [1] *±³ÍÁ´ü¨C carrying a dirt bag. You force a prisoner to carry a dirt bag and if they cannot support it (I¡¯m guessing) it crushes and buries them. [2] **Áè³Ù known as death by a thousand cuts, but records indicate it can go upwards of 3000 (3357). ¡­ Prologue II The leader nodded silently and turned away. Xiao Liu tried to speak, but his voice acupuncture had been sealed. The slender man ruffled Xiao Liu¡¯s hair and smiled gently. ¡°Xiao Liu, you are the last heir of the Tian Zhan Family 3 . You have to live well.¡± He turned and met the leader¡¯s eyes for a moment before looking away. His eyes pierced the darkness, peering into the rain as if looking for a face in the night. A look of pain filled his eyes for a moment as he bid a silent farewell, and without another look, he rushed forward at the enemy. As he took his steps, he gently shook his wrist. ¡°Shua!¡± A jet-black rope, almost invisible in the night, flew from his sleeve, tangling with the legs of the first horse. The slender man rolled forward before going to the side. As he landed, he pulled the rope taut, and the horse flipped with a miserable neigh. The horseman riding it lost his grip on his bow and arrow and fell to the ground, collapsing with the horse. A second horseman rode up, and just as his horse was rearing its legs, the slender man dashed forward, unsheathing a hidden blade. With a flash of cold, metallic light, he hacked off the head of the first horseman before spinning and cutting through the rearing horse¡¯s legs. As the crippled horse fell, the slender man stilled for a moment, and just before the horse crashed into the ground, he jumped forward and landed comfortably on top of the horse. With a quick stab, he pierced the heart of the second horseman and pulled his blade free. As the horse hit the ground, the third horseman neared and slashed with his longsword. Cang Yan jumped backward, his thin blade parrying the longsword in midair. The two weapons clashed, and amidst the sound of metal against metal, there was an almost silent click. The horseman felt his blade push through with barely any resistance, but before he could even react with happiness, the point of the blade lunged toward him like a venomous snake and pierced his neck. Three elite soldiers killed were in a handful of seconds. This was the number one expert of Blood Pagoda! Xiao Liu ran forward, the leader¡¯s hand still gripping him tightly. He turned his head and stared at Cang Yan¡¯s silhouette. Yes, everyone on the squad took orders from their leader, and all of them sacrificed their lives to charge forth and fill in the breach. However, Ah Yan was not like them. Only Xiao Liu knew that Cang Yan was the leader¡¯s blood brother! And more importantly, he was a father. His only son was the last descendant of that family¡­ and that child¡­ that strange child. Without a father, how could he survive? This substitution of Cang Yan for Xiao Liu cost two lives and sealed the fate of the Cang Family. How could the leader bear to make this decision? Xiao Liu stopped his struggles, his disheveled hair drooped with rain and covered his eyes. The leader looked at him and patted him with sympathy, unsealing his acupoint. ¡°I am worried that there will be enemies waiting in front of us,¡± the leader whispered. ¡°If that happens, I¡¯ll draw them away, and you have to remember to bring¡­¡± ¡°Go!¡± Before he could finish, the young man reached out, grabbed the package the leader was hugging, and threw it forward. The tiny ball flew through the air, and one could almost hear a feeble cry coming from inside the wrapping. The leader bolted forward and rushed to catch, and it was only after he caught the package that he breathed again. When he turned his head, the young man¡¯s thin body had already rushed in the midst of the battle. Ah Yan turned his eyes away from the killing and looked at Xiao Liu; it was impossible to tell whether his glance was filled with happiness or sadness. The young man chuckled and said quietly, ¡°The children of Tian Zhan always die with their brothers.¡± The torrential rain was like an elegy from the heavens, marking the final stand of the last loyal men of the dying dynasty¡ªthe end of men who chose to smile to their graves. The leader hugged the package close, but his attention was in the distance, on those two figures fighting back to back. His eyes glimmered for a moment, but then he bit his lips and turned away. If he could, he would have chosen to die a thousand deaths for his brothers, but he couldn¡¯t. This tiny thing in his arms was almost weightless, but the duty to keep it safe was heavy as a mountain. Before he fulfilled his oath, he could not put it down. The sounds of battle disappeared into the rain and night, and the leader dashed forward faster than lightning. Behind the gap between the peaks of the mountain appeared a small group of trees. Happiness filled the man¡¯s eyes. His destination was just past that group of trees. But his eyes suddenly froze as he turned around. ¡°Who is there!¡± The dark woods were silent, and the sound of leaves tossing in the wind was like the clapping of evil spirits. His powerful shout sank into the silence. The leader frowned and focused his true force. He directed his voice to the cottage hidden behind the trees, ¡°The Emperor¡¯s heir ask to see Valley Master and requests Valley Master to fulfill the agreement passed down from generation to generation!¡± He called out three times, but no sound returned from the woods, and no light appeared in the cottage. The leader¡¯s heart sunk, and he knew something had happened. He took three slow steps back, took his bearings, and covered his back with an old tree that had a decent vantage point. The place had the best view of the area, and the tree could protect his back. If there were enemies in the woods, they wouldn¡¯t be able to surround him. Choosing the most advantageous position in dangerous situations was a lesson all members of Blood Pagoda learned. The man took every precaution, and before he leaned against the old tree, he had already examined every part of it and found nothing suspicious. It would not harm him. But just as his back touched the tree, he roared and dashed away. When he landed, his leg was already covered in blood. Men came out of the woods, and several old men in grey robes appeared silently and surrounded him. The leader¡¯s face paled, and his eyes pierced forward as he stared at the roots of the tree. There was nothing special, just moss and regular roots, but then the leader¡¯s eyes flashed as if he had seen a demon crawling out of the earth. There was no demon, just a lone hand pushing its way out of the dirt. A small, pale hand like a child¡¯s. The woods were dark and blurred in the grey storm, and everything lost focus as the pale hand pushed out of the roots of the old tree. The leader¡¯s heart raced, and his face barely kept its usual calm. The hand pushed forward and slowly revealed an arm as the moss and roots were pushed aside. After a while, a raven-haired figure climbed up from under tree. It raised its head, and the leader stepped back in shock. The boy must have been six or seven, looking pale under the dark, furred coat that had camouflaged him against the tree trunk. The coat was ugly, but the child wore it like an imperial robe. Even though he stood in the rain like everyone else, muddied and soaked, his effortless posture could only be described one way¡ªjade. A pure and brilliant light like the most beautiful jade. One could only imagine what such a beautiful child would become after reaching adulthood, and whether he would subdue everyone he met. The leader hugged the package as he warily examined the child. He was not distracted from the fact that it was this harmless boy that had managed to quietly and patiently hide by that tree in the pouring rain, successfully ambushing him, a veteran expert. A well-trained Blood Pagoda expert would always retreat to the most advantageous position, and even as cautious as he had been, he would never have expected a child to hide in a tiny space among the roots of the tree. Had he been unlucky, or had this child predicted his movement? If this had been intentional, then this child was already terrifying¡ªhe was familiar with Blood Pagoda¡¯s training and understood where to hide, displaying bravery and careful patience, in addition to decisive ruthlessness. If the leader had not reacted fast enough, his knife would have already cut into an artery. The kid cocked his head and examined the leader curiously. His eyes swept past the package, and he indifferently spoke, ¡°Some people are so foolish. What¡¯s the point of sending so many people to chase after you all to die like dogs? Instead of chasing for a thousand miles, wouldn¡¯t it be better to wait patiently by the tree for the hare? What do you think?¡± The leader licked his lips, and his eyes flicked to the side. The boy spoke again, ¡°There¡¯s no point in looking, the person you¡¯re waiting for is already gone.¡± The leader¡¯s gaze shook. The Valley Master had made an agreement with the founding emperor and would never leave before fulfilling his bargain. However, even after so much noise, the stone house behind the woods was silent. He pushed down his despair and kept a cautious gaze on the child as he looked around at the others. On the other hand, the child just chuckled, his smile incomparably brilliant, but his eyes cold and biting. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? It was actually quite easy. What do you think would happen if, before you could reach these woods, someone had already come along with a Blood Pagoda Seal, carrying a treasure just like yours, asking for the Valley Master¡¯s help? Tell me, what would the noble Valley Master do?¡± The leader¡¯s mind shook, and he glared at the child. ¡°How could you know¡­.¡± This secret had been guarded by the Imperial Family for hundreds of years. How could this child know so much? ¡°How do you think?¡± A thin smile danced on the child¡¯s lips, mocking and cold. ¡°All secrets in this world will be revealed sooner or later as long as people have lips.¡± The leader clenched his fists¡­ Blood Pagoda had a traitor! The Dynasty had fallen, and all the princes and dukes had surrendered. The loyal ministers were slaughtered, and now beneath the boundless heaven, only Blood Pagoda remained. Generation upon generation living under the auspices of the Imperial Family, free from every struggle, given only one duty¡ªto protect the bloodline of the emperor. On this thousand miles chase, how many men had died? How many men had stood their ground to defend their backs until only the final few remained? Cang Yan, Lao Shi, San Hu, Xiao Liu ¡­ they were all elites of the squad with positions to match; each man¡¯s loyalty was without a question. Every single one was a brother he would trust his life with, a brother he would die for. Then¡­ who betrayed them? Who could it be? He couldn¡¯t doubt. He didn¡¯t dare to doubt. These thoughts could only destroy and bring darkness. If someone had betrayed them, then was all their loyalty and sacrifice fake? How could he accept that? He exhaled a deep breath. Now was not the time to linger on these problems; after all, there was a more pressing matter at hand as he needed to fulfill his oath. He stepped backward, and the grey-robed elders stepped forward, maintaining the same distance between them. His heart sank again. There was no doubt that all of the old men were masters of martial arts with excellent judgment and power. With his exhaustion and injuries, he wasn¡¯t a match for even one of them. He could see no way out of their encirclement. The sound of the pouring rain faded away, and all that was left was heavy breathing. One of the grey-robed men raised his hand and pointed at the package the leader was protecting. The leader narrowed his eyes and replied calmly, ¡°You want this? Buy it with your life.¡± The child smiled and waved his hand. With a muffled thud, an object was thrown from the woods and landed heavily in the mud. For a moment, it was hard to tell what the thing was, but the leader stared at it, and his nails bit into his flesh as his hands tightened. It was San Hu. If it wasn¡¯t for the relative shortness of the figure and the barely recognizable Blood Pagoda Seal at his waist, even San Hu¡¯s clever little daughter might not be able to recognize her father¡¯s corpse. The leader remained silent and wordless, and the woods remained still. No one moved, and the air was heavy and tense. But then someone opened their mouth and spoke nonchalantly. ¡°Such a great dynasty, but there is only your Blood Pagoda left, only you willing to fight with your life.¡± The child¡¯s words were gentle with even a hint of sympathy. ¡°I have to say that you all are really¡­ foolishly loyal.¡± ¡°Do you see his fate?¡± The child pointed to the corpse, calm despite his youth. His indifference was enough to freeze a man¡¯s spirit. ¡°If you keep down this path, your fate will be no different.¡± The leader lifted his eyes and looked at the child and smiled. ¡°Da Cheng Dynasty has our group of fools who will fight to the last¡­¡± He laughed. ¡°When your dynasty falls, who will fight for you?¡± ¡°What a pity, you won¡¯t see that day.¡± The child smiled faintly, his tone changing slightly. ¡°But don¡¯t you want your children to see it one day?¡± The leader¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Your family has difficulty producing heirs every generation.¡± The child looked at him, his face indifferent. ¡°But with your generation, miraculously, there was you and your brother, but then your luck ended. Your brother married early but only has one boy, and even he is¡­¡± He chuckled and stopped. The man¡¯s face paled with anger, and his steady hands shook slightly. He stared at the child. and his eyes let some of his shock seep through. Everything related to Blood Pagoda was the most well-kept secret. For someone in his position of leadership, and especially for his family¡¯s private matters, there should be only a handful of people who even had access to that information. However, this child knew every detail like the back of his hand. The child ignored his shock and continued calmly, ¡°I know you aren¡¯t afraid of death, and I know that riches and wealth can¡¯t buy the loyalty of the leader of Blood Pagoda. However, I believe that the 37th generation head whose family has guarded Xue Fu Tu generation after generation is unwilling to let his family line end by his hands.¡± The simple sentence struck the leader like a giant hammer. He fell back a step, his face distraught. There was no hero that was afraid of death, but there were many great men trapped by responsibility. If his family line ended with him today, he wouldn¡¯t be able to face his ancestors in the afterlife. The child¡¯s lips curled into a satisfied smile. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you, and I won¡¯t even ask you to do anything. Just put down the wrapping and walk away. Your family¡¯s child can sleep safely.¡± He lifted his palm to make the oath, and even his young, high pitched voice rang out solid and true. ¡°I swear by the holy Ning Bloodline; let whoever breaks the oath have no heir!¡± Everyone gathered in the woods paused for a moment in shock. The mighty Ning Family that had overthrown Da Cheng was actually related to the Imperial Family through marriage, and many hundred years ago, had been the royal family of its own sovereign kingdom, vassalized and annexed by Da Cheng long ago. He had sworn an oath on the bloodline of countless generations, a family line that even dared to title itself ¡°Holy¡±. The leader¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but his eyes took on a thoughtful look. He was clearly moved by the oath. ¡°Bring it here¡­¡± the child said after he had examined the man¡¯s expression and posture. He reached forward, palm up, and waited. In the darkness of the dim woods, that delicate wrist and jade palm stretched out. The child¡¯s words had seeped into the leader¡¯s very being like a delicate wisp of smoke, curling around his anxious heart. ¡°You are all that¡¯s left of Blood Pagoda¡­ No one under heaven will know. The people here will not speak, and no one will know what you have done¡­¡± A quiet voice almost cooed with temptation. ¡°If you put that down, no one will ever bother your family again¡­¡± The man was silent and thoughtful. His eyes were sad and alone, and he looked up into the night sky as if trying to peer into the darkness and find familiar faces. Everyone held their breath and waited, waiting for him to give or to advance. They waited for the end of the glorious dynasty, and they waited for the last spark to die. The silence was heavy with the weight of a thousand souls, mired thickly, chaining down the body and thought. The moment stretched on. Finally, the man looked back at the boy and smiled. The smile was a thin morning mist hanging in the oppressive gloom. The child¡¯s eyes narrowed and flashed with coldness. The man¡¯s hand was already raised, his palm red with his True Force. The child¡¯s pupils shrank, but he didn¡¯t move. The man didn¡¯t move to release the package and instead lashed downward at his chest, directly into the silk wrapping. At the same time, he laughed out with pain and grief, his voice shaking leaves from the trees around them. ¡°The kingdom has fallen; what is the fate of the family? Since it has come to this, let it end cleanly!¡± The child¡¯s eyebrow twitched as he flashed forward. As he moved, all the surrounding figures pounced forward like tigers. The dark grey shadows closed in like a tightened net, surrounding the man from all directions, moving to stop his strike. But no matter how fast they were, they couldn¡¯t reach him before his palm flashed down and hit the silk. Before the cry could sound out in full, it was already cut off. The weak cry reached feebly into the night, and like a spark, it fell and died. The grey-robed men¡¯s faces paled. The child¡¯s eyes turned a bitter cold as he stared at the leader. Even in his youth, he was already a young dragon stretching in the vast sky, peering down coldly at a leaping tiger. But as his eyes swept over the silent and motionless silk wrapping, some doubt still remained. But the man tossed the package away and laughed angrily. ¡°You have died with the dynasty, what does it matter where you are buried!¡± The silk wrapping flew forward. Everyone turned their eyes to follow its flight, and the Flying Dragon Dancing Phoenix embroidery drew a golden arc in the air, falling toward the cliff behind the woods. The child¡¯s eyebrows were raised as he hurriedly commanded, ¡°Stop it!¡± Immediately, some of the grey-robed men jumped forward, but the man suddenly rushed forward past the elders and, with a cold light flashing in his hand, struck downward at the child¡¯s skull. All the men gasped in fear. They turned around and rushed toward the child, ignoring the embroidered silk wrapping. Just as the leader neared the child, he laughed out again. ¡°Blood Pagoda and the dynasty live and die together. One does not outlive the other!¡± As he cried out, he reached down and gripped San Hu¡¯s mangled corpse. He then turned around and rushed toward the cliff even more quickly than the wrapping. No one expected him to have such a burst of speed after the ten thousand miles chase, and at that moment, none of them could catch him. As they watched him turn away from attacking their master, they all sighed a breath of relief. But all of a sudden, a shocking change occurred! ¡°Hong!¡± The grey gloom under the heavens suddenly burst out in vibrant light, and a dark gold flower blossomed in the air. A giant blast of heat stopped the rain for a moment and filled its space with a downpour of blood and flesh. In the black and red blast, the child collapsed silently. The cries and shouts of the grey-robed men were abruptly cut off as their hearts froze in terror. For a long while, red flesh fell quietly from where it had splattered on the trees, gathering in the mud in small piles¡ªthey were the last remains of a Blood Pagoda Guard whose body had been carelessly tossed out of the woods not so long ago. The man had pretended to grab the corpse and run, but at the moment when his enemies let down their guard, he had triggered the explosive hidden in the body. Robes flapped in the wind as all the men rushed forward toward their master. A long, sorrowful laughter filled the air alongside the cloud of gunpowder. ¡°With our life dedicated to death, even as a corpse, we can take a calamity¡¯s life. Third brother, you can rest now!¡± The black-clothed man was soaked in blood. As he flew toward the cliff, he turned toward the piles scattered in the mud, and his eyes were filled with pain and relief. All of the top brass of Blood Pagoda had a Thunder Pellet bomb planted in their body to trade even their last dignity for the lives of their enemies. Blood Pagoda Elites all had extraordinary survival and killing techniques, and whether they chased or were chased, all of them understood that one of their brothers might find a chance to take out an important figure while using their corpse to shake enemy morale. And so all of them had waited¡ªeven as each of them was surrounded and cut down one by one, they had all hidden patiently. In death, what fear was there left for the body? The man turned around, and the pain he felt was ignited as a powerful roar escape his lips. The roar filled the dark woods like the cry of a great dragon, shaking a glistening dewdrop from a leaf that fell like a hero¡¯s last tear. The men surrounding the child were shocked by the roar, and all of them turned their heads in astonishment. All they saw was a black and bloodied robe fall and disappear beyond the edge of the dark cliff. Everyone was stunned, and their faces were ghastly pale in the gloomy light of the moon. When the black cloth finally disappeared beyond the cliff, they couldn¡¯t help but sigh in relief. But even in their relief, they couldn¡¯t hide the change in their eyes as if they had lost something. They had witnessed the greatness, the magnanimity, and now¡­ the fall. Six hundred years of prosperity over ten thousand miles of splendid rivers and majestic mountain. Ten thousand states coming from afar to pay homage, the Emperor¡¯s mighty arm stopping streams and moving mountains¡­ Their might unsurpassed under heaven, ruling the four seas¡­ all the pride and glory of the brilliant Da Cheng Dynasty¡­ Today¡­ It fell, and the age turned. ========== *** In the Sixteenth Year of He Guang, After six hundred years of rule, the prosperous Da Cheng Dynasty was overthrown. On the steps across the broken tiles and ruins of the golden and jade palaces were the corpses of the Imperial Family. And so began the first year of the Tian Sheng Dynasty. ¡­ Chapter 1 The Twelfth Year of Chang Xi, Winter. Tian Sheng Dynasty¡¯s Capital, Dijing. [1] On an early winter morning, a thin gossamer mist floated gently between the sky and the earth as its coolness fell upon the Xi Hua Valley, onto the clear and brilliant dark-red glazed tiles of the Qiu Family Mansion. The mist raised a faint layer of white-pink over the frost flowers on the glaze, softening the splendor and nobility of the building and revealing a gentler and cuter appearance, like a frost-covered persimmon. A frozen persimmon¡­ Feng Zhiwei swallowed her saliva and rubbed her grumbling stomach. A ripe, late autumn scarlet persimmon frosted by the first snows of winter and lightly flavored with the Nine Exquisite Honeys. It was offered on a delicate Jing Feng Snow Porcelain Cup, which was vibrant red, brilliant, and made of precious jade and masterwork glass. With a gentle bite and pursing of the lips, the refreshing coolness spread on the tongue and left the mouth with a subtle aftertaste of sweetness and flavor as it slid smoothly down the throat and into the middle of her chest where it rested. It emanated a soothing balm of ice, calming the unbearable parched heat in her body. How unfortunate¡­ that enjoyment was already a lifetime ago¡­ Feng Zhiwei was mesmerized but eventually tore her gaze away and let out a faint sigh, focusing on the slow strokes of here broom. All the snow on the road was swept into the artificial lake. The cold wood still had some frost, but even though normal people would have avoided the freeze however they could, Feng Zhiwei only felt a comforting chill. At that time, the tinkle of jade spotted the morning air, and brought with it a heavy fragrance. Feng Zhiwei continued her work, pressing on her broom gently. The frost fell to the ground and rolled slightly before coming to a stop. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this our Young Lady Feng?¡± The feminine voice was tinged with a smile of scorn and freezing winter air. ¡°What are you doing here so early in the morning?¡± ¡°As you see,¡± Feng Zhiwei looked back as she gathered the snow, ¡°sweeping snow.¡± [2] ¡°This is servant¡¯s work, how could they let our noble and esteemed niece do this?¡± The young lady was around twenty years of age, and her face was made up elegantly, with the corners of her eyes turned up slightly and her cheeks dusted with silver-red rouge. This was the popular ¡°Fei Ye makeup¡± in the Capital this winter. ¡°If your Uncle knew about this, I can¡¯t even imagine how pained he would be.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and lowered her eyes. ¡°Uncle attends to a myriad of affairs daily, how could I trouble him with insignificant matters? It is enough that Fifth-Aunt cares for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Your Uncle is both Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies and the Commander of the Flying Shadow Guard. He¡¯s one of the top military officers of Tiang Sheng Dynasty. He has no time to manage the backyard affairs. You know what is appropriate, and Fifth Aunt will take care of you.¡± Fifth Aunt was the fifth wife of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s maternal uncle, and had fallen into disfavor long ago. Fifth Aunt looked at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s amiable and downturned face with satisfaction¡­ This girl was always good-tempered and wouldn¡¯t react when others pushed her. It was hard to imagine that the shameless Qiu Family Great Aunt could give birth to such a gentle daughter. ¡°Aunt, why are you out here alone?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked, stepping to the side and standing humbly, holding the broom slantwise in a respectful stance. She even omitted the word ¡°fifth¡±. Fifth Aunt was delighted. She tapped her lips with a slender scarlet-painted nail and her smile showed in her beautiful eyes. With a smile, she said, ¡°There are some important people coming over, and I might need to accompany¡­ En, you don¡¯t need to ask.¡± Feng Zhiwei kept her face downturned and expressionless¡­ Tian Sheng¡¯s Dynasty had very open customs, and the royalty and ministers were even more dissolute. In their daily interactions, sharing beauties together and gifting concubines was commonplace. The Qiu Family Mansion had many concubines. Among them, Fifth Aunt was young and was not favored by Feng Zhiwei¡¯s uncle, and so she was lonely. Today, she had dressed up and headed to the front yard alone likely because she had heard that one noble or another had come over and so she planned to have a ¡°beautiful encounter¡± with him and maybe regain some status and change her fate. Feng Zhiwei just didn¡¯t know who the poor devil was. ¡°How can there be no one to serve you, Aunt?¡± Feng Zhiwei put down her broom and reached out to take Fifth Aunt¡¯s arm. ¡°Allow me.¡± ¡°No! Your hands are dirty!¡± Fifth Aunt yelled as she slapped Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hands away, her eyes looking down disdainfully at the latter¡¯s snow-covered fingers. She turned her eyes from Zhiwei¡¯s fingers to the unhealthy redness between her brows and took a step away as if she was near a seriously ill person. Feng Zhiwei smiled humbly and withdrew her hands into her sleeves. ¡°You are already fifteen, you shouldn¡¯t be always staying in the backyard.¡± Fifth Aunt stood by a pile of snow and glanced at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Some other day, I¡¯ll talk to the madam to match you with a man. You know him, Front Yard Manager Liu¡¯s son. He¡¯s not bad.¡± Not bad at all. Even after five full years in a private school, he still couldn¡¯t memorize the Three Character Classic. Feng Zhiwei kept her smile which became gentler and calmer. On her slightly pale face, a pair of beautiful misty eyes shone brightly, decorating her face with a dancing light, gradually giving birth to charm and elegance. Fifth Aunt cast another glance at her and was moved. This girl, if it wasn¡¯t for her unhealthy color, then she would be a real beauty. No wonder people said she looked like that person¡­ But what was a beautiful appearance? With such an infamous birth, what was this sickly, short-lived girl? An empty beauty, destined to wither and fall in the mud. Fifth Aunt smiled coldly and felt that she had already wasted too much time talking with this girl. Any other day, she wouldn¡¯t even be in the mood to say anything to her. If she wasn¡¯t happy because Prince Chu was coming and had asked her to meet him in the backyard secretly, she would have never cared about this girl¡¯s marriage. She lifted her chin and snorted coldly. Prince Chu was known as the most handsome and romantic man in Tian Sheng Dynasty. When Fifth Aunt thought about how she would no longer face these lonely days in the Qiu Family Mansion, even the tip of her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes were filled with happiness. She lifted her foot and started to walk. ¡°Chi¡­¡± Her foot suddenly slipped on the ice, and she slipped backward screaming. She flailed and grabbed at the air, and her fingers reached for the broomstick stuck in the snow. Feng Zhiwei moved quickly and took her broom. Fifth Aunt only caught air as she fell heavily against the slippery ice on the ground and slid over to the lake. The winter water¡¯s coldness could pierce through the bone. Fifth Aunt yelled out in a panic while she slid uncontrollably. ¡°Help! Help!¡± Feng Zhiwei watched as the woman slid on the ground and unhurriedly returned her hands into her sleeves, saying gently. ¡°No, my hands are dirty.¡± ¡°Putong!¡± The sound of a person falling into water was in the end so light and subtle. Feng Zhiwei smiled and walked over to the shore with her broom in hand. Surprisingly, Fifth Aunt knew some moves and was still struggling in the water, but the lake was so cold that her face was already blue. Her smooth hair bun had already fallen apart, and wisps of her hair were stuck to her face like small snakes swimming around. She was too cold to make a sound, or maybe she knew that Feng Zhiwei was not going to save her, so she struggled back to the shore. ¡­ [1] µÛ¾©¨C Loosely translated, King (/emperor) Capital [2] ¡°ÈçÄúËù¼û,¡±·ï֪΢»ØÍ·,½«É¨Ö㣣,¡±É¨Ñ©.¡± There¡¯s some nice flavor here that is difficult to translate smoothly, so here¡¯s a general explanation. Feng Zhiwei uses Äú which is the formal second person form of address. This indicates a formal respect, at least on the surface. However, she does not stop what she is doing and doesn¡¯t turn around fully to face the speaker, and she replies tersely and without addressing the other with their appellation (title/position etc.) Chapter 2 Translator: Aristophaneso Editor: Chrissy Feng Zhiwei casually stood on the shore, looking out calmly. The location was remote, and it was early in the morning. With an event happening in the front yard, no one would have the time to come to this place. Fifth Aunt was, in truth, insane to pass through here¡ªshe was truly courting for death. When the wet woman struggled to the shore and her trembling fingers were about to touch the shore, Feng Zhiwei gently swept her broom and brushed the finger away. This sweep is for mother. That year when her mother had brought Zhiwei and her younger brother to the Qiu Family Mansion, the three of them had knelt before the mansion¡¯s front door for three days and three nights. On the fourth day, the door had opened, and a servant girl splashed out a basin of dirty water. That servant girl was Fifth Aunt¡¯s. That snowy day was even colder than today, and Feng Zhiwei had knelt behind her mom watching as the dirty water froze. After that, her mother had a fever for three days and three nights and almost lost her life. ¡­. Fifth Aunt struggled back again, stirring up ripples and waves. Her movements were slower as she reached out her fingers to grab a rock on shore. Feng Zhiwei swept her broom another time, pushing Fifth Aunt away. This sweep is for me. Manager Liu was a distant relative of Fifth Aunt and had his eyes on Feng Zhiwei for a long time. At first, he had asked Zhiwei to marry him after the death of his first wife, and when her mother rejected him, he had asked that she marry his retarded son. The shameless manager planned to share a woman with his son. In order to stop him, Zhiwei¡¯s mother even had to ask for her brother¡¯s help. A few days earlier, Manager Liu had blocked Feng Zhiwei in a remote room. If she had not been ready with a pair of scissors, she would either be the wife of this father and son pair, or be kicked out of the Qiu Mansion for losing her virginity. ¡­ Fifth Aunt swam over for the third time. This woman¡¯s character still had some fierceness and cruelty, and this time, she didn¡¯t reach for a stone but directly grabbed the broom, holding it against her body and pulling as hard as she could. ¡°Putong!¡± Unprepared for this, Feng Zhiwei was pulled directly into the lake! The bone piercing cold covered her as she sank into the lake. Zhiwei shuddered, and her only thought was that she would be frozen solid. However, the initial coldness passed quickly. A warm stream hidden in her body since birth bubbled forth and spread throughout her body, and after combining with the coldness from the water, all she felt was comfortable warmth that flowed through her veins and meridians. The feeling was luxuriating and felt just like a delicious warm bath. Feng Zhiwei was dumbfounded as she touched her chest unconsciously. She had a strange disease since birth and had always felt an unbearable heat as if her body was burning. On the flip side, she loved the cold. Doctors had said she couldn¡¯t live past twenty, and so in other people¡¯s eyes, she was just a dying girl. ¡°The disease ¡­ is getting worse? I don¡¯t even feel cold in a winter lake.¡± Suddenly, her scalp was tightened; the woman by her side was grabbing her hair. Feng Zhiwei turned to the half-dead face and the malicious smile plastered upon it. Her fingers were like vine tangled in her hair, attempting to take Zhiwei down with her to sink in the lake. Feng Zhiwei tilted her head and smiled. ¡°Cha.¡± A white light flashed against the lake from her scissors, and a tangle of black hair fell away into the water and floated away. Fifth Aunt had nothing to hold on to and had used up all her strength. Her head floated for a moment above the surface of the water and then sank quietly. Feng Zhiwei stepped on her head and pushed her deeper into the water¡ªsince Fifth Aunt was doomed already, there was no harm in dying a little quicker. With that push, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s body rose a little, and she turned to gather her wet hair. The cold water finally chased away the unbearable heat, and she felt so light and clear-minded. The water was so comfortable that she didn¡¯t even want to leave. And so she stayed in the water planning how to deal with this ¡°accident¡±¡ªhow to clean up the shore, how to explain to her mother how she had lost some of her hair, and how she had gotten all her clothes wet. None of this was a problem for her, and after a while, she got ready to leave and reached for a stone. At that moment, her body stiffened as she saw a reflection in the water from the corner of her eye. A slender shadow with a long fluttering cuff was reflected on the mirror-like water surface. Feng Zhiwei stared at the shadow. His robes were pale moon-white trimmed with dark silver veins, peeking out from under a snowy fur coat wrapped around his broad shoulders. Under his Jadeite Crown, the soft, precious fur was only outshone by his looks. It was as if all the beauty of the earthly world had come down together on one man¡¯s face, stunning the mountains and rivers in ten thousand leagues. His eyebrows curved up slightly at the corners, delicate like beautiful feathers, and the curve of his lips were splendid like the work of god. All these wondrous features, however, paled when the pair of eyes turned around and then the only thing left in the world was that dark ink-jade flash in his eyes. The young winter wind carried a few specks of snow, passing through the plum trees on the shore, and the light breeze shook the branches of the trees and the snow-like plum blossoms. These plum blossoms fell like snow, swept and carried past the jade lake and scattering into small pieces against the floating lapel of his robes. In the pale and dreary winter, everything was suddenlybeautiful. Immortal Saint in the mountains, Master under the shade of trees. The hand of a masterful painter, And impossible to capture with a hundred thousand words. The robed man was tall and slender like a jade tree on the shore, and from his posture, he seemed to be leaning forward slightly, examining Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei hid downward a little before turning and raising her head. She looked into that pair of cold black eyes. Those eyes were so beautiful¡ªwhen they moved, the light in them flashed and was almost too bright; and when they stared, they were like a dark, tranquil abyss. From that barrier of white and black, a pure-steel light blue shone forth like a beautiful brocade revealed layer by layer. Gorgeous and noble, and yet also possessing a dark and heavy coldness. Anyone could drown in those eyes. Feng Zhiwei held her hands together in front of her breasts as she looked up at those seemingly gentle eyes filled with ardent passion and the mistiness of a stroll in the night and romantic love. She wondered to herself whether all people on earth would lose themselves in his stunning appearance, and all of them would miss the terrifying coldness hidden in his eyes. ¡°Excuse me, can you move over a little.¡± She gestured with her head, hinting for the man to step aside. The man didn¡¯t move and instead remained slightly bent over while staring at her. Feng Zhiwei stood in the shallows, a delicate and pretty face hidden behind her hair. Her thin and wet eyebrows were like dark feathers, and her pair of misty eyes seemed to be covered with gauze as they gazed. Truly a gentle and harmless looking girl. Truly a face¡­ that amazed him. In the moving ripples, Feng Zhiwei bent slightly, her hands blocking in front of her chest. She did not feel awkward because of her wet clothes and did not panic because someone had seen her commit murder. She stood in the water calmly, looking into the man¡¯s smiling and piercing eyes. Before this man¡¯s crystal clear eyes, any attempt at disguise was just inviting humiliation. Chapter 3 Translator: Aristophaneso Editor: Chrissy ¡°Are you planning to come up like this?¡± After a moment, he asked in a warm and gentle voice. If one listened closely, however, they could hear the indifferent coldness hidden underneath. Feng Zhiwei looked back¡ªFifth Aunt had sunk already. ¡°What if she floats?¡± The man looked to the water where Fifth Aunt had sunk down. ¡°When the time comes, as the person who¡¯s in charge of cleaning the yard, how are you going to answer Qiu Family¡¯s interrogation?¡± Feng Zhiwei felt that his tone wasn¡¯t worried, and he wasn¡¯t asking out of concern. It was more like he was testing her, but why would she let a stranger test her? ¡°Oh? Interrogation?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. She walked over to the shore with water dripping from her hair. When the water reached the man¡¯s beautiful shoes, he stepped back slightly as she expected. ¡°Fifth Aunt accidentally fell into the lake on the way to meet with Your Honor.¡± Feng Zhiwei gathered up her wet hair and touched her face with some slight regret. Fifth Aunt¡¯s nail polish contained some Wu Na Flower which had a nice fragrance and made colors more vibrant; the powder mixed in the water washed away the yellow-ginger color, the same color as the dye that her mother asked her to put on whenever she met with other people. Feng Zhiwei also thought that it could spare her from a lot of trouble, but now this man had seen her real color. Feng Zhiwei sighed helplessly before turning around with a smile. ¡°The one who needs to give Qiu Mansion an explanation seems to be you?¡± ¡°To meet with me?¡± The man turned toward her and smiled meaningfully. ¡°But young lady, I thought I was here to meet you, not some woman past her prime.¡± Feng Zhiwei stopped as she tilted her head to examine him. Her eyes had a natural misty gentleness, and paired with a little smile, her gaze was soft and lovely like a delicate and fragile flower. ¡°Really? Then it¡¯s truly my honor¡­ then, may I ask your honor¡­ What is my name?¡± The man¡¯s smile widened as he suddenly reached forward and grasped her waist. He leaned forward and spoke gently into her ear, ¡°Sooner or later, you will tell me¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei was unprepared and fell into his arms. She tried to struggle but couldn¡¯t move the man at all, and she realized that aside from having a pretty face and good figure, the man¡¯s Kung Fu also could not be underestimated. She looked down at his fingers; they were long and thin, and the bones were distinct. His skin was fine and smooth, and the shape of his hands was too beautiful to be a warrior¡¯s, but they hid a force that she couldn¡¯t resist. They were close, and a cold mint smell mixed with blackberry rose scent filled her nose. It was a cold and subtle smell that filled the air. She frowned against his chest, and just as she was about to struggle again, she heard disorderly footsteps approaching. An exasperated voice filled the air, ¡°Where¡¯s Yuhua? I told her to come to the front yard. Where is she?¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart trembled. It was her uncle¡¯s voice, the Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies and Commander of the Flying Shadow Guard, Qiu Shangqi, the Dynasty¡¯s top military official. As for Yuhua, she was lying at the bottom of the lake. A man behind Qiu Shangqi whispered to him in a low voice before being cut off. Shangqi exclaimed with some surprise, ¡°Ah, so you were here¡­¡± He spoke in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s direction, but halfway through his sentence, he was cut off as well. ¡°Qiu Daren, I was just wandering around. What, is it inconvenient?¡± ¡°I do not dare.¡± Qiu Shangqi bowed immediately with fear in his voice. Feng Zhiwei listened closely, and even though his uncle¡¯s voice had fear in it, it did not have much respect. In addition, this man holding her also spoke strangely, making their conversation seem somewhat odd. ¡°The Mansion¡¯s Concubine Yuhua is excellent at singing and dancing and playing the Chinese Lute. I had asked her to accompany you.¡± Qiu Shangqi smiled with some awkwardness. ¡°But it seems that she is feeling ill¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already seen her.¡± The man draped in fur sounded relaxed. Feng Zhiwei lifted her eyebrows and met his eyes. The man smiled meaningfully. He had seen her¡­ in the water. Their eyes exchanged looks, communicating silently. ¡­ Do you know what I am going to say? ¡­ That is your honor¡¯s choice. ¡­ Are you afraid? ¡­ A life for a life; I have no complaint. The girl¡¯s eyes were smiling the whole time, and it was impossible to determine her true emotions. All the man knew was the coldness on his chest where her fingers were placed¡­ The man cocked his eyebrows. It¡¯s strange that even through these thick winter clothes, I can still feel the coldness. Am I imagining it, or is it the old wound acting up again, spreading a coldness in my bones? The old wound had been quiet for a long time, and now it suddenly acted up while this young girl¡¯s misty eyes stared at him. The answer was just out of reach, and he grew absentminded. What an interesting person¡­ Complex thoughts ran through his mind in a flash, and then he refocused as he turned slightly and met with Qiu Shangqi¡¯s confused eyes. ¡°Oh, I killed her.¡± His tone was calm and indifferent, as if what he had killed was an ant. Qiu Shangqi¡¯s eyes widened in shock¡ªhe examined this man¡¯s elegant face and the coldness hidden in his smile. He breathed in a sharp, cold air, remembering the rumors about this man. Behind his talents, romantic appearance, and beauty were cruelty and maliciousness, and sudden caprices and moods. Qiu Shangqi smoothed his surprised expression and replied in a calm voice, ¡°What¡¯s happened has happened. How did my concubine offend you?¡± Qiu Shangqi was cut off again as the man in the pale fur rolled his cuffs indifferently, and he spoke with a voice as calm as the winter wind. ¡°Do I need a reason to kill?¡± ¡°Do I need a reason to kill?¡± ¡°Do I need a reason?¡± ¡°Do I?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± Feng Zhiwei shuffled forward in her half-dried clothes, mumbling the domineering words as she dragged her broom and trembled down the snowy road. That bamboo shoot of a man could actually say such dumbfounding words? Feng Zhiwei always considered herself a steady person, but even she couldn¡¯t help but shiver at those words. She had thought even if her uncle didn¡¯t immediately rage, he would still show his discontent, but all he did was laugh hollowly as if he was used to that man¡¯s way of speech. While the two were talking, her uncle had looked over at her several times, but in the end never approached. The two spoke for a little while longer before her uncle finally sent him away. The man let her go and left, but before stepping away, he took a deep and meaningful look at her that gave her goosebumps. Feng Zhiwei hugged her arms and sighed helplessly. What bad luck¡­ after swallowing insults and humiliation for so many years and finally finding a good opportunity to kill, she actually got caught red-handed. What terrible luck. Chapter 4 Translator: Aristophaneso Editor: Chrissy Even though the man didn¡¯t make things difficult for her, not to mention he had even helped her, Feng Zhiwei still didn¡¯t dare feel lucky about the situation. When she saw that glance of his reflection in the lake, she clearly saw the murderous look on his face. She had gone stiff in the water, not even daring to move the little hair on her hand. ¡°This is such a terrible feeling, being a fish on someone¡¯s chopping board¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed and waved the broom weakly. The broom shook feebly in the air, raising a small blanket of snow. Feng Zhiwei took up the broom resentfully, imagining the time when she could be so arrogant. If she could, then she wouldn¡¯t have knelt in front of the front door on a cold winter and then had dirty water poured on her. If she could, then she wouldn¡¯t be cornered in an empty room by a scumbag. If she could, then she wouldn¡¯t have to depend on another person¡¯s roof and look on powerlessly as her mother silently swallowed insults and humiliation in order to protect her and her brother. I¡¯m dreaming. Feng Zhiwei mocked herself and moved forward, dragging her broom. She couldn¡¯t even live past twenty, what was the point of thinking so much? She turned down the path at the corner of the flower wall without even realizing that behind the wall, a pair of eyes watched her quietly. A witness to her hollow and helpless eyes. The wind blew and shuffled the leaves, but there was no trace of human passage by the ivy bushes in that corner. Behind those dark green leaves, however, was a vague silhouette of a raised brow, showing the colors of the dark green mountain in the distance. A while later. ¡°Ning Cheng.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Tell me¡­¡± The man straightened the collar of his pale fur coat, the soft, bright fur covering part of the dangerous expression on his face; a cold smile showed through his crystalline eyes. ¡°Should I kill her? She ruined my plans, and I feel¡­ she¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Master.¡± The man in grey standing to the left had a forgettable face; he examined the woman¡¯s disappearing silhouette in due seriousness and then counted with his fingers. After a moment, he answered in a respectful tone, ¡°Seven and a half minutes.¡± This seven and a half meant that he could kill her and destroy her body and all traces within seven and a half minutes. The man in the pale fur tapped his chin and smiled faintly as he looked at his servant. ¡°Your speed has slowed down.¡± ¡°This girl is different.¡± Ning Cheng said carefully, ¡°She gives me a familiar feeling¡ªa little dark, a little weird, a little cold, and a little inhuman.¡± He tilted his head to think. ¡°Like¡­¡± The man in the pale fur lifted his eyebrows with a cold smile on his face. His smile was a little dark, a little weird, a little cold, and a little¡­ inhuman. And as expected, the man in grey found his answer, clapping his hands happily. ¡°Like master!¡± Coughing lightly into his hand, the man looked at his beaming subordinate while smiling lightly. ¡°Really?¡± Clueless, the plain-faced man nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes!¡± To the side stood another man in grey who immediately dragged away the walking disaster while sweating coldly. The man watched on with amusement as his two loyal followers ran away before turning his eyes back to the path Feng Zhiwei had disappeared down. He thought back to her stunning appearance and his eyes glittered. After a while, he laughed heartily. ¡°¡­ Like me?¡± After his guard helped him into his sown ink-black Flying Feather Dragon Cloak, he took a final amused look at the area before walking away with a smile, his hands clasped behind his back. ¡°Since it¡¯s like this, I¡¯ll just watch.¡± His laugh was not loud, but it shook the leaves free from the trees around him. ¡°I want to see if she can be like me and survive in this stormy and murky capital where the wind and the rain pours and blows, and the changes are like the clouds and the waves. I want to see if she can¡­¡± He paused and a cold killing intent emanated outward. Far above him, a white plum blossom on the highest branch shattered. ¡°¡­ Survive pass three months.¡± In the farthest northwest corner of the Qiu Mansion stood a small yard with its door half opened. This yard had no name and used to be part of the servant¡¯s quarters before it was given to Qiu Shangqi¡¯s sister. For better or for worse, she was part of the family, and so they built a short wall to separate her yard from the servant¡¯s. This was the last dignity for the former Qiu Family Young Mistress; everything else was the same as a servant¡¯s. The yard was arranged by Madam Qiu who had originally thought that her proud and arrogant sister-in-law would definitely make a big scene. To her surprise, after the young Qiu Mingying eloped and came back with a son and daughter as Madam Feng, her temper had changed. She quietly accepted everything her brother and sister-in-law arranged. She had already brought scandal to the family and came back begging for help when she had nowhere else to turn; she was in no position to complain. Feng Zhiwei went straight to the dining table after she entered the yard¡ªshe had fallen into the river and was hugged so early in the morning, and now she was so hungry that the skin of her stomach was stuck to her ribs. There was a bowl of Chinese Rice Vermicelli with cabbage and two steamed buns. They were all cold; the vermicelli had dissolved, and the steamed buns were hard as bricks. The former Qiu Family Young Mistress, Madam Feng, sat by the broken leg of the short dining table. She was holding a small knife, trying to scratch away the ugly black stains on the table. When Feng Zhiwei came in, Madam Feng carefully picked up a steamed bun and called to her. ¡°Wei¡¯er, come eat.¡± Feng Zhiwei frowned as she sat down. ¡°There are three people here, why did they only give two steamed buns?¡± ¡°Manager Zhao said that His Majesty will be coming to the Qiu Mansion tomorrow and the kitchen is very busy. This is all they have.¡± Madam Feng didn¡¯t touch the steamed bun and instead carefully took some of the Chinese Rice Vermicelli soup and drank slowly. Feng Zhiwei remained silent, looking at Madam Feng as she bit into the steamed bun. Above the bun, her pair of misty eyes shone with a gentle charm and brilliant light. As the eyes remained still, a glittering nobility flashed forth. Madam Feng helplessly returned her gaze and answered honestly, ¡°I hear that Shao Ning Princess will also be coming.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, turning her gaze away and taking another bite out of the cold steamed bun. Shao Ning was coming, and all of her uncle¡¯s sons were excited. The whole mansion was busy trying to flatter her, and the kitchen was preparing things for the picky princess. They had no choice but to eat these leftovers from yesterday. This was normal. It¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯re used to it. The mother and daughter pair ate and talked. ¡°What is His Majesty leaving his palace for?¡± ¡°The cold wave a couple days ago killed many people in the city. Jiu Cheng Yamen is trying to help the people by giving out free food. His Majesty is probably coming to check on the situation.¡± ¡°Checking on the situation should be just an excuse. Isn¡¯t the real reason because he wants to check whether Lord Chu is commanding Jiu Cheng Yamen well?¡± Feng Zhiwei had to use some strength to rip the skin off of the cold steamed bun. ¡°The Crown Prince was accused of misconduct when he took those beauties from Western Liao, and Prince Chu is in his camp. With the situation in the palace so chaotic, someone is taking the opportunity to throw stones down the well and kick a man when he¡¯s down.¡± Chapter 5 Translator: Aristophaneso Editor: Chrissy ¡°Zhiwei.¡± Madam Feng put down her chopsticks. ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times, as women, we shouldn¡¯t speculate about politics.¡± ¡°Your words are curious.¡± Feng Zhiwei put down her bun and examined Madam Feng with a smile. ¡°If others heard your words, they would think that our Madam Feng is a kind, gentle, and virtuous woman who never cares about politics and only focuses on bringing up her children.¡± ¡°And is that not the case?¡± Madam Feng answered, ignoring her. She used her chopsticks to carefully pick up some Chinese Rice Vermicelli and frowned to herself, thinking how there were so many similar things in the world with a difference of heaven and earth between them. Like this Rice Vermicelli¡ªit looked a lot like a dish she used to eat frequently called Cui Gai Shark Fin, the top quality small fin simmered in chicken soup and then covered with a large purple abalone and Yunnan Ham and wrapped in a lotus leaf. After it finished simmering, the smell was so pure and smooth, and the vibrant smell of the lotus filled the room¡­ Like Zhiwei and Shaoning¡¯s appearances, extremely similar, but their status and condition were so different with one floating among the clouds and another in the mud¡­ Forget it, thinking too much for what? It was all fate. Madam Feng focused on her food and ate earnestly, not even raising her head. Feng Zhiwei examined her with half closed eyes and spoke slowly, ¡°That is the case. Madam Feng has always been like this, and as for that tiger-like general¡¯s daughter, the natural born leader who followed her father onto the battlefield when she was ten and killed her first man at twelve, and at the ripe age of fourteen accepted a military order to face death and turned the tides, leading thirty thousand armor-less soldiers into battle, killing until heads covered the ground and blood danced on the yellow sand. Fame from one battle soared to the heavens and all people honored her, giving her the name Fire Phoenix¡­¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Madam Feng said calmly, cutting her off as she focused on the task at hand, carefully measuring and considering the Cabbage Rice Vermicelli Soup before pouring out a little more. Feng Zhiwei continued regardless. ¡°¡­ The name Fire Phoenix General, Qiu Mingying.¡± Zhiwei stood up abruptly, her palm flat on the table, like a flower covered in snow. She looked straight into Madam Feng¡¯s face and peered into the bottom of her eyes. ¡°¡­ Dead, already dead.¡± ¡°Pa!¡± The bowls and chopsticks shook, tinkling, and Madam Feng flattened her hand against the table while arching her eyebrows and focusing her gaze. Her eyes were suddenly like lightning, baleful and threatening. One could almost see that female general who used to call the wind and the rain. Feng Zhiwei smiled lightly and didn¡¯t move. The shaking continued, and the bowl with the broken lid tilted and some soup flew toward Feng Zhiwei. She looked down and smiled, but she kept still and even her eyelashes didn¡¯t move. Madam Feng glared, but her eyes dazed and she let out a sudden sigh. She pressed down with a finger, and the spinning and shaking bowls stilled. Some soup fell onto her finger and she thought to lick it up, but when she lifted her head and met Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes, she wiped her hand on her apron. ¡°Alright¡­ that¡¯s in the past.¡± The gallant general disappeared, and in her place was a poor woman drinking carefully out of a broken bowl. ¡°Eat, and then you have to help old lady Zhao in the front.¡± Feng Zhiwei examined Madam Feng before slowly taking her hands off the table. The Madam¡¯s face still looked good, but it had already shown some small signs of age. Just as Zhiwei was about to sit back and sigh, the door behind her was bumped open. A small figure rushed in with the freezing wind and plopped down next to her before grabbing and biting into the cold steamed bun that Madam Feng had not touched. That small figure even complained, ¡°Steamed bun again!¡± ¡°Hao¡¯er, don¡¯t rush. Don¡¯t bite your tongue.¡± Madam Feng reached out and stroked his hair affectionately. ¡°Is it too cold? Do you want me to heat it for you?¡± Feng Zhiwei looked down at her cold, hard steamed bun¡ªheat it up? It was easier said than done; the kitchen was too busy, and no one has time to heat your bun. And the steamed bun in my hand is also hard as steel; why don¡¯t you offer to heat mine up? ¡°Why is it so cold?¡± Feng Hao took a bite and frowned before tossing the bun away. The hard bun hit the ground like a rock. ¡°I won¡¯t eat!¡± Feng Zhiwei looked at the steamed bun. That was today¡¯s breakfast; two buns for three people. Their mother hadn¡¯t even touched it and just drank the leftover soup, and now this precious steamed bun was thrown away and covered in dirt. She turned her head slowly and stared at Feng Hao. ¡°Pick it up.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s tone was always gentle and soft, and her eyes always seemed to have a smile in them. Her naturally misty eyes never stared sharply, and not a hint of that astonishing austerity Madam Feng had shown a glimpse of could be found on her. Feng Hao, however, shivered. He didn¡¯t know why, but whenever his sister spoke to him with a smile, he could only feel a coldness from the bottom of his heart. It was as if behind that pair of bright, watery eyes, there was something hidden that ordinary people could never see, something that terrified him. But because of his mother¡¯s love, he was fearless. He took a step back to distance himself from Feng Zhiwei before raising his head and snorting. Feng Zhiwei looked at him, her eyes still smiling. She sat down and continued eating her steamed bun, saying calmly, ¡°You don¡¯t want to pick it up? Alright, you are a big boy now and have your own ideas. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go beg the Madam to let you accompany the Third Young Master to study. You¡¯re so smart, we are depending on you to bring honor back to our Feng Family. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Feng Hao¡¯s expression changed and he glared angrily. ¡°Are you still my sister? Sending me to that fiery pit? You evil woman, you can¡¯t live long and you want to drag me¡­¡± ¡°Hao¡¯er!¡± Feng Hao was startled by the shout and closed his mouth resentfully. Madam Feng looked at him and then looked at Feng Zhiwei. Zhiwei¡¯s smile had thinned a little, but the corner of her lip curled upward. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a steamed bun?¡± Madam Feng smiled as she walked hurriedly to the corner and picked the bun up. She carefully blew on it and carried it with both hands. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the kitchen to heat it up.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes drooped, looking at the steamed bun in her mother¡¯s hands. She looked at her course and cracked hands that used to be so smooth and the hair on her temple. She didn¡¯t know when, but that crow black hair was already interspersed with white. That graying white color was painful to look at. Stars and frost come and go and when one looked back¡ªthat rosy face was no longer the same. An amazing female hero of yesteryear, a legendary fiery general buried in oblivion. Only colorful tales remained, and she could do nothing but look back at the dying legends in loneliness. Feng Zhiwei couldn¡¯t even imagine what experiences could chip down those vibrant and fierce edges, and put in its place a woman who would silently swallow all the bitterness of life. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed and took the steamed bun. The kitchen was filled with snobbish people with biting tongues; she didn¡¯t want her mother to have to beg them and be hurt by their words. Chapter 6 Translator: Aristophaneso Editor: Chrissy As she stepped over the threshold, Feng Hao yelled commandingly, ¡°Bring some delicious food back!¡± Feng Zhiwei paused at the threshold before continuing forward without looking back. She could vaguely hear her mother holding Feng Hao and calming him in a quiet voice. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face was expressionless¡ªas an adopted daughter, she shouldn¡¯t complain about her mother spoiling her son. Even though only she knew that Feng Hao was also adopted, but he was a male. He was the seed who could pass on the Feng Family name. To be honest, she was very grateful to Madam Feng for keeping her around as a burden even in this most difficult of times, never speaking a word about her heritage, and allowing her to survive in this snobbish Qiu Family. As for family affection and warmth¡­ forget it. Even her own life wasn¡¯t in her control, what else could she expect? The kitchen was busy and chaotic; everyone was preparing the most delicate and interesting dessert for the picky princess. Princess Shao Ning was the beloved daughter of His Majesty. Before the dynasty was founded, the princess still in swaddling clothes was lost in the war. After much effort, they finally recovered her, and when they did, the sky showed auspicious signs. Soon after that, they conquered the capital and founded Tiang Sheng Dynasty. His Majesty considered this daughter his lucky star and loved her the most. Feng Zhiwei sneaked in through the kitchen side door. Her face was still that unfortunate yellow, and she had drawn on her eyebrows to mess them up. With these changes, her whole appearance and temperament had transformed, and no one spared her a second look. There were many steaming pots of all sizes, and the steam blurred the air. Wonderful sweetness floated, hiding delicate mysteries. Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t want to disturb anyone so she quietly went up to an empty stove and poured in some water, preparing to steam the bun. There was some delicious food on the table, but Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t even look at them¡ªFeng Hao had asked her to bring back food because he was still too immature. With their awkward position in the Qiu Family, all they could hope for was that no one would come to find trouble with them. They couldn¡¯t afford to stir up any trouble. But that delicious smell was a real torture¡­ Feng Zhiwei touched her belly and felt even hungrier. While she was focusing on the boiling water, she didn¡¯t notice that someone else had sneaked into the kitchen, and several of the female cooks were glancing over in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s direction. When the water boiled and steam came out, Feng Zhiwei took off the lid and reached for the bun, not daring to stay any longer. In her mind, the half-heated bun was already good enough. Just as she touched the steamed bun skin, she heard a crisp sound. ¡°Cha!¡± All at once, as if all of them had been waiting just for that moment, the female cooks started yelling. ¡°Thief! The imperial household¡¯s food has been stolen!¡± Feng Zhiwei trembled and pulled her hand back. She grabbed the piping hot bun and stuffed it into her clothes before twisting around and darting over to the back window a couple steps away. The window was low and opened out onto a garden. If she could make it through the window, she would be able to escape; as it was, she wanted to be anywhere else. But she was too slow. It was not that her reaction had been slow, but that as soon as she had moved forward, another figure had dashed forward as well. They had jumped through the window and fallen, and Zhiwei could hear a faint ¡°ouch!¡± A familiar sound. Feng Zhiwei stopped. She stood before the window, eyes down, and on her face flashed a myriad range of expressions¡ªanger, speechlessness, worry, and hate. She breathed in deeply and turned around, moving quickly but steadily and returning the steamed bun to the pot. The window was impossible now, and that pained breathing hiding below the window sill wasn¡¯t moving. Feng Zhiwei was sure that the thief couldn¡¯t move, and if she jumped out, they would be captured together. Once that happened, they really wouldn¡¯t be able to explain themselves. The kitchen was in an uproar and the stewards and cooks in the conjoining rooms rushed over. ¡°You!¡± An elderly woman gasped in anger when she saw Feng Zhiwei by the window, but even in her anger, a brief flash of complacent satisfaction passed through her eyes. Feng Zhiwei groaned inside. This Old Lady An was in charge of the kitchen and had been widowed for many years. She wanted to get in bed with Manager Liu because of his influence in the front yard, but Manager Liu couldn¡¯t stand her old sallow face. In fact, what Manager Liu wanted all along was to sleep with the young and beautiful Feng Zhiwei, and so the old crone had hated her all this time. Old Lady An glanced over the wooden counter and her face paled. She rushed forward. ¡°You actually destroyed the Golden Silk Fruit offered to the princess!?¡± The window had been thrown open, and the steam in the room had thinned. A trimmed silver cover had been placed gently over a delicate jade cup, but now the cover was knocked over to the side, and the cup had tipped over, with a half liquid yolk dew pooling on the table. Distinct black finger marks marred the jade, completing the dirty and unfortunate scene. The sweetness was thick in the air, and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart grew heavy. She did not know what this thing was, but it was obviously precious. ¡°What am I going to do? What do I do!¡± Old Lady An cried out. She had just been trying to embarrass Feng Zhiwei and had no idea that she would actually dare to touch the Princess Shao Ning¡¯s Food. It was almost meal time, and now she would be in big trouble. Old Lady An glared at Zhiwei, and if she had just been trying to humiliate her before, now she hated her to the core. A strange sound passed from behind the window as if something had rubbed against the wall, but the sound was covered by Old Lady An¡¯s heavy breathing. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s expression was serious as she squeezed the tips of her fingers. ¡°Young Lady Feng¡­¡± A middle-aged woman to the side of Old Lady An spoke, dragging out her words coldly. With a ghastly pale face, she continued, ¡°Second Young Master used much effort and spent a lot of money to buy this Golden Silk Fruit from Da Yue. Just fifty grams of this is already thousands of gold. It is steamed and dried under the sun with a secret recipe nine times, and uses Zi Sun and twenty other precious ingredients, not to mention it has to be cooked with Black Stone Wood. Without even counting the labor needed, all the ingredients are precious and rare. When the princess asks for it, what will you serve?¡± All the ingredients were worth their weights multiple times over in gold and silver. Feng Zhiwei hid her worries and only spoke after taking a deep breath, ¡°I only came here to steam my steamed bun. I didn¡¯t touch that.¡± Chapter 7 Translator: Aristophaneso Editor: Chrissy ¡°Then who did?¡± Old Lady An smiled coldly as she glared with aggressive eyes. Feng Zhiwei squeezed her fingers again before replying calmly, ¡°You have so many people in your kitchen, and just now, so many of them were rushing around. Anyone could have knocked¡­¡± ¡°Pa!¡± The sharp sound of flesh hitting flesh startled the air. Feng Zhiwei felt a slight buzzing in her ears and a numbness across her face. As the numbness faded, a hot pain heated her face. A fishy sweetness filled her mouth, and even her gums ached with pain. What a cruel slap! Old Lady An stiffened, her hand still in the air as if even she couldn¡¯t believe what she had done. She hadn¡¯t planned this at all. In the end, Feng Zhiwei was still technically part of the family, and with the rigid class distinction in Tian Sheng Dynasty, it was a very serious crime to offend a superior. Today¡¯s circumstances, however, had been too extraordinary. She had already been worried sick about the food tomorrow, and when she had looked at this little b*tch¡¯s calm face, she had become so angry that her blood had rushed to her brain. She stopped thinking, and when she had recovered, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face already had a red palm mark across it. The kitchen was silent. Time trickled by, and a thin red thread flowed slowly from the corner of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mouth, her pale face forlorn like a broken flower. Everyone¡¯s expression changed. Feng Zhiwei touched the corner of her lip with a slender finger and as she examined the blood she¡­ smiled. Her hair hung messily and her half smile was hidden in her tangle of black, as if deep in a lingering vapor that had melted into the corner¡¯s darkly bright shadow. She was gentle and terrible, and her paradox hung cold in the air. Old Lady An could not tear her stare away and shivered with cold fear. She remembered. For better or for worse, Feng Zhiwei was still the Young Miss. Her mother was a true blue master of the house and was said to have quite the explosive temper¡­ But Old Lady An had found her nerve¡ªthe slap had already been given, and she couldn¡¯t take it back. Old Lady An was always quiet and clever, and no one could find fault with her and there was no opportunity to teach her a lesson. The opportunity to act had come today and she had acted righteously to slap her. She deserved it. There was no way that she could escape the charge of ¡°stealing the imperial offering.¡± I am the servant of the General¡¯s Wife. I am respected in the mansion. There was nothing to be afraid for by teaching a lesson to the daughter of a disgrace! These thoughts flashed through her mind and Old Lady An decided that since she had gone this far she might as well go all the way. She pointed at Feng Zhiwei and shouted: ¡°Take this daring woman who stole the imperial offering. Take her to the Madam for judgment!¡± ¡°Kid, what are you doing here?!¡± Just as Old Lady An¡¯s words came out of her mouth, one of the other female servants screamed out. She had been startled by Old Lady An¡¯s slap and had taken a step back, bumping open the half-ajar window. She had heard a feeble squeak of surprise, and when she looked down she saw the Feng Family Second Son hiding underneath the window. A couple of people went over and grabbed Feng Hao. Feng Zhiwei wrinkled her forehead slightly at his pale face and wordless stammering, but Old Lady An¡¯s face lit up as if she had found buried treasure. The old crone asked in a high voice: ¡°Young Master Hao, what are you doing here? Did you also come to steal?¡± Feng Hao shriveled up at the word steal, and he glanced over at Feng Hao before lowering his head in fear. Old Lady An saw his expression and her eyes brightened with happiness. She spoke gently, ¡°Young Master, you are still young and naive. You will be forgiven if someone else convinced you to do bad. All you need to do is tell me the truth. We don¡¯t have to bother Madam Qiu or things might end badly.¡± Feng Hao hesitated and he clenched his fingers together unconsciously. Everyone could see a thin golden thread on his fingertips and smell the light and unique fragrance floating out from his sleeves, but they quickly turned their eyes back to his face. ¡°Young Master Hao, this is very serious. Everything will be investigated.¡± The shadow of a smile appeared on the old crone¡¯s face. She gestured with her jaw in the direction of the Front Yard. ¡°Master Qiu rules the mansion with military regulation, and stealing is a very serious crime, not to mention stealing offerings for the Imperials. Tomorrow, even if His Majesty does not mind, as long as Master Qiu finds out about this he will definitely kick you out of the Qiu Mansion. Young Master Hao¡­ what do you think¡­¡± She dragged her words and Feng Hao cowered even further, even retreating a step. Feng Zhiwei took a breath and slowly lowered the hand she had used to cover her face; she turned to look at Feng Hao. This was her brother. They had grown up together¡­ Feng Hao shook under her stare and his knees curled involuntarily, but he quickly looked away and stepped further away from her. He stammered quickly, ¡°¡­ My sister told me that there would be delicious food here¡­ she told me to come help her¡­¡± Old Lady An let out a long breath and a cold smile grew on her face. The women surrounding them all curled their lips in mockery. Feng Zhiwei turned away, tearing her eyes from Feng Hao. ¡°Hao¡¯er!¡± An angry shout came from behind the crowd, attracting attention. Beside Madam Qiu stood Madam Feng, glaring at Feng Hao. As soon as he saw his mother, Feng Hao ran up and cried loudly, ¡°Mom! They hurt me!¡± Madam Feng¡¯s face was pale with anger as she looked at the running Feng Hao. Her sleeves quivered in the still air, and her feet moved slightly before stopping firmly against the ground. She raised her hands stiffly and caught the incoming Feng Hao, embracing him. Feng Zhiwei watched coldly from the sidelines and her eyes glittered slightly¡ªher mother¡¯s gesture just then¡­ had been a little strange¡­ As if that had all been an illusion, in the blink of an eye, Madam Feng had her son in her arms and was murmuring to him in a gentle voice. Madam Qiu stood calmly, listening to Old Lady An¡¯s exaggerated report. She turned to Feng Hao, ¡°Hao¡¯er, did Zhiwei ask you to wait for her under the window?¡± Silence filled the room. Feng Hao looked up stiffly; his lips moved silently before he turned back to look at his mother. Madam Feng¡¯s finger shook a little as she looked away. Feng Zhiwei saw her silently shake away a small golden speck of food that had stuck on her sleeve when Feng Hao had run over. Feng Hao looked confused as if he couldn¡¯t decipher his mother¡¯s intentions, but when Madam Feng didn¡¯t stop him from speaking, he gathered his courage. He did not want to be kicked out of the mansion, and so he hardened his heart and straightened his neck. Just as he opened his mouth to speak¡­ Madam Feng pulled him, stopping him as she stood up and turned toward Madam Qiu. She bowed. Madam Qiu gestured lightly in return, a small smile crossing her face. Feng Zhiwei looked at her mother with relief, and a moment of comforted happiness glimmered in her eyes. There was still a person in the world willing to defend her¡­ Chapter 8 Translator: Aristophaneso Editor: Chrissy Afterward, she heard Madam Feng speak in a quiet voice, ¡°Madam¡­ Zhiwei is still too young and doesn¡¯t know how to act. She was greedy for food, but I hope you can be generous¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei stumbled a step backward. It was as if a bolt of lightning and struck her heart and cleaved it through, leaving only a burnt and blackened abyss and scattered pools of blood. And yet her face still kept a light smile, faint and clear. For a moment, her smile was unnatural, like a perfect and rigid curve drawn in dark ink. Her eyebrows were raised slightly and her eyes glittered like the scintillating surface of a lake under the noon soon. In a frozen moment between motion and stillness, she had an aura of beauty and terror, freezing the heart like the austere face of a Terracotta Guard. Madam Qiu paused. She knew this brother-sister pair well, and understood the spoiled brat of a son. What had happened today was clearly this piggish and cowardly Feng Hao¡¯s attempt at framing his sister, and Madam Qiu had thought that her tough sister-in-law would definitely defend Feng Zhiwei. When she had stormed in and shouted out angrily, everyone could tell that she was going to accuse the son to save the daughter, but¡­ things turned out differently. In the end, the son was more important¡­ Madam Qiu observed indifferently. She thought about how the Feng Family daughter, always so kind and gentle, had stayed quietly in her corner of the Qiu Mansion all this time, living indifferently but still preventing others from taking advantage of her and her mother. She remembered the day that her sister-in-law had knelt before the Mansion Gate with her son and daughter. Madam Qiu had ordered everyone to keep silent about the matter, and Master Qiu had suitably pretended he knew nothing. Madam Feng had passed out from sickness and cold, and the four-year-old Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t panic. She immediately dragged her brother with her into the street and they knelt together. They said nothing, kneeling with silent tears in their eyes. Every passing man and woman pitied and sighed for the children, and after only a day had passed, the Qiu Mansion could no longer bear the gossip. They were forced to take them in. At such a young age, she had already understood how to pressure the Qiu Mansion with the street gossip, and had known to act when her mother passed out so that no one could blame Madam Feng for using her children as tools. She knew the proper limits and had great wisdom; anyone who understood what had happened would be by the capability of this four-year-old. Later, when Madam Qiu had wanted to marry Feng Zhiwei to Manager Lou¡¯s son, the child hadn¡¯t said a word of protest in front of her at all. Some days later, when she had ¡°accidentally¡± met her uncle, she had led him to ask after the origin of a jade hairpin, and had explained to him that ¡°The Third Young Miss likes my jade hairpin, so I¡¯m going to give it to her.¡± She continued, ¡°The Liu Family gave this to me. Sister rarely likes these small things, so now I finally have something I can give to her.¡± General Qiu had been furious at his wife¡¯s carelessness. If Feng Zhiwei had actually been allowed to give this hairpin to the young and naive Third Young Miss and someone gossiped about this gift from outside the family, it would definitely have hurt her reputation. Throughout all these years, Zhiwei had been in an awkward position in the Qiu Mansion, and all the while maintaining a low profile, she had prevented anyone from manipulating her. The amount of patience and wisdom this required made outsiders uncomfortable to think about. And finally, there was an opportunity to deal with this. ¡°This is not very serious.¡± Madam Qiu smiled in an almost kindly way. ¡°You are part of the family and there is no way I will make things hard for you. I¡¯ll just have the servants offer some other things tomorrow when His Majesty is here. The Imperial Family has always been kind to our Qiu Family, they will not mind these little things.¡± Madam Feng¡¯s face showed some happiness and she turned to look at her daughter, but Feng Zhiwei was looking to the side as if oblivious, watching a flower through the window swaying in the wind. Her hands were clasped in her sleeves. ¡°It is just that¡­¡± And as expected, Madam Qiu¡¯s voice changed. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to keep our servants all silent, and the beans have already fallen out of the sack. General Qiu has also already heard about this matter, and you all know that he is a tough and strict master. I am afraid that Niece will have to suffer when he hears about this¡­¡± She smiled and looked at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°I think you should hide outside the Qiu Mansion temporarily. You don¡¯t have to worry, Aunt will take care of everything.¡± Everyone smiled faintly in understanding. Madam Qiu was going to kick her out of the Qiu Mansion. Even if Feng Zhiwei was not respected in the house, she was still a Young Miss raised in seclusion. Everyone understood what would happen to a young miss when she was kicked out of her family. Even if she managed to return in the future, she would never be able to marry decently. Old Lady An smiled joyfully now that her enemy would be gone. Urgency appeared on Madam Feng¡¯s face and she opened her mouth, but at that moment, Madam Qiu turned to look at her. The Madam reached out and helped tidy Madam Feng¡¯s hair and even retrieved a flower from her own hair and placed it carefully in Madam Feng¡¯s. She smiled and said, ¡°Hao-er is still immature, and Wei-er does not understand her actions. Sister has had it tough and has aged so much.¡± Madam Feng closed her mouth at these words and shivered with cold. The battle-hardened mistress turned her face away, lifting a trembling hand to touch the flower in her hair. She looked down and replied in a quiet voice: ¡°Thank you for your concern¡­.¡± The evening sun shone through the open doorway and lit up the room, but that storied hero and valiant woman stood in a shadowed corner. The evening light touches her face, but all it showed was the frost white of cold moonlight. Feng Zhiwei stood in the evening sun of winter. She felt the thinness of her clothes and the coldness of her sleeves and she couldn¡¯t help but pull her sleeves in more closely. Her eyes floated from Feng Hao¡¯s red lips and white teeth to the little flower in her mother¡¯s hair. The red pearl of a flower was bright and beautiful, but it was placed in the once raven hair. Here and there you could see the traces of white, and it was a sad ruin of past beauty. This was her brother. Her mother. Feng Zhiwei looked down, and at that moment, a small smile crossed her face. It was not cold and not sad, not mocking or angry. Her smile was filled with peace. The expectant crowd was stunned, and in one swift movement, Feng Zhiwei turned and strode forward. Even Madam Qiu was dumbfounded. Feng Zhiwei looked straight, only stopping when she reached Old Lady An. Her hair bun had already broken apart because of the old crone¡¯s slap, and through her scattered hair, red finger marks were clear and distinct. The old crone looked at her in fear and thought about how she had offended her superior. Now that the Feng Family Young Miss was being kicked out, if she wanted to get a revenge slap as she left, Madam Qiu would do nothing. Old Lady An stepped back in fear, and in front of her, Feng Zhiwei raised her hand. Everyone waited for the loud slap. Feng Zhiwei smiled faintly. Her bright spirit shone through her smile, and her yellowed and sallow face still made her beautiful, and people couldn¡¯t help but stare. In the silence as everyone held their breath, Feng Zhiwei raised her hand¡­ and touched the red mark on her face. She had a thoughtful, reminiscing expression as if she wanted to relive the pain through the touch of her fingertips. She lowered her hand and smiled gently, leaning in and placing her mouth beside Old Lady An¡¯s ear. Chapter 9 Translator: Aristophaneso Editor: Chrissy ¡°The interest for this slap¡­ wait for me.¡± With a last smile and her back blocking the view of everyone in the room, she patted the old crone¡¯s face gently and then stepped over the threshold. Before her, the warm evening sun enveloped her, and behind, cold and surprised looks examined her. She stood in between, her shadow thin and faint. She didn¡¯t look back. She didn¡¯t look at her brother¡¯s guiltless expression, and she didn¡¯t look at the bitterness in her mother¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t think of her family¡¯s betrayal, and she didn¡¯t think of what she would have to face beyond this doorway. She just walked peacefully into the embrace of the evening sun and deeply breathed in the golden light. She said to herself. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± The warm winter sun fell little by little, and the whistling wind brought with it the coldness of night. As the sky darkened, fewer people walked the streets. The night watchman tapped his baton, and the ringing rolled desolately off the roads. With a light rustle, a waiter of a small pub on Tian Shui street pulled down the bamboo stand, covering the window. He turned to a gloomy corner of the dark pub and smiled politely. ¡°Customer¡­ our store is closing¡­¡± In that corner, a small figure leaned against the wall with a couple of bottles of cheap and weak alcohol in front of him. The shadow grunted lightly and stood up slowly, putting down a small piece of silver before leaving with the two unfinished bottles in hand. The waiter looked at the person¡¯s slim and weak silhouette hugged by a thin coat and shook his head wordlessly ¨C to be out at almost midnight and still wandering¡­ only homeless people did that, right? Through the door, with the cold wind blowing into her face, Feng Zhiwei hugged her thin coat. Her fingers brushed her lips, and her breath was like frost. She clung to the bottle, wandering aimlessly against the flow of people as she gradually crossed through the poor area of the East Quarters and headed to the city center. After some walking, she spotted a river in front of her, reflecting the night sky and blurred lantern lights. Snow had gathered and covered the bluestone by the riverside and looked like crystal or ice jade. Feng Zhiwei sat on a snow-covered bluestone and faced the water. She retrieved the last bottle from her embrace, drinking slowly from its mouth. Soon, there was not much left and she tilted her head backward and lifted the bottle. The bottle was poorly made with crude clay and some of the clear liquid spilled from the mouth and flowed onto her face, dripping down the corner of her eye. She wiped her face carelessly and wet her fingers with alcohol and tears. She examined her fingers, and only after a long, long while did she lift her hands gently and cover her eyes. The snow-covered sound on the silent night and the freezing winter wind washed over the flowing river. The shadow of a young girl sat on a bluestone; the fingers she covered her eyes with dappled by the light¡¯s reflection off the water. The diffused smell of perfume swept by with distant coquettish laughter, and when it disappeared past the river, there was only loneliness. A sound broke the silence. ¡°Gong Zi¡­¡± The voice was soft and flirtatious, with a cute and light petulant upturn at the end of it. Footsteps neared. Feng Zhiwei lowered her hands and frowned, examining the reflection of lanterns and flowers on the water surface. If she remembered correctly, this was the Rouge River connected to the city, and was famous in a ten miles radius for its brothels. Each side of the river was long and filled with sellers of smiles. It was probably some customer¡¯s idea to bring his nightingale to the riverside for some excitement. Feng Zhiwei remained seated¡ªthat customer didn¡¯t care about people watching, so why would she be afraid of being seen? As the footsteps grew nearer, the young woman cried out cutely, ¡°Ai ya, there is someone here¡­¡± but her tone indicated that she didn¡¯t really care. She turned to the man beside her and asked naughtily, ¡°Gong Zi¡­ you told me that you were going to show me something interesting¡­¡± The figure beside her replied with a faint ¡°wu¡± sound. Even his grunt was tinged with coldness and was vaguely familiar. Feng Zhiwei caressed her bottle. At the corner of her eye was an elegant, silver-trimmed robe. The light golden Mandala Flower on his black cloak postured arrogantly in the wind. Jade clinked as the young girl turned in her beautifully colored dressed. She walked away from the river and took a step toward the man in the elegant robe, reaching out her hands behind the man¡¯s neck. ¡°Then¡­ Yin¡¯er will wait.¡± The man seemed motionless, but his tone hid a smile. ¡°I saw a good play today, and it was brilliant. I find myself with the urge to share what happened.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart quivered slightly and she turned her head to the couple. The elegant, robed man¡¯s cold smile seemed unnerving in the snowy night. He returned her gaze with a glance, and with the faint smile still on his face, he hugged the young woman¡¯s waist as they walked step by step. Each movement brought them closer to the riverside. That Yin¡¯er was drunk with the man¡¯s gorgeous charm, and she didn¡¯t notice as he backed her up to the river. At the bank. The man lowered his face and smiled again. The young woman cried out shyly and raised her lips. And ever so gently, the man reached out his hand and pushed. ¡°Pu Tong.¡± On the bluestone, Feng Zhiwei buried her face in her hands and sighed. Really¡­ it really happened. Yin¡¯er was baffled and too shocked to even struggle. Luckily, the river was mostly ornamental and not too deep, but nonetheless, her lips and face had paled. It was only unclear whether it was due to terror or the icy coldness. Feng Zhiwei gazed stupidly at the man and woman pair on the riverside. The man had clasped his hands behind his back and was looking off into the distance, paying no attention to the terrified girl and the woman sitting elegantly where she had always sat. As before, the latter was still concentrated on her drink if nothing had happened. Yin¡¯er felt on the cusp of a mental breakdown. How could such people exist in the world? One pushes people into the water for no reason, and the other one doesn¡¯t react! She trembled in the water and slowly struggled her way to the bank. She reached her hand out and begged for the man to pull her up. ¡°Gong Zi¡­ Gong Zi¡­¡± Her fingers were deathly pale, pitiful like a flower about to shatter. The man looked down at her outstretched hand and slowly put his hands in his sleeves. He smiled faintly. ¡°No! Your hands are dirty!¡± Feng Zhiwei coughed into her rice wine. ¡°Gong Zi¡­ Yin¡¯er knows that she was wrong¡­ Yin¡¯er will never annoy you again¡­¡± The young girl cried in the water. ¡°Yin¡¯er knows¡­ that she should have never had feelings for you¡­¡± Her tears had washed off her beautiful makeup, revealing her young and tender face. The woman was still a girl, and because she was young, she lacked a sense of propriety. Now, after taking a dip in the cold winter river, she remembered the rumors of this man¡¯s mercilessness, and how he hated being tied down. She soaked in the icy water, trembling but not daring to ask for help. She didn¡¯t even dare to try to get out of the water on her own. Chapter 10 Translator: Aristophaneso Editor: Chrissy Feng Zhiwei put down her bottle. She stood and, without glancing at the man, walked to the riverside and extended her hand. Yin¡¯er hesitated in fear. Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°Take my hand. No one wants you to die today.¡± When she had pulled up the soaked girl, Feng Zhiwei looked over her thin and wet clothes clinging to her every curve. She had no undergarments on, and after a moment of thought, Feng Zhiwei took off her own thin coat and wrapped it around her. Even though this smile-selling girl might not care about walking down the street naked, as a woman, Feng Zhiwei wasn¡¯t willing to let her walk past that man like this. Yin¡¯er looked at her gratefully and said in a quiet voice, ¡°I am from Lan Xiang Yard over there¡­ Big Sis, if you ever need me, you can find me there.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and patted her shoulder. The girl didn¡¯t dare to take another look at the man. She wrapped herself deeper into the coat and slowly walked away. The cold wind blew, and Feng Zhiwei shivered in her thin clothes, hugging herself as she looked out onto the river. A bottle was suddenly passed over. The clean and slender fingers holding it were steady as if it had an everlasting indifference. Feng Zhiwei examined the brown bottle and frowned lightly. ¡°That¡¯s mine.¡± A robe was then offered. ¡°In exchange for your wine.¡± Feng Zhiwei took it without a hint of courtesy. ¡°This is a bad deal for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± The man smiled, the corner of his eyes creasing upward ever so slightly, transforming his face and giving the impression of a gorgeous cherry blossom. ¡°You taught me a move today; this is my tuition offering.¡± Feng Zhiwei remained silent. The water reflected the man¡¯s face, revealing to the world nothing of his inscrutable character. He had a thousand faces that changed at a moment¡¯s notice, and in the brief interactions she had with him, his aura and temperament had transformed three times. When she first met him, he had been an elegant and capable man living peacefully in the mountains; when he had pushed a person into the river, he was arrogant like a bright gold Mandala Flower; and with his smile, he was a beautiful cherry blossom, almost feminine in his beauty. For people like him, there was only one word: dangerous. But the man was seemingly unaware of the thoughts running through her head, and he suddenly smiled again. ¡°The river winds are strong, you shouldn¡¯t get a cold. Let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡± Feng Zhiwei said nothing and just followed. Around a turn, an arched stone bridge loomed. It was huge but clearly damaged and ill-maintained as if it were abandoned. They climbed the bridge. The stone railing on both sides was large and blocked the winds. It was a good location to settle, and so the duo sat on the ground. The man still held Feng Zhiwei¡¯s bottle and drank some before passing it back to Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei was stunned for a moment. She was not used to sharing a bottle with a man, and she hadn¡¯t expected the noble Gong Zi to drink such a cheap rice wine. The man obviously despised intimacy but was willing to drink wine and share a bottle with her. She thought for a moment and then wiped the mouth of the bottle with her sleeve before drinking carefully. For a moment, she thought that that person would be angry, but he wasn¡¯t even looking at her. His head pointed upward as he gazed at the boundless sky. Feng Zhiwei lifted her eyes as well. The bridge was arched into the sky, and from where they sat, the boundless night and cold moon were clear as if the whole capital lay around them. The small crisscrossing field roads and the lofty royal palace lay in their sight. Feng Zhiwei took another mouthful of the hot and burning wine, and with glittering eyes, she asked, ¡°You are very familiar with this place.¡± ¡°This bridge was the greatest bridge of Wang Du, Capital of the Da Cheng Dynasty. It¡¯s said that the founding Emperor built it for his Empress.¡± The man eyes were half closed, and his voice was relaxed. ¡°The Empress liked impressive and magnificent things, and this bridge was built so that she could stand and overlook everything she ruled. The bridge was named the First Bridge of Da Cheng. Six hundred years ago, the Empress often came to the bridge in disguise, leaving behind many tales.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s very beautiful.¡± In her heart, though, Zhiwei didn¡¯t think that a man like him would be moved by tales of a dead dynasty. ¡°Da Cheng¡¯s dynasty was uprooted, the Tian Sheng Emperor was conquered, and Wang Du became Di Jing. Heaven and earth were settled. When the Emperor met the officials of Da Cheng Dynasty, it was here. That day, all of the surviving officials were grass in the blowing wind as they all kowtowed at his feet.¡± The man¡¯s voice was calm but full of pride. Feng Zhiwei wiped her lips as her heart beat fast. She smiled chillingly, ¡°They bent to the bloody sword.¡± The man turned, and his gaze was like a blade; Feng Zhiwei met his eyes, smiling softly as she met his gaze with her own. After a moment, the man pulled his eyes away and chuckled. ¡°Yes, the winner is crowned, and the loser becomes a bandit. The old officials were lucky that they are still officials for the Emperor. They might not even have the chance to be a bandit.¡± Feng Zhiwei remained silent; if they couldn¡¯t be bandits, all that was left was death. She smiled faintly and reverted to the old topic. ¡°Such a beautiful bridge. Why was it abandoned?¡± ¡°The world was conquered, and the Emperor brought his family to the capital. When his favorite Shao Ning Princess was carried onto the bridge, she cried and threw a tantrum. The Astrologers passed around rumors that this was a bad omen.¡± ¡°Three years later,¡± the man paused for a moment as he took the bottle and drank, ¡°three years later, the Third Prince committed treason and tried to force the Emperor to abdicate. In the attack, three members of the imperial family died, four were injured, and one crippled. The bridge has been abandoned ever since.¡± The thrilling history of the royal families dropped indifferently from his mouth. Even though his words were simple, it brought with it a faint scent of hurtling winds and rains of blood. Feng Zhiwei felt the coldness anew and pulled her robe closer. On this great bridge were the memories of the Empress¡¯ footprints and the fading cry of the last Emperor. Was it just winter wind, or were there unwilling spirits in the air? And why did this brilliant and mysterious man have such unusual feelings for this bridge? He was so familiar with it; did he ever pace its length on sleepless nights? But none of this had anything to do with her. For her to even talk and drink with this stranger through the night was already abnormal. In her loneliest and most vulnerable moment, she had met another lonely soul. And just as he would not ask her why she was here, she would not ask about the loneliness and coldness in his eyes. When the bottle was almost empty, the first lights of dawn had spread its fingers in the sky. Feng Zhiwei poured the last drops to the first beams of the morning sun, smiling, ¡°This last drop, I toast to the lonely bridge. Our earthly things come and go, but the bridge remains.¡± Then she stood while shaking her wrist in a gentle motion. She slipped out from the robe, and, without looking back, walked away. The first morning lights carried the paleness of snow and caressed her shoulders; the back of the soft and girl back was straight. That man sat while watching her walk away. His eyes glittered, and after a moment, he asked, ¡°Ning Cheng, where do you think will she go?¡± Chapter 11 Translator: Aristophaneso An ordinary faced guard appeared and examined Feng Zhiwei¡¯s receding back. ¡°Two possibilities. She¡¯ll either break the cauldron and sink the boat, returning to the mansion for a final struggle, or she¡¯ll suffer the injustice and bend to the Qiu Mansion¡¯s will. The guard laughed, pointing to the redlight district in the distance. ¡°Regardless, she will return there immediately. She cannot stay in this place much longer; another minute and her name will be smeared even more. She cannot play with her reputation and her life.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The man smiled lightly, his words long. ¡°Let¡¯s bet.¡± Ning Cheng offered enthusiastically. The man didn¡¯t reply, and the two stood on the bridge, watching the straight backed woman. She walked purposefully and stopped by a door beside an orchid lamp. She tied up her hair like a man, and knocked firmly on the door. Ning Cheng¡¯s face paled. The woman¡¯s face turned, speaking to the opened doorway, and the person inside paused for a moment in bewilderment. On the bridge, the lip reading Ning Deng stumbled. The man laughed lightly. In his dark jade pupils appeared a glimmer of interest, as if a long calm abyss suddenly stirred by the winter wind, blown over from beyond the horizon. He stood in the shining sun, the golden Mandala Flower on his black cloak fluttering in the wind; he could almost hear on the cold piercing wind the last whispers of that conversation; the weak girl asking the Madam opening the door, calmly and outlandishly. ¡°Your place, does it still need a servant?¡± ¡­ ¡°Xiao Zhi, I heard that there are new dying silk flowers, get me some!¡± ¡°Bring me some too. I want those light green and orangish ones!¡± ¡°A quarter of a kilo of Si Fang Zhai¡¯s Lotus Root, stuffed with crystal sugar and sticky rice!¡± Around noontime, the ten mile redlight district was just waking. Pleasant voices like nightingales and swallows passed through the windows of the LAN Xiang Yards delicate building. The girls leaned their bodies through the window and called out, assigning tasks to the footboy in black clothes as he walked by with his bamboo basket on his way to do some shopping. The footboy was a distant relative of the popular Yin Er of Lan Xiang Yuan. He had arrived a month ago and didn¡¯t speak much, but he was intelligent and good at reading the situation; all the girls liked him. ¡°Sister Yan Hong¡¯s skin is white with just a tinge of blush; light green doesn¡¯t suit your skin. Light pink is better ¨C it will make your skin shine.¡± The footboy smiled upwards at the windows. ¡°Sticky rice lotus roots are good, but it will sit in your stomach if you eat too much. Cui Huan Sister, you love food; you have to be careful or else you¡¯ll be a fat beauty.¡± ¡°You¡¯re terrible!¡± The girls shouted, but their smiles were happy and content. Yan Hong replied happily, ¡°Xiao Zhi, if you weren¡¯t Yin Ed¡¯s relative and worked here as a servant, I would have really thought you were some rich family¡¯s Gong Zi.¡± ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Yin er said, passing Yan Hong on her way out of her room. She patted her shoulder and continued, ¡°Class hierarchy is still so strict in Tian Sheng Dynasty. A Gong Zi from a wealthy family would never work here even if his alternative was to beg and starve.¡± But as the words came out of her mouth, Yin er still threw a complicated look at the footboy. He smiled back at her unperturbedly, just as he always did ¨C he seemed clear and honest, but was through and through a mystery. He looked calm, but his actions were incredibly strange. Xiao Zhi, a nickname for Wei Zhi; Feng Zhiwei. After hiding out in this brothel for a month, Zhiwei had become very good at her job. Of course, this was also only possible with Yin er¡¯s help ¨C she hadn¡¯t let Zhiwei become another working girl, but had instead pestered the Madam and had her take in Zhiwei was a footboy. Even though the situation was not much better, but it was still a move of kindness. Feng Zhiwei was grateful, but Yin er continued to thank her, always saying that it was because Feng Zhiwei saved her life. Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t really understand this; all she had done was reach out her hand and pull the girl up; it was not as serious as a life saving grace. But, Yin er never explained. Her expressions would sometimes still show a lingering fear from that night, and every time Zhiwei brought up that man she almost had a panic attack. From her panicked expression, Zhiwei could guess that this situation was not just because she had been pushed into the river, and there was a more complicated story. And in the end, Feng Zhiwei had only asked out of some idle curiosity and didn¡¯t push ; after that night of drinking and the farewell in the snowy morning, she had no desire to see that man again. But fate rarely gave man what he wanted ¡ª it wasn¡¯t so easy as not meeting someone you didn¡¯t want to see. She carried the basket under her arm and moved to leave when she spotted a large group of people coming that way. Feng Zhiwei paused for a moment, and just as she thought to hide a man from the group called out. ¡°Hey, boy, Gong Zi Ye are already here, go call out the girls to come serve us!¡± Feng Zhiwei lowered her eyes, examining the richly dressed guests through the corner of her eyes. They were obviously Gong Zi from Dijing¡¯s royal family (is this right?). One of them wore a moon white layered silk robe with a bamboo pattern embroidered in silver on the corner. The elegance made her eyebrows twitch, and she lowered her head even more. Turning and giving way, she called towards the yard, ¡°Girls, there are guests¡ª¡± She had learnt the sound from the servant who usually welcomed the guests, but she was inexperienced and her call was stiff, amusing the group of Gong Zi. ¡°Where did Lan Xiang Yard find this servant? Even the welcome call sounds like a woman moaning in bed.¡± ¡°Where is Zhang De?¡± Why is this idle kid here?¡± The group of men passed her, laughing as if she were invisible. Feng Zhiwei stared at the ground and watched as the corner of that robe passed her by without stirring up any dust. Just as she let out a long breath of relief, she heard one of the the men call out cheerfully to the Madam, ¡°We¡¯re going to play Jim Xing Ling, let this boy wait on us!¡± The Madam paused and agreed unwillingly. She signaled for Feng Zhiwei to come over and whispered to her. ¡°Be careful! Ai¡­.¡± The Madam had a worried look, and was not at all happy that business had come. Feng Zhiwei examined her with surprise, and the Madam continued in a serious voice. ¡°Did you see that skinny man in yellow? I heard he¡¯s an animal; the top girl Ruan Yu er from Guang Hua Ju was disabled by him, and even when their Madam wanted to stir up trouble with her background, nothing good happened. A couple days later, some people came and smashed up the yard and closed their business. Ai, why did they come here today? I hope they don¡¯t give me trouble¡­.¡± She turned to Feng Zhiwei again, ¡°Xiao Zhi, you are clever and understand etiquette better than anyone in this yard. You have to help me today and make sure nothing goes wrong.¡± Feng Zhiwei couldn¡¯t refuse; she was a guest under someone¡¯s roof, and that roof was a brothel. This day was inevitable, and she would try to avoid it when she could, but when she couldn¡¯t, she could only wait and see. The group took the best room ¡°Juan Fang Ge,¡± and called for the most beautiful girls. Each man took one and laughed and joked noisily. There was only one corner that everyone avoided, a quiet and almost eerie corner. And that was where he sat. An ebony screen decorated with silver bamboo separated that corner, and next to a delicate carpet mat stood a black stone tripod burning expensive incense. In the cold light and white smoke, the man¡¯s long hair was spread carelessly over his robe, and his lapel hung open loosely. He propped his face up indolently with an arm on the table before moving slightly and lowering his head gently to drink rice wine out of the cup of the girl¡¯s hands. Chapter 12 Translator: Aristophaneso He pinched the girl¡¯s pink cheeks gently, and the Lang Xiang Yard girl Kui Lanyi acted coquettishly. In that corner, the quiet laugh and shy gasp was romantic and charming compared to the noise around them. Feng Zhiwei served the tea and dessert expressionlessly as she wondered what Lanyi would do if she knew that he had pushed Yin er into the river that night. She also thought to herself about how even though this man came to the brothel with the other young masters and his mannerism was so casual and natural, she couldn¡¯t help but think how out of place he was in this picture. Her hands didn¡¯t stop as she moved around the table serving the guests, but wherever she turned she could feel eyes on her. Even with her back to him she could feel his examining gaze, but she didn¡¯t react and never turned in that direction. Feng Zhiwei kept her attention on Yin er. She looked pale and uncomfortable, and from time to time her eyes darted to Zhiwei almost unconsciously. Sitting next to her was the pale faced man in yellow, and his murky eyes held a strange look. Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t want to interfere and acted oblivious; as a woman of wind and dust, Yin er had to serve all kinds of unorthodox customers, and she had to learn how to deal with them. It was not Zhiwei¡¯s duty to save her. When the rice wine had been filled three times, everyone was a little drunk. Some of the men took their girl to another room, and Yin er also left with the skinny man. As people watched the two leave, their eyes held strange gazes. In the embrace of that man¡¯s arms, Yin er kept darting backward looks, her eyes filled with sadness and hope, as if she was looking for a savior. Everyone looked away. Feng Zhiwei frowned but her feet didn¡¯t move. She felt that as long as that man was here, it was best to avoid drawing any attention. But when the two passed, Yin er¡¯s messy clothes flapped gently with her movement and a deep red bruise on her white skin filled Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes. Zhiwei hesitated, and after a moment of silence she put down the teacup in her hand and followed, moving silently through a side door. As she crossed through the door, on the other side of the room, the elegant man in moon white silk who had his back to the door pushed away Lanyi as she leaned against her chest and smiled. Lanyi thought he was just playing, and she flashed a charming look and leaned in again. The man lowered his face, his beautiful eyes filled with a faint smile as he examined the foolish woman who didn¡¯t understand. His lips almost smiled. He waved his hand. A guard with a forgettable face appeared and picked up the black stone tripod, turning it over and pouring it over Lan Yi¡¯s head. Burning ashes danced and fell when a sharp, feminine scream broke the air. The room silenced, and no one uttered a sound. ¡°Ning Cheng, you¡¯ve become soft for perfume.¡± The man ignored the woman on the ground and stood up, smiling. ¡°I thought you would aim for her face.¡± ¡°I had planned on that.¡± Ning Cheng looked down and examined Lan Yi. ¡°But I realized that she had too much rouge on and that it might protect her from being burned. He laughed lightly and then paid no mind to his amusing bodyguard. The man swept by the silent people and followed in the direction Feng Zhiwei had left. In his wake, no smoke or dirt stirred; there was only crying buried in the dust. Feng Zhiwei followed Yin er and the man in yellow to a remote and quiet garden. She thought it was strange. Why didn¡¯t he go to a private room? Did he like it outside? They stopped behind a bush of Winter Jasmine, and after a sound of ripping clothes came a man¡¯s heavy breath and a woman¡¯s low and fine moan. Feng Zhiwei blushed and turned; what was wrong with her paranoia? Actually following a joe and his prostitute! Just as she was about to leave though, she noticed the moaning behind her was abnormal. The moaning didn¡¯t sound pleasurable, and was more like a moan of pain. She hesitated and finally decided to take a look. Through the golden flower bush she saw a naked man with a rose in his hand, trying to stick the stem into Yin er¡¯s chest. The rose was covered with tiny thorns, and the skinny man had sharpened the end of its stem and was trying to insert it into Yin er¡¯s pink nipple. Yin er¡¯s moans turned into miserable cries. She stood over the skinny man and smiled, patting his shoulder. ¡°Morning.¡± The man was in the middle of his fun and hadn¡¯t expected any interruptions; startled, he loosened his hand and turned his head. All he saw was a flash of cold light, and a blood covered ball flew out and rolled into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s palm. She stood there, smiling over the man with a glinting dagger in her right hand and blood in her left. In a swift motion, she moved her hand back, holding that thing in her palm. In that moment after she had greeted him, she had cut open his bag of family jewels and squeezed quickly, popping out one of his treasured balls. Her movement was too smooth, and only after she took back her hand did the man feel the pain as he fell to the side and cried out. But the shout of pain didn¡¯t last, and just as he moved over Zhiwei moved, grabbing the rose and stuffing it into his mouth. The tiny pricks along the stem pricked his mouth, cutting open tiny wounds; the pain made the man¡¯s eyes roll back and he twitched uncontrollably for a time, incapable of making any sound. Feng Zhiwei moved her hands away, and in a calm and composed manner wiped her hands on the leaves next to her. Yin er was still too shocked to speak and had paled and retreated a few steps, even forgetting to dress. Zhiwei moved over and helped her back into her clothes, also taking a small sachet from her waist and putting the testicle inside it. With that done, she turned to the skinny man and waved the bag in front of him. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± The Young Master breathed painfully, trembling in pain and unable to force out any more words. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°But you, not so much.¡± ¡°You.. I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡± the man twitched, squeezing out the words with an expression of overwhelming hate. ¡°I will skin you and crush your bones. Your whole family¡­ burned to ashes¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei ignored him and turned to Yin er, asking her some things in a quiet voice. When she turned back, she smiled again. Her smile was calm, and she held the small bag in her hand as if it were a flower. ¡°I wonder how Official Li will feel when he learns that his only grandson has lost his family jewels in a brothel.¡± The man trembled and paled, and when he thought about his strict grandfather his legs softened even more. ¡°What will Official Li¡¯s friends in the imperial court say? When they learn that Official Li didn¡¯t teach his family well and his grandson was castrated in a brothel, will they ask His Majesty to help out with your family¡¯s regulations?¡± Young Master Li was stunned, and as if suddenly thinking of something, his face paled even more. He was on the verge of passing out from the pain, but now he didn¡¯t even dare pass out. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s smile grew more gentle. Yin er only knew that the man was a spoiled young master, but Zhiwei understood more. Political intrigue was very serious in Tian Sheng Dynasty, and there were many factions. If an opposing faction found any dirt on you, they would be merciless. She didn¡¯t know what faction Official Li was a part of, but he was part of one. This situation with his grandson would definitely be used against him. Chapter 13 Translator: Aristophaneso That was not even mentioning the reputation of the Zhongshu Scholar who should be an incorruptible civil servant, tasked with recruiting virtuous and capable men across the dominion. Any man who sat in this seat had to be beyond reproach. If people discovered that his grandson had been castrated in a brothel because he was too indulgent with his family he might even be removed from office. Feng Zhiwei was very satisfied with Young Master Li¡¯s reaction; at least he wasn¡¯t completely useless, and he understood her intentions immediately. Her smile was gentle and warm, and she continued as she lifted the bag. ¡°I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. I won¡¯t tell anyone about this if you can show some sincerity¡­¡± ¡°What¡­ sincerity¡­¡± Young Master Li squeezed out painfully through his purpled lips and pale face. ¡°Actually, even if you lost one jewel you are still a man.¡± Feng Zhiwei spoked unhurriedly. ¡°Apparently, Shan Nan¡¯s doctor Xuanyuan Qing can bring a man back to life and make bones regrow flesh. If this thing is kept well, he might even be able to put it back for you. Even if it doesn¡¯t work, you¡¯ll at least have a full body to be buried in, otherwise you¡¯ll pass on disaster to your next nine generations.¡± ¡°Then¡­. then¡­.¡± Young Master Li gasped, covering his crotch. He wasn¡¯t bleeding too much. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand and been quick, and her knife sharp and accurate. He suffered great pain, but his life was unthreatened; it was just that was grew more and more dizzy, and it was becoming harder and harder to understand Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m saying¡­ go home, keep this too yourself. Leave the capital to study or to find the famous doctor, you can even go visit some scenic places. You don¡¯t know us, and we don¡¯t know you.¡± Feng Zhiwei waved the small bag. ¡°When you¡¯ve left the capital, send a message and I¡¯ll sell this treasure back to you. You can keep your reputation and your intact corpse. What do you think?¡± Cutting off the balls and then selling it back¡­ The unfortunate Young Master Li¡¯s eyes rolled back and he almost passed out, but Feng Zhiwei slapped him across his face. His head spun and his face was a terrifying color; he regretted leaving behind his bodyguards today, and he would have to suffer this loss. Even if he sent someone to kill this footboy afterward, all the servant had to do was show his testicle and speak out, and then not only would he be forced out of society, even his Li Family would suffer a huge loss. No matter what happened, his testicle had already been squeezed out. This would be his weakness forever, and he couldn¡¯t hide it. Someone would eventually discover this. The only thing he could do now was buy back his ball and immediately leave Dijing and seek out the famous doctor. For better or worse, at least he would have a full set of one gun and two bullets. ¡°How much¡­¡± he asked sluggishly. ¡°Not much.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled warmly. ¡°Commission fee, three thousand taels.¡± Three thousand tael of silver was not too much or too little. Most Gong Zi could get this much money without alarming their parents. One couldn¡¯t be too greedy, and Feng Zhiwei thought that she was already quite modest. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ have¡­. on me¡­.¡± Young Master Li¡¯s head was covered in sweat as he gasped, staring at Zhiwei as if she were a monster. ¡°Tomorrow¡­ I¡¯ll send¡­ money¡­¡± ¡°Put it beneath the third brick at the end of Dong Chi Hutong¡¯s west wall. I hope when I get your silver ticket, I¡¯ll also get news that you¡¯ve left Dijing.¡± Feng Zhiwei nodded contentedly, already thinking about how she would retrieve the money safely. ¡°Don¡¯t try to play any tricks.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s calm eyes glittered in the sunlight and the skinny man shrank back. ¡°Noble people like you shouldn¡¯t struggle with poor people like me. We have nothing to lose, and so we aren¡¯t afraid of losing.¡± Li Gong Z¡¯s cold sweat kept dripping and he nodded quickly. If he had had any other thoughts before, he shook them all away now when he looked into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes. This thin and young boy¡¯s expression was calm no matter what he was doing, and this calmness was terrifying just by itself; yet, what was even more scary was what his misty eyes hid, an immeasurable stubbornness and ruthlessness. Even though this boy had never threatened him, Li Gong Zi knew that if he tried to find revenge, this young man would take him down to hell with him. ¡°Three days after you leave Dijing, send a man to the same pot to get your thing. It might not be too late if you make sure your man rides on a fast horse.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and patted her bag. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the sachet as well. No extra charge, buy one get one free.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After calling a boy over to take Young Master Li back to his mansion, Feng Zhiwei believed that even though the Gong Zi was angry and worried, he would be in no mood to kill. Yin er stood, staring at Zhiwei with a shocked and complicated gaze. Only after she comforted her and gently coaxed did the girl to leave Zhiwei alone, standing in front of the Winter Jasmine bush. Under the Early Spring sun, the footboy¡¯s yellow face was delicate and beautiful, his eyes warm and wet, and her expression as she admired the flowers before her was kind and appreciating. And her hands were also very kind and appreciating, holding the ball bag. After a while, she laughed light. ¡°Has your honor looked enough?¡± The grounds were silent, as if she had spoken to air, but Feng Zhiwei was not impatient. Her smile was just as before, and as she expected, the flower bush shook and a man walked out unhurriedly, a wine cup in his hand. ¡°Why is it that every time I see you, I find an interesting show?¡± His tilted eyebrows were a delicate plumage, and the eyes below them were dark and deep, and the sun couldn¡¯t light them up. ¡°It would be better to say that good shows often happen around your honor.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned around and smiled, though in her heart she was a little shocked that he was able to recognize her no matter how she disguised herself. Was it because the yellowed face was already her signature? Ai, maybe he won¡¯t recognize me next time if I dress up as a beautiful boy? The playful thought flashed through her mind and her eyes glittered colorfully. In that moment, she was bright and lively like spring, and the man¡¯s gaze deepened and his eyes shone a little; no one could tell what he was thinking. His gaze stopped at her hand, and a strange smile crossed his face with hints of surprise and an indescribable emotion. Feng Zhiwei remembered what she was holding and smiled awkwardly; her first reaction was to hide it behind her back, but she stopped herself and held it even more tightly. ¡°We¡¯ve met three times, and two of those times you were killing people.¡± The man sipped from his cup, turning to look to the distance, beyond cloud and sky. ¡°Do you truly believe that there are no laws, or that I won¡¯t interfere?¡± ¡°Next time we meet, I will definitely not kill anyone.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied in a serious manner. The man¡¯s hand paused in the air; the smile dropped from his face as he turned to take another good look at the girl. She stood in front of him, next to the flower bush, skinny, but with an aura glowing from her eyes. The sun was bright, and the thin layer of sweat on her skin reflected the rays and glistened crystalline, forming a lovely and delicate picture with her misty eyes. Of course, this lovely and delicate picture was only if you ignored the sack in her hand. The man rotated the wine cup slowly, as if pondering a decision. He asked, ¡°you are not returning to Qiu Mansion?¡± ¡°I will.¡± Feng Zhiwei answered honestly. ¡°I¡¯m not suited to being a servant.¡± ¡°Then why are you hiding in a brothel?¡± The man looked around him. ¡°This kind of dirty place, how will you come back from this?¡¯ Chapter 14 Translator: Aristophaneso ¡°I¡¯ll find the possibility from the midst of impossibility.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled helplessly. ¡°The people from Qiu Mansion will never imagine that I dare to come here. It is better than trying to survive where they can find me, and most women of wind and dust are more faithful to their friends, and more reliable than the typical person.¡± ¡°You can live in a nunnery temporarily.¡± ¡°Your honor is a noble Dijing citizen, do you really not know that the nunnery is just the powerful man¡¯s backyard?¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mouth curled a little. ¡°It is as dirty as a brothel. If I go there, I may never be able to leave.¡± She sighed. ¡°I am just a weak woman, a leaf afloat in the river. All I can manage is to protect myself.¡± The man didn¡¯t reply and just stared at her quietly. He looked into her eyes, into this young girl¡¯s hidden toughness, and examined that wisdom of hers which she could never hide. The garden was strangely empty, and even the songs of birds didn¡¯t dare disturbed. The wind felt heavy and the flowers were silent; there was only breathing, suppressed and quiet. After a long moment, the man finished the wine and smiled at her. His smile was like the first beam of the morning sun that colored the rising mists, too beautiful to be desired. The wind picked up strength and the flowers blossomed brightly; she could breath easily. She heard him speak calmly, ¡°Surviving in Dijing is not easy. I hope that the next time I see you, you will follow the law.¡± She bowed, accepting the instructions seriously. From the corner of her lowered eyes she watched as the corner of that elegant silk robe swayed, leaving unhurriedly. Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t move from her bow, but from where she stood picked at her clinging clothes. Her sweat had already stuck her clothes to her skin. Her clothes were wet with sweat and clinging to her back, sticky and disgusting. Just now, he had been like when they first met, oozing killing intent even heavier than before. She had bad luck and was twice seen committing crimes by him, and the people she hurt or killed all seemed connected to him in some way. She didn¡¯t know what he was doing, but she could vaguely feel that she might have have ruined some of his plans. Even if he wasn¡¯t planning to take action against her, people like him always considered people like her dangerous. A man like him was definitely unwilling to show outsiders his hidden sharpness, and the best way to resolve that danger was to kill her. And so, what she had tried to explain just now was: she had no interior of getting in his way and posed no danger. Just then, she had felt that her words hadn¡¯t moved this beautiful and cold blooded noble. But, he let her go. Feng Zhiwei stood dazed in front of the Winter Jasmine bush, her pale lips gently reflecting the golden flowers. The sun passed overhead. ¡°Xiao Zhi, bring me some flowers, I need them tonight!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Life continued at Lan Xiang Yard, and the next day Feng Zhiwei retrieved her silver ticket without any problems. People learned that Official Li¡¯s grandson had left Dijing to study, but she stayed on the lookout and waited carefully. After a while, with everything calm and peaceful, she relaxed. Since she had helped the Madam and Lan Xiang Yard resolve a crisis, Feng Zhiwei lived well; it was just that everyday, she went shopping for the girls. Noontime was when Dijing¡¯s Tian Shui Street was busiest; business men and customers passed the row of shops, coming and going in an endless stream. Carriages with glittering glass swept by, and noble young men swaggered along with double-barreled pistols. Rich and prosperous. Tian Sheng was the strongest Dynasty of the era. Its southern territories began at the Jin Sha sea area where the island countries had all bowed their heads, and to the north the country stretched to the Hu Zhuo Ge Da Mu Snow Mountains, and all twelve of the ferocious Hu Zhuo tribes had been conquered. To the east, they had conquered to the Xiao Cang Highlands, and in the west they controlled the Ancient Chang He Road where blond haired and blue eyes traders passed frequently through the city gates. Even on a fast horse, it wax difficult to travel from the north border to the south in a year¡¯s time. The might and prosperity came from the strength of the Da Cheng Dynasty, and its six hundred years of history. Da Cheng Dynasty¡¯s valiant and heroic Shen Ying Empress, Meng Fu Yao, had brought to her marriage with the founding emperor a dowry of vast territory. She was beautiful and he extraordinary, and they loved each other. Throughout the land, they were known as the Peerless Imperial Couple, and shared power over the dynasty. In their rule, they developed industry and commerce, unified currency, opened up port cities, and reformed systems in almost every part of their rule. They created a more efficient governing system, spread culture and education, and strengthened agriculture. Their power soared, and they stabilized the country¡¯s hundred year lead over the west. But nothing under the heavens is eternal, and from the time Da Cheng brought the central kingdom under its rule, its power lasted six hundred years and thirty two emperors. In the beginning, most of the emperors were wise and virtuous, but after the nineteenth generation, unworthy descendants began to rule, inciting civil wars and depleting the empire¡¯s strength day by day with internal strife. In the rule of the thirtieth emperor, Emperor Li closed off the country, and two generations later the nation was conquered by the Ning Family, the family of the Empress. After the Ning Family founded the Tian Sheng Dynasty, the centralized power and expanded the gap between different classes, all the while increasing tariffs and supporting mercantilism, suppressing commerce with other countries. With its internal strife, the imperial court also lost much of its control over its different vassals and tributary states. Even though Tian Sheng Dynasty was still prosperous, it did not have the same vigor and sense of freedom of a newly founded dynasty, but instead already felt ancient and rotting. Like that glass; the industry had developed to the point where it could be used by everyone, but the imperial court limited to the use of the royal family. Feng Zhiwei stood by the glass of one of the carriages, straightening some of her hair. She had never studied to disguise herself, but she had talent. Very few could see her feminine figure through her disguise, and she had even filled her pierced ears with some light yellow rouge mixed with clay. She rounded the carriage and turned into a dilapidated alley, finally stopping before an old and worn out door. As she reached out to push open the door, her fingers were cautious and steady. ¡°Xiu!¡± Just as she pushed open the door slightly, a dark light shot out at her face. Feng Zhiwei twisted quickly and tilted her head, dodged the dark light by a hair. The light flashed by quickly, the rushing air in its wake bringing along with it a wisp of black. Feng Zhiwei smiled bitterly at the wisp of hair falling to the ground. Today was the flying sword. In that moment, the burning feeling in her veins had pulsed throughout her body, but it had cooled off now and spread a comfortable feeling down to her bones. Feng Zhiwei took a moment to luxuriate in the rare, relaxing moment. A light cough come from further in the room, as if dissatisfied with her slowness. Feng Zhiwei entered, and the door closed off the outside light. In the near black dimness, Zhiwei could barely make out in a corner a figure in black, with the usual ebony mask covering their face. Their whole figure almost melted into the darkness, and it was almost impossible to make out their figure, much less their gender. When the figure saw Feng Zhiwei come in, they raised their hand, pointing to a stove in the corner. Zhiwei said nothing, only moving over is resignation and filling the pot and setting the fire. Chapter 15 Translator: Aristophaneso She had fallen to the level of this person¡¯s ¡°servant.¡± They had met under strange circumstances. When she had just started staying at Lan Xiang Yard, she had gone out to shop and had accidentally offended a rich Gong Zi and was beaten by his servant. When she had escaped into this alley, she had run hurriedly without looking carefully and had accidentally knocked over a stove and spilled all the herbs inside. She was beaten by the owner of the house, and after that person chased away all of the rich Gong Zips servants, they had demanded that Feng Zhiwei pay for his ¡°Nine Continents Ten Lands Da Luo Gold Immortal Rebirth Pill.¡± Nine Continents Ten Lands Da Luo Gold Immortal Rebirth Pill was a scary name, but completely fake. Even an idiot could tell that there was no way this Rebirth Pill would be cooked in this poor alley, in this broken house and dilapidated stove. Moreover, there was no way that anyone could concoct a ¡°Rebirth Pill¡± from licorice and Acanthopanax Root Bark. But Feng Zhiwei could do nothing but accept her fate. She wasn¡¯t afraid of strong power, but she was afraid of strong fists. So she had ¡°sold¡± herself and came here everyday, hoping that she could pay off this ¡°huge debt¡± as soon as possible. In just a few days she realized how incredibly abnormal this house owner was, and how demanding. She was asked to wipe down a table, but the table¡¯s four corners could shoot out weapons. When she washed clothes, her whole body started growing spots that only disappeared three days later. She had had no choice but to cover up all of her body during those days. When she was asked to eat together, the dishes in front of the figure were delicious but the ones in front of her were completely inedible. Even more infuriating was how every time she opened the door a hidden attack was waiting for her. Sometimes it was a soundless finger, sometimes a fist with a loud swoosh, and sometimes it was a long sword with a cold gleam or any manner of hidden weaponry. The type of attack never repeated. How could someone know so many ways to attack? Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t understand, but after these days of dodging attacks she could feel her body growing stronger and more nimble, and that ever present burning in her body was seemingly tamed a little. When she felt this, Feng Zhiwei came over more willingly, and after her shopping for the yard was done she would always come check in. She carried the water over and poured it into the stove. The herbs in the stove were exuding strange smells. Even though Feng Zhiwei had been taught by Madam Feng since she was young and she had learned much medical knowledge and was familiar with the human body¡¯s meridians and many different medicines, she couldn¡¯t decipher what was in the stove. In fact, other than the licorice and the Acanthopanax Root Bark she recognized on the first day, she was completely unfamiliar with any of the other herbs she had seen here every day. Feng Zhiwei patiently controlled the flame and lifted the lid of the stove to check the boiling and breath in the unpleasant medicinal smell ¨C this was also one of the person¡¯s strange requirements. A slightly red mist came out of the opening of the stove and floated towards her face. It had a surprisingly refreshing feel to it tinged with some bitterness; Feng Zhiwei breathed in unconsciously and felt her spirit lift; the heat throughout her body seemed to circle and dance cheerfully, and gentled to a calm warmness. She luxuriated in the strange feeling, but the person in the robe suddenly raised his hand and threw something at her. Feng Zhiwei dodged, and when she turned back to look at the shadow she noticed a pair of glittering eyes examining her with a strange look. She paused, and then lowered her head to look at the object in her hands (1). She examined the coverless and tattered notebook and opened it up and read through the notes. The author had terrible handwriting, but his characters were free and confident, and the words they used were fun and novel, very different from the commonplace words used nowadays. Inside were his thoughts and experiences about martial arts, travel, politics, history, and literature. The order was informal and chaotic, but every phrase was a treasure. The more Feng Zhiwei read, the more surprised she became. Suddenly, her eyes focused on one page. At the top of the page in a different handwriting were vigorous and fine strokes showing the writer¡¯s pure and clear spirit. ¡°Qing Qing, let me peak.¡± In the ordinal author¡¯s hand, now dangerously explosive and fierce: ¡°Shameless peeper!¡± The next line, in the beautiful handwriting. ¡°Peeking after giving notice, not shameful.¡± The original author became even more fierce. ¡°Peeping after reproach, even more shame!¡± Feng Zhiwei couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and felt that the two people were truly wonderful. She couldn¡¯t say why, but she knew immediately that the people who left the writing were a man and woman pair, and they were definitely a harmonious couple. But when she read the next line, she dropped the notebook in shock. That line, written by the man with the beautiful hand writing. ¡°Laughing at us is also shameless.¡± Feng Zhiwei was startled and more than a little frightened ¨C was the book talking to her? The one laughing quietly to herself? But immediately she brushed that thought away, thinking that she was just scaring herself. How could that be possible? This notebook was old and tattered; the people who wrote in it were probably long dead. How could the authors have predicted the future and written for her? She picked up the notebook, and shivered. ¡°Your honor, don¡¯t be scared. Be careful that you don¡¯t break the notebook.¡± Feng Zhiwei was shocked beyond her limits, and paradoxically, her panic faded. She was certain now that the words on the notebook were written for her. A playful idea entered her head, and she didn¡¯t continue reading, instead pretending to throw the notebook into the stove fire. The robed figure started up as if in terror, and just as they moved to stop her, Feng Zhiwei had already taken back her hand. She read the next line that the man had written: ¡°This notebook is made of Golden Thread Monkey skin. It can¡¯t be burned.¡± The next line had a subtle change of tone, and he was talking to the main author again, ¡°The kid is as naughty as you.¡± And then the woman replied, her words containing some helpless frustration, ¡°Matters occurring hundreds of years later. Why are you even minding it with your primordial spirit? Stop scaring people.¡± There were no more words, and Feng Zhiwei smiled to herself, rubbing the pages of the book. Maybe they had put down their pens and hidden away somewhere she couldn¡¯t see for some lover talk. She imagined to herself the scene: the saintly couple together, the beautiful woman accompanying her man, feeding the incense as he reads, speaking with him through writing, and then the two putting down their pens, gazing into each other¡¯s eyes and smiling. Beautiful. The robed figure was silent; the person hid their face and head in their big robe as if unwilling to show their face. It was only when Feng Zhiwei had pretended to throw the notebook that they had moved from their spot. The smell and smoke of the herbs curled skywards from the opening in the pot, and interspersed was a faint aroma that was floating up out of the ancient notebook. The robed figures eyes turned to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s fingers. There was a light redness on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s fingertips, and it shone more clearly the closer she was to the stove and the herbs, but then they gradually faded. Big rob man¡¯s eyes glittered in a flash, and Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t know about this at all. After finishing her chores, she waved that notebook in her hand at him: ¡°May I bring this back to read?¡± After a moment of thought she added, ¡°I will be careful that no one else sees it.¡± She could tell that the notebooks weren¡¯t just a collection of random thoughts; she had no idea what this Golden Thread Monkey was, but she assumed that anyone who could use the skin of this rare creature for a notebook was not normal, and the words that these people left were surely very valuable. It was as the old saying went: trouble would find the innocent for their wealth; but even though Feng Zhiwei knew that she would be safer without this small book, she couldn¡¯t help herself and was unwilling to let it go. Chapter 16 Translator: Aristophaneso The robed figure didn¡¯t seem to be worried at all, and they casually waved their hand and let her go. Zhiwei hid the notebook in the fold of her clothes and turned to leave. In that moment, she had felt that something was different, but after a moment of stillness, could find nothing wrong with her body, and so she chuckled to herself and pushed through the door. Feng Zhiwei exclaimed in surprise and realized that she had lost track of time as she had read. The sun had already sank to the west, and it was dusk. Feng Zhiwei ran down a short cut and rushed back. She was familiar with many of the alleys, and this road led to the Lan Xiang Yard back door. The path was quiet and Feng Zhiwei could hear her footsteps against the bluestone road. In that empty silence, she could hear the distant hum of conversation. ¡°Mom, give me a silver tael.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart trembled ¨C it was Feng Hao. She moved to the corner of the wall1 and looked out onto the street, hiding and holding her breath. Feng Hao was walking with mother, and was begging Madam Feng. ¡°One silver tael, so I can buy silk undergarments.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wear those coarse clothes to play Fly Ball. They stick to my body and smell funny.¡± Feng Hao said cheerfully. ¡°They all said that if I can¡¯t change into something more proper, they won¡¯t let me play.¡± Fly Ball was a game passed down from the Da Cheng Dynasty. It was supposedly invented by the Shen Ying Empress, and at the time had been a game that anyone could play. Now, it was a luxury reserved for the aristocracy, and one ball costed a hundred gold. With Feng Hao¡¯s status, how could he be allow to play this game? And whom was he playing with? Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes fell on the her mother and brother¡¯s clasped hands, and a sour feeling entered her heart. She stopped thinking about the game. She leaned against the corner of the wall, alone, and bit her lips as she listened to her mother¡¯s words. She was speaking in a quiet, concerned voice, ¡°People like us shouldn¡¯t mingle with those Gong Zi¡­¡± but Feng Hao laughed. ¡°They promised me. They¡¯re going to recommend me to Qing Ming Academy. Didn¡¯t you tell me that Qing Ming Academy is the best academy in the world¡­¡± The fading light drew long shadows on the ground, and her brother¡¯s faded as one with her mother¡¯s. As for hers, it dragged a long and thin line across the ground, like parallel lines, never touching. Feng Zhiwei hugged her arms; the coldness that had hit her that night when she had been kicked out of Qiu Mansion attacked her again, and in the dusk of Early Spring, she shivered in a nameless alleyway. She watched her mother rub Feng Hao¡¯s head lovingly, and he won out in the end. Her mother moved carefully, taking out a tael of silver and handing it to Feng Hao. She watched as her brother sent her mother off and then looked around sneakily, smirking. Mother only had a tael of silver each month, but if Feng Hao really used it to buy some clothes it would still be fine. Zhiwei was just afraid that this money would end up lining the sachets of some girl from Lan Xiang Yard. The money her mother saved, scrimping on food and expenses for an entire month, given to some prostitutes for Sugar Melon seeds that they cared nothing for, eating half and throwing away the other half. Her smile was ugly and bitter. Feng Zhiwei turned away, trying to shake these thoughts from her mind, leaning against the corner of the wall and broke off part of a Sugar Lotus stuffed with Sticky Rice to eat. She didn¡¯t want to watch her brother waltz into the yard. After she had eaten half of the lotus root, her eyes noticed something almost unconsciously, and Feng Zhiwei paused, startled. Why were there footprints on the back wall? Feng Zhiwei looked up and examined the wall. A huge tree with dense branches and leaves leaned against the top of the well hidden section of wall, and from the footprints, it was clear that someone had climbed onto this tree and jumped into Lan Xiang Yard. Hiring prostitutes secretly? Or a girl spending time with her poor lover? Just as she was guessing at possibilities, the leaves above her rustled. Through the green leaves peeped out thin shoes and a butt in moon white trousers. The figure stopped and sat on a branch, in no hurry to get down as if relaxing and appreciating the view from the vantage point. Feng Zhiwei leaned around the trunk of the tree with some curiousity, peering over to try and get an angle on the butt¡¯s face. The butt swayed against the tree, and the man spoke mournfully and with great feeling, ¡°Ju Hua1 , our love is the timeless blue of heaven, and like two webs interspun, our hearts are woven together with a thousand knots¡­.. you must take care of yourself, you must cherish yourself, you must¡­. not lose weight missing me too much¡­.¡± Feng Zhiwei held her stomach; she hadn¡¯t eaten that much sticky rice, but why did she want so badly to vomit¡­. And it was seemingly not only Zhiwei who felt this way, and the branches and leaves rustled as if someone inside the walls had given him a push. The man exclaimed and his butt quivered without stop as he began reciting even more mournfully, ¡°That year we strolled together down the city road, but now I see only the clouds and rain of my soul. In grief I wasted, dusk by numbered dusk¡­ Ju Hua, your heart is vicious¡­..¡± (1) The man was reciting an endless stream of love poems, both modern and ancient, and even interspersed some original works. He recited beautiful and beautiful lines rolled from his tongue. His mind was fast and clear, and his words the unfolding of a beautiful lotus flower. Feng Zhiwei sighed ¨C his talent was rare, but he used it on a third-grade prostitute. He was really not afraid of retribution for this crime to his gift. As he was reciting, a great uproar came from both the front and back doors of Lan Xiang Yard. Feng Zhiwei could hear in the distance the yells of men and the cries of women as they claymores loudly : ¡°Grab that shameless man who should be killed with a thousand blades!¡± ¡°Ai yo!¡± The man stopped his happy recitation and exclaimed loudly, jumping to his feet. In his hurry, he forgot that he was on his tree. He scrambled for balance as his body fell to the side, and in a great crash of ripping clothes and flesh against wood, Feng Zhiwei watched as that moon white butt grew larger as it fell towards her. In a loud ¡°peng!¡± The man fell in the dust in front of her. Feng Zhiwei looked down and examined the charming face of the middle aged man. The man fell heavily, but he immediately scrambled up onto his hands and knees. He spun his head, looking around in a panic as the sound of people beating against the back door filled the air. From the distance, the pair could hear someone yell, ¡°Somebody check back there!¡± Feng Zhiwei knew that this wasn¡¯t the best place to be, so she turned to run. People came to catch the adulterer; why should she stay with him? But she couldn¡¯t move, and when she looked down she saw a hand grabbing the her pants. The man in the dust lifted his pretty face and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Brother, please help me!¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled gently and leaned down, and the man¡¯s face filled with hope. He reached for her hand, letting go of her pants in his excitement. And then Feng Zhiwei turned around and ran. The man¡¯s half standing body fell into the dust again. The man watched as Feng Zhiwei ran away mercilessly as the stamping feet coming from the back door echoed closer, and he shouted in a subdued voice; ¡°You dare to leave!?¡± Chapter 17 Translator: Aristophaneso Feng Zhiwei ran quickly, as if she didn¡¯t hear anything. But then she felt a tightening around her waist as her body was grabbed, and she heard the man yell from behind her: ¡°If you don¡¯t save me, I¡¯ll say that you raped me!¡± Feng Zhiwei stopped short and turned around slowly. She pointed to herself and asked in disbelief: ¡°Me? Rape you?¡± The man flashed a charming smile, gathering some loose hair behind his ear and nodding. He pointed to his ripped clothes, ¡°Look, you ripped my clothes. Irrefutable proof.¡± Feng Zhiwei barked out laughter in angry disbelief. ¡°Just look at your honor¡¯s old face, with wrinkled crevices deep enough to bury people alive. Me rape you?¡± ¡°Hey, can you have some conscience?¡± The man said heatedly, pushing his chin forward and showing off his face. ¡°I have an old face? Old face? Old face?¡± Feng Zhiwei looked more closely and had to admit that she had been wrong. If this face was an old face, then everyone else¡¯s face should already be buried and nailed shut in a coffin. With such an adorable face, it would be convincing if he sued someone for rape, no matter if it were against a man or a woman. ¡°When something could no longer be avoided, then don¡¯t run.¡± This note from the mysterious notebook was something that Feng Zhiwei agreed with, and so she smiled, ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll save you, but let go of me first. The man looked at her with suspicion, but Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t struggle. She twisted, and reached up, tearing apart his hair bun and covering his head with the silk flowers she had just bought. After spreading the flowers, she wrapped pink silk cloth with cherry blossom branches around his shoulder, and then she poured some dark red sauce from the Crystal Sugar Lotus Root on his face, turning his jade skin into a blackish yellow. That done, she pushed him away towards the tree. Everything happened too fast for the man to react, and Feng Zhiwei had completed the work just as the pursuing troops arrived. A ferocious group of female soldiers. A fat woman led, a kitchen knife and chopping block in her hands, like a valiant general armed to the teeth. Behind her were some similar looking and slightly skinnier women with fierce expressions on their faces, all armed with anything from a washing board to a small pancake flipper. The group of women rushed over like a tidal wave, the fat woman in front shouting loudly, ¡°You deserve to die by a thousand blades, daring to cheat on me! If I don¡¯t castrate you today, I¡¯ll write my last name upside down!¡± She had rushed here uproariously, expecting to find her shameless husband, but instead she stumbled upon a young man in black who was lowering his head and flirting with a woman. The woman had silk flowers in her hair and work a light silk dress. The young man blocked her body from view, and only half of the woman¡¯s darkish face showed through. Reacting to the fuss, the young man turned around; his was a stranger¡¯s normal face, with reacting with some surprise and unhappiness. The woman with the flowers looked out at the crowd and felt shy, raising her sleeves to cover her face, shivering from embarrassment. The fat woman glanced at the two and couldn¡¯t find her husband. She had thought that she catch her dissolute husband, but had instead interrupted someone else¡¯s private affair. The fat lady felt embarrassed, and after an awkward nod, waved her hand, leading her troop of female soldiers somewhere else. Behind Feng Zhiwei¡¯s arm, the beautiful middle aged man let out a sigh of relief. Feng Zhiwei smiled faintly as she moved her arm back to her side. As the man tried to thank her, she stopped him with a gesture. ¡°Four feet Jiang Nan Street¡¯s Golden Flower Silk, five Feng Yi Zhai¡¯s new Gold Powder Silk Flower, half a kilo of Si Fang Zhai¡¯s Sticky Rice Crystal Sugar Lotus Roots. A total of 16 Taels and 8 Qian of silver.¡± The man paused in a half bow, and then after a moment looked up with a bitter expression and twisted mouth. ¡°¡­. can I owe you for now?¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes thinned. ¡°Your Excellency came to the yard without bringing money?¡± ¡°Hiring a prostitute with money means nothing!¡± The man straightened proudly. ¡°A true talent can make courtesans approach him and not ask for money!¡± Feng Zhiwei looked him over and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°True, with your appearance it would be hard to say who took advantage of whom.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± just as the man was about to reply, Feng Zhiwei continued hurriedly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay for spending the night, but this life saving money¡­ Remember, your wife is still not far from here.¡± The man patted himself over helplessly before retrieving a small seal and passing it to her. ¡°This is made of Tian Huang stone, and is worth a little.¡± It really was worth a little; a good quality Tian Huang stone the size of a finger was worth a sky high price. Feng Zhiwei accepted it disgruntledly, frowning. ¡°¡­ real silver is better¡­¡± she muttered before placing the stone in a pocket. The beautiful man stared at her for a moment before asking suddenly. ¡°You are a servant for the brothel? A talent like you stays in this kind of place? Isn¡¯t this a bit of a waste? Do you want another job?¡± Feng Zhiwei refused with a disinterested wave. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks.¡± ¡°If you change your mind, come find me at Song Mountain ten miles outside of the city. Show the seal and ask for Xiao Xin1.¡± Feng Zhiwei nodded absentmindedly, and just as the middle aged man ¡°Xiao Xin¡± was sneaking away, she suddenly called out after him. ¡°Let me ask one more thing. What is your Excellency¡¯s wife¡¯s name?¡± The man¡¯s mouth twisted again. ¡°¡­ Wang.¡±1 ¡°¡­¡± It was late, and Feng Zhiwei passed through the backdoor to deliver the silk flower to Yang Hong¡¯s place. Just as she lifted the door curtain and was pushing through a door, a person rushed out hurriedly and bumped past her. She could hear Yan Hong cursing in her high voice, ¡°Which family¡¯s fool!? Wanting me to spend a night with you for one tael of silver!¡± The person¡¯s face blushed crimson, and he turned back angrily and shouted: ¡°In this young master¡¯s eyes, you aren¡¯t even worth half a tael of silver!¡± Feng Zhiwei was stunned. Who would have thought that even after she had hid in the streets for so long, she would still bump into Feng Hao. He was really too useless, even daring to come to brothels. Feng Hao paid no mind the the footboy standing to the side as he shivered in anger. A couple days ago he had met some noble friends; they had brought him around to play and had showed him many new things, even pushing him to ¡°try the flavor of women,¡± telling him that a tael of silver was enough. But today, in Lan Xiang Yard, the small piece of silver was immediately thrown to the side. Yan Hong pushed through the door, her eyebrows cocked in anger and her finger jabbing toward Feng Hao¡¯s nose. ¡°Beggar, go climb back into your mother¡¯s womb! You want to sleep with me? Too young!¡± The spoiled brat couldn¡¯t bear the humiliation and lifted his hand to slap Yan Hong, shouting out, ¡°Dirty bitch!¡± A hand grabbed his wrist, stopping his slap in its track. Feng Hao struggled in red faced futility before turning to take a look at the quiet footboy who had grabbed him. Chapter 18 Translator: Aristophaneso After a moment of bewilderment, Feng Hao recognized Feng Zhiwei and yelled out in surprise, ¡°sister?¡± ¡°Borrowing money?1I have none!¡± Feng Zhiwei cut him off and bowed to Yan Hong. ¡°Yan Hong Sister, he is my fellow townsman¡­¡± ¡°Country bumpkin¡­¡± Yan Hong muttered, but she waved them away. Feng Hao still wanted to argue, but Feng Zhiwei dragged him away. Feng Hao was still angry as he left the yard, cursing loudly. ¡°Thief! Only knowing silver!¡± Feng Zhiwei no longer had the heart to deal with his nonsense; their mother had protected him all these years, and nothing would change now even if she did something. She didn¡¯t want to argue with Feng Hao but he wouldn¡¯t let her go. He was still upset and everyone was unpleasant to his eyes; he examined Feng Zhi disdainfully, ¡°Sister, why are you in this dirty place? A clean daughter from a big family ¨C how can you be so shameless? Are you not afraid of staining our family¡¯s reputation?¡± Feng Zhiwei turned and examined Feng Hao with astonishment. She had thought that it was bad for Feng Hao to be spoiled so much, but she had never expected that he would become such a shameless fool. At this point, you couldn¡¯t even speak about moral character; he already had no conscience left. Her black iris was bright even in the dusk, cold and profound as an abyss. Feng Hao shrunk back under her gaze as her kind and gentle sister spoke, each of her words sharp and brutal, cutting gold and smashing jade. ¡°No matter how shameless I am, I would never spend our mother¡¯s hard earned savings in a brothel. No matter how much I stain our family¡¯s reputation, I will always be better than the son of our Feng Family, a fourteen year old who tricks his mother for money to get prostitutes.¡± ¡°Who tricked!¡± Feng Hao jumped as if his tail had been stepped, his pretty young face twisting in anger. ¡°You lie and frame me! Shameless! Slanderer!¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled coldly, ¡°You are the expert on these things.¡± Feng Hao choked on his words and thought about Feng Zhiwei¡¯s situation with some guilt, but just as he was about to say something, a large crowd of snickering boys neared. The person in the lead shouted out to Feng Hao, ¡°A Hao, did you have fun?¡± ¡°A rich man with one tael silver in hand ¨C all the girls must have been fighting over him!¡± A young boy in gorgeous clothes winked, gesturing to the others playfully. ¡°Of course! Young Master Hao could have even reserved her if he wanted. One tael of silver! More than enough!¡± The crowd laughed uproariously. Feng Hao¡¯s face paled as Feng Zhiwei watched indifferently. She knew these people were the ¡°noble friends¡± that Feng Hao had mentioned to their mother. Feng Hao rarely left the mansion and had no money. He had no opportunities to visit other mansions, so how did he meet these people? Feng Hao was still immature and couldn¡¯t swallow the humiliation. He snapped angrily, ¡°You really think that I don¡¯t have anything valuable? Just wait!¡± He turned around and rushed away. Feng Zhiwei immediately guessed that the idiot would go back and search through their mother¡¯s personal savings, and so she caught him and pulled him back, whispering to him, ¡°Don¡¯t do something stupid!¡± Feng Hao struggled, shouting, ¡°Let go! Let go! A gentleman prefers death to humiliation!¡± Feng Zhiwei was angry and amused at the same time, and she dragged him to a corner. After these days of chores for the robed figure, her strength had already grown a lot, and Feng Hao couldn¡¯t get away from her. When the two were in the corner, Feng Zhiwei pressed her brother against the wall and demanded angrily, ¡°What are you doing! Have you not already done enough?¡± Feng Hao straightened and shouted as if he were some rich young master, ¡°No one can humiliate me!¡± Feng Zhiwei glared at Feng Hao, but half of her mind was going over the events of the day. Feng Hao had somehow met this group of people and had been convinced to come out to hire prostitutes, and was now pushed into this situation. She couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was something strange about this seemingly ordinary circumstance, and her heart was uneasy. In her moment of distraction, a golden handled fan was pushed between the two siblings. The young boy in the lead had come over and smiled at the pair. ¡°What are you two planning so sneakily over here? He looked at Feng Hao¡¯s pretty face and smiled mysteriously. ¡°You only got kicked out because you don¡¯t have money; don¡¯t worry Brother Hao, you have such a pretty face. I can recommend you and have you spend a night in some of the royal mansion. You¡¯ll have enough money to reserve ten prostitutes to play with for a year!¡± ¡°Pa!¡± Before the last word had been fully uttered, a spurt of blood blossomed like a flower in the air, bright warm blood spraying everywhere. The young boy¡¯s eyes deadened, and with a short, sharp breath, he fell to the ground. Part of the bloodied brick broke off and fell to the ground. Young Master Feng had broken the boy¡¯s head with a brick. ¡°Murder!¡± The shout of the brick had startled the boys on the other side of the wall and one of them had looked over and saw the bleeding boy on the ground. The sharp shout woke Feng Hao and his sister from their dazed state. Feng Zhiwei knew instantly that the situation would not end well, and she reached out to pull Feng Hao with her as she turned to run. Just as she reached out her hand, Feng Hao thrust the remaining brick into her hand. Then, in a swift motion, he turned and climbed up the short wall behind him. With a small ¡°peng¡± sound, he landed on the other side and dashed away. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s first reaction was to throw aside the brick, but it was already too late. The group of young masters had rushed over and they all yelled loudly. ¡°Catch that man! Murderer!¡± Blood covered the ground, and a still figure lay in the growing puddle. As the crowd rushed over in alarm, the little brother who had framed her again was nowhere to be seen. Everything had happened in a flash, too quickly for people to react, and even the perpetually calm Feng Zhiwei was stunned for a moment. She stood still, glaring in the direction that Feng Hao disappeared from, and her body flushed with rage. A light ¡°cha¡± sound came from her hand. With the soft crack, dust spread and drifted downwards and the charging crowd stopped short in its tracks. Feng Zhiwei looked down. The remaining brick piece had shattered into countless pieces and other then the sad pieces clutched in her fist, all other signs of the hard rock were falling gently downwards. The scene shocked the group of young masters, and it also shocked her. Feng Zhiwei lifted her hand and stared at it disbelievingly, but even after a long moment she could only conclude that her hand was perfectly fine. She reached for the feeling of gushing rage and tightened her fist, but the brick pieces in her hand didn¡¯t react at all. The gathering people looked at Feng Zhiwei with eyes filled with shock and terror. She ignored them, turning her hand and letting the final few piece fall to the ground, and in a passing movement of her foot, ground the final shards into the dusty ground. And then she looked up and smiled, ¡°Ai yah, why did this brother fall to the ground so suddenly? Someone go call a doctor!¡± Chapter 19 Translator: Aristophaneso Everyone had clearly seen her hand clutching the bloodied brick, and now this ¡°killer¡± was trying to convince people to save him. Nobody could keep up with Feng Zhiwei¡¯s strange train of thought. ¡°I am only a poor man,¡± Feng Zhiwei patted the dust off her hand and the young master at the front of the crowd took a large step back. ¡°I don¡¯t have any money to pay the doctor, so I won¡¯t crowd this area. This young man is hurt badly, please everyone, hurry.¡± And after that, Feng Zhiwei smiled and waved at the stunned and amazed crowd before calmly turning around and walking away. A cold wind blew past and her clothes stuck to her back and chilled her. With just a few more steps, she would disappear from their view¡­ ¡°Pa, Pa, Pa.¡± Three leisurely claps filled the air and ended the strange silence. Feng Zhiwei looked back and saw two men sitting on handsome horses nearby, followed by a group of Yamen runners. A teenage youth wearing a beautiful bright purple robe sat on the white horse on the left, and some childishness still remained on his handsome face. His staring eyes were like black pearls and were set in an intense gaze. On the black horse next to him, another man looked down at her casually. He wore a moon white robe decorated with a light cyan colored pattern, complementing his gorgeous face like a beam of moonlight falling upon a beautiful mountain, the radiance and beauty completing each other. His cloak was black, with a huge, light gold Mandara Flower embroidered on it. His was a glamourous and contradictory beauty, cold and alluring. His eyes were calm and steady like the tranquil surface of a deep lake as he looked over at Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mouth wrinkled into an awkward smile ¨C she had just promised him that she wouldn¡¯t kill or get into trouble, and now they had met again in this situation. And this time was even worse; she had ¡°assaulted¡± someone on the street and cracked someone¡¯s head. For better or for worse, she was still a lady born into a noble family and hardly ever misbehaved. Why was it that every time he was around an accident would happen? Was their fate really so bad? The teenage youth glared wide eyed, pointing at Feng Zhiwei and stammering, ¡°You ¡ª¡ª You¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart sank a little, and she knew that they must have seen her holding the bloodied brick. It would not be easy to escape unpunished. The teenager had watched as Feng Zhiwei destroyed the murder weapon and turn around to escape, but for some reason, when he looked into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s calm and angry eyes, the words he opened his mouth to say stuck in his throat. He looked to his Sixth Brother for help and noticed the strange gaze that his composed brother had as he examined the killer. The man on the black horse cut his brother off with a gentle rap against the side of his golden horse saddle with his horse whip. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Prince!¡± The young masters rushed forward as if to their savior, but stopped a distance away from the horses. ¡°Young Master Wu was killed!¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart sank even deeper. A Young Master Wu was definitely a direct descendant of the Fu Guo Duke¡¯s family. Feng Hao was actually able to mingle with these children and had made such a big mess! And as for this man she¡¯d met three times now. What prince was he? Rumors said that the Crown Prince was unpredictable; the Second Son was domineering and loved martial arts, and the Fifth Son was cold and hard to approach. The Sixth Son was on the Crown Prince¡¯s side and famous for his gorgeous appearance and forceful and unrestrained character. The Seventh Son was close to the Fifth Son and had a good reputation in both the Imperial Court and commonalty, and was also the first son to be titled Prince. The Tenth Son was still young and no one knew much about him. From his age, he must be either the Sixth or Seventh Son. ¡°Idiot.¡± The man¡¯s eyes cocked with disdain and he gestured with his horse whip towards the still figure on the ground. ¡°You can¡¯t even tell whether a man is dead or not?¡± The crowd of people immediately rushed over to Young Master Wu¡¯s side to check on him, and a couple of them carried him to the doctor. The Commander of the Jiu Cheng1 Capital Guards in charge of Dijing public security rode horse to the man¡¯s side and frowned. ¡°Who is the killer?¡± ¡°Him!¡± Everyone pointed at Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face showed great surprise and she stepped backwards in wide eyed innocence. ¡°I¡¯m just a curious pedestrian and was unwittingly involved in this. You are blaming me without reason! I am innocent!¡± ¡°Since you didn¡¯t know to avoid this suspicious position when the accident happened, you still deserve the trouble that comes to you.¡± That man looked down from his horse and cut Feng Zhiwei off with his fluent words. She lifted her eyes and met his gaze. One was cautious and the other was cold; after a moment, Feng Zhiwei looked down and avoided his gaze. The circumstances were more powerful that her, and even if she could come up with many smart things to say, it was not the best time for her to show off. That man was truly too difficult to read, but in the end, his words till defended her a little. The commander struggled for a moment before bowing to the man, ¡°Prince, I have to explain this matter to Fu Guo Duke, and this man is our suspect¡­¡± The looked down at Feng Zhiwei and asked indifferently, ¡°You say that you are being framed. Can you testify to who the real killer is?¡± Feng Zhiwei paused and all kinds of thoughts ran through her mind. She ground her teeth together and ultimately decided against giving up Feng Hao. Nothing good would come out of it. It would be to pull out the radish and bring up the mud. For one, her cover as a footboy in the brothel would be revealed, and the Qiu Mansion might also take a move and drop a stone down the well, adding insult to injury and kicking her family while they were down. And ultimately, she wasn¡¯t confident that her mother would her daughter over her son. Her heart soured a little, but her face was calm. She pointed to an area behind her and smiled honestly, ¡°I saw a man whose hand was covered in blood jump over that wall and run west.¡± The teenage youth on the white horse choked and couldn¡¯t stop coughing. The man on the black horse turned to look at him. The teenager smiled awkwardly, ¡°eh¡­ Sixth Brother, it¡¯s nothing. The wind was too strong.¡± Sixth Brother¡­ he really was the Emperor¡¯s Sixth Son, Prince Chu Ning Yi, and that teenage boy who coughed because of the wind was the Tenth Son, Ning Ji. The Capital had a line of poetry, ¡°The early cherry blossom blooms on the tip of the tree and opens up to the shining Southern Skies of blue.¡± It spoke about Ning Yi, titled Prince Chu1. Among all the sons of the Emperor, the most famous one was not always the Crown Prince, and was also not the Seventh Son who was now often called the most virtuous prince. It was the precocious Sixth Prince. When he was born, someone in the Imperial Palace had heard music from the sky, but this rumor didn¡¯t bring him luck. A couple months later, his mother died and he quietly disappeared from the limelight. The Empress adopted him, but after some time and for an unknown reason, she gave him to her remotely related cousin ¨C Imperial Noble Consort Chang. The stories went that Ning Yi had started speaking very late. He had only spoken his first sentence when he was three, but that belated sentence was like a key that opened the doors of wisdom. When he was five, he solved the Grand Master¡¯s Zhen Long Chess problem, and by the time he was seven he had faced off in a poetry competition against the most gifted scholar of the time, Xin Ziyan. In the time it takes to make a cup of tea1 , he had composed ¡°Sheng Feng Fu.¡± Grand Wind Fu was a magnificent, thousand characters long Fu, at once delightful and majestic, and incredibly beautiful. The eccentric Xin Ziyand had struck the table in surprise and decided to befriend the young Ning Yi despite the age difference, and soon after, he accepted the imperial invitation and became the headmaster of the number one academy. Ning Yi was famous. Chapter 20 Translator: Aristophaneso But all these glorious things vanished like a flash in the pan. When Ning Yi was seven, the Tian Sheng Dynasty was founded and a serious illness swept over and destroyed the brilliant child¡¯s unlimited talent. After a long struggle between life and death, Ning Yi¡¯s personality had changed. After that, the youthful and talented sixth prince began to waste his time in brothels, and his name was most often breathed through the lips of the beautiful and popular courtesans of Dijing. After this, Xin Ziyan had once sighed and said to his friend, ¡°I had wanted to pass the ten thousand miles to give him his gift, but all the rivers and mountains separated us¡± (1). He spoke of Ning Yi, but no matter his meaning when he spoke, no matter how profound, and no matter whether anyone had actually tried to gift over ten thousand miles, to the current Ning Yi, everything was meaningless. Because of his illness, Ning Yi did not go to the Chu Palace in the northwest of Tian Sheng to receive his title, but was instead recovering his health in Dijing. Of course, it was still a debatable issue whether he was recovering with medicine or with beauties. But Feng Zhiwei definitely wouldn¡¯t think about this question now. She was still pointing in the direction behind her earnestly. Ning Yi looked at her, but before he said anything, the tenth son who had coughed into the wind grinned and asked, ¡°Then, can you please lead the way?¡± His smile was crafty, and his black eyes were agile and excited as if he was waiting for a good show. He thought that Feng Zhiwei would be ashamed or nervous, but Feng Zhiwei just nodded and turned around and led the way. ¡°Follow him!¡± Ning Ji recovered immediately and called out. The patrol followed along as Feng Zhiwei led them, turning left and then right, finally to the entrance of a small alley. ¡°I saw that man go into this alley.¡± She had led them to the large robed figures run down house. When Ning Yi had given her this chance to save herself, the first thing that had come to her mind was this mysterious person. She might incriminate herself is she gave Feng Hao up, but if she brought them to the mysterious person, they could at least defend themself, and she could find an opportunity to escape when the fighting started. And so Feng Zhiwei took several quiet steps backward, and positioned herself to run away as quickly as possible when the chaos started. But as she was backing away from the patrols, she felt a sudden coldness against her back and something hard pressing against her waist. She looked around and saw the golden horsewhip pressed against her waist. Ning Yi looked down from his horse with an almost friendly smile on his beautiful face. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Feng Zhiwei looked into those smiling, unamused eyes and slowly smiled back. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. Just here, waiting for the Commander to capture the real killer.¡± ¡°What a coincidence. We want the same thing.¡± Ning Yi¡¯s smile deepened. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mouth twitched. No one had even died; why was this great prince bothering himself with such a minor matter? She stood next to his beautiful black horse and looked it over admiringly. Smiling again, she asked, ¡°Great prince, this is a tribute horse from Da Yue right? These are very rare! I hear that Da Yue can only tribute a couple every year.¡± When her words stopped, the tenth prince Ning Ji turned his eyes towards her, looking somewhat apprehensively at Ning Yi. Ning Yi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, and he looked down into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s casual stare. She had raised her head slightly, and even in her pale, boyish face her eyes were clear and calm, and nothing strange could be seen in their depths. Hi eyesight dropped slightly, and he answered a terse ¡°En,¡± and turned away, his face lost in thought. Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t seem to realize that his mood had changed, and she cheerfully reached out to touch the horse. Ning Ji¡¯s expression abruptly changed and he shouted out, ¡°Don¡¯t touch Nie Dian1! He has a bad tem¡­.. yi?¡± The famous bad tempered horse had suddenly changed his temper today. He only slightly dodged Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand at first, and afterwards even moved into her caress. Ning Yi turned his head with a look of surprise (2). Feng Zhiwei moved her hand back and smiled awkwardly. ¡°I apologize. The horse is so beautiful and I couldn¡¯t resist.¡± She smiled lightly, her expression and thoughts innocent. The robed figure had told her a few days ago how the second and sixth sons of the Emperor had fought over a famous Da Yue horse. Their fight had gotten so intense that the Emperor had almost had to enforce ancestral family law. The rumor was the sixth son ended up grounded (3) for three months, and it looked like the rumors were true. ¡°Hong!¡± Before the pair had finished their chat, just as the Yamen runner was about to kick open the door of the shack, a great clamor burst out from within the run down house. In a flash, half of the courtyard wall had collapsed and that herbal stove near the wall flew out and knocked down several of the Yamen runners. Many more cried out in pain and tried to dodge as the accompanying blast of air knocked down more of the surrounding people. In the midst of a dense cloud of floating dust, two blurry figures rushed out from the ruined yard. One figure was in a large black robe and wore an ebony mask. That was the mysterious man who had ¡°tortured¡± Feng Zhiwei all this while. The other figure was a stranger. He had a slender body and wore a curtained hat. His sky sea cyan clothes danced like water, and his body movement art was very strange. He rose up out of the cloud, and for a moment every part of his body was still like the deepest abyss. The duskbreak light was a halo to his cyan clothes, and for a long breath he seemed like a jade statue, flying skyward in the light. For a moment, everyone just lifted their heads and stared. Feng Zhiwei squinted her eyes and thought idly that the man must be gorgeous, even though she could not see his face. Just as everyone was stunned by the man¡¯s stylish appearance, the two figures had already rushed forward. The two had apparently already been fighting inside the yard, and when they were disturbed by the group of Yamen runners outside, they just decided to break out. The robed figure saw Feng Zhiwei, and after a slight gasp of surprise, rushed over to her. The man in the cyan clothes followed like a blur of blue smoke and reached his hand out to grab the robed man¡¯s shoulder. The figure dodged without thinking, but the grasping hand didn¡¯t change directions and thrust towards Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face. His fingers were jade in the sun, but his fingertips were red and sharp as coral. The man¡¯s speed was alarming, and even before she could react his clawing hands were about to reach Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face. Just as she was sighing inside and saying goodbye to her beautiful face, Ning Yi hmphed coldly. Before his freezing sound had filled the air, the raised cuff of his sleeve had already flashed green in the air. In that moment, the all light between heaven and earth flashed. The light was almost blinding and all of the crowd closed their eyes. Feng Zhiwei could barely resist as she struggled to see what was happening. She felt a soft cloth brush her face and the cyan that filled her eyes was pure sky lake blue, like the joy of a sky after storm. The dim light through the blue was purified, and the soft and gentle brush was like the touch of a beautiful dream. But then a white light flashed and the sky cyan faded. A glorious blue flew by her face and a light gold Mandara bloomed in its place, and a wet droplet flew into the air. Chapter 21 Translator: Aristophaneso The red drop fell in the center of her brows, as if a beauty spot drawn by fate. The motions were almost too quick to see, and Feng Zhiwei was still in shock. She did not understand what had happened, but a coldness filled her heart. In the next moment, she felt her body growing light and she was swept away. Before anyone could react, the three figures disappeared, leaving a deathly silence in their wake. Finally, a cold snort cleared the air. Ning Ji gasped in shock and worry, ¡°Sixth Brother, you¡¯re injured!¡± The Jiu Cheng Commander rushed over in a fluster, but Ning Yi was expressionless. He stared in the direction where Feng Zhiwei had disappeared. He was no long on his horse, and his saddle was in a mess. In that moment, when he had moved subconsciously to save her face and was striking that man, that shameful woman had done something to his saddle. Obviously, she had mentioned the Da Yue horse intentionally and had wanted him to become lost in thought, and in that moment had attached a barb to his saddle. When he had left the saddle to stop that man, the barb and stabbed into his horse and jolted it into action. He had been unprepared and was slowed down by the motion, and not only had he failed to stop the man, he had also been slightly injured. Did she know that man in the cyan? Had they worked together to injure him? Ning Yi¡¯s expressionless face grew cold. He ignored the commander¡¯s concern and retrieved a silk handkerchief from the sleeve of his shirt and gently wiped away the blood from his hands. He let the handkerchief fall, and the flowers on the silk shivered in the wind. He turned around and stepped the beautiful silk handkerchief into the mud. The sunlight shone brightly through the falling dust, and his thin smile was frozen to his face. Good. Good. You are very good.(1) The coldness of the early spring night was not yet the piercing cold of winter, but Feng Zhiwei couldn¡¯t tell the difference. All she knew was that the wind blew heavily against her and she was quickly turning into a frozen icicle. She couldn¡¯t lift her head and wasn¡¯t able to look into the face of the man who had grabbed her. All she saw was the swaying of sky cyan clothes waving gently and evenly in the wind. Obviously, it was the man in the curtained hat who had tried to destroy her face. The man¡¯s choice of clothes was a little strange. Tian Sheng Dynasty was rich and prosperous, and it was popular for people to dress revealingly. A man showing his clavicles was considered beautiful, but this man wrapped himself up from head to toe. The curtain of his hat fell well below his shoulders, covering up all of his neck, and his cuffs were long and covered his fingertips, as if flaunting a casual disregard for the added difficulty to fighting. His scent was also different. Where Ning Yi¡¯s was a luxuriant flower blossoming on a snow plain, a mix of beauty and coldness, his scent was the smell of floating heart in water, subtle to the point of vanishing, but still leaving behind a clean and slightly acrid memory. He held Feng Zhiwei with two fingers, and kept his other fingers close to his palm. His gesture displayed a clear reluctance to touch any part of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s body. Feng Zhiwei smiled wryly, guessing that this man was most probably a difficult person as well. The robed figure was clearly an extraordinary martial artist, but this man seemed a level higher. If she had known that this would happen, it would¡¯ve been better to just go quietly to prison. But I¡¯ve never met this man before, so why did he grab me? And then just as suddenly as this all started, she came to a sudden stop. The blood rushed to her head, and it was only when her eyes cleared up that she took a good look around. They had stopped in a wild field outside the city. The man dropped her on the ground and sealed some of her acupuncture points, and then he stood straight, without another motion. He stood silently and motionless. The cold moonlight was frost against the ground, and he reflected the translucent whiteness like a cold marble statue. Feng Zhiwei examined him apprehensively, and she began to wonder if she had been captured by a storied ageless and deathless zombie of legend. Fortunately, her Voice Acupuncture was not sealed, and so she ventured a cautious, ¡°Hi¡­.¡± The man didn¡¯t react, his head still facing forward. Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t give up, and she called out again: ¡°Hi¡­. hero¡­¡± The man replied into the empty air in front of him: ¡°Hi, hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My name is Wei Zhi¡­¡± ¡°¡­My name is Wei Zhi.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei couldn¡¯t continue, and her face darkened ¨C was the man an echo? Or was he really a zombie? A beautiful zombie incapable of conversation? The man stood calmly, as if unhurriedly pondering something, but then as if he remembered something, he shook his head. This was the first time he gave Feng Zhiwei any impression that he was a normal human, and it stirred hope in her heart. She changed the subject and asked: ¡°Hero, we are not enemies, why did you grab me?¡± Finally the man answered in a more normal fashion: ¡°Catch person.¡± ¡­. What did that mean? ¡°Catch who?¡± ¡°Person.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face greened ¨C of course I know I am a person! She changed her question: ¡°The person you needed to catch, is it me?¡± The man tilted his head and the moonlight shone through the silk curtain of his hat, illuminating his bright and peaceful eyes. They were as clean jade, calm and tranquil. ¡°Catch person in the yard.¡± Feng Zhiwei stared blankly, and after a careful moment asked: ¡°Just a person in the yard? But there were many people in the yard.¡± The man thought for a moment before answering slowly, methodical word followed by methodical word, all delivered in a flat tone. His eyes looked at the ground straight ahead, as if he were mentally impaired, but Feng Zhiwei knew the how rare it was for a mentally handicapped person to achieve such aptitude in martial arts. He answered: ¡°They said, catch person in the yard.¡± Feng Zhiwei couldn¡¯t help but gape at him. The most probable explanation was that this man had been ordered to go and catch the robed person, and that robed figure always lived alone, so this bean pole was only told to catch a person inside the yard, and no one had thought that she would charge forward just as the robed person broke free from his grasp, so he conveniently grabbed her in the passing. What terrible luck! But it couldn¡¯t be so simple! Ning Yi was also there, why wasn¡¯t he grabbed instead? She asked her question, but the words seemed beyond him. Under the cold moon, the man became a jade statue again and no longer answered. The cold wind hissed, and the moon watched tranquilly over the night. One sitting and the other standing, large eyes staring into small ¡ª oh, it was large eyes staring into a veil. Chapter 22 Translator: Aristophaneso An hour slowly passed. The moon watched tranquilly as those big eyes stared into the veil¡­ Two hours passed. The cold wind hissed, and those big eyes stared¡­ ¡­ That veil hadn¡¯t moved the slightest in all this time, and that jade statue¡¯s poster was just as perfect as it was in the beginning. Feng Zhiwei was already about to break ¨C what is happening! ¡°What are you doing?¡± The jade statue answered: ¡°Waiting.¡± ¡°Waiting for whom?¡± ¡°Them¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed, and she understood how pointless it would be to ask who ¡°them¡± are. He would never be able to answer. ¡°Why aren¡¯t they here?¡± It would be better if they came. A blade to the neck would be better than waiting around with this jade statue all night on the muddy spring ground. For better or for worse, any person who came would at least be more normal, and if they were normal there was at least some possibility of negotiation. But if it was just this jade statue boulder, nothing was possible. ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± As expected. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s anger was wrestling with her will; no manner of good temper could suffer through this devilish test. She pushed down her outburst and looked around; the open country stretched on in monotonous sameness in every direction. She suddenly understood, ¡°So you were supposed to meet in a field? Could you have mistaken the road to get here?¡± There were only rocks and trees, and thousands of locations looked exactly the same. She had heard the Qing Ming Academy was also expanding, and they had been quarrying for stones and changing roads, and so the whole landscape must have been changed to some degree. This might have been this stone-brain¡¯s first time to Dijing, and his companions had not explained clearly where they would meet, and so now he was lost. The man slowly turned and looked around, and after a long moment he answered slowly, ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡­ Alright¡­ The heavens have ordained me to suffer and be tortured before I can get what I want¡­ Feng Zhiwei ground her teeth together, and finally she squeezed out,¡±I know these roads. Unseal me and I can show you the way.¡± ¡°They asked me to wait.¡± ¡°You have to wait at the right place!¡± Feng Zhiwei exploded. The man was imperturbable, and showed no hesitation. His reaction amounted to a short and firm: ¡°Wait.¡± ¡­ ¡°Then can you at least unseal me?¡± The defeated Feng Zhiwei pleaded, ¡°They didn¡¯t say you couldn¡¯t unseal me, right?¡± This finally worked. The jade statue thought for a moment before nodding and moving his hand. Feng Zhiwei felt her body relax ¨C this man could unseal her without touching her! This kind of Kong Fu, just judging from what she had learned from the robed figure, was incredible. She stood up and brushed the dust off her clothes. Without giving the jade statue a glance, she smiled: ¡°Hero, they didn¡¯t tell you what to do with the person you caught, right?¡± The jade statue was quiet, seemingly searching his memory for the answer to this question, and after a moment he shook his head. ¡°And they didn¡¯t ask you to kill, right?¡¯ ¡°They said that they wanted to ask about something, like where that person is?¡± The last sentence roller off her tongue, and Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t understand it herself nor did she care. She only grabbed at the important point, ¡°And since they didn¡¯t tell you what to do after you grabbed the person and just asked you to wait, then you can wait here and I¡¯ll go my way¡­ See you later.¡± She would spend her whole life avoiding this statue blockhead. She would definitely lose her mind around this person. Feng Zhiwei turned and walked away, but when she was some distance away she finally couldn¡¯t resist and took a good look around. That man was still standing in the same place, his shadow stretched long in the moonlight. His sky cyan clothes was almost like wind, fluttering under the moons rays. Feng Zhiwei snorted and continued walking. Soon, Feng Zhiwei spotted in the distance a passing through a mountain ridge and Feng Zhiwei finally recognized the head of Mt. Song, some ten miles out from the city. This was a very remote place and rarely had visitors, but three miles from here was a Ying Ke1 Pavilion. If she wasn¡¯t completely off, ¡°they¡± had told him to meet at this easily recognizable place, but that man had run off to the wrong place and was still waiting there. Feng Zhiwei snickered and thought, just wait patiently. When they find you, you¡¯ll have long died from hunger. She kept walking. She was used to walking. With a big sigh, she stopped. Aih¡­ She turned and walked back to that statue. The man was still standing, facing the same direction, indifferent to her coming and going. Feng Zhiwei was certain that this person would just wait here until he died. She reached for his hand, but the man pulled it away. ¡°You are in the wrong place. They are waiting somewhere else.¡± The man tilted his head, and Feng Zhiwei tugged on his sleeve and smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you.¡± (1) And so the man followed. Feng Zhiwei pulled him along happily, walking through the empty fields. She obviously didn¡¯t head in the direction of the pavilion, and she was already lost in day dreams. His clothes were very precious, so he would have some silver with him. She couldn¡¯t go back to the city right now, and she didn¡¯t have the three thousand silver ticket with her, so she could conveniently borrow some of his money for now. His Kong Fu was so impressive and he was so easy to trick. Her safety was of some concern at the moment, and she could use him as a bodyguard. On the third of February in the year Shen Geng, on a dark and windy night, the Feng Young Mistress Feng Zhiwei daydreamed about how she could take advantage of others as she dragged away a mysterious man¡­ Feng Zhiwei regretted! She should¡¯ve known not to grab some random man! She had lead him around for the whole night through, and at first she had been very happy. Although he didn¡¯t have any silver on him, he had some exquisitely fashioned skin masks, one of which she had already taken and put on. With the average teenage boy¡¯s face fastened to her face, she had thought that she had gotten a pretty good deal. After a some more walking, she was tired and hungry so she asked, ¡°Do you have rations?¡± The books said that these errant heroes always carried rations and food wherever they went. The man heard her and reacted very quickly this time, but with a rumbling stomach instead of an answer. Slowly and unhurriedly, he stretched out a hand towards her and demanded, ¡°food.¡± Feng Zhiwei blinked at him, and it took her a moment to realize this this fool was also hungry, and he was actually asking her for food! The hand in front of her was snow white and perfect, nothing like a martial artist¡¯s hand, but Feng Zhiwei was in no mood to appreciate it. All she wanted to do was smash the hand away from her face. She swallowed her anger and forced a smile across her face. ¡°Do you know how to hunt?¡± ¡°You hunt.¡± !!! He wasn¡¯t a hero. This was a spoiled young master!!! Feng Zhiwei began to regret her decision, and she thought to herself: whatever, I¡¯ll just throw him away; he can just go starve. She very gently let go of his cuff and turned him around. Smiling, she said, ¡°look, they are in that direction. You go on first; I¡¯ll help you hunt. See you later.¡± Chapter 23 Translator: Aristophaneso And then she waved a casual goodbye and walked quickly away. She had finally made an intelligent decision¡­ men¡­ you really couldn¡¯t just randomly drag one away¡­ She marched quickly in the moonlight, and she was somewhat surprised by how she seemed to be getting more and more energetic. She wasn¡¯t tired at all, and her footsteps were so powerful. powerful¡­ footsteps. Wasn¡¯t the sound of her walking a little too loud? She turned stiffly, and as she had guessed, that curtained hat young man was following behind her obediently, his sky cyan clothes like gentle and refined water. Feng Zhiwei held her forehead for a long moment, and a despair filled her heart: this situation wouldn¡¯t be so easily fixed. ¡°Why are you following me?¡± The Jade Statue replied calmly, ¡°You said you would lead me.¡± ¡°I was tricking you.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied in a soft and sweat tone. ¡°You said you would lead me.¡± The Jade Statue was unmoved. ¡°¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei tried three or four other ways of getting rid of him when she finally concluded in dismay that she was stuck with this brat. From start to finish, he stuck to the same replay. You said you would lead me! Forget it. It was masochistic to even talk to him, and Feng Zhiwei finally gave up. She¡¯d already marched through the countryside for half the night and was thirsty and hungry, so when she spotted a brook in the distance she walked over to drink some water and wash her face. She kneeled and took of her mask; the moon was bright, and her reflection stared at her in the clear water. Something seemed off. Feng Zhiwei examined herself in the water ¨C the young girl¡¯s face was clean and bright like the moon, and a small red beauty spot decorated the space between her eyebrows, adding a trace of seduction to her pure face. She lifted her hand slowly to touch the redness, and it left some scarlet on her fingertip in the cold moonlight. Feng Zhiwei grew absentminded, and that image of the moon-white cuff and the blooming light gold mandara flower filled her mind. Ning Ying was hurt? Feng Zhiwei immediately understood what had happened; it was extremely dangerous to be distracted for even a second while trading blows with martial experts like the jade statue. In those circumstances, it wasn¡¯t rare for to lose one¡¯s life. She sat still in the moonlight. Time passed, and the silvered moonlight fell on her cheeks and the cuff of her sleeve, flowing gently in the wind, and it fell on her finger, quietly wiping away the scarlet mark¡­ The beauty mark had fallen between her eyebrows, but it wasn¡¯t enough to mark her. (1) Feng Zhiwei lifted her head and she spotted a building up in the trees, about halfway up the mountain. An upturned cyan eave reached out above the trees and rocks; they had apparently walked their way to the Qing Ming Academy. Qing Ming Academy was known as the ¡°Top Academy Under the Heavens¡± and was considered the best academy in the world. Its predecessor was the Da Cheng First Academy which gathered all the talented scholars and exceptional students from the land, regardless of descent. After Tian Sheng was founded, with the new strict hierarchical law, Qing Ming Academy gradually transformed into an Imperial Academy reserved for the nobility. Finally, after Xin Ziyan became Head, with his insistence, every year the Academy would accept excellent students from poor families or business families. The road to the academy was long and difficult, but once they were accepted and graduated, their career as officials was set. It was not too rare that a random student with a mysterious identity could be from a high placed family. Even if a student didn¡¯t graduate, the relationships alone could help guarantee a good life. And so for the entrance examination every year, students from across the world would gather at Qing Ming Academy¡¯s doorstep. Feng Zhiwei thought back to the conversation that day between her mother and brother; that group of people was probably from Qing Ming Academy as well. She was very hungry and had nowhere to go, and there was also this statue following her, and so she went up to ask for something to eat. She brought the jade statue with her to knock on the door, and after a moment the door opened. An old man stuck his graying head out of the crack. When Feng Zhiwei had explained her purpose, the old man rolled his eyes and snapped at her, ¡°One hundred silver liang for a cup of water! One thousand liang for a piece of bread. If you can¡¯t pay, then piss off!¡± Feng Zhiwei was dumbfounded ¨C was this water or the most precious wine? Or was the water elevated by the Qing Ming Academy¡¯s fame? But she was good tempered and it was not easy to upset her, so she smiled, ¡°Senior ¡­ my older brother is sick, could you bend the rules ¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, I know your elder brother is sick and I also know that you lost your father when you were young and was bullied by your relatives and eventually kicked out of your family. And then you were almost sold into a brothel while you struggled along alone in life¡­¡± The old man rolled his eyes and waved his hand around. Feng Zhiwei looked at him in astonishment, sighing, ¡°How do you know all of this? You¡¯re right! But I wasn¡¯t sold into a brothel¡­¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t then it was your sister! Who else could you be!¡± Feng Zhiwei finally realized something was off and she took a good look around. There were many people sleeping on the ground clutching their thin blankets. Some of them wore beautiful clothes, but most wore tatters that barely covered their butts, and they looked dried up and even more sallow than her, with downcast and pitiful expressions that put hers to shame. All of them looked up at the old man with hope in their eyes. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart trembled slightly and she understood something, and the old man slammed the door shut. With a bitter smile on her face, Feng Zhiwei turned to leave, but suddenly a young man stopped her with a gentile clasped-handed bow. ¡°Brother.¡± Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t know what to make of this fellow and returned the bow before examining him. The young man had a delicate and pretty face and remarkable eyes that shined as if with hidden stars. The young man leaned in conspiratorially, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re confused about what just happened, right?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied earnestly and solemnly, ¡°Please share your knowledge.¡± ¡°Headmaster Xin was born in a poor family,¡± The youth said with a quiet smile, ¡°and he cares for students from poor families, so¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei understood ¨C no matter whether they were poor or rich, they would all still dress up like the homeless, hoping that Headmaster Xin would notice them and let them enter the academy. And that old man had thought that she was one of them and had shut her out. What wrongful blame! ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the academy stop them if they know there are so many fakes?¡± The young man¡¯s eyes seemed to fill with respect, ¡°Headmaster Xin says that it is easy to get rid of them so that the academy could have peace, but what if there really are talented poor people here? Headmaster Xin doesn¡¯t want to close the door on them, so he doesn¡¯t stop the people from gathering and sometimes even comes over to pick. But just passing through this old geezer gateman¡¯s test is difficult enough.¡± Chapter 24 Translator: Aristophaneso Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°Headmaster Xin has a really kind heart.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The young man exclaimed. ¡°Headmaster Xin is virtuous, kind, helps the old and the poor alike, is immune to feminine charm, is serious and cautious, and refuses the influence of evil¡­¡± He chattered on about the greatness of Headmaster Xin and Feng Zhiwei listened with a smile, secretly wondering whether he was still talking about a human being. His voice was conspicuous, as if he was hoping that that old man or Headmaster Xin would come and listen. Suddenly he sighed and continued in a whisper. ¡°I came from South Sea and I didn¡¯t know the rules beforehand, so I dressed too well. When I tried to buy some clothes from the poor families at the foot of the mountain, I realized that they had all gotten rich by selling their old clothes and now they were even better dressed than I am¡­¡± He sighed and looked miserable. Feng Zhiwei listened to the prelude and had a premonition about what the rest of the song would be about. ¡°Brother, are you interested in my clothes?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The young man clapped. ¡°Brother, you are straightforward! I will pay you one hundred catties of silver for your coat, and you can have my South Sea Light Silk coat!¡± ¡°Ok, deal!¡± Feng Zhiwei agreed eagerly, taking off her clothes immediately (1) ¨C a hundred catties of silver to trade a footboy¡¯s coat for an expensive light silk coat was a bargain only fools would refuse. As she was taking off her clothes, she heard a clear ¡°ding¡± as a small object fell from the inner layer of her sleeve. Before she could see it clearly, the young man had already picked it up and was carefully examining it. He gasped. He held a yellow stone seal and turned it over and over in his hands, his eyes suddenly narrowed like a hunting wolf¡¯s. Feng Zhiwei looked at him with surprise and doubted herself for a second. A seemingly rich young man like him couldn¡¯t be greedy for a piece of field-yellow stone? The young man held the yellow stone in both hands and said happily, ¡°With this, why do you still¡­¡± When he lifted his head and saw Feng Zhiwei¡¯s astonished expression, he stopped and leaned in closer, poking Zhiwei with his elbow. ¡°Big brother, can we discuss something?¡± Feng Zhiwei was a little thrown off by the young man¡¯s familiar gesture, but she still asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°You also want to enter the academy, right?¡± The young man chuckled. ¡°Little brother can make sure you get in, but I have a small request. When you join, can you tell them that I am your servant? The academy lets every student bring two servants. Oh! And I haven¡¯t fully introduced myself. My name is Yan; I¡¯m from the Yan Family from South Sea.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes flashed. The Yan Family from South Sea was one of the three lowkey families together with Tian Zhan and Xuan Yuan. They had been the imperial families before Da Cheng, and with the new dynasty had gradually shifted to the backstage and stepped away from the court, but among the common people they were still very powerful. The Tian Zhan Family controlled Jianghu; Xuan Yuan controlled much of business, and had their hand in medicine, forging, textiles etc., and the Yan Family dominated the seas, and owned the largest ship workshops. On the Ming Sea, far from Dijing, the Yan Family flag blotted out the sky and covered up the sun. Wealthy business families were rich and powerful, and even though Dijing was outside of their power, it was still worthwhile to befriend a Yan family junior. ¡°How could I dare to make you my servant?¡± Feng Zhiwei had already guessed that the yellow stone was key, but she played coy and refused his offer. The young man grew agitated and said quickly, ¡°Three thousand teal of fine silver every month, for big brother to use!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no gain without suffering, hehe¡­¡± ¡°Ten thousand tael!¡± ¡°Money is just external, hehe¡­¡± ¡°Little brother¡¯s servants and subordinates in Dijing are free for big brother to use whenever he needs them!¡± Feng Zhiwei stopped ¡°hehe¡±ing and turned around with a slight smile and stared at the young man. He lifted his neck and raised his hand, ¡°I swear by our Yan Family¡¯s first imperial ancestor¡¯s spirit tablet!¡± It must be quite unfortunate to be this youth¡¯s ancestor, trotted out for an occasional oath here and there¡­ Feng Zhiwei smiled and patted the youth¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The two of us, helping each other out¡­ hehe!¡± The Yan Family youth went up and knocked, and as expected, this time was different from the last. The old man quickly turned deferential and came out personally to welcome them, and under the envious gazes of the surrounding people, the trio entered the ¡°most difficult gate¡± of the Qing Ming Academy. The jade statue was obviously among the trio; it was as if his whole world at this point was just following Feng Zhiwei. It was to the point that she even suspected that he would probably follow her into a restroom. On the other side, the Yan Family junior was so happy that an outsider might guess that he was entering the gate to take on the position of headmaster rather than servant. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s indifference showed on her face. She had nowhere else to be, and the brothel wasn¡¯t the best place, especially after the Li Gong Zi balls incident. Her only regret was the robed man; it was always very comfortable to cook herbs for him, and now she could no longer enjoy those days. She touched her chest and the notebook that the robed man had lent her. She planned to just keep it, after all, how many people remembered to return borrowed books? The Yan Family junior followed along happily. ¡°Little brother¡¯s name is Yan Huaishi (2), what is big brother¡¯s name?¡± Huaishi? The brat could even squeeze oil of stone; this name really didn¡¯t fit him. It fit Jade Statue more; Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°My name is Wei Zhi (3).¡± Yan Huaishi replied with a long ¡°ooh,¡± and it was very clear that he didn¡¯t believe her. But Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t care what he thought and turned to the Jade Statue and asked warmly, ¡°Name?¡± She had discovered that the simpler the better with this man, and complicated questions were likely to be ignored. And as expected, the Jade Statue answered, ¡°Gu Nanyi.¡± ¡°Good name.¡± Feng Zhiwei praised insincerely, secretly thinking that it was a waste of a good name. Qing Ming Academy was huge, and spanned over 100 Li. Every student had to wear white clothes and eat the same food and live in similar conditions. Of course, this was Headmaster Xin¡¯s rule. The Imperial Court had disagreed at first, claiming that it was not safe for the juniors of nobility and that it suppressed the dignity of the aristocracy. Xin Ziyan¡¯s response was very interesting. He didn¡¯t fight the imperial court, but had instead put up a notice at the entrance of the academy: ¡°Our Academy has prepared the same uniform and food for our students, but students can bring their own as well to show their status. Our Academy only recognizes the uniform, and so whoever wears silk and eats their own food must take an extra exam at the end of the year and the grade must be no lower than Good; whoever wears satin must take two extra exams and their grade can be no lower than Excellent ¡­¡± After the rule was posted, there was no more stain in the academy. All the young masters had changed into the cyan uniform, and no one could force them to wear anything else. Chapter 25 Translator: Aristophaneso After clothing and food were equalized, no one could tell the status difference and all the students got along more naturally and casually, but there were still rumors about some student or another with a deep background, very, very deep. When people asked, ¡°How deep?¡± that rumormonger would just shake their finger and reply mysteriously, ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± Feng Zhiwei listened to Yan Huaishi introduce the academy as they walked, and if one just judged by his familiarity with the academy, no one would say that he had just walked through the gates. He must have studied here for three or four years! ¡°How do you know so much?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked. Servant Yan chuckled and rubbed his fingers together ¨C the power of silver. ¡°The Yan Family is rich and powerful on the seas. Why do you people have to run over to Dijing and become doormats to others?¡± ¡°The Imperial Court supports agriculture and restrains commerce. No matter how rich a family is, they still bow to the local officials.¡± Yan Huaishi looked up at Qing Ming Academy¡¯s upturned eaves and his playful look sank a little. ¡°Dijing. It is a city of opportunity.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. Big families always had many juniors, and the competition for head was always very intense. This young man from South Sea must have either been banished because of some failed internal struggle, or he had come with the insight and hope of using resources from Dijing to help him fight for the position of family head. If his actions were any judge, he was probably the latter. The old man led them to a yard and handed them over to a middle-aged scholar with a whisper. The scholar¡¯s eyes widened slightly and smiled at Feng Zhiwei. When he asked for her name and her background, Feng Zhiwei told him a fake story she¡¯d prepared ¨C she was Wei Zhi, born to a peasant family in Shan Nan province , and now an orphan relying on his elders in Dijing. The man also asked careful questions about her servants. Obviously, the academy was relaxed on the outside and strict on the inside. It was very serious about safety, and many people here walked around with light steps, with Kong Fu under their belts. Yan Huaishi was a clever young man with a nimble mind, and he didn¡¯t need Feng Zhiwei¡¯s help to create a trustworthy background that even included Gu Nanyi. As for the jade statue, he stood quietly next to Feng Zhiwei, his cuffs hanging straight, without a word or a movement. His eyes fell only on the ground in front of his feet, and his delicate jade chin could only be spotted with the occasional breeze that fluttered his veil. People were coming and going, and they would all take an extra glance at him, attracted by his stillness and his beauty, but they all turned away quickly. They could tell that he was a very capable Kong Fu master; only these experts acted so abnormally and mysteriously. Only Feng Zhiwei believed that he was just stupid. After registration, Feng Zhiwei walked out to the back yard with a seal hanging from her waist. She looked at the dorms, and with a small smile she said, ¡°Everyone always talks about how difficult it is to enter Qing Ming Academy, but it looks like it¡¯s quite easy.¡± Yan Huaishi rolled his eyes and secretly glanced at her in disdain, thinking his heart stop faking! Feng Zhiwei had only walked a few steps when she heard an outburst nearby. Everyone on the street orderly made way, and before Feng Zhiwei could react a human figure flashed by her eyes, and a familiar smell filled her nose as soft clothes gently brushed her face. Gu Nanyi lifted his hand and his fingers flew out in a blur, but that figure swept by Feng Zhiwei like a swimming fish. Feng Zhiwei turned her head in shock, and she saw what she thought was two men, the one dragging the other with his feet in the air, twisting by like a hurricane. All the while, he was crying out chaotically, ¡°Ah, excuse me!! Ah, sorry! I hope I didn¡¯t bump you! Ahh, storm incoming!! Make way, make way!¡± All the bystanders made way as if with tacit understand, and even Yan Huaishi jumped to the side. Only Feng Zhiwei and Gu Nanyi stood where they were, still. Feng Zhiwei thought, hadn¡¯t he already passed? Why give way? But she soon found her answer. ¡°Don¡¯t run !!!!!¡± A sharp scream followed tightly in the fleeing man¡¯s footsteps, piercing the ears, quickly followed by bouquets of flowers and piles of brocades. Six or seven women with rolled up sleeves came running by with chopping blocks in their hands ran by in a raucous. A pungent cloud of thick rouge choked her. Feng Zhiwei immediately recognized the cheap product ¨C Ye Lai Xiang1 ¡°What¡­ what is this?¡± Even Feng Zhiwei was baffled by the sight of countrywomen rushing forward valiantly like a winning army chasing a routed foe. If she didn¡¯t know that she was in the great and outstanding Qing Ming Academy she would have thought that she was in a countryside day market. ¡°Oh.¡± Yan Huashi replied calmly, delighting in another¡¯s misfortune. ¡°This is normal. You¡¯ll see this two or three times every day; you¡¯ll get used to it. It¡¯s pretty late, so let¡¯s go get something to eat and a place to sleep. Big Brother, you¡¯ll need to choose a Hall tomorrow and decide whether you¡¯ll study Politics and History or Warfare. Feng Zhiwei smiled and the trio headed for the dining hall. Dinner was hand pulled noodels with pork. They served a large porcelain bowl of noodles filled with soup, topped with seven or eight pieces of shiny, oily pork praised in brown sauce ¨C and refillable. The taste was simple but fragrant, and the hall filled with students holding large bowls and gulping down their noodles gave off an earthy, countryside feel. Yan Huaishi fit in perfectly, and he wandered around with a bowl in hand, taking giant bites from time to time, mingling already. He showed no sign of discomfort in the poor conditions. After a moment to take in the whole strange sight, Feng Zhiwei decided to just go along with it. As she shoveled the noodles into her mouth she thought that this Qing Ming Academy really didn¡¯t have the feel of the Number One Academy Under Heaven. It looked more like a peasant house out in the Dijing countryside. After eating for a bit, Feng Zhiwei suddenly realized that the air was a little strange around her. She looked around. Gu Nanyi was sitting beside her, one hand holding his bowl, another lifting his veil slightly, revealing half of his delicate face that made people inhale without thinking. Everyone had put down their bowls to look at him, and he just stared into the bowl obliviously. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mouth twitched, and she smiled thinly ¨C young master, are you going to eat? Young master, are you eating or selling your face? And then she heard Gu Nanyi murmur: ¡°One, two, three ¡­ seven!¡± Seven? ¡°Peng!¡± In the moment before she understood, Gu Nanyi slammed his bowl down, splashing soup everywhere. Feng Zhiwei dodged quickly and everyone around them jumped a little. ¡°Seven pieces!¡± Seven pieces? Seven pieces of what? Feng Zhiwei turned back to him and he was still staring into his bowl. Was he counting his meat ? She leaned in and counted ¨C seven pieces of meat. Chapter 26 Translator: Aristophaneso But¡­ what was the problem? She examined his bitter look of deeply nursed anger and his hatred consumed posture¡­ were they seven pieces of human meat? Feng Zhiwei picked up the shining meat in her bowl with her chopsticks and held it to the sun. Nothing¡­ and human meat was apparently a little sour. ¡°Eight pieces.¡± After almost breaking his bowl, the man finally uttered two words. Feng Zhiwei was baffled into silence, and then a strange thought struck her. She asked tentatively: ¡°Do you want¡­ eight pieces of meat ?¡± Gu Nanyi stared forward with a steady gaze and nodded seriously at the bowl. Feng Zhiwei almost cried. Young master! Can you just tell me that you wanted more meat. As long as you stop torturing me much less eight I can even give you nine! You want it, you can have all of mine! She moved her bowl over to give him the meat, and she moved to give him all of it, but Gu Nanyi blocked her chopstick after the first piece. ¡°Eight pieces.¡± He said seriously. ¡­. Alright¡­ eight pieces then. Feng Zhiwei reached out and pulled down his veil, muttering to him in a low voice: ¡°please cover your face. I want to eat peacefully.¡± It was way too stressful trying to eat under everyone else¡¯s wolf like glare. Young Master Gu finally started eating his eight pieces of meat happily, but now Feng Zhiwei couldn¡¯t finish her food. She was worrying about when this nonsense that she had brought upon herself would finally end. After dinner, they retired to their dormitory. They had a smallish yard with two rooms; one room was reserved for receiving visitors, and the other was separated into two parts, a smaller section with one bed and a slightly larger section with two. Obviously, one part was for the student and the other part was for the servants. Feng Zhiwei finally breathed out a sigh of relief; the living situation that she had been worrying over was solved. Yan Huaishi smirked and spoke with a barely hidden false modesty: ¡°Big Brother, what do you think? This is one of the best student dorm yards. It took me some effort to get the Housemaster to give us this one.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled appreciatively and asked: ¡°You know the Housemaster?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then why is he taking care of you?¡± ¡°We became friends after eating noodles.¡± Yan Huaishi smirked arrogantly. ¡°I peeled three garlics for him and then he even told me his new concubine¡¯s name.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After such a long day, Feng Zhiwei went to bed early, but she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. She was still not used to sleeping with two men on the other side of the wall, and finally she got up and sat, staring blankly at the wall. It was very quiet ¨C the academy¡¯s standing rule was bed by seven. In the silence, every small sound was clear to the ear. But¡­ there was a missing sound. Feng Zhiwei frowned. The flowing stream gurgled and the petals of peach blossom¡¯s fell. In the neighboring yard, people were talking in their dreams, muttering in meaningless murmurs. But there were no snores coming from behind the wall. Were they still awake, or¡­. With a small sound, the door opened. Gu Nanyi came in, still covered from head to toe, hugging a pillow to his chest. Feng Zhiwei turned to him in astonishment, and though she had to admit that it was a strangely terrifying sight to see a man wandering around hugging a pillow, she couldn¡¯t say that this person was ugly to look at. Maybe¡­ he even had a little bit of attractiveness¡­ From his snow-white fingers tightly grasping the pillow to the casual arch of his neck as he leaned into his face into his pillow, half lifting his veil, revealing the soft red curve of his lips on his snowy skin. The clearest white like that have pure good emerging from the deepest root of the human heart, revealing a natural attraction inherent in his purity. Suddenly, an inappropriate line struck Feng Zhiwei. Time so easily tosses away man, red cherry, green banana¡­(1) Just as she was marveling in the feeling that line brought, that man walked over with his pillow to the side of her bed, lifted up the blanket and¡­. Lay on the bed. Feng Zhiwei sat down on the bed. She only wore one layer, and in the chill of the early spring, looked down at the man lying under her blanket. That man slept unashamedly in the bed she had just warmed, and didn¡¯t even take off his veil. It was not that Feng Zhiwei didn¡¯t want to scream, but she knew that screaming wouldn¡¯t get this man out of her bed, and she had been taught since she was little to always be calm ¨C panicking never helped. So she calmly pulled her blanket off of him and gently patted his shoulder, speaking in a pleasing voice, ¡°Hero Gu, you slept in the wrong bed.¡± The wandering hero Gu stirred, and just as Feng Zhiwei was starting to feel happy, she heard a ¡°dong¡± and the heavens and earth flipped and she fell flat on her butt. ¡­. Gu Nanyi kicked her off her own bed. Yan Huaishi rushed in to investigate the noise, and the first thing he saw was Feng Zhiwei sitting on the ground, staring blankly at the man in her bed, her clothes half opened around her chest, revealing a white brighter and smoother than the moon. A fragrance of flowers filled the midnight air and gradually filled the room. Yan Huaishi immediately turned away and stood awkwardly at the door, not knowing whether to help her up or to retreat. And then he heard Gu Nanyi utter in completely deadpan voice, ¡°I sleep alone.¡± Yan Huaishi¡¯s heart jumped and he quickly left ¨C it would be best if he wasn¡¯t present for the following words. Anyway, it made no difference which man he slept with¡­ Young Master Yan hugged his blanket and smiled like a fox. Feng Zhiwei also smiled, and she got up happily and replied in a gentle voice. ¡°Okay, alright. You sleep alone. Those who understood the intricacies of the present were true heroes. The bigger fist slept in the single room; she wouldn¡¯t struggle, and even if she wanted to she wouldn¡¯t do it in this manner. And so she gathered the other blanket and headed for the door, preparing to chase Young Master Yan away. Hadn¡¯t he said that he was friends with the housemaster? Since he even told Yan Huaishi his new concubine¡¯s name, he surely would be willing to share a room with him. But just as she took two steps that thing on the bed flipped over. ¡°You sleep here.¡± Feng Zhiwei staggered and almost tripped over her blanket. She turned violently to look at him. ¡°I sleep here?¡± That man lay there, his breath moving his veil every so slightly. The curve of his face was beautiful, but to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes he looked like a corpse just beginning to transform into a zombie. ¡°Yes.¡± He replied decisively, and with a casual wave of his hand, a white object flew over and landed by her feet. Her pillow. Chapter 27 Translator: Aristophaneso He wanted to her to sleep on the floor. Feng Zhiwei stared at the pillow and repeated to herself silently. I can¡¯t grab it and smother him¡­ I can¡¯t I can¡¯t I can¡¯t I can¡¯t. Breath¡­ that notebook said to breath in and out three times whenever I want to burst in anger¡­ Breath¡­ After the third breath, Feng Zhiwei calmed down. Sleeping on the floor was nothing, and being kicked off the bid was nothing. Wasn¡¯t it just a man stealing my bed and not letting me sleep on another one. I¡¯ll just consider myself as the servant girl. All servant girls sleep at the foot of the bed. Feng Zhiwei started making her bed, folding the blanket so half of it was her mattress and the other half covered her and then placed her pillow neatly at the head. The night wind carried the spring through the half opened window and across the hallway to where Feng Zhiwei lay, and the cool and sweet wind swept away most of her suppressed indignation, and she looked up through the window at the deep sky filled with stars and the lightest smile grew on her face. To be alive and stay alive, and every season smelling the new flowers. That was already good, very good. Gu Nanyi suddenly moved. He leaned over until his face was right above Feng Zhiwei¡¯s, and through that thin veil, the dark abyss of his eyes met her warm and gentle smile. The faint smile bloomed at the most impossible moment, like the unfurling of a flower bud on a frosted pear at midnight, a silent enchantress met by the east wind. A dream of a spring night, floating lightly ¡ª- a thin veil like mist, and he stared from behind the mist and she was just beyond, the trace of a smile upon her lips. The silence was sudden, and even that man who seemed so lost in his own world couldn¡¯t bear to break it. And though it took many words to describe, the moment passed. In a blink, he was back in his world, and it was as if that moment had never occurred. Feng Zhiwei had looked away before he had, and for all her intelligence she couldn¡¯t fathom what the zombie statue was doing. And so she arranged her blankets around her, and as the zombie lay back down she turned away and slept. Soon, she began to dream, and the smile clinging to the corner of her lips fell away and her eyebrows tightened. The man on the bed breathed just as steadily as before, but it was clear he had fallen asleep as well. His veil stirred gently with his breath, hiding his expression from the world; his dreams were a mystery. Or perhaps, he did not dream, and his face was expressionless behind the veil. Outside their window, the moon gazed tranquilly over the still night. Feng Zhiwei very quickly learned the consequences of her impulsive and foolish decisions. Not only was she to sleep by the foot of the bed ¨C Young Master Gu also had a delicate and precious body, and so his clothes couldn¡¯t be too thick or heavy or cheap. They had to be thin and soft, and as light as possible, as comfortable as another layer of skin. His clothes couldn¡¯t have a single wrinkle, and even the smallest fold was unbearable. If his clothes were not suitable, he would immediately throw his attendant out. That¡¯s right, attendant. Not only did Feng Zhiwei have to take care of Young Master Gu¡¯s folding needs, she also had to do all the chores. It was impossible to count on Yan Huaishi; it was already quite good that that young master could look after himself, and as for Young Master Gu¡­. If his clothes weren¡¯t spotless, he was liable to trap Feng Zhiwei on the roof. Feng Zhiwei lamented; this was the reason people didn¡¯t just take free servants randomly from the street. He wasn¡¯t her bodyguard! He was clearly her master! Her hands were covered with soap foam as she scrubbed the clothes in the basin, and as she cleaned the soft and expensive robes and trousers, she wondered playfully why she never washed Gu Nanyi¡¯s underwear. She was lost in thought for a moment and blushed slightly, but then the bells tolled and she quickly wiped her hand and rushed out. She had been assigned to the Politics and History department, and as she made her way over, everyone cast sidelong glances at the zombie statue following her. She was quickly becoming famous, and her mysterious attendant attracted a lot of attention. Soon, a bet spread among the students about how ugly Gu Nanyi must be under the veil. That¡¯s right, an ugly face and an even uglier personality! Despite all the other drama, Feng Zhiwei was still excited about her classes. The academy was not overly constrained by tradition, and taught things beyond the four Confucian classics. The academy occasionally hosted seminars and although the seminar leader stuck mostly to examining the affairs of the previous dynasty, they could not completely avoid talking about modern affairs, though always in a subtler way of course. Even this was of great benefit to the students. Today, the seminar was on politics, and Feng Zhiwei sat in her seat expectantly. The greying Teacher Hu led with a question. ¡°In the 13th year of Shou Sheng, of the Da Cheng dynasty, on Emperor Li¡¯s fortieth birthday, all the princes presented gifts. The Fourth Prince, the Emperor¡¯s favorite, was charged with the defense of the borders. He went through many hardships and finally acquired a horse precious beyond compare. The Emperor was born in the year of the horse and loved these animals very much, and so the Fourth Prince sent a heavily armed troop to guard and deliver the horse. The Emperor was sure to love the present. At the time, the Emperor had not yet chosen a Crown Prince, and many expected the Fourth Prince to gain the spot. If you are an attendant to the other princes, what advice would you give?¡± The hall went silent, and all the students were shocked by the question. Feng Zhiwei looked down thoughtfully; Emperor Li had passed away before his fortieth birthday, and his weak and incompetent fourth son had never guarded the borders. Which dynasty¡¯s emperor was he asking about? Today¡¯s question¡­ Was it wise to answer? As she quietly turned the questions over in her mind she no longer noticed the tense atmosphere, and she also failed to notice a half hidden figure leaning against a tree in the shadows outside the hall. ¡°Find a better present! Impress by outperforming him!¡± Someone finally yelled, breaking the silence. Half the students made various sounds of agreement, but the tutor just stroked his beard in silence. ¡°Use connections to mess with the horse!¡± The other students held their laughter and gestured in approval, but the tutor just shook his head slightly. ¡°Kill the horse!¡± A voice called out with clear killing intent, filled with an indomitable will. Everyone turned their heads in shock, and Feng Zhiwei turned slightly, following their gaze as their eyes landed on an exquisite face. The speaker was a fourteen or fifteen year old boy with a pair of eyes brilliant as gems, his gaze sharp as a well-forged blade. Feng Zhiwei could detect a faint strangeness to his face, an out of place stiffness around his eyes and nose, as if he¡¯d used some disguising makeup. She fixed her eyes on the boy¡¯s strangely familiar face, examining the contours and bend of his chin and nose. Chapter 28 Translator: Aristophaneso But who he reminded her of, she couldn¡¯t say. The young boy stood, a hand press flat against his desk. He glared around at the gaping students as if ready to shout down anyone who disagreed. Beside him, a large eyed, similar aged youth pulled on his sleeve, murmuring quietly: ¡°Stop, stop. Sit down. Sit.¡± The boy waved away the other youth¡¯s hand impatiently; the hall was silent. The boys were brothers, and the gentle and shy youth was the older brother Lin Ji. The arrogant boy everyone was staring at was Lin Shao. The pair were considered somewhat special students, and though they didn¡¯t eat or wear anything that differentiated them, all their servants walked with the gaits of expert Kung Fu practitioners, but even without them they were distinguished by their demeanor and bearing. They held themselves differently than ordinary scions from some official family. Every student was a talent, so normally they all kept their distance. Of course, this matter was not something Feng Zhiwei had learned yet. The grey haired Tutor Hu looked the brothers over and shook his head helplessly. Lin Shao cocked an imperious eyebrow and his blade-like glare sharpened. ¡°The battle for power can¡¯t be limited by ordinary means!¡± The students were shocked by Lin Shao¡¯s boldness, and they all exchanged silent glances. Feng Zhiwei couldn¡¯t resist a small twitch of her eyebrows, and just as she was considering speaking she felt a sudden air of danger. She had firmly resolved to keep silent when Tutor Hu suddenly asked, ¡°Wei Zhi, what do you think?¡± Every eye turned towards her, and Feng Zhiwei couldn¡¯t help look up in surprise. The old man smiled amiably, but his gaze didn¡¯t match his grandfatherly demeanor. In that brief second when they met each other¡¯s gaze, both of them felt the same bestial recognition of a kindred crafty spirit. Feng Zhiwei stood up respectfully and calmly replied: ¡°This student does not know.¡± Lin Shao snorted derisively, and the students began murmuring together with mocking expressions, but Feng Zhiwei remained composed. ¡°This old man does not like idiots.¡± Tutor Hu spoke slowly. ¡°If a person does not have an opinion, they do not need appear before me again.¡± ¡­ Did I offend you? Feng Zhiwei looked the old man over with an innocent expression; she had no idea how she¡¯d managed to attract this teacher¡¯s attention and why he wouldn¡¯t let her go. After a moment she sighed. ¡°Yes, this student thinks that Fourth Prince chose the wrong present. The horse will not make the Emperor happy, and there is no need to interfere.¡± The class burst into an uproar, and Lin Shao¡¯s face twisted in disdain. He wanted to jump over and argue, but Lin Ji quickly grabbed him and held him down. ¡°Oh?¡± Tutor Hu smiled meaningfully. All his students were too familiar with his little smile, and all of them were already lamenting Feng Zhiwei. With her silly nonsense, she would probably be banned from the seminar. ¡°Gallant Black Horses are only bred in Da Yue, and even in Day Yue this horse is incredibly rare, often kept only for the imperial family. There¡¯s next to no chance that the Gallant Horse would be offered among the Articles of Tribute.¡± Feng Zhiwei answered, her eyes bright. ¡°During the last years of Emperor Li, Da Cheng Dynasty suffered from many internal wars, and Da Yue became restless and used the opportunity to start trouble. They refused orders from the Da Cheng Imperial Family, and even sent troops for border skirmishes and scouting missions. The relationship between the two countries was very intense.¡± ¡°And the Fourth Prince. Well¡­ as you said, Tutor Hu, he was sent to the border to put down the rebellion.¡± Feng Zhiwei bowed carefully and sat down. While the hall was still filled with the puzzled faces of a few students who had no idea what she was talking about, there were a few enlightened nods as some of her classmates understood her argument. Lin Shao, on the other hand, called out loudly: ¡°And what¡¯s the point of all your talk? Outrageous!¡± Lin Ji pulled him down again and turned to examine Feng Zhiwei again with a surprised and thoughtful expression. Feng Zhiwei looked downward, her heart calm ¨C she never bothered to argue with idiots. She had already laid everything out so clearly. Da Yue and Da Cheng were enemies and the border was sealed, and obviously trade had ceased. Emperor Li was bound to wonder where the horse had come from? How did it get past the border? Following a very natural train of inquiry, the Emperor would begin asking questions about the connection between his Fourth Son guarding the border and the rare Black Gallant Horse belonging to the Da Yue Imperials. Wasn¡¯t the situation already terrifying? Truly, there was no need for action. All she would have done was casually mention some related manner and If the Emperor didn¡¯t understand that the Fourth Prince and his army was colluding with the Da Yue Imperials than she would never call herself Feng. It didn¡¯t even matter if the Fourth Prince could justify his acquisition. So far from the Imperial Court, he was already under scrutiny and suspicion. Tutor Hu examined her silently, his eyes deep and profound. ¡°Then what do you think of what your fellow classmates just suggested?¡± This old geezer still wouldn¡¯t let her go¡­ Feng Zhiwei sighed, and replied with a heart full of hidden bitterness. ¡°Finding a better present is a brutish method, and tampering the horse is not easy. If the other princes find out, they can use that against you. And as for killing the horse, even if you could manage this, as soon as Emperor Li discovers this you will be sanctioned with ¡°Withholding the truth from the Emperor¡± and ¡°Cursing the Emperor.¡± These two charges are far more serious than ¡°Presenting an Unsuitable Present.¡± Whether or not Emperor Li appreciates the gift is moot, it is still an Emperor¡¯s birthday present. A destroyed present is an ominous sign for any Emperor; no ruler will be lenient against this offense.¡± ¡°Somethings should be done, and somethings should not be done.¡± She finished calmly. ¡°In this case, the best action is to hold your peace.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± Tutor Hu words filled the silent hall. Tutor Hu was a shrewd and profound man who rarely showed expressions and hardly ever gave praise. Feng Zhiwei still knew nothing about the man and had no reaction, but her classmates understood; thoughts were already racing through their mind. Lin Shao frowned and fixed his eyes on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s casual posture and looked at her closely; ¡°Tenth Brother¡­ how come I feel like I recognize this person¡­¡± Lin Ji immediately covered his brother¡¯s mouth and sighed at his foolishness. He leaned over to whisper in his brother¡¯s ear and Lin Shao nearly burst upright but Lin Ji pulled him down again. Twitching his mouth underneath his brother¡¯s hand, Lin Shao glared at Feng Zhiwei with his large, bright gem-eyes, cursing silently: another despicable person! As for Lin Ji, he was still carefully examining Feng Zhiwei, his gaze containing something strange. Outside the window, the drooping osiers waved gently with the breeze, standing lonely, with not a man in sight. An hour later, in a quiet room sequestered away in the backyard of Qing Ming Academy, the fragrant smell of seeping tea leaves lingered and floated through a half rolled bamboo curtain, a figure with untied hair standing by the door. He couldn¡¯t help darting excited glances at the Yard gate while he skulked, listening carefully. He kept murmuring nervously: ¡°Are you sure all seven of the golden flowers were sent to market today?¡± Chapter 29 Translator: Aristophaneso ¡°I¡¯ve told you already. Mistress took all six of the madams for a walk to see the country in spring. I saw them leave in the direction of the west mountain.¡± The servant boy kept his eyes on his hands as he prepared the tea. ¡°Buddha protects us.¡± The man sighed in relief, touching his chest. ¡°San Hua1¡®s axe stroke yesterday already touched on the barrier of perfection. If I hadn¡¯t been practicing every day, I wouldn¡¯t have avoided that blow.¡± The servant boy shook his head expressionlessly, thinking to himself: of course you practice every day, you practice climbing the brothel walls. The boy wondered about how a man like his master, with his talent and status, was still willing to be bullied by that lioness shrew and the other little lion shrewesses. Outsiders mocked him for his fear of his tiger wife, and though he had threatened divorce ten thousand times, but he was still married to this day. The fragrance of the leaves suffused the early spring air, mixing with the fragrance of the flowers in the yard. ¡°Top quality Qi Shan Yun Wu1 tea shouldn¡¯t be drank by a rough man like you. Ha, drinking tea in this perfumed yard.¡± A man passed through the curtained gate with a faint laugh, striding confidently past the flowers. A pale bamboo pattern embroidered his moon white robes as he swept through the dark cyan wooden hall. The corner of his clothes carried the lightest hint of a yellow pistil¡¯s aroma, and his trademark black cloak billowed out behind him, the vibrant gold mandara flower blooming brilliantly, putting all other flowers to shame. ¡°Do you have a dog¡¯s nose? Showing up every time I¡¯m preparing good tea!¡± The man with the loose hair flipped his hair with the folding fan in his hand, pointing imperiously and cursing the approaching man. ¡°When burning music for fuel or cooking cranes for meat, it is better to share with friends.¡± The visitor smiled and sat, casually taking the proffered tea cup from the servant boy. With the cup in his hand, all the surrounding servants quietly left. ¡°Why are you free today?¡± A pair of hands reached over and filled his cup. Suddenly, his eyes glittered. ¡°You are wounded?¡± ¡°I was careless.¡± The visitor covered his hand and changed the subject. ¡°Headmaster Xin is becoming stingier and stingier, hiding away all the good tea. I don¡¯t even get to taste any if I don¡¯t make the trip over.¡± ¡°You really area step late, but not for drinking tea. You missed a good show.¡± Xin Ziyan, head of Qing Ming Academy, smiled into his cup. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Scholar Hu was just leading a political seminar, and I passed by to listen in and heard a surprisingly brilliant view.¡± Xin Ziyan laughed happily. ¡°What a coincidence, that kind of insight was just like yours when you were a student here. Exactly the same.¡± The man paused in slight astonishment. Xin Ziyan tapped him gently on the shoulder and smiled. ¡°What do you think? Are you interested in meeting this person?¡± The visitor was silent as he stood up, turning to the window with his hands clasped behind his back. The morning light passed through the window gauze and landed gently on his elegant brow, outlining his complicated expression. His shadowed eyes were dark and deep as black jade. Prince Chu, Ning Yi. Ning Yi paused in front of that window for a long Tim, staring out at the swaying willow . The soft and gentle sway seemed a faint reminder of a familiar figure, and he could almost see her face that day when she had lifted her calm and misty eyes to meet his. That day he had bent downward to look at her, and she had been like this willow, soft, gentle, and strong. In that moment his heart stirred. The spring air was bright and clear, but dark clouds pooled in the depths of his eyes. ¡°No.¡± He said calmly. ¡°it was just a student.¡± Xin Ziyan glanced at him and a small smile flashed half hidden across his eyes. This man was very strange today, very strange indeed, but he would not be the one to foolishly speak. ¡°Some days ago, Cheng Ming Palace called Head Zhang over in the middle of the night to check his pulse. That night, Old Zhang was resting and on holiday, and was dragged out of his bed and rushed to the Cheng Ming Palace.¡± Xin Ziyan casually pivoted. ¡°A few days later, the news spread, but it was nothing serious, just a cold caught from the breeze.¡± The Emperor rested in Cheng Ming Palace, and Chief Zhang was the number one doctor from Tai Yi Hospital. Xin Ziyan spoke casually as if this matter was an idle topic to fill the silence. Ning Yi glanced at him, his eyes revealing nothing. After a moment, he replied. ¡°It was never anything serious, just my laughable elder brother. Early the next morning, he went to cook medicine for father. The old man said nothing, but three days later he rejected brother¡¯s petition to change leadership at the Ministry of Revenue.¡± The smile on his face was somewhat helpless. Xin Ziyan shot him a sympathetic look ¨C in life, it was not a strong opponent that was to be feared, but a weak ally. Anyone would be speechless if they had a master like this. She sat in the dining hall, peering over in a practiced manner at Gu Nanyi¡¯s bowl. Today¡¯s meal was beef stew, and Feng Zhiwei counted ten pieces of meat, so she very naturally picked up his bowl and stole two pieces of meat for herself. Chapter 30 Translator: Aristophaneso Eight pieces, the young master wants eight pieces. Yan Huaishi would not be around during the meal time. He was not a student, and he could not use his connections while in class. Thus, he had to fully utilize the time he had during meals. This man really was talented at making connections. Feng Zhiwei had overheard him yesterday bragging about how their dorm head had bought him dinner, and how they had become sworn brothers. And this was the dorm head of the Politics and History Hall who had the nickname ¡°Iron Faced God of Death.¡± Gu Nanyi was not at all moved by Feng Zhiwei¡¯s obsequious and considerate actions. He faced everything with the same attitude ¡ª eyes always locked in an exactly foot and three inches stare. But regardless, his eating posture was still rather elegant, though he looked a little unnatural, as if he was not used to this mannerism. Feng Zhiwei resentfully wondered whether this brat had been hand fed all his life. After a couple days at the school, Zhiwei had finally gained something of an understanding of the place. Clearly, this was a place that seemed relaxed on the outside but was intensely regulated within. The profundity that oozed from every pore masked deeper secrets. She had recently been spending a lot of time reading the Golden Thread Monkey Skin notebook, and had accidentally discovered that the little garden between the Politics and History Hall and the Military Hall was very similar to the Zhen Art mentioned in the notebook. No wonder the students were not allowed to wander after dark, and no wonder they were so carefree and so casually welcoming to an unvetted stranger and a clearly abnormal and dangerous man like Gu Nanyi. They were fearless because they controlled everything. She understood now that if anyone dared to make trouble, they would immediately be cut up into so many pieces. Of course, this was a revelation she kept to herself. At the very least, all of this was an intentionally kept secret, and the academy was very purposefully putting on a peaceful and calm air of a purely scholarly place of study like any other academy. She lowered her head and focused on her food, and missed the entrance of a young man. But while she was oblivious, others were not, and the hubbub in the hall quickly died down. The man walked up to her and held up his fists in a casual salute. ¡°Brother Wei.¡± Feng Zhiwei lifted her head and looked at the young man with some confusion. Her hands moved into an automatic salute as she examined the somewhat familiar face. The young man continued in his deep and reversing voice. ¡°Brother Wei, I¡¯ve heard that you are Teacher Hu¡¯s favorite student? There is a matter that I would like to discuss with you.¡± Feng Zhiwei cocked her hand and smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a fellow student from the Military Hall? Teacher Hu¡¯s politics exam must have given you a hard time? This little brother is not Teacher Hu¡¯s favorite student, but I can still help a brother out and get you some notes to study. This should be an easy enough matter.¡± The young man was ecstatic. He had not imagined that Feng Zhiwei would be so understanding and so congenial. He had known what he would ask before he even voiced his request! The young man¡¯s red face seemed to almost shine and he hurriedly replied. ¡°Thank you very much. My name is Chunyu Meng, and I am a student of the Military Hall. Brother Wei, if you ever need help, please come and find me!¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled ¡ª Of course I will come find you! If Yan Huaishi had not told me you were the son of a general and that you are the Military Hall¡¯s hidden boss, would I pay any attention to you? Chunyu Meng left contented, and the gathered crowd chuckled quietly. This young fellow should have graduated long ago, but every time failed in Teacher Hu¡¯s politics seminar. Unfortunately for the young scion, the old general was good friends with Teacher Hu, and so the poor Chunyu Meng had been stuck here in school instead of out and about as an officer of the army. As expected, Teacher Hu assigned Chunyu Meng his exam, and the young man snuck out in the dark of night and climbed into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s dorm to seek Brother Wei¡¯s help. The two drank rice wine under the pear blossom tree, and after the kettle of wine was finished, Feng Zhiwei had put the finishing touches on Chunyu Meng¡¯s essay. Chunyu Meng was so happy that he finally had something good to turn in that he broke out into drunk song. He stood, leaning against the pear blossom tree, knocking a beat on the empty win kettle and sang out: ¡°Fighting to the beat of the golden drum, riding even in my sleep. A ready sword at my waist, ready to kill and bring our land peace!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it just Teacher Hu¡¯s seminar?¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s misty drunk eyes narrowed as she smiled at Chunyu Meng¡¯s antics. ¡°Is it really worth so much happiness?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Chunyu Meng grinned. ¡°I was awarded the title of Field Officer in the Wumen Changing Guard long ago, and all I needed to do was graduate the Military Hall, but every time I failed on this ridiculous test! I couldn¡¯t take it!¡± Feng Zhiwei knit her brows ¨C did this matter make sense? The political seminar was just a minor class compared to the Confucian classics like history, philosophy, and literature. It had never been regarded as important, and Chunyu Meng was not even in the Politics Hall. This seminar should have been just a check on the list; why did Teacher Hu keep him back and give him a hard time? What did he want? Already granted a Field Officer commission in the Wumen Changing Guard long ago? Did Teacher Hu want to keep him here? But why? Just as she was deep in thought, the house door opened. Gu Nanyi walked out and floated around like a ghost. Feng Zhiwei stood with a start, and choking back the rice wine she ran over to Chunyu Meng and pushed him to the yard gate. Chunyu Meng looked at her with confusion and yelled out: ¡°What are you doing?¡± Feng Zhiwei had no time to explain. The other day, a dog in a courtyard three houses down and barked and disturbed this Young Master Gu, and he had come out just like this and floated around like a ghost. When he had returned, there had been dog hair on his cuff. She had made a mistake, and after a couple of draughts of wine had forgotten that the Young Master did not like noise. Chunyu Meng was tipsy and hugged the tree, refusing to leave. He did not notice the Jade Statue¡¯s murderous gaze, but Feng Zhiwei knew that this matter would not end well if she didn¡¯t act, so she threw herself forward, between the drunk fool and the Jade Statue. She stepped forward in worry, and from her core suddenly rushed downward a hot stream, and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s suddenly lighter body flew forward uncontrollably. ¡°Peng,¡± In her confusion, she only felt a soft collision against a firm surface, and a light and richly, textured smell filled her nose. A seemingly rich and light smell. Feng Zhiwei had burst forward with enormous strength and thrown herself headlong into Gu Nanyi¡¯s embrace¡­ Feng Zhiwei was still surprised by the situation, and had no idea what that uncontrollable warm pulse had been. She only knew that she had suddenly flew forward and crashed into something, and then fell back with golden stars in her eyes. A soft and thin fabric lingered on her face, and her half stunned mind only regifted a comfortable and familiar sensation. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart fell. It was not that she had suddenly thrown herself into a man¡¯s embrace, but that Young Master Gu hated being touched. She could already predict what would happen next, and braced herself for a swift drop from the roof. Just as she was worrying about being lifted onto the roof and kicked off, Feng Zhiwei heard Chunyu Meng gasp and felt herself being pushed away. From the corner of her vision she could see a curtained hat laying not the ground. Had she knocked off Gu Nanyi¡¯s curtained hat? Just as this thought flashed through her mind, she quickly lifted her head to examine Gu Nanyi¡¯s face, but she was too slow. Gu Nanyi had already gestured, and the curtained hat had quickly flown into his hand and covered his face again. Behind the flowing veil, he seemed to be touching his lip with a finger. As Feng Zhiwei watched, he tilted his head and gently placed the finger in his mouth. Past the veil, Feng Zhiwei could make out the vague outlines of an innocent and curious expression, and Gu Nanyi moved with purely inquisitive intent, with none of the complexities of seduction or love, but still somehow managing to be calmly and naturally, inappropriately familiar. The hint of wine wafted out from under the veil. Chapter 31 Translator: Aristophaneso Feng Zhiwei watched in astonishment as the man calmly licked the rice wine on his lips, some childish delight on his face at the sweetness of the liquid. But then she realized that she had been drinking, and had rushed forward to push Chunyu Meng away without properly swallowing the mouthful. In a chaotic moment, she¡¯d bumped into Gu Nanyi and knocked off his curtained hat. And then some of the wine on her lips ¡­ left wine on his lips? And then he¡­. licked up that wine? Feng Zhiwei flushed. After the Embrace Crash Wine Tasting, Feng Zhiwei spent the next while hiding from Gu Nanyi, but the offending man seemed to be oblivious. He still slept with his veil on, and at every meal ate only the eight pieces of meat. The foot and three inches area in front of him still remained his entire world. He did not make any noise, refused to fight, and also made it so that others could not make noise or fight. Other than the somewhat bothersome existence of Brother Jade Statue, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s life had been pretty good. She was smart, and her mother had taught her many things, so she had a very solid understanding of the basics and was one of the top students in the class. She was polite, and her temperament was soft and gentle, so all the old men liked her, and after Chunyu Meng had become cheating note-brothers with her, he frequently brought his friends over to climb Feng Zhiwei¡¯s wall and drink under the pear blossom tree. Although they always partied in silence. The bright and straightforward Chunyu Meng did not dare make a sound, and every time he saw Gu Nanyi, he would always stare with a infinitely meaningful gaze as if to say ¡°You are inhuman, how are you like that ¡­. like that ¡­.¡± He stared at Gu Nanyi as if he was looking upon an otherworldly man and wanted to shrink downward into dust to avoid the saint¡¯s gaze. This loaded gaze always made Feng Zhiwei shiver, and sent goosebumps down her arms, and every time she wondered if she was living with a pretty zombie. But ultimately, life had been very peaceful, and there was only the domineering younger brother of the Lin Family who enjoyed occasionally finding trouble for Feng Zhiwei, but Zhiwei fended off the matter with minimal effort. She was not afraid the rambunctious little idiot, and only worried somewhat about the elder brother, Lin Ji. That young man¡¯s eyes always seemed strange when he looked at her, and she did not understand the meaning behind his gaze. She had been here for over a month, and Chunyu Meng was about ready to leave the nest and take on the responsibilities of Field Officer of the Chang Ying Guard. At this point, Yan Huaishi had already gotten to know every single person in the academy, and had over fifty ¡°bosom brothers.¡± Gu Nanyi had changed his thin brocade to a super thin silk robe, and Feng Zhiwei was racking her head everyday to figure out ways to keep his robe clean while not ripping the fabric. She was walking to the dining hall thinking about this problem and had just reached the entrance to the hall when she once again ran into a colorful hurricane, rushing by on a tempest of perfume. Zhiwei did not even pause at the familiar sight. Head Xin¡¯s wife was originally from the Lin Jiang countryside, and together with her six younger sisters, was known as one of the ¡°Seven Golden Flowers,¡± somewhat ironically famous for their shrewishness. They always had on hand their household murder weapons, and hunted the noble Head Xin throughout the most famous and most prestigious academy in the land with their chopping blacks, rolling pins, and kitchen knives. Everywhere they went, chaos followed, with vegetable leaves and chicken eggs flying in their wake as the woman rushed about with color matched shoes and bricks. The hurricane swept through every day, and after a while, everyone grew desensitized. Every day, Xin Ziyan called out hatefully for divorce, and every time, his tone was so serious that everyone who heard him expected him to take out the divorce request immediately, but even after all these years, no one had ever seen him act. Xin Ziyan was the top scholar under the heavens ¨C a noble and venerated scholar, highly regarded by the imperial court, and held a prestigious seat as head of Qing Ming Academy. But for some reason, this man was willing to be run around and bullied by his rude and clumsy wife, and allowed the Seven Golden Flowers to swagger through the streets and make a laughing stock out of him. Feng Zhiwei could not hold back a chuckle or two, and always smiled when she saw the mysterious and capable Xin Ziyan flee in panic when the Seven Golden Flowers appeared on their hunt, fangs bared and claws brandished. In this world, everything has a reason, and if you do not understand, it is just because you do not understand the cause of the effect. Just as Zhiwei had entered the hall and sat down, Chunyu Meng called out, walking over bowl in hand. ¡°Hey, Brother, are you ready?¡± Feng Zhiwei cocked her head in confusion, and Yan Huaishi leaned over to explain. ¡°The Qing Ming Competition is in three days. Students from the Politics and History Hall will compete with their pens, and the students from the Military Hall will compete in swordsmanship. Important officials from the imperial court will come watch, and there might even be some imperial family members here. Although this is just an internal academy competition, the best competitors will be chosen for positions in the six Interior Ministries. If you do well there, the path up the ladder is smooth and quick. This is why everyone tries so hard to get into Qing Ming Academy.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°Well you know, my work is only a little above average. The cinnamon blossoms of the Moon Palace will not fall on my head.¡± Both of her friends sighed with some disappointment. It was true, although Feng Zhiwei was good, she was still only just good. There were many students in the academy better than her, and even if she wanted to stand out, it was probably impossible. Chunyu Meng walked away disappointed, but just as he had left, another man and another bowl arrived, and without a word of greeting, the man sat down beside Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei turned to look at a pair of provocative eyes. The meddling Lin Shao returned her gaze with an aggressive stare, and called out in challenge ¡°In three days, do you dare compete against me?¡± Feng Zhiwei cocked a brow and smiled lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t dare.¡± A smirk of delight had just appeared on Lin Shao¡¯s face when Feng Zhiwei¡¯s smile interrupted him. ¡°If I beat you, I¡¯m afraid that someone would be pushed that if he didn¡¯t kill a horse, he would murder a man.¡± ¡°Hahah¡± Lin Ji laughed lightly as he walked over. He turned a focused gaze towards Feng Zhiwei and seemed about to speak when he was suddenly interrupted by a shout. ¡°Wei Zhi! Who do you think you are, you dare to talk to the Prin¡­ the Young Prince like that! Be careful or I¡¯ll report you to Headmaster Xin and he¡¯ll kick you out of the academy!¡± A large group of eight people followed the voice, and a bunch of expensive young men wearing expensive clothing sauntered over. Feng Zhiwei looked up from her seat and her pupils as she focused her gaze on the newcomer faces. These faces were very familiar. This was the group that day that had pushed Feng Has to hire a prostitute. A cold and secretive smile flashed across Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face, but before she could speak, Lin Shao had already arched an eyebrow and shouted. ¡°Did anyone ask for your help? Piss off!¡± The newcomer group paused in surprise, and their faces immediately fell in embarrassment. The young man in the lead was unwilling, and fought for his dignity, jabbing a finger forward at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s nose and shouting angrily; ¡°Brat, if you aren¡¯t a coward just wait¡­¡± ¡°Pa Da¡± Before he could even finish, the tip of his finger fell to the floor. The bloody fingertip bounced once and trembled as it came to a stop, and suddenly every eye in the hall was focused on it. The astonished crowd mechanically moved their stares and looked upward at a pair of slowly retracting chopsticks. The cuff of a robe covered most of the slender and pale hand that held the chopsticks. Chapter 32 Translator: Aristophaneso Gu Nanyi had acted instantly, and just as that young man had jabbed forward at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s nose, he had swiped forward and cut the guy¡¯s finger. ¡°Ah!¡± A glass shattering scream filled the air, annoying Gu Nanyi again. He snapped his fingers unhappily, and the chopsticks flew forward, stabbing past the young man¡¯s eyes and slicing through his hair. This casual move might go unnoticed by those who did not understand Kong Fu, but Feng Zhiwei had picked up some things from that man in the large robe. A round and blunt object like a chopsticks should not be able to cut through hair like a razor. This move sent shivers down her spine. This lesson was enough, and Feng Zhiwei had already grabbed Gu Nanyi and was ready to drag him away and leave, but the young man could not resist, and as he rolled in pain he cried out like a pig in the slaughterhouse: ¡°You all dare to hurt me! You dare ¡ª I will destroy you all¡ª¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed. Why were people never more creative with their threats? The cuff in her hand moved and quietly slipped out from under Feng Zhiwei¡¯s fingers. Gu Nanyi turned and stopped in front of the yelling boy and raised his feet. ¡°Ka Cha.¡± He brought his foot down and smashed the young man¡¯s perfectly healthy hand. And then he spoke a single emotionless word: ¡°Noisy.¡± The dining hall fell silent. One student bravely held back a burp after eating too many beans¡­ Another endeavored to silently swallow a huge bite of rice without daring to chew¡­ But then a hoarse voice broke the silence. ¡°Who dares to cause trouble in Qing Ming Academy. Breaths of relief filled the dining hall as a middle-aged man wearing a colorful robe appeared at the door to the hall. It was the Dormitory Head of the Politics and History Hall, the ¡°Iron Faced God of Death.¡± Behind him stood a group of strong men ¨C the academy¡¯s guard. The students were even more terrified of the Death God than they were of Gu Nanyi. Yan Huaishi immediately rushed over to whisper to a servant behind the Iron Faced Yama. Feng Zhiwei saw the servant¡¯s cuffs wave, but could not see what had been put in his hands. The Dormitory Head stood, back to Yan Huaishi and his servant. He stared straight ahead, a metal ball rolling in his hand. After hearing the wounded young man¡¯s complaint, he replied with a quiet ¡°oh¡± and fell into silence. The newcomer group glared at Feng Zhiwei triumphantly, all happily expecting Feng Zhiwei¡¯s doom, but Feng Zhiwei only smiled sweetly in return, wondering if that young man who¡¯d hit Feng Hao with a brick was still alive. If he was, Zhiwei thought that she should find a way to introduce him to Young Master Gu. The Dormitory Head stayed silent for a long time, and the atmosphere grew more and more oppressive. Many different expressions dotted the faces of the crowd, and while some smiled at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s misfortune, others were worried. The silence remained until Yan Huaishi and the Head¡¯s servant finished waving around their cuffs, and the Dormitory Head finally coughed a single time and slowly spoke. ¡°Young Master Yao, the academy does not allow anyone to create disturbances. You ¡­ are not taking this matter seriously.¡± Everyone was shocked ¡ª what was up with the Head today? Yao Gong Zi had only spoken when his fingertip had gotten cut off, but the Dormitory Head did not even question the perpetrator and actually blamed the victim? The Dining Hall fell into uproar, and the group of young man were so angry their faces paled. They cried out, ¡°Dorm Head Li, this is not just!¡± ¡°Look at my hand! Look at my hand!¡± The wounded young man cried out in pain and indignation, gesturing with his crushed hand. ¡°Can you ignore this?!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Dormitory Head Li¡¯s face darkened, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise and anger. ¡°Hurting people also breaks academy rules. Who did this! Reveal yourself and apologize to Yao Gong Zi, and pay for his medical bills!¡± He called out with a loud voice and stern expression, but everyone could tell which side he was on. Everyone turned to strange gazes towards Feng Zhiwei and wondered what kind of relationship he had with the dorm head. But while all of them were spinning wild yarns, Feng Zhiwei was screaming in her heart. Young Master Gu would definitely lose control! She did not have time to come up with a good plan, so she quickly signaled Yan Huaishi to block the Dorm Head so that she could drag Gu Nanyi away. The cooperative Yan Huaishi cried out and stumbled on flat ground, smoothly falling forward. As he moved, Feng Zhiwei also cried out and fell towards Gu Nanyi. As she moved, she grumbled internally about her luck as her face fell toward Gu Nanyi¡¯s foot. She knew that Young Master Gu did not like being touched, and she could only hope that when her face met his foot, this single-minded man would be distracted and forget what the dormitory head had said¡­ Gu Nanyi¡¯s shoulders shifted. She fell slowly towards him. Gu Nanyi turned his head immediately. Feng Zhiwei secretly celebrated. And then Lin Shao leaned in, reached over and caught Feng Zhiwei! ¡°Ah ya, what¡¯s up with you!¡± The constant trouble finding young man suddenly recovered his conscience and caught Feng Zhiwei before she could fall to the ground. ¡°You idiot! You can even trip on flat ground¡­¡± ¡°Peng!¡± A body flew through the air. The unfortunate Lin Shao who had somehow managed to screw everything up with the best of intentions flew through the air and crashed into the kneeling dormitory assistant just as the man was bending down to check on Yan Huaishi, and the crash threw the head, his assistant, and Lin Shao into a long dining table. Food and soup flew through the air, and bowls cartwheeled through the sky and fell into the crowd of people. Cries of alarm and disgust filled the hall. As soon as Gu Nanyi had touched Lin Shao, a group of shadowed figures had flashed forward and shot at Gu Nanyi like unfurled lightning. Gu Nanyi moved forward to meet Lin Shao¡¯s bodyguards, and with a whirl of his white veil pushed forward as a sky-blue, cyan whirlwind grew around him. Suddenly, chaos filled the hall. Bowls and chopsticks shattered as the students panicked and rushed for the door. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes fell open in astonishment, but she could not follow the speeding figures or tell how intense the fight was becoming. She only knew that after today, this dining hall would be a remnant of history. Through the chaos she could pick up fragments of speech as Lin Shao¡¯s bodyguard shouted: ¡°¡­ Take him down, he hit the Prin¡­¡± and then ¡°Take the Chang Ying Placard, get reinforcements¡­¡± A figure rushed forward and grabbed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s arm. She could only smiled bitterly and did not struggle. Gu Nanyi suddenly turned his head away from his fight and looked at Zhiwei. Suddenly, the sky blue cyan flashed, and with a loud bang, a deep and long crack appeared in the floor as he flew towards Feng Zhiwei. In the chaos, a voice yelled. ¡°Get Head Xin! Subdue the uproar!¡± When she heard the shout, Feng Zhiwei lifted her gaze and smiled at the ceiling, wondering why her fate was so bitter. Why could she not pass her life with peaceful days? Chapter 33 Translator: Aristophaneso The group of brats hiding in the distance suddenly stood and yelled excitedly: ¡°Disturbing the academy, hitting students! Since Qing Ming Academy¡¯s first day, no one has dared! This must be reported to the imperial court! Only a severe punishment is fitting! Severe!¡± ¡°Punish your grandma!¡± Chunyu Meng scolded loudly, and lead his friends over in an attack. ¡°Disturbing the academy, hitting a dormitory head. Good, good, you guys are too good!¡± Dormitory Head Li was helped up out of the pile of broken bowls and shattered tables, his complexion pale with anger, and with a swing of his hand, threw out the metal ball in his grip. Yan Huaishi quietly picked up the two silver pieces on the ground. The dormitory head¡¯s servant had dropped it in the chaos, but now that the matter was out of his hands, Yan Huaishi retrieved his money and held onto it. Bribing was all fine and well, but it would be criminal to waste. Lin Shao was also helped up, and he locked his disheveled gaze on Gu Nanyi, crying out and cursing as he jabbed his finger forward. ¡°Kill that brat, castrate him! Cook him! Fry him! Burn him!¡± He turned his finger to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Slaughter him as well¡­¡± but halfway through his sentence paused and whirled his finger back to Gu Nanyi. ¡°Castrate him! Cook him! Fry him! Burn him!¡± ¡°Ready yourself for death, kid!¡± The broken fingered young man laughed with malice. ¡°Headmaster Xin will show you!¡± Gu Nanyi suddenly slipped over, and although a crowd of people stood between him and his objective, he weaved through them like a silk ribbon floating in the wind. It was almost as if he could feel the palpable hostility in the room, his aura reacted as the air around him almost froze and the temperature dropped; the people near him shivered in the sudden cold as if they had been thrown into a storm of frost and snow. As he moved forward, his fingers blurred in the reflected glitter of snow light, and he reached the man grabbing Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Shua!¡± A thin and light sound broke the tension, as if a strained thread had broken under the light touch of a finger. A light filled the room and flashed in a subdued but somehow magnificent fashion, like lightning on a clear day, dazzling the eye. Gu Nanyi¡¯s fingers silently bounced back from his target. Surprise filled Feng Zhiwei. It was the first time she¡¯d seen anyone block Gu Nanyi¡¯s strike. A cold voice called out: ¡°Stop fighting.¡± The seemingly powerless voice casually called out, but everyone immediately froze. But everyone stunned. They all turned. A small group stood at the entrance to the hall, calmly looking in on the wrecked dining room. The man in the lead wore a moon-white-striped apricot robe and held a fan even on this cool day. A pair of beautiful eyes and a half-exposed collar finished the beautiful and provocative face. It was the beautiful uncle that Feng Zhiwei had bumped into that day when the penniless middle-aged man had climbed the brothel walls to meet the third-rate prostitute, and then fallen off his perch as he was hunted by the Seven Golden Flowers. Xiao Xin. Xin Ziyan. But today, this Xiao Xin was not harried and disheveled. He¡¯d cleaned up and was well dressed, and a faint smile never left his face as he looked over the chaotic scene. His glance drifted over to Feng Zhiwei and he spoke lazily. ¡°Fighting again?¡± Feng Zhiwei felt that this ¡°again¡± comment was very confusing. A pile of people rushed over, each complaining about how Feng Zhiwei was domineering, or how her servant was a trouble making, ferocious, limb breaking bully¡­ their adjectives grew more and more bloody as they grew more and more excited. As Feng Zhiwei listened to their litany of grievances and their ever more terrible descriptions, she almost believed that she really had been evil. Gu Nanyi was still, and had not turned in Xin Ziyan¡¯s direction even once. Ever since his fingers had been reflected, his attention had been locked on the man behind Xin Ziyan. The object of his focus wore a dark red robe and a black cloak. His face was set in an expressionless mask, and he was clearly not paying any attention to what occurred inside the dining hall, and was completely ignoring Gu Nanyi, as if he had not been the one who had sent the flying sword light to stop Gu Nanyi¡¯s fingers. Xin Ziyan smiled and listened to the clamoring complaints, and something flickered through his eyes as he turned to look at the heavily guarded Lin Shao and Lin Ji. After they¡¯d all finished filing their complaints, the group rested, confident that the charges were enough to put Feng Zhiwei on death row 18 times over. They turned to look at her in satisfied silence, waiting to watch Feng Zhiwei suffer. In the ensuing silence, Xin Ziyan lifted his fan and pointed at Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei sighed, and thought to herself that it would really be great if Xin Ziyan¡¯s domineering wife were here, or if that was too much, how any of the other Golden Flower would do. The eyes of the accusers gleamed as they looked at Feng Zhiwei as if she were already dead. Yan Huaishi was busy speedily counting his silver pieces, wondering how he could bring about the most effect with the least amount of spending. Lin Shao pursed his lips in hesitation. Chunyu Meng rolled his sleeves up as a killing aura gathered around him, and he signaled his Military Hall buddies with his eyes. ¡­ But under their astonished gazes, Xin Ziyan¡¯s folding fan suddenly swept over Feng Zhiwei and fluidly whipped around to point at others gathered around. ¡°You! You! You! You! You!¡± He called out without pause, pointing to the injured Yan Gong Zi, Lin Shao, Lin Ji, Chunyu Meng, and Yan Huaishi. ¡°As students of the academy, you dare to cause a disturbance in this pure and noble place, and under the eyes of so many witnesses! Fighting chaotically like peddlers and peasants! Where has all your reading gotten you? Hm?¡± This nasally ¡°Hm¡± shot out of Headmaster Xin¡¯s mouth with speed and weight, and everyone was stunned. Both observers and the singled out victims looked at him numbly, utterly confused by Head Xin¡¯s actions. What was he trying to sell here? It was obvious that Feng Zhiwei¡¯s side had thrown the first blow, and had moved with great viciousness. What was in his brain that he pointed to the others? Fine, Young Master Yao was the source of the provocation, and Chunyu Meng had joined in the brawl, but what did the Lin Brothers or Yan Huaishi do? ¡°You all!¡± Headmaster Xin¡¯s roar sounded more like a cat¡¯s shriek than anything else. ¡°Confinement for seven days! Think about your faults in the isolation rooms! Anyone who dares to step a foot out of their cells will be crippled and expelled!¡± Young Master Yao¡¯s eyes rolled back as he fainted from anger. ¡°You!¡± Lin Shao lifted his chin and called out angrily. ¡°You dare to confound white and black! I¡¯m going to tell! I¡¯m! I!¡± As he struggled to finish his sentence, Xin Ziyan glanced at him, his cold, peach-blossom eyes not holding any hint of pressure. He called out calmly, ¡°Who would you tell? Let me inform you, anyone who comes to my academy, no matter their identity, must obey my decisions!¡± As he finished, he waved his hand and a team of men stepped forward to escort their prisoners. Lin Shao choked, and was halfway through signaling his bodyguard to fight when his brother Lin Jin moved. Lin Jin signaled the bodyguard to stay still, and bowed to Xin Ziyan before speaking. ¡°This one and the other students did not reconcile and mediate this matter when the accident occurred, but instead added to the trouble. We are to blame, and will take Headmaster¡¯s punishment.¡± Xin Ziyan only let out a ¡°Wu¡± sound in reply, and turned to look at Lin Ji. Chapter 34 Translator: Aristophaneso Chunyu Meng was also fine with the punishment, and cheerfully squeezed his way over to Feng Zhiwei¡¯ He tapped on the man who had grabbed Zhiwei and called out, ¡°Let go, let go. Listen to the headmaster¡¯s ruling!¡± All kinds of expressions decorated the faces of the people involved as they were escorted to a quiet room in the back courtyard. Strangely enough, no one paid any mind to the arch-villain Gu Nanyi, and it was as if everyone had forgotten his existence. But Gu Nanyi did not forget himself, and when he saw Feng Zhiwei being taken away, he immediately floated after. Zhiwei turned to look at the brothel-visiting uncle with some admiration ¨C with a single glance, he had understood that Gu Nanyi could only be defeated with strategy, and not with force! What a god among men! The courtyard they were brought to was specifically used for locking students for punishment. A ten square meter room was separated into 8 small cells, each only containing a bed and a small table. Each window was small and mounted high on the wall. Feng Zhiwei counted and thought that they had just the right number for one person a room. Her guard pushed her into a small cell, and Zhiwei only heard a single sentence as the door was shut behind her. ¡°Reflect on your faults! Seven days!¡± Seven days. Feng Zhiwei turned and saw Xin Ziyan standing nearby, his hands clasped behind his back. A smile covered his face, but did not reach his eyes. Fine, seven days¡­ Feng Zhiwei smiled. After the seven days of imprisonment, perhaps some things would have already passed. The little room was very quiet, and Feng Zhiwei crossed her legs and closed her eyes to meditate. This was a good opportunity to study the Kong Fu in the notebook. Overtime she practiced circulating her Qi according to the method in the notebook, she felt incredibly comfortable. Even if she might not be able to learn the Kong Fu skills, this training was still able to rid her of that weird burning stream in her body. With the great rivers and mountains, and the magnificent heaven and earth, how could she be willing to say goodbye at the age of twenty? Suddenly, she heard a tap on the roof and lifted her eyes. Gu Nanyi sat on the high window above her, his reserved pillow in one hand, and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s blanket in the other. The sky had darkened, and moonlight shone down from the sky. The scene of this man sitting under the moonlight, peaceful and pure, with the shimmering light glimmering across his veil was ruined somewhat by the pillow under his arm. When Gu Nanyi saw that Feng Zhiwei had noticed him, he floated to the cell floor, and with an incredibly practiced and natural movement, lay down on the bed to sleep. Feng Zhiwei sighed, and very gently tried to persuade him. ¡°Young Master, can you sleep in the cell next door? It is still very close by.¡± Gu Nanyi threw Feng Zhiwei¡¯s blanket onto the small table in response. Alright¡­ the young master wanted her to sleep on the table. Feng Zhiwei lifted her mournful gaze and sighed at the moon, and then began the sad motions of climbing the table. Just as she had lifted a leg onto the table, she heard that thing call out. ¡°That was very tasty, bring me some more.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned ¡ª¡±What?¡± She watched as Young Master Gu tenderly touched his lips with an expression of yearning. The moonlight shone unimpeded through the window above, and in the frosted white light, that man¡¯s veil was half exposed, and the light fell directly on his soft lips and danced gently over his jade smooth skin. His slender, white fingers gently touched the red of his lips, and the dark red snow lotus blooming in a vast field of snow was more beautiful than the most precious of a teenage girl¡¯s dreams. After a night of rain listening to the patter against the attic roof, tomorrow the flowers will open, and bloom in his dimples. Feng Zhiwei felt her heart skip a beat. The most enchanting temptation in the world is the unknowing temptation, because in its candid innocence, it is a window into the heart. Gu Nanyi had no idea how beautiful and enchanting he was in this moment, and only thought back to that feeling he had not long ago, and tried to remember that strong and exciting taste that he had never known before in his calm and peaceful life. ¡°I don¡¯t have wine right now¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei finally forced out after a long moment, and she could not help but remember how this man had ¡°drank¡± the wine that day, and an unwilling blush flushed across her face. Some anger followed the blush ¡ª why wasn¡¯t he blushing as well? Did he think that he had drunk from a piece of wood! ¡°Drink.¡± This guy never cared about what she said, and only thought about what he wanted. ¡°No wine!¡± Feng Zhiwei said roughly. ¡°I have!¡± Feng Zhiwei jumped as a voice called out from the corner of a wall. She looked below the bed and found Chunyu Meng peering through a hole. He announced triumphantly, ¡°I have all kinds of alcohol in here! Do you want N¨¹ Er Hong1 or Da Mo Yi Bei Zui2?¡± Feng Zhiwei was speechless ¡ª obviously, Chunyu Meng had been locked up so many times that he had even dug secret caches and stored away good wine. A bottle of wine was passed over, and just as Feng Zhiwei was reaching out to take it, a hand extended forward and snatched it away. And then Feng Zhiwei watched in stunned silence as this Young Master Gu lifted his veil, poured a few drops out, applied it to the corner of his mouth, and then gently licked¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei was suffering a mental breakdown. Did this brat come here to drive me insane? Her face flushed and then paled and then flushed again as she sat there watching this guy slowly savoring the wine one drop at a time, applying it to his lips and licking it up as if this was the only way to truly savor the flavor. His beautiful, pale face was half veiled by his curtained hat, and the image, straight from some poet¡¯s fantasy, with the natural charm and allure of his gestures and all the half spoken promises of his lips, shattered Feng Zhiwei¡¯s calm and resolve. Finally, Feng Zhiwei could not bear it any longer, and she pounced forward, fearlessly stealing the bottle from this Young Master Gu and preempted any response by yelling, ¡°This is how you drink wine!¡± Then as she threw her head back and tossed down half the bottle of wine, she silently bemoaned her fate. Drink! Drink until I die! What days are ahead¡­ Gu Nanyi made a sound of acknowledgement, happy to finally learn the proper way to drink wine. He¡¯d been starting to grow impatient, and after ¡°drinking¡± for so long, he had not felt that special flavor from that time those nights ago. He sat and lifted his head, thinking back on that taste. He vaguely remembered someone telling him once that he could only ever drink small amounts of alcohol, but that was not a problem. What did the worries of others have to do with him? These twenty one years on earth had shown him many strange and varied things, but everything had been peaceful and quiet as the night. He yearned for this new flavor, so different from anything he¡¯d ever had. He gestured and retrieved the bottle, and copying Feng Zhiwei, tossed back his head and drank. The bottle was empty, and the rich smell of wine hung thickly in the cool room air. The smell of Nymphoides floating on a clear stream wafted gently, and the combination of the man¡¯s scent and the thick musk of wine was intoxicating. Feng Zhiwei shook her head and tried to clear away the dizziness. She was surprised with tipsiness, and usually considered herself a heavyweight that could drink far more than this. She had always drunk slowly before, but even then, her mind would grow clearer the more she drank. What was the matter with her today? Chapter 35 Translator: Aristophaneso She could vaguely hear Chunyu Meng mumbling into the hole. ¡°One person one cup. If you drink anymore, you¡¯ll pass out for three days. Give me back the rest.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s head ached and anger grew in her heart. Chunyu Meng you bastard! Why didn¡¯t you say anything sooner! She smiled coldly and filled the empty bottle with dirt from the walls. She tossed the bottle back through the hole and then blocked the entrance with a chair, paying no mind to Chunyu Meng¡¯s mourning wails. Even these small movements had an effect, and the alcohol rushed to her head. Stars danced before her eyes, and she held her head as she turned from the wall. Suddenly, a warm stream ran through her body; something like a cold breath soon followed, and the two streams intertwined as they swept through her body. Her flushed body cooled, and her muscles relaxed and lost strength. Her legs buckled, and she fell forward. She fell against cool and smooth silk, and the faint smells of herbs filled her nose. Feng Zhiwei struggled to push herself upright, and had no desire to share a bed with another person. As she tried to manoeuvre her arms, she blearily wondered at Gu Nanyi¡¯s liquor capacity. He¡¯d also drank over half of that bottle; how could he still be so steady and stable ¡­ Suddenly, the darkness before her eyes fled, and moonlight shone down on her face. Feng Zhiwei looked up. Gu Nanyi had tossed aside his curtained veil. Clouds covered the moon, and the high window grew dark and night returned, but when this man lifted his curtained veil, a brightness like falling stars shone forth and pulled the eye. In that moment, Feng Zhiwei was transfixed. His eyes shone brighter than anything she had ever seen, and their ineffable allure filled her mind with images of snow melt from the purest of mountains, gathered from the pristine waters of a snow lotus pond, and she thought of thousand year pearls lost in the treasured depths of the far flung seas. Perhaps it was the wine, or the musk of the air, but in that moment all the world fell away and there was only this pair of beautiful, bright eyes before her. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind fled, and she saw nothing of the gaze behind the eyes or the expression on Gu Nanyi¡¯s face. She only knew that this man¡¯s face grew close and closer, and heard a deep and warm voice breath warmly into her ear. ¡°It¡¯s hot¡­¡± In that moment, Gu Nanyi¡¯s world was fire, and his body boiled. Without thought, he pulled himself towards relief, and the cold comfort of the body beside him became his life-saving, icy spring. He reached closer, and the musk of floatingheart flowers wafted forward as he held Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face. He caressed her face, and peeled away the unnatural texture of her mask and flicked it away, unveiling the icy jade face of the young woman underneath, whose eyes glittered in the night. Now satisfied with the smooth and cool jade skin, he leaned forward with his burning face¡­ ¡­ Feng Zhiwei was a frozen statue. Her mind fled as she failed to process her life¡¯s failures. The herbal scent filled her, and long eyelashes brushed against her cheek. Gu Nanyi used her face like an ice bag, and caressed her skin with his hands and rubbed his face against hers. In a dark room, a young woman¡¯s ears lay against a man¡¯s shoulders¡­ But there was not a trace of romance¡­ If Feng Zhiwei could move, she would weep. For better or for worse, she¡¯d been born into a noble family, and she¡¯d studied all the ways of a proper lady. It was true that her circumstances had forced her to adapt and suffer, but she had not fallen to the lowly life of a human ice-bag. Isn¡¯t it just that my face is somewhat cool? Feng Zhiwei focused, and the cool breath balancing the warm stream began to disappear. Her temperature rose, and her face began to flush. Gu Nanyi immediately noticed that this cool and soft thing that he had been rubbing his face on was warming, and he let go in disappointment. Still, the uncomfortable burning in his veins persisted, and half thinking, he began to unbutton his clothes. He began to unbutton the long robe that he always wrapped so tightly around himself. Even with his extreme drunkenness, his hands moved quickly and steadily. His fingers flew by, and the neck of a grecian god was soon stripped bare before Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes. The delicate and artful curves of his collarbones, and the fine lines of his neck filled her view, and perfection untouched by human hands lay itself bare. ¡­ Feng Zhiwei exploded. Ancestors! When will you stop torturing me? She rushed forward, tears in her eyes, struggling to recover that cool breath inside her. She thrust her face forward and pleaded. ¡°Stop undressing, stop. Here, rub me. Rub¡ª¡ª¡± ¡­ But she moved too quickly, and in her haste knocked Gu Nanyi onto the floor. The alcohol rushed to her head, and the last thing she remembered was dizziness overcoming her and blackness. In the silence of a small, dark room, a young woman lay on top of a young man as they both floated through the kingdom of alcohol. The next room over, Chunyu Meng tipped the bottle over his mouth, and only mud and dirt fell onto his head. He thoughtlessly dusted himself as he muttered in disbelief: ¡°They finished it? All of it¡­?¡± ¡°Wake up, wake up ¨C¨C¨C¨C¡± ¡°Wake up!¡± ¡°Bastard! Wake up!¡± Voices called out from the distance, and it felt like a world and a sea separated them from her. The unwelcome voices intruded on her dreamless sleep, and Feng Zhiwei fullheartedly ignored them, and hugged her blanket close. ¡°Pa!¡± Something slapped her face, and the stinging pain shocked her eyes open. Darkness filled her eyes, and only after a long moment did she remember where she was. She was lying on the bed in the quiet room. Up above, in the high window, an upside down face peered in. Feng Zhiwei blinked, and rubbed her face. Suddenly, she was fully awake, and she immediately turned to find her mask. Luckily, the light was dim, and no one could see her clearly. As she felt around her, her hands fell on the rising ¡°blanket,¡± the warm and glossy skin¡­ Feng Zhiwei snatched her hand back as if from a biting snake. It couldn¡¯t be¡­ She tried to reassure herself and turned back to look, but just as she had feared, it was the unconscious young master, and she had clearly slept on top of him¡­ His face was half hidden in the darkness, and he slept quietly. His expression was different from his usual plain faced stoicism, and his brows were furrowed and his lips turned down in a small frown. She did not know why, but as she looked at his sleeping face, she felt at peace, as if she was sitting beneath a fresh bloomed jade tree in a garden. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes traced the lines of his face, and after a moment of hesitation, she retrieved the curtained hat and gently covered his face. She did not want to see, and was not willing to see. For some matters, ignorance was better. Chapter 36 Translator: Aristophaneso After replacing the hat, she looked up saw the stone that had slapped her, and Lin Shao¡¯s strangely proud expression as he clung to the window. Shouldn¡¯t he also be locked away in confinement? What is he doing up there? ¡°Hey, listen. The Academy Competition will start at sun rise!¡± Lin Shao jumped straight to the matter at hand. ¡°That damned Xin Ziyan, punishing us with seven days. Does he want us to miss the Grand Conference? No way! No way!¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Feng Zhiwei called out, her dizziness and confusion preempting her complaints. ¡°Isn¡¯t the competition in three days?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve slept for three days!¡± Lin Shao snorted and laughed. ¡°Pig! Nothing could wake you. Hey, it wasn¡¯t easy for me to get out here, are you coming? I still have to beat you in the Academy Competition!¡± ¡°How could I be your opponent?¡± Feng Zhiwei hugged her head. ¡°Spare me, young master.¡± ¡°Never!¡± Lin Shao cried out angrily. ¡°How can you forfeit before even competing! What are you playing, no matter what you want, you have to come!¡± In a flash, his head disappeared, and after a moment, a rope was tossed in. ¡°And I had thought that you could just open the door and let me waltz out of here.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled crookedly at the rope. ¡°As if. Xin Ziyan was the one who ordered this confinement, it¡¯s not so easy to escape.¡± Lin Shao called out impatiently. ¡°It took a lot to distract the guards for an hour. If you don¡¯t come right now, you won¡¯t have another chance.¡± Feng Zhiwei looked down at Gu Nanyi¡¯s sleeping form and decided it was about time to run before he woke up and brought about a new wave of trouble. When she climbed up onto the roof, her suspicions were confirmed. Everyone else was already gathered on the roof as she clambered up, and Chunyu Meng chuckled and called out ¡°Wine God!¡± Feng Zhiwei rolled her eyes, silently complaining about the large and embarrassing sacrifices that she had had to make. ¡°Quickly, let¡¯s go. Go! We can change at my place.¡± Lin Shao called out cheerfully and confidently. ¡°We¡¯ll make a big scene at the test hall¡­ I heard that fath¡­ The Emperor and the Princes will be here, and many other Imperial Officials as well!¡± Feng Zhiwei stood on the eaves of the roof and faced the sunrise, her hands clasped behind her back. The first pink rays of dawn reached up over the horizon, and the rosy hue lit up the ten thousand mountains and rivers below her feet. The rising sun lit up her robes as the whistling wind rustled through her hair, and her eyes took in the rushing rivers and deathless mountains. Her eyes narrowed, and she let out a quiet sigh. ¡°The wind rises¡­¡± It was before dawn, and the darkest time of the night was settling in. Feng Zhiwei had left the others behind at the courtyard, begging off to return to her room to change her clothes. Indeed, after a dead sleep for three days, her clothes were crumpled and stank of alcohol ¨C she was in no way ready for company. But in the end it was just a rather believable excuse, and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind was racing as she thought of how to flee the academy. On the way back to her room, she lied to Yan Huaishi about going to the bathroom and abandoned him on the path. Her body was still heavy with the aftermaths of the alcohol. The liquor she had guzzled was unrivaled under heaven throughout the dominion of the Tian Sheng Dynasty, and even a burly man with a champion¡¯s capacity could only drink three cups at most. Soon, Feng Zhiwei could not put it off any longer, and the contents of her stomach swelled up, and she hurried to the side to puke. Wiping away the vomit from her mouth, Feng Zhiwei looked up and was groaning to her feet when the shadowed view in front of her made her pause. Gorgeous trees and flowers were artfully spaced, decorating and shielding a small building hidden in the darkness. No light shone from within. Feng Zhiwei had not paused because of some shadowed windows, but even though everything seemed utterly normal, she still peered forward with squinted and suspicious eyes. The building seemed to be surrounding by a protective art, and Feng Zhiwei sensed that though the little house seemed just a few steps away, reaching it would be more difficult than climbing to the heavens. In the back of her mind she knew that she could only have stumbled upon this place because of her mysterious notebook. After studying it so carefully in the recent past, she¡¯d memorized some of the protective arts and the steps to pass through them. Had she accidentally broken through the first barriers of some important sanctuary? Feng Zhiwei¡¯s first impulse was to immediately backtrack, but just as she had almost straightened up, she instinctively dropped back down to the ground. A set of clear footfalls sounded from the near distance, and the rustling of moving cloth wafted in the wind. The flowers and trees shivered, and scattered the light reflected from the surroundings. The shaking movement of the foliage was altogether unnatural, and not only the branches swayed, but the entirety of the brush and vegetation shifted slightly. Soon, another block of shadowed figures rose up out of the bushes. Suddenly, a heavy weight seemed to fall around the little house. A bizarre scene played out in the dark night as dark shadows slowly pulled themselves up off the ground, almost filling the air with the iron tang of blood and a palpable atmosphere of death. Feng Zhiwei lay motionless on her belly, carefully watching and waiting. As those dark shapes slowly marched upwards and crested the ground, she could faintly make out a series of shadowed heads. Was there a tunnel underground? Had a company of soldiers invaded? Feng Zhiwei¡¯s breathing slowed, and her light exhalations of air faded into silence. Suddenly, cloth fluttered over her head as a bat like shadow flew by before angling around to land on the small building, the figure¡¯s wooden mask shining dully in the darkness. It was the dark robed man who had used a flying sword to block Gu Nanyi¡¯s finger attack three days ago in the dining hall, and had stood silently beside Xin Ziyan in confronting them. He stood upright on the overhanging eaves of the small building, somehow as light as a leaf in the wind, and as steady in his stance as a rock. After his turn in the air, his eyes fell on the flower bush that Feng Zhiwei hid behind. Zhiwei¡¯s breath stuck in her throat, and she shut her eyes tight ¨C for a master at this man¡¯s level, even an errant gaze could alert them to their surroundings. The man stood quietly on the roof¡¯s edge, motionless in the swift night wind. His stare pierced through the darkness as if a cutting blade, and swept over the decorative brush with a suspicious glare. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sweat pooled around her and in the small of her back. With his mastery of body lightening, the man could snuff her out with an easy turn of his hand. Feng Zhiwei had stumbled off the path and into a moment of life and death. Just then, the soft click of an opening window startled the night, and a bird took flight from the trees. A hand reached out from the window on the second floor and grabbed the dark robed man and easily pulled him into the building. A large cuff flashed forward, revealing a white arm. Feng Zhiwei remained prone on the ground, and let out a quiet sigh of relief, not even caring that she was almost eating dirt. That hand that had unintentionally saved her life was probably Xin Ziyan¡¯s. There was no one else that could so easily move that stony man. People continued to march out from that hole in the ground, gathering around the edges of the building. After a moment, they quietly dispersed. The whole group moved with well-trained and agile steps, even their blades wrapped in black cloth to shine no light in the night. As for where they were going, or what they had come here to do, Feng Zhiwei did not dare to speculate. When the day broke, the academy¡¯s competition would begin¡­ Lin Shao¡¯s words suddenly gained new meaning, and a shiver ran up Feng Zhiwei¡¯s spine. Chapter 37 Translator: Aristophaneso As the company dispersed and the guards grew less alert, Feng Zhiwei slowly inched backwards to quietly escape. She had to leave the academy tonight! As her mind raced, Feng Zhiwei suddenly stiffened. She froze and her mind blanked as she realized the immensity of her mistake! She¡¯d been mistaken! Now was not the time to move! The opened contraption that had split the bushes had not closed, so there were people remaining who had not made their way through! And the last person to arrive must be¡­ As these thoughts flashed through her mind, Feng Zhiwei could not restrain herself, and she jumped forward and immediately utilized all her Qi to rush away as quickly as possible. She had to flee! Just then, a faint laughter echoed forth from behind her. The laughter was like a cool breeze, more the fresh chill of a thin layer of snow balanced delicately on the edge of a flower¡¯s leaf then a piercing frost, but still stinging to the touch. A dark cloak whipped through the night wind and flashed in front of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes, vaguely revealing a light gold flower as it waved by. For half a second, the flower unfurled in its full and gorgeous arrogance in front of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes. Feng Zhiwei knew who the man was and her mind raced without dropping a beat. This encounter was not like the past three, and while he could turn a blind eye before, today she had stumbled somewhere not so easily ignored. Almost before she could react, the man had already appeared behind her, and his hand was slapping down towards the top her head. Before it could hit her, Feng Zhiwei willingly collapsed downward. Her reaction seemed thoughtless and without care, and she fell downward like a dog flopping into mud, but the man¡¯s strike passed through empty air. The man grunted with quiet surprise, and was clearly quite taken aback by the move. He knew that Feng Zhiwei did not practice Kong Fu, and had not expected her improvised dodge to be so excellent. But of course, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s improv move was more than it seemed. This Dog Eating Dirt move was not so simple, and had come from that mysterious notebook. The owner of the notebook seemed to be interested in all manners of strange Kong Fu, as if without any concern with dignified conduct or status. As long as the art could hurt an enemy or help one escape, the notebook would detail and explore the art. Whoever that owner had been, they had improved this Dog Eating Dirty Kong Fu so that after falling to the ground, all of ones joints and limbs could shift and move to allow an omnidirectional fleeing movement, and almost instantaneous movement to cross tens of feet. Of course, Feng Zhiwei could not practice the art to the full extent, and though she used all her strength, she could only shift five feet away, but this five feet was enough. After shifting away, she immediately curled into a ball and rolled away. She had taken a good glimpse of the area around her, and was not rolling down a slight slope. After rolling a good distance, she jumped to her feet and ran off. The man behind her followed along at a leisurely pace, casually watching as Feng Zhiwei scrambled to flee. Just as she was about to exit from view, he extended a hand, a small and strangely shaped crossbow mounted between his fingers. The small crossbow did not look like a product of the Central Plains; its edges were like snakes with red tassels, and each bolt was a different size. The whole affair glistened with a faint red light, and seemed to flow like blood in the night. The man curled his fingers, set the string, and nocked the bolt. Wind rushed through his hair and set the red tassels of the bow flying, framing in red and black his smooth and clean face. He was like a moon in the night, and the light golden Mandala Flower bloomed beneath the moon¡¯s radiance. The sharp bolts aimed straight at the center of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s back. In the distance, Feng Zhiwei kept facing straight ahead and lifted her hand up in the air to hold up an object. The object was long and round, and flashed metallically. The man could vaguely make out a trigger, and Zhiwei¡¯s finger tightly clasping the ring. From the looks of it, Feng Zhiwei was holding a flag rocket. The man paused, and the dark red crossbow stilled. He curled his hand, and the crossbow disappeared. In that split second, Feng Zhiwei had disappeared out of sight, leaving the man alone in the night. Feng Zhiwei made her way through the complex Boundary Art and silently faded away. Along the horizon, a pale white light crested, and the day dawned on the man¡¯s beautiful and elegant eyes, and his deathly serious expression. After crossing through the woods and passing terraced pavilions, Feng Zhiwei was covered in sweat, and she shivered in the morning breeze. If she had not taken out the rocket, those sharp bolts would have already pierced her heart. She had raised the thing to threaten that man ¨C you can kill me, but before the bolts cut through my heart, I will be able to fire this rocket. The secrecy and timing of this matter was clearly crucial, and any minor disturbance could have huge ripple effects. The time and planning that had gone into whatever was underway must have been enormous, and he would not want his plan disturbed by a single flare, and waste all his efforts. Feng Zhiwei was sure that he would rather find her later and erase her than let her fire the rocket at that moment. Both parties were clever, and there was no way they would choose to perish together. Feng Zhiwei touched the rocket cylinder and sighed. She had gotten it from Yan Huaishi, who had been unable to bring his Dijing guards into the academy. He had prepared these rockets just in case, and had given Feng Zhiwei one, perhaps never imagining that it could save her life. She did not dare linger, and changed directions as she tried to escape the courtyard, but just as she turned a corner, a figure jumped out and called out cheerfully, ¡°There you are! I¡¯ve been looking for you! Let¡¯s go and watch the event!¡± It was Chunyu Meng. Feng Zhiwei looked at the boy and sighed tragically inside. After a moment, she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember we¡¯re still supposed to be in confinement. We can¡¯t just show up at a public event.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll just take a look, and we won¡¯t be in trouble even if we join the competition. Headmaster Xin will be happy as long as we do well, and maybe he¡¯ll even pardon us!¡± Chunyu Meng cheerfully tugged on her arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± This brat¡­ would be oblivious until his death¡­ Feng Zhiwei looked to the dawning light and could not still her anxiety. She pressed down on her emotions and patiently cajoled Chunyu Meng: ¡°We shouldn¡¯t meddle in these affairs, this kind of occasion will have people from the Imperial family, we cannot just join in¡­¡± ¡°So what if people from the palace come, why does that mean we cannot join?¡± Suddenly, a man rounded the corner in front of them; the first beam of dawn seemed to gather on the tip of his brow, hinting at the pale rose clouds of an early morning sunrise, and the cuffs of his elegant silk robe waved gently with his movement. Chunyu Meng stopped in surprise and quickly called out a greeting: ¡°Ah, Your Eminence has already arrived¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s brain froze, and she stepped backwards in panic, but the man stood still and looked to her with a casual smile as he clasped his hands behind his back. He smiled and returned Chunyu Meng¡¯s greeting, but his eyes never left Feng Zhiwei. That gaze was as sharp as a needle, without any hint of merriment. ¡°Since we¡¯re here, let¡¯s head over together.¡± His tone was indifferent, and his smile cold. His eyes held no hint of alertness or hostility as he looked at Feng Zhiwei, just some cold playfulness and mockery. He was a tiger in the woods, looking down on a trapped fox pinned by his paw. Chapter 38 Translator: Aristophaneso Feng Zhiwei looked down at herself ¨C mud still clung to her clothes, and green grass stained her hands and clothes. Only the pinnacle of fools would believe that Ning Yi did not immediately recognize her. Of course, Ning Yi could only identify her as the escaped interloper, and still did not know her real identity. No matter how impressive Ning Yi was, he could not see through the skin mask and see her real face. Feng Zhiwei breathed deeply and then smiled faintly, bowing. ¡°Your Excellency Prince Chu? It would be an honor to accompany you.¡± Surprise flashed through Ning Yi¡¯s eyes, and his heart twitched. Somehow, this strange young man with such an extraordinary getup seemed familiar, but with all the worries weighing him down, he quickly put the matter to the side. He laughed secretly at this young man¡¯s daring, and wondered where he got his guts from. Ning Yi watched as Feng Zhiwei turned to smile at Chunyu Meng. ¡°Just now, Lin Shao told me that he had something interesting to show me. Brother Chun, do you know where he is? We can all head over together, so when Headmaster Xin hands out punishments, we can have some more backup.¡± Chunyu Meng was ecstatic and laughed. ¡°Those brothers are just up ahead, and what you said is exactly right, if we¡¯re going to suffer we should all suffer together. Let¡¯s go get them.¡± As soon as he finished replying, he turned and yelled: ¡°Brother Lin! Brother Lin! We¡¯re over here!¡± Footfalls came in response, and Lin Shao¡¯s clear and crisp voice called out in reply: ¡°Ai, we¡¯ve waited for so long! The event is beginning soon, we need to get to the Lecture Hall, hurry, hurry!¡± Ning Yi¡¯s smile grew even more frigid, and he quirked his lips as Chunyu Meng walked over to talk to Lin Shao. ¡°You really know too much.¡± Feng Zhiwei blinked silently, and smiled faintly. She did not dare talk too much, after all, Ning Yi might recognize her voice. Even though the large-robed man had taught her how to use Qi to change her voice, she was still worried. The two exchanged glanced, the one hiding murderous intent, and the other wearing a smiling mask. As one wondered how best to rid himself of this random cockroach that had crawled into his affairs, who seemed so able to through up obstacles and hide, the other was desperately treading water and searching for ways to escape this smiling tiger and his half-masked murderous intent. Across the way, the oblivious Lin Shao happily urged them on. For some reason, Lin Ji was not accompanying him, but nothing seemed to hamper Lin Shao¡¯s cheeriness as he brightened visible at the sight of Feng Zhiwei and the smile on her face. He had no idea she could smile like that, and Zhiwei¡¯s expression was truly rare ¨C she only wore it when she¡¯d found a shield in harrowing times. Feng Zhiwei walked over and casually grabbed Lin Shao¡¯s cuff, smoothly turning and leading him, surreptitiously guiding him between herself and Ning Yi. She smiled cheerfully, ¡°I was just looking for you, let¡¯s go.¡± Lin Shao was stunned. Feng Zhiwei was usually gentle and accommodating like a soft spring breeze, warm and kind, but always maintaining a distance as uncrossable as that between the heaven and the oceans. This was the first time she had been so intimate with him, and he looked from her hand on his cuff to her smiling eyes, and his eyes reddened. Ning Yi cocked his head at Feng Zhiwei, and suddenly smiled, calling out, ¡°Eleventh Brother, are you not going to greet me?¡± Lin Shao was surprised again, and looked at Ning Yi with confusion, astonished at Ning Yi¡¯s breach of protocol. Feng Zhiwei swore silently in her heart, cursing this meddling older brother! He¡¯d intentionally revealed Lin Shao¡¯s identity so that Feng Zhiwei could not walk with him, neutralizing Zhiwei¡¯s precious shield! Even as she swore inside, she maintained her calm and innocent expression. She blinked, and naively interrupted, ¡°Ah, Little Brother Shao, are you related to his excellency Prince Chu?¡± Lin Shao¡¯s face glowed with a happy blush at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words, and his mind seemed to sharpen in response. He immediately smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, I am distantly related to the Prince¡¯s mother, and so I¡¯m His Excellency¡¯s distantly removed cousin on his mother¡¯s side. Apologies for my lack of decorum, greetings to Elder Brother!¡± As he spoke, he sketched out a half-formal bow. Ning Yi smiled faintly, and slowly replied. ¡°Alright, Eleventh Cousin. But don¡¯t forget to greet your distantly related Imperial Uncle later.¡± Lin Shao stiffened, and his face soured as he lifted his head. During this second bout between Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi, the little Shield Shao had been sacrificed¡­ The Lecture Hall was called a hall, but was in fact a large square. The stone was paved white, and the platform a regal black, and resting on top a translucent tiled pavilion. At every window in the house was a place to rest and admire the view, a preparation made for the Imperials and nobleman who used the house while attending celebrations and ceremonies. For the contest this time, every window had been masked with a white yarn that blocked the view from without, but left everything clear for anyone inside. The Imperial family kept apart, guarded against the casual gaze. Shaded shelters had been set up around the square for the various ranked officials, while all the students, no matter their status, were relegated to waiting outside the wooden fence. The Lecture Hall was only opened once a year, and Feng Zhiwei had not known the traditions of the arrangement, but when she saw the crowd, her heart leaped with joy. A sea of people surrounded the square, and it looked like almost every student had turned up. Some students squeezed past the group, chatting as they ran forward. ¡°Hurry! I heard Prince Chu is coming today, we need to work harder!¡± Another person replied, ¡°Really? I though Prince Chu and Headmaster Xin had a falling out three years ago, and he stopped coming to the academy.¡± ¡°What are you doing paying so much attention to noble matters!¡± The first student rolled his eyes as he replied. ¡°Even if Prince Chu has stepped back from state affairs, his talent and education still remains. He¡¯s close with many writers and Imperial officials talented in writing, painting, and calligraphy. Don¡¯t you want to join the Hanlin Academy?¡± The best way to get a career as an official is to attract his attention!¡± The group of students from the Politics and History Hall squeezed excitedly forward. Students everywhere were talking about how to impress the Emperor, how to please the Crown Prince, how to get in good with the Second Prince, and how Prince Qi was interested in military affairs and the martial arts, or how to build a relationship with the noble and prudent Seventh Prince¡­ This Academy Competition was for the cream of the crop, and all the students were excited. Stopped coming to Qin Ming Academy? He was wandering around the academy¡¯s secret tunnel yesterday¡­ Fell out with Headmaster Xin? The headmaster was waiting for him in the dead of night¡­ Feng Zhiwei secretly judged her fellow students, but kept an excited expression on her face. ¡°Ah¡­ Your Excellency is held in such high esteem, to be able to walk with Your Excellency is the blessing of three lifetimes for this student. Chunyu Meng smiled in response, and immediately added. ¡°Your Excellency, it seems like we must part company now. I¡¯m afraid if we keep accompanying you, we will cause so much jealousy that someone will come beat us up.¡± He was apparently very familiar with Ning Yi, and his manner of speaking was very casual as he bid farewell. Feng Zhiwei clasped her hands and bowed, happily moving to the side. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Ning Yi curled his mouth and glanced at Chunyu Meng.¡± You are students from the Military Hall, so your aim won¡¯t be me, but my second brother. Anyway, you already have a title; what does it matter if you walk with me?¡± Chapter 39 Translator: Aristophaneso He pulled Chunyu Meng along and grabbed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s shoulder as they passed her, smiling: ¡°This prince does not want to go up to such a stuffy place, let¡¯s sit in the shelter for officials, both of you come with me.¡± Feng Zhiwei stiffened. This man¡¯s hand, at the most suitable time, ¡°casually¡± gripped her arm, and her shoulder immediately fell numb. She had been too foolish! She already knew that he was the number one fox in all of Tian Sheng Dynasty, and she had actually already been celebrating success! As she had moved to the side, she had given him the best opening! As cold Qi passed into her shoulder, piercing into her blood and slowing her muscles and joints. She slowly lifted her head, and smiled through gritted teeth: ¡°Many thanks for your Highness¡¯ favor.¡± Chunyu Meng and Lin Shao glance towards her, confused at her suddenly slowed movements, but they soon remembered that Wei Zhi was from an ordinary family, and was probably stunned with happiness that Prince Chu was paying attention to her, so her new reactions were quite understandable. Ning Yi did not keep his voice low, and their conversation was heard in every direction. Students very orderly turned and knelt for Ning Yi, and while Chunyu Meng and Lin Shao quickly dodged out of the way, Feng Zhiwei was held in place by Ning Yi. There she was, trapped and cold sweat pouring down her body. Ning Yi calmly called out: ¡°You can all get up,¡± but still clung onto Feng Zhiwei. As everyone straightened, their eyes all changed as they locked onto Feng Zhiwei with envy and jealousy, anger or disdain, and a thousand complicated and hostile gazes memorized Feng Zhiwei¡¯s features. As Feng Zhiwei was suddenly targeted by an entire crowd, Ning Yi curled his lips. His smile was elegant and charming, like a snow white and demonically red Mandala flower quietly blooming in the night. Everyone sank into his charm except Feng Zhiwei ¨C all she could think was how she wanted to curse and crush this stinking flower. But Prince Chu ignored her gaze, and kept his hand on her shoulder as walked past the students and directed them to the shaded shelter. He sat her down in the middle of the shelter, and no one dared to near the two of them. Lin Shao wanted to follow, but he was dragged away by Chunyu Meng ¨C the well meaning dunces winked at Feng Zhiwei as they left, encouraging her to take this opportunity to please the Prince. Feng Zhiwei quietly sighed in secret bitterness. She¡¯d suddenly been thrust under the scrutiny of ten thousand sharp eyes, and her pain slowly transformed ¡ª there was an understanding and transcendence that came with the tragedy of death. ¡°The Emperor has arrived-¡± A high pitched, thin voice called out from across the way. The square and all of its surroundings fell silent, and a pregnant stillness filled the air as a cold and quiet killing aura naturally appeared. Everyone readied themselves to kneel, but even as Feng Zhiwei tried to stand from her chair, the man by her side leaned over and grabbed her shoulder. A cool breath like luxurious flowers and falling snow pressed forward, and he quietly slipped his hand into hers. Feng Zhiwei was startled senseless, and without any capacity for thought heard the man whisper in her ear in a gentle tone softer than a passing dream, smiling as he asked: ¡°Your palm, why is it covered in sweat¡­¡± The man¡¯s breathed quietly on her ear, tickling gentle waves in the hair on her temple. His breath was like the spring rose and a winter fount, with thorns hidden in the beauty, and cold ice in the waters. Beautiful and enchanting, and deadly. At that moment, the emperor arrived. While everyone paid their respects and greeted the emperor, Ning Yi leaned gently and sweetly on her shoulder, in an ambiguous and wanton manner. All the officials genuflecting on the ground cast secret glances at this pair of men, their eyes even more ambiguous than Ning Yi¡¯s. Prince Chu was talented and romantic, and his omnivoracious appetite was known by everyone in Dijing. But no one else knew the malicious and murderous thoughts hiding beneath his apparent playfulness ¡ª he had sealed her meridians, and locked her knees from kneeling. Refusing to kneel at the arrival of the Emperor was the greatest of disrespects, and it was clear that the prince was planning on murdering with a borrowed knife, forcing the Imperial Guard to charge her with disrespecting the crown and sentencing her to immediate execution. A bright golden chariot slowly made its way through the open gates, and everyone except Feng Zhiwei was already kneeling. She remained sitting like a crane among chickens, and astonished glances were shot her way. Feng Zhiwei lowered her eyes and focused on the face next to hers, the beautiful appearance like a spring breeze, the freezing eyes, and the terrible smile finishing his face. A smile broke out on her face, and she sat back calmly and quietly ¡°¡­ since this peasant is able to die together with his highness, my palm is sweating with excitement.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Prince Chu surely you do not believe that I stumbled upon you by accident yesterday?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied calmly. ¡°A secret building hidden away and surrounded by mysterious powers and guards, how could someone get there by accident?¡± Her voice was composed, but her eyes were locked on the open gate. The bright Golden Dragon Flag was already crossing the threshold, and the arrival of the Emperor was imminent. Ning Yi¡¯s face froze, and his eyes deepened. This worry was why he had held his hand before, and while it was inappropriate to act with his own hands under these circumstances, he was also afraid that there were hands behind Feng Zhiwei¡¯s actions. And since Feng Zhiwei had brought it up herself, his suspicions deepened. If there was a mastermind behind her actions, he would need to follow the vine to the melon, and this brat¡¯s life¡­ His momentary pause in thought was punctuated by the orderly march of the Imperial Guard, and the cyan suits of armor glittered in cold metallic luster as they stepped forward under the morning sun. The front guard was already in view of the square, and his hawk-like eyes swept across the square, scoping for any threats to the Emperor¡¯s safety. His eyes had crossed most of the square and was nearing the sheltered Official¡¯s rest¡­ ¡°That mysterious underground company, what did they accomplish during the night, and where are they now?¡± Feng Zhiwei looked around casually. ¡°Yi? Some of my classmates and friends from the Military Hall actually didn¡¯t make it today?¡± Ning Yi¡¯s eyes glittered, and he let out a cold laugh. Before his cold bark faded, he pushed her forward, and Feng Zhiwei felt her body loosen and her legs soften as she uncontrollably fell forward, her forehead meeting the ground. Right after, the guard¡¯s gaze swept by the shelter. A clarion call sounded, and everyone knelt in the dust. Feng Zhiwei also prostrated, and the sweat on her palms muddied the bricks. Beside her, an elegant silvered, moon white cuff spread on the bricks, and Ning Yi whispered at her as he knelt. ¡°How many associates do you have? What are they doing right now? What are you planning tonight?¡± Feng Zhiwei turned her head and smiled, ¡°Your Excellency, did you suddenly become an idiot? Why would I tell you now?¡± Chapter 40 Translator: Aristophaneso Ning Yi¡¯s eyes flashed and he smiled. ¡°You can tell me later, but I¡¯m afraid you might not last that long.¡± The golden chariot drove by, and the man reached out his hand to help Feng Zhiwei stand. She did not refuse his gesture, and composedly took his hand and stood ¨C since her life was already in his hands, it would not hurt any more to take what advantage she could. As their two hands touched, Ning Yi was startled. Feng Zhiwei was calm now, and her previously sweaty hand was dry, and there were no longer any distractions to the shape of her hand. Ning Yi suddenly felt that the softness and smoothness of her palm, the shape and size of her hand, and the temperature as cool as jade were somehow familiar. He wanted to hold up her palm to take a look, but Feng Zhiwei had already retracted her arm, cocking her head and flashing a smile. The warm and gentle smile moved his heart, and Ning Yi immediately grew wary. He reminded himself how witty and subtle this man was, and his eyes cooled. The two of them returned to as they were, and the sitting Feng Zhiwei noticed Yan Huaishi looking over with a weird expression. Suddenly, Feng Zhiwei felt great, and after quietly rusting through her clothes, she extended the light blue cuff of her inner clothes and waved at Yan Huaishi. Yan Huaishi stared in confusion, and Feng Zhiwei was worried that he did not understand. She waved the blue cuff again, the blue clothing1 ¨C Nan Yi ¡ª Suddenly, the man beside her asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately put her arm down and straightened to sit properly. ¡°Hot. I had to cool down.¡± Ning Yi had to smile ¨C only rarely did one meet a person who could lie so obviously without any shame. It was early spring march, how could she possible feel hot? He looked down, and his eyes fell on her nape. The academy uniform was designed according to Tian Sheng fashion and Headmaster Xin¡¯s romantic style; the neckline was loose and generous, and it was impossible to completely cover up. Feng Zhiwei usually kept her clothes firmly tied down, but as she had pulled at her inner clothing to sign at Yan Huaishi, she had left her nape completely exposed. As she was too busy scheming to notice, she had inadvertently given Ning Yi a show. Her neck was smooth like jade¡­ or maybe the comparison was with something too hard. Her neck was like the fresh fluff of well made rice, or that of newly spun cotton ¡ª three parts softness, another part elegance, and the brilliance of the sun and the smooth sheen of the moon. The definition of her fine bones were so delicate that it almost seemed that the weight of eyes might lean to heavily and overpower them, and the skin that the eyes followed from her neck downward was so delicate and translucent, as if the best porcelain masterpiece made at the most famous kiln, and as the eyes moved downward some more, there was the slight hint of¡­ Ning Yi¡¯s pupils narrowed. Feng Zhiwei tided the sides of her hair, noticed her disheveled clothes, and as she dropped her hands to her side, smoothly rearranged her collar. She looked downward and silently breathed in relief, but could not help but wonder whether her chest cloth had loosened. Ning Yi had not seen anything, right? As these thoughts raced through her mind, she glanced forward into the crowd and saw that Yan Huaishi had disappeared. Happiness and worry fought in her heart, and she could not be sure that Yan Huaishi had understood her. The brilliant gold chariot and the other imperial members had already settled into the forward hall, and were seated orderly behind the gauze. As the herald called out roll, it soon became clear that only the Fifth Prince was absent, and the Emperor, Crown Prince, and the other princes had all gathered here today. Xin Ziyan still wore his usual large cuffed robe, calmly fanning himself even on this cool day as he gave his speech. He seemed completely at ease and forthright, and there was no trace of that fool who had fallen off a tree in the back yard of a brothel, nor any sign of conniving or hint of his secretive plans. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s gaze flicked from Xin Ziyan to the white gauze hiding a group of the most important figures in the Tian Sheng Dynasty. What would befall them all after today? As for the man beside her, who was he targeting? There was no way he could hope to sweep the entire group ¨C he had no soldiers at his command. Even if he oversaw 18 000 men in the Jiu Cheng Infantry and Cavalry Bureau back in Dijing, the real power of command was in the hands of the Crown Prince. Meanwhile, the 20 000 men in the Chan Ying Imperial Guard were commanded by the Seventh Prince, and just twenty miles from the Capital was the permanent barracks of the Xu Wei Army. With just the troops she had seen the previous night, such a lofty target would be suicidal. His target had to be more focused. The Emperor? The Crown Prince? Some rival prince? Was Ning Yi fool enough to make a move on the Emperor? If not him, then the Crown Prince? But Ning Yi was a member of the Crown Prince¡¯s camp, so there was no reason to attack his own support. Some other prince then? As long as the Emperor and the Crown Prince were present, even if he made a move on a prince, what could he achieve? And why would Xin Ziyan conspire with this heaven defying, chaos inciting rebel? He had been incredibly close with Ning Yi, and then had pretended to distance himself. For all these years, Ning Yi had hidden his talent and bided his time, keeping a low profile in the Imperial Court, often reprimanded and without favor. Had he truly been forced so low that he had to resort to desperation, or was this the culmination of years of preparation? Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind raced with the possibilities, while on stage, everything was proceeding calmly and happily. Students from the Politics & History Hall and the Military Hall separated into two classes and took turns performing. All of the students on display had been recommended by their teachers had rehearsed and been examined for all three days preceding the event. Since Feng Zhiwei and the others had caused such a big commotion at the dining hall, they had missed the opportunity. She understood now that she had not been dragged down by Gu Nanyi, but rather had been pulled into the mess by Lin Shao. Xin Ziyan had obviously planned on using the isolation confinement to trap the Lin Brothers for the week, to have them out of the way as the cards fell. Because she¡¯d gotten involved, Feng Zhiwei could not join the Academy competition, and truly, breaking rules in front of the Emperor could merit a death sentence. The Politics and History Hall began the competition with three segments. They worked through displays of political discourse, treatises on Confucian Classics, and read poetry and essays as an official from the Imperial Academy joined several teachers from their school as examiners. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart was chaotic as she listened to the smooth words and copious quotations. Suddenly the crowd began to murmur, and someone yelled in astonishment, ¡°The Golden List!¡± His voice was filled with envy and helpless defeat. Feng Zhiwei looked over. In front of the white gauze curtains, a eunuch stood, holding a long and soft scroll made of golden thread. Even Ning Yi was surprised, murmuring to himself, ¡°So the old man brought out this thing again¡­¡± all around them, people exclaimed in astonishment. The Golden List was also known as the Zhuo Ying Scroll1, and was supposed to contain the three most obscure and difficult questions in all of the world. Anyone who could answer these questions was surely a Peerless Scholar, and with his employ, an Emperor could bring peace to the world. This legendary scroll had been passed down from the Da Cheng Dynasty Founding Emperor, and its fame had resounded for every generation since. The founder of the Da Cheng Dynasty was incredibly talented, and had studied at the Immortal Firmament Palace, and was said to have possessed powerful theurgic abilities. His fame lingered in the imagination of the people, and the first Emperor was still the most admired and beloved. The scroll that he left behind could not be ordinary. Every generation since the founding, the Zhuo Ying Scroll was considered the treasure of the Imperial Court. After the passing of the Da Cheng Dynasty, this inheritance had passed to Tian Sheng, and the Tian Sheng Emperor was like all others, an admirer of the mysterious Da Cheng Founder. At almost every Final Imperial Examination and Academy Competition, or some other important literary occasion, the Emperor would often bring out the Zhuo Ying scroll to test the talented people of the world, but no one had ever given a successful answer to these questions, and it was not even clear that anyone understood what the question was asking. Chapter 41 Translator: Aristophaneso As time had passed, the Zuo Ying Scroll had become synonymous with the insurmountable ¨C all scholars held it in awe and admiration, but it was considered too lofty to touch. After disappointment after disappointment, the Emperor grew tired of the sham answers and released an Imperial Edict. Only those with confidence in their answers could attempt the scroll, and no aspirant hopefuls could waste time by ¡°trying.¡± An offense was punishable by death, for the charge of deceiving the Emperor. After the Imperial Edict was proclaimed, no one had dared risk their lives on the scroll. Bringing the scroll out today represented a symbolic pursuit, rather than any real attempt at finding a scholar. It was an image. The golden thread of the Zhuo Ying Scroll danced in the air, and hungry eyes looked up at this golden staircase to the heavens. All eyes burned with passion, and heads were raised longingly, but no one dared step close. Suddenly, a thought entered Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind. All this time, she had tried to protect herself by shying away from the limelight and keeping a low profile. But now a looming threat of death hung over her, and a way out, however uncomfortable, had presented itself. If the choice was between death and scrutiny, Feng Zhiwei was clear which one she preferred. The difference between life and death hanging on a single play, and if her bones were not ground into dust, then she would step onto a path to the sky. Ning Yi, you forced my hand¡ª The wind sent waves through the golden scroll, and the eunuchs arm¡¯s ached as he held it up. Finally, the Emperor called calmly through the gauze: ¡°Looks like the results are the same this year. Bring it back.¡± Just as the eunuch was beginning to refold the scroll, someone called out in a high voice, ¡°I will try.¡± Under the shelter, a young man wearing thin cyan clothes stood bravely, his cuffs flowing in the wind. It was Feng Zhiwei. She stood with composure as the eyes of every person turned to her. Without any sign of impatience, she turned to face the frowning Ning Yi and smiled. Her smile was soft and gentle, but clearly hid a well of fortitude and force. At this moment, a glimmer of something that lay in the deepest parts of her person appeared, and Ning Yi could see a hint of that toughness that she only revealed when she faced adversity. Though tens of thousands came to attack her, she would still take her path forward. He could just stay obediently and watch ¡ª Prince, thank you for your hospitality. Until we meet again. Ning Yi watched as the young man stood up and called out towards the eunuch, and could do nothing he turned and smiled before firmly walking forward. Ning Yi could not explain it, but his first reaction was not anger that his prey had escaped, but an ineffable anxiety, as if a tiny bird had broken through its cage, and with a twist in the wind, unfurled itself and became a phoenix. Or perhaps, he was a hawk hiding his strong wings and sharp talons, biding his time for the moment to let loose, pierce the air, and strike? He shook his head and cleared away the ridiculous thoughts. Calming his mind, he slowly leaned back into his chair, his narrowed eyes following the young man as he walked towards the Jin Bang, his back as slim as a waning moon. Courting death was also a solution¡­ He should be happy. But layers of dark clouds hung in his mind, and refused to leave. When Feng Zhiwei walked on stage, she could hear the vague sounds of someone yelling out in surprise. It sounded a lot like Lin Shao, and he seemed to be trying to rush forward as another person pulled him back. As eyes followed Feng Zhiwei as she stepped forward, they were no longer filled with envy or jealousy or disdain. There was only sympathy and amazement ¡ª a shock at someone courting death. The Zhuo Ying Scroll had existed for over six hundred years, and no one had ever been able to understand the question. This was already an understanding hammered into the people ¨C this matter came from the heavens, and could not be touched by ordinary men. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes were clear and forthright, and she ignored all the gazes locked on her, and composedly approached the stage. A faint sound of surprise came from behind the sheer yarn veil, and the other indolent Imperial members also straightened and peered forward at this bold young man, the first daring hopeful in many years. ¡°Do you understand the rules?¡± The eunuch holding the golden scroll asked, glancing sidelong at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Failure means death.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. Her tone was light, but her words shocking to the core. Ning Yi straightened, and his long eyebrows furrowed. Acting with swift ferocity and a soft and gentle attitude ¨C this style was very similar to that of another person that he knew¡­ The eunuch turned to the yarn gauze and waited for orders before unraveling the golden yarn on the golden thread scroll. The long scroll had three sections, and a single question in each. Even though man people had attempted the scroll, the Imperial Court had commanded their silence, so no one had ever leaked out the contents. These three questions were still a mystery to the people, and countless curious eyes focused on the scroll. Feng Zhiwei looked over, and her expressions were¡­ colorful. First Question. ¡°Why is Panasonic not as good as Sony?¡± ¡­ Even with all her control, Feng Zhiwei could not stop her mouth from twitching ¨C for six centuries, this had been the most famous scroll under heaven? This was the so called Zhuo Ying Scroll that could choose Peerless Scholars? Indeed, anyone who could answer this question could not have an equal ¨C since this was not a question from this world? Everyone watched Zhiwei¡¯s expressions, and when she bit her lips as if the question was too hard, a collective sigh of disappointment spread throughout the crowd. Even though no one had expected her to succeed, a dream of a miracle had already spread. Ning Yi leaned on his hand and watched Feng Zhiwei. Even though this result had been what he had expected, his mood did not improve ¨C that looming depression and frustration only seemed to grow heavier. The silver bamboo embroidery on moon white cloth fluttered gently in the wind and caressed his face. It was soft and cold, just like his mood¡­ Had he pushed this cunning and witty man too hard, and forced him onto this path of death? While he reflected, the young man on the stage suddenly smiled. The smile appeared out of nowhere, and the plain face that could only be described as with a somewhat stiff fineness and delicacy was transformed. The gleam in his eyes was as the dawn rising above the sea and illuminating the sky, and burned too bright for mortal eyes. His ordinary face suddenly possessed a surpassing beauty. Ning Yi was dazed by that smile, and as he was stunned, the young man walked forward without hesitation and took up the brush. She wrote quickly, and then stepped away with a faint smile. The eunuch stepped over with disbelief, and kept his eyes lowered from the answer. Carefully, he brought the writing to the window and presented it before the white yarn gauze. Behind the sheer covering, a group of learned men from the Imperial Academy immediately gathered around, staring at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s answer. Her response had been short, but incredibly odd ¨C perhaps even stranger than the question. On the sheet was a combination of strange, twisting symbols ¡ª PANASONIC. The scholars examined the symbols with confusion, but after a long period, no one could decipher the answer. There eyes turned together to the acclaimed number one talent under heaven, but Xin Ziyan¡¯s beautiful face twisted in unhappiness. ¡°I am not a Taoist, I don¡¯t understand their magical figures!¡± The Emperor had no choice but to send someone back to the Imperial Court to retrieve the answer sheet ¨C an answer sheet that had never been needed, and had been forgotten. Chapter 42 Translator: Aristophaneso A while later, cries of surprise could be heard from behind the yarn. The golden silk also had the strange twisted symbols written on it, and they were even more misshapen than Feng Zhiwei¡¯s. The scholars compared each symbol one by one, and each one was an exact match. After they recovered from the shock, they passed the answer sheet through the folding screen. Behind the screen, the crown prince put down a cup of precious tea to listen to the servant¡¯s report. He smiled, and leaned over to look outside. He smiled as he spoke, ¡°Father Emperor, I never thought that someone would be able to give an answer today.¡± The tall and thin, yellow robed Emperor made a sound of surprise before replying. ¡°Since you¡¯ve taken charge of Qing Ming Academy, talented people have come forth every year. I have not come here today in vain.¡± The crown prince could not hide his excitement. A few days ago, he had spoken with his Sixth Brother, and they had spoken about how their Emperor Father had been disturbed lately by the Da You Kingdom¡¯s frequent border raids, and pirate attacks in the Golden Sand. They had thought this competition would be a good opportunity for the Emperor to relax a little, and with the many talented people graduating from Qing Ming Academy lately, perhaps seeing a demonstration of the talents would relieve some of His Majesty¡¯s worry. If they were to put more effort in making this Academy Competition grand and magnificent, it would not only demonstrate the prestige of their Dynasty, but also comfort the commoners and overawe the men of little character who might others not fear the law. It looked like the Emperor was very much enjoying this Academic Competition, but the Crown Prince did not want to share the achievement with his Sixth Brother. He swallowed his word and smiled. ¡°Father Emperor inspires us to bring prosperity to the land. All talents under heaven are gathered in Dijing, and now with the Zhuo Ying Scroll, we¡¯ve discovered a new Peerless Scholar. When this news spreads, all the enemies of our Dynasty will quake and quiver in fear and awe!¡± The Emperor wore a look of contentment, but he still lifted his eyes to match the Crown Prince¡¯s gaze. ¡°Only one question has been answered ¨C it¡¯s still too early to proclaim him Peerless.¡± ¡°He will be what we claim he is.¡± The Crown Prince answered excitedly, putting down his tea and beaming. ¡°As long as you will it, he will be the Peerless Scholar!¡± The Emperor cast a glance at the prince before turning away, the smile hanging on his lips shrinking. He waved a command at the eunuch. The eunuch parted the curtain and emerged, calling out in a trembling voice, ¡°Next question!¡± The onlookers jumped to their feet in utter amazement, and all of them looked as if they¡¯d been struck by lightning ¨C the first question had been successfully answered? Ning Yi¡¯s hands shook slightly, and a drop of tea fell on his robe. He paid it no mind as his gaze darted forward to lock onto Feng Zhiwei, and a hawk eyed glare flashed across his eyes. Second question. ¡°A and B are interchangeable. In boiling water, B precipitates C. In air, C oxidizes and forms D. D smells like a rotten egg. What are A, B, C, and D?¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s worry had disappeared ¨C as she saw the vaguely familiar words on the Golden Silk Scroll, various conjectures formed in her mind. As soon as she had heard the first question, she had already guessed that this so called Zhuo Ying Scroll and the accompanying Peerless Scholar was either a rumor run wild, or a giant joke that the writer of the scroll had played on the entire world for six hundred years. No matter ¨C though the scroll mocked all people under heaven, it gave her only opportunity. As the answer was passed through the curtain, everyone stood attentively, peering here and there and staring forward intently. After some time, the eunuch reemerged, his high pitched voice shaken by excitement. ¡°Third Question!¡± The onlookers could not help but push forward toward the stage, all of them eager to witness the birth of a Supreme Talent. Ning Yi could no longer remain seated, and he flicked his robes and approached the stage. As he passed Feng Zhiwei, he tilted his head and cast a glance at her from the corner of his eyes. Feng Zhiwei lowered her head calmly with a compose expression, but just as he was about to fully pass her, she called out quietly. ¡°Your Excellency, to be a minister in the same palace as you in the future is a great honor.¡± Ning Yi¡¯s shoulders stiffened as he swept past her. Feng Zhiwei watched his departing silhouette and felt amazing. After being bullied and suppressed for so long, always at a disadvantage, she could finally stand upright and tall. Third Question. ¡°A Divine Stone of Fate has arrived from the Grand Firmament Temple bearing tidings linked to the fate and fortune of the Dynasty. If you were to throw the stone into the ¨¨ Sea around the Demon Island at exactly 7:45 on a blood mooned night, what will happen?¡± The leaders from the Bureau of Astronomy and the various scholars from the Imperial Academy had all taken the chance to look at the question earlier, and all of them had been racking their brains and twisting their beards, combing through their understanding and trying different approaches from astrology, astronomy, the Book of Changes, Feng Shui, and every method imaginable to answer the question. One of the figures from the Bureau of Astronomy was muttering to himself, ¡°Fathomless, truly fathomless¡­¡± No one was surprised at their reaction. Several generations ago, a renowned scholar had dedicated his entire life to these three questions, and had finally concluded that, though the questions seemed on a certain level odd and childish, they encompassed inexhaustible meaning. These three questions contained profound knowledge about different transformations of boundary formations, astrolabe calculations, fate, and karma. The various mysteries surrounding these matters took up the entire lifespan of this scholar, and he could not even begin to give answers. Finally, in the last years of this grey-haired and aged scholar, he struck his thigh and sighed in amazement ¨C this could only be the work of the brilliant Founding Emperor of Da Cheng. Only a peerless scholar would be able to give the right answer! Feng Zhiwei finally heard question. For a second, Feng Zhiwei paused in astonishment. This third question had never appeared in the notebook writings. But after answering the previous two questions, Zhiwei already had a grasp on the mentality of the questioner. Aim in the most simple direction, and answer with the most straightforward and unexpected answer. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s final answer was soon passed through the curtained pavilion. After a moment, the plopping sounds of collapsing bodies could be heard through the white veil. The gauze was swept aside, and a sweaty eunuch exited. He marched forward onto the stage, lifting his sagging paunch as he stood upright and at attention, but as he opened his mouth and tried to speak, no sound could emerge. All the hopes and worries of success and failure waited on his words, and all the onlookers held their breath, waiting for the portentous announcement, either for the birth of a Peerless Scholar, or for the death of a talented young man. The huge courtyard filled with thousands was as silent as a mausoleum. At the center of it all stood Feng Zhiwei, a faint smile on her face as she clasped her hands together. The three foot long golden scroll danced in the air, and its rustle sounded almost like light chuckling, floating upwards with the wind into the clouds. Ning Yi turned to stare at that thin young man, a complex look in his eyes. When at last the pregnant silence and suspense reached a peak and people could barely wait any longer, the eunuch finally gathered his breath. He walked forward to Feng Zhiwei and bowed deeply. ¡°Please¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Peerless Scholar¡ª¡ª¡± The words swept in every direction, and every heart surged with emotion. For a moment, as if all thoughts were swept aside by the crash of mighty waves against a rocky shore, thousands of minds blanked in amazement. Peerless Scholar! The students were excited simply for the monumental prestige and mythology behind these two noble words, while the figures of the imperial court exchanged deep looks. What a fated occasion¡­ if not for the instability of the borders, and the great burden on the Emperor this year leading up to this moment, the turmoil of domestic affairs and the unrest of the commoners demanding a solution, how could this young and naive boy be granted such a lofty title so easily? Chapter 43 Translator: Aristophaneso There were still people who saw a deeper meaning to this decision. The Crown Prince only had mediocre achievements, and the rest of the princes were too powerful. Many ministers in the Imperial Court had chosen sides, and powerful men were constantly talking of passing over the eldest in favor of the capable. Some days ago, the power of the Crown Prince¡¯s seal had been frozen, and the other princes had eagerly taken action. Princes fighting for dominance never heralded good for a dynasty, but the Emperor had watched without comment. Today, with the Qing Ming Academy¡¯s outstanding display of merit and the achievement of the Crown Prince, the old man had finally made his move, and with this one action, sent forth a warning to all the princes and their allies ¨C the Crown Prince was still favored in the court, cease your petty plans! If the dynasty needed a Peerless Scholar, than even if the young man had just drawn random figures for his answers, he would still be the Peerless Scholar! Some daring minds even began wondering if this might not be the result of collusion between the powers. While violent rumblings swept all around in the undercurrents, peace and happiness bloomed on the faces of all. Everyone welcomed Feng Zhiwei with congratulations and smiles. Feng Zhiwei was neither servile nor overbearing, and her natural poise and grace forced even the most suspicious to doubt their own doubts ¡ª just from her appearance, no one could say that she did not look the part. Many of the princes were looking over, but their gazes were not always kind ¡ª a talented scholar from Qing Ming Academy could only be a person in the Crown Prince¡¯s camp. Ning Yi sat to the side, already calm again, elegantly sipping at his tea. His long eyelashes tilted downwards as he hid a faint smile. Good, very good. In such a hopeless place you managed to find a path out, but¡­ even if you¡¯ve climbed back from the ledge, you¡¯ve only found yourself at a dead-end! Since she¡¯d been called to present herself without time to prepare, and her position had been greatly elevated with the lofty title of ¡°Peerless Scholar,¡± the etiquette demanded was comparatively simple. The Emperor and the Crown Prince were both courteous and kind to this scholar, and the Crown Prince especially made great gestures of attentiveness and appreciation, going so far as to hold Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand and constantly asking if she was comfortable. To the others watching, it almost felt like they were dear friends, reunited after a lonely separation that spanned many years. Feng Zhiwei was not at all comfortable with her hand in the Crown Princesses soft palms, but she plastered a small smile on her face as she tried to subtly pull free. But before she could do it, some people had already grown impatient. ¡°Make way!¡± A cold bark stilled the courtyard, and before the sound fell silent, the figure had already passed into the hall. The crowd only saw a cyan-sky robe blur through the air, flashing forward like a shooting star. As the man swept forward, his movement pulled at the trees around the courtyard, gathering leaves in his wake. The silent greenery fanned out behind him into the distance ¨C huge and bright, connecting the heavens and the earth, heralding this otherworldly visitor as he pierced the sky. ¡°Assassin! Protect the Emperor!¡± Soldiers roared as the You Lin Army and the Imperial Chang Ying Guard stepped forward, charging to meet their enemy, but before they could even touch the man¡¯s robes they were scattered aside and tossed through the air, their fine, tasseled weapons flying about, glittering in the sun. As the great clamoring rang out in the courtyard, a dark red silhouette silently stepped past Xin Ziyan and flicked his hand towards the rushing sky-cyan. Immediately, the green fan shadowing the courtyard froze, and the cyan robe twisted unnatural in the air, rolling and dodging. And this dodge, easily covering a thousand li, coincidently landed right in front of Feng Zhiwei. Ning Yi moved, his tea cup transforming into a golden beam howling through the air as it pierced towards the assassin¡¯s forehead. The attacker flicked his hand, and the cup flew back, yet despite the violent movement, not a single drop of the tea spilled. Blows and moves were exchanged in the span of a blink, and before anyone could stop him, the man had already neared Feng Zhiwei. With a flash of his cuff, his snow white fingers reached forward and pulled Feng Zhiwei out of the grubby paws of the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince cried out in alarm, only saved from falling by a gentle hand. A man stepped in front of the Crown Prince and angled his body to guard the astonished Emperor. He chided calmly, ¡°How daring! Seize him!¡± Of course this man was Ning Yi. And the one who had flown over to grab Feng Zhiwei was naturally the sobered Gu Family Young Master. The soldiers from the Yu Lin Army and the Chang Ying Guard surrounded them, swords bare and arrows cocked, all of their weapons pointed at Gu Nanyi. Gu Nanyi paid them no mind, and after slapping away the Crown Prince¡¯s hands, he pulled Feng Zhiwei away. ¡°Mine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei wanted to cry ¡ª Young Master Gu, are you trying to help me or harm me? You were nowhere when I neended you, and now when the dust has settled you show up¡­ And¡­ what do you mean ¡°Mine?¡± Feng Zhiwei thought that Young Master Gu¡¯s words must have been a contraction of some sort. There words missing from this phrase, such as ¡°this person is under my protection,¡± or something of that sort. But if you say it like this, people will misunderstand! When he recognized this Gu Nanyi, Ning Yi¡¯s face contorted ¡ª if he remembered correctly, that shameless woman had disappeared with this man! That shameless girl and this man had worked together to injure him, and this time they came together to sabotage his plans. No wonder he kept thinking there was something familiar about this brat, it turns out he was that woman all along, that woman ¡ª¡ª As his anger peaked, Ning Yi¡¯s face stilled and his breathing evened out. His black jade eyes sat under his tilted brows, and his glare was like a piercing needle frozen underneath a thousand years of snow. This sharp needle had surfaced as soon as Gu Nanyi had landed, and when he claimed Feng Zhiwei, the glare cut the air. Feng Zhiwei shivered and wondered at how the air froze around her. She raised her eyes and looked at Ning Yi¡¯s face ¡ª the beautiful and fine features of His Highness Prince Chu, so free and unrestrained in front of others, so profound and calm with her, but now frozen in a glare that she¡¯d never seen before. It was as if air could touch his face and fall aside as frozen pearls, and if his look could congeal into physical force, it would smash down on her head. Forget it¡­ she and the prince were not fated, and his anger was his prerogative. The issue at hand was safety from Gu Nanyi. Feng Zhiwei looked from the shocked Crown Prince lying paralyzed in shock to Ning Yi, calmly guarding the Emperor, and she could silently sigh in her heart. She stepped back and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, was the display of Kung Fu from this Jiang Hu commoner pleasing to your eyes?¡± Her words stunned the gathered crowd, and the Crown Prince finally stirred. He asked dubiously: ¡°¡­he¡­ your friend?¡± ¡°The wild men of the mountains do not understand ettiquette, and he deserves ten thousands death for the sin of offending Your Majesty.¡± Feng Zhiwei lowered her eyes and bowed her head, as if trying with all her heart to express in Gu Nanyi¡¯s stead the respect and humility he did not understand. ¡°He has only ever studied the ways of the Martial Arts, and is eager to serve the Imperial Family. This one¡¯s commoner friend has longed for the patronage and guidance of the Imperial Court for many years, but because of his forthright and coarse nature, he lacks all sense of propriety. He definitely did not intend to disrespect Your Majesty¡­ This one protester and hopes Your Majesty¡¯s lofty and brilliant mind can bestow mercy.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued respectfully, and fell to the ground and kowtowed. Chapter 44 Translator: Aristophaneso The Crown Prince immediately relaxed ¡ª it was commonly said that true martial experts often had eccentric personalities, and this man seemed to simply confirm those rumors. Already, the Crown Prince¡¯s mind had moved past the initial alarm, and was now occupied with other concerns. This man¡¯s mastery of Kong Fu was higher than those the Crown Prince had only managed to hire with great sums of money, if the Crown Prince could secure this man¡¯s aid in his camp, how could it not help him greatly? These thoughts flashed through his mind, and the Crown Prince immediately called forth smilingly. ¡°If this gentleman really were an assassin, would he come here without a single weapon? And just stand there calmly? No, do not worry.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s words tumbled forth, and the Emperor spared him a calm glance before turning to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Have him withdraw.¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed in relief and quickly obeyed. As she moved, the Emperor called out to Ning Yi. ¡°You, leave as well.¡± The Emperor addressed both Feng Zhiwei and the prince with the same tone, and perhaps in addressing Ning Yi his voice was even more indifferent. Although he surely saw how Ning Yi had shielded him, ready to sacrifice himself, the Emperor spoke as if he had seen nothing. Despite this treatment, Ning Yi still wore his usual face of calm, only bowing in acceptance. On the other hand, the Crown Prince was already smiling and out and about. Taking the teaware from the attending eunuch, the Crown Prince moved to pour a new cup for the Emperor. But just as the Crown Prince was rising from his seat, and Ning Yi was moving to withdraw, a sudden movement shocked everyone. A shocking change suddenly occurred Eunuch presenting the tea. The tray holding up the teaware fit Imperial Court standards in every way, with the Golden Sand Crab Apple served on a small silver platter, the tea in fine porcelain enamel teaware, and a bright yellow silk cloth folded just so, covering the tray. With the Emperor outside the Imperial Palace, and after the incident with Gu Nanyi, every guard was on high alert, and had already checked and checked again the tray and its contents, and even underneath the yellow silk cloth. The Crown Prince personally went over to grasp the tea pot, beaming as he served the Emperor: ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s favorite Chang Feng Guapian¡­¡± Before his words were fully out of his mouth, a glittering dazzle flashed before the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes. The flash was a cold white, like a bolt of lightning striking into the depths of the eyes, and the instance of great brightness switched to a long span of great darkness, and in that moment, the Crown Prince could see nothing. The dazzling light leaped forth from the tray. The Golden Sand Crab Apple flew in every direction, tossed through the air like so many scarlet drops of blood, and underneath it, a silvery white sword light springs forward. A customized soft sword, folded into the shape of a plate and covered with the Golden Sand Crab Apple, calmly passing through under the watch of so many guards, cheating every eye. The sword light flew through the air, and all the bodyguards could only watch as the blade veered straight for the Crown Prince and the Emperor, on a path to cut through the Crown Prince¡¯s shoulder and pierce directly into the Emperor¡¯s chest! At such a short distance, and with a strike of such extreme speed, even the Great Immortals could not act in time to save them. But suddenly, the assassin tossed his hand, the soft sword twisting through the air, passing the Crown Prince for a direct hit on the Emperor. This little movement slowed the strike just enough for another party to intervene. A moon white silk gown darted forward, silvery bamboo embroidery spinning through the air as the figure darted forward at break neck speed, as if throwing safety to the wind as he moved forward to guard the emperor. ¡°Chi¡± The sharp, thin sword quietly pierced through flesh, but the accompanying spray of blood spread through the air like a dazzling brocade. It was only now that the tossed Crab Apples landed, falling against a white jade, golden threaded screen, coloring the fabric a hot red. Red light flickered on the messy floor, a backdrop to the pale face of the man who had thrown himself in front of the Emperor. It was Ning Yi who had, at the crucial moment, taken the stab for himself. The piercing air stilled as every figure came to a pause, but as soon as the failed attempt became clear, the dark figure of the assassin darted away ¡ª the assassin did not linger, turning instantly and fleeing. Ning Yi immediately moved forward to chase, unwilling to let this assailant escape, but right as the assassin reached the threshold of the door, he suddenly twisted around and flicked his hand, shooting a golden flash towards the Emperor! The sudden attack caught everyone by surprise, and the wounded Ning Yi could not react in time. Just as the Emperor was about to meet his fate, a dark red figure silently darted in through the window, slapping out with a heavy, black sword, blocking the golden flash. The mysterious man accompanying Xin Ziyan finally reached the scene, but seemed to fall some inches short, as the dazzling golden light continued forward, and pierced straight for the Emperor¡¯s glabella. As his death neared, the Emperor closed his eyes in despair. Suddenly, Gu Nanyi moved. Despite all the hustle and uproar, Gu Nanyi had remained indifferently standing before Feng Zhiwei. The target of the assassination was an unrelated party, and Gu Nanyi seemed to believe that danger would only befall the area directly surrounding Feng Zhiwei, and thus refused to move a single step. But when the black robed man made his appearance, he finally lifted his hand. As his hand rose, a thick wall of air rose from the ground with it, knocking the golden flash aside, causing it to ricochet into the dark robed man¡¯s heavy sword. With a sharp, sliding grind and accompanying sparks of fire, the golden flash flew forward again, at an even faster speed, dashing back towards the assassin. The assassin had already fled quite the distance, but the darting golden flash moved as if it had eyes, and although the assassin twisted and twirled in a panic, the golden flash still pierced through his arm, exiting his flesh with a string of blood and nailing itself on the lintel of the antechamber door. The surrounding bodyguards finally reacted and pounced forward to give chase, but the assassin had incredible bodyweight techniques and flashed away. Not far behind him, a moon white figure pursued ¨C the wounded Ning Yi still moving forward. As he darted by Feng Zhiwei, some of his blood fell on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s peach blossom placket. Feng Zhiwei looked down at the spreading red blood, and complex expressions pooled in the depths of her eyes. Some of the bodyguards followed Ning Yi in pursuit, while more of them charged forward to surround the Emperor and the Crown Prince. The Emperor was still in shock, his face ghastly pale as he barely held himself upright, while the Crown Prince¡¯s face as white as a sheet, trembling and afraid even surrounded by this iron wall. As his eyes fell on Gu Nanyi, it was as if he had found his savior, and he hurriedly waved his hand, ¡°Mister! Here! Come here!¡± Was he calling for Young Master Gu as if he were a dog!? Feng Zhiwei cursed silently inside, and before Young Master Gu could react, she quickly moved forward, and since Gu Nanyi always followed her, he naturally moved forward as well. For better of for worse, it looked like he stepped forward at the Crown Prince¡¯s call. The Crown Prince glowed with happiness as Gu Nanyi stepped forward, and Feng Zhiwei smiled in return as she walked by him. She swept past and stopped three steps away from the Emperor, and as Gu Nanyi followed, he naturally came to a stop in front of the Emperor. The Tian Sheng Emperor watched everything silently, but his face relaxed slightly. The Crown Prince¡¯s face, on the other hand, stiffened, and he smiled unhappily. ¡°I was just about to ask Mr. Gu to protect Father Emperor. Mr. Gu is very thoughtful.¡± Feng Zhiwei could only gently smile ¡ª Brother, it¡¯s not that I am unwilling to give you face, but that there is no need to give face to someone doomed. The area was secured, and the crowd gradually quieted down. After hearing the clashing and shouting from afar, and spotting the still flowing blood on the floor, their nervous hearts that had just accepted the situation with Gu Nanyi, jumped again, and the gravity of this second uproar sank in, and hearts began to race and palms to sweat. This attempted assassination and enormous case of treason must lead to a bloody storm. When the dust settled, how many heads would lie on the ground? How many young lives would be buried? Chapter 45 Translator: Aristophaneso Clashing cries gradually neared, and it was very clear that the assassin had not escaped. The sound of sword hitting blade piercing through the white yarn curtain never ceased, and on this side of the gauze, everyone held their breath. They all knew that every second lives were lost, and having the scene hidden from view seemed to only heighten their emotion. Only the Tian Sheng Emperor relaxed, surrounded on all sides, slowly tasting his tea, with his eyes on the scattered Golden Sand Crab Apples. The clashes neared, and a faint cry of distant misery could vaguely be heard, followed soon by Ning Yi¡¯s hurried shout: ¡°Leave him alive!¡± The waiting group grew solemn, and their expressions intense. Leaving the assassin alive was the most direct path to the mastermind behind this plot. Prince Chu clearly grasped how strange this assassination had been, and knew the grievous consequences of his choice ¡ª investigating would inevitably involve the entire Imperial Court, and he refused to let this matter go! Every prince began examining those around him, and in every eye was speculation and alert vigilance. As the princes traded glances, the Tian Sheng Emperor looked to the Crown Prince and suddenly smiled. ¡°Sheng Er, if we bring this assassin back alive, how about you take charge of the investigation?¡± The Crown Prince was surprised, and had not thought the Emperor would trust him so much, immediately replying. ¡°I will definitely follow the orders of Father Emperor! This son will definitely find the real killer!¡± Outside the circle of bodyguards, a few of the tardy, Eastern Palace ministers still heard the conversation, and they could only exchange looks and sigh. Expressions changed all around the room ¡ª the Crown Prince¡¯s stupidity had reached a whole new level! The assassin had clearly ignored the Crown Prince to target the Emperor, and of course the Emperor would have his suspicions. This question he had asked was at its core a test, and if the Crown Prince was able enough, he would have quickly given away this hot potato, and should have been the first to suggest that his political enemies should take charge, absolving himself of any hint of suspicion. Now that he had actually accepted, what could the Emperor think? The Tian Sheng Emperor remained expressionless and even replied with a sound of approval, but only Feng Zhiwei noticed the old man¡¯s fingers tremble as he lifted his tea. Feng Zhiwei cast a secret glance of sympathy ¡ª the Emperor¡¯s power did not come without a price, and no matter how great his anger, he could only suppress it, and no matter how useless his heir, he had to endure. And the truth was that there was an even greater unhappiness waiting for him, but it seemed like this old man had not realized that yet. It was then that with a dull thud, a figure was tossed into the front hall, slammed down into the dark stone floor. Another man quickly followed, calmly stepping into the already pooling blood. The bamboo on his once moon-white silk robe was blackened with blood, but could not detract from his elegance. He bowed towards the gauze screen. ¡°This minister-son was lucky, and successfully captured the assassin. Father Emperor, please give your command.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s expression showed some improvement, and he for his attendants to pull back the curtain, his tone slightly more gentle than before. Feng Zhiwei secretly glanced over at Ning Yi¡¯s figure, wondering what kind of medicine he was selling? In this chain of strategies, other than Killing with a Borrowed Blade, and Deceit from Self-Injury, what other play did he have? Was he planning on framing someone? This seemed almost unnecessary, with the old man already suspicious of the Crown Prince. The bloodied man lifted his head from the floor, and it was clearly the assassin from before. Ning Yi quickly passed this burden to the overseer of the Chang Ying Guard before retreating. ¡°Have Imperial Physician Zhang take a look at your wound.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor said, but to this rare display of concern and tenderness, Ning Yi showed no flustered face or overwhelmed expression. His face was calm as usual, and he bowed in response before calmly leaving. As the Tian Sheng Emperor watched Ning Yi leave, his eyes gained a touch more gentleness and care. Feng Zhiwei could only watch in admiration as Ning Yi retreated behind a screen partition ¡ª His Highness was a natural born actor! Barely before she was finished with this observation, Ning Yi¡¯s calm voice was already filling the air. ¡°Your Majesty has faced a great trial, it is best that Imperial Physician Zhang stays by your side¡­ I¡¯ve heard that National Scholar Wei is also accomplished in medicinal science, and is more than able to deal with a small matter like my wound. May I request the use of his talented hands to treat me?¡± Feng Zhiwei blinked ¡­ it couldn¡¯t be that you refuse to let me go? Beside Feng Zhiwei, the Tian Sheng Emperor thought about Ning Yi¡¯s words and thought that they were well put. He was already old, and it was true that he did feel somewhat uncomfortable after this shocking scene, and it would be best if the Imperial Physician stayed by him. And the truth was that in this day and age, did not every talented man learn something of medicine? And so he nodded in approval. Feng Zhiwei looked to the sky in defeat, and could only walk over, with Gu Nanyi naturally following behind. Feng Zhiwei knew that he should not accompany her, and so he hastily said: ¡°I¡¯m going to change clothes ¡­ change clothes!¡± Gu Nanyi frowned and looked at the black screen, seemingly finding this excuse unrealistic. Feng Zhiwei felt a headache coming on, and hurriedly continued coaxing him, ¡°Using the toilet. Really!¡± For better or for worse, this Young Master Gu finally gave up on following her, taking three steps away from the screen, eyes follow Feng Zhiwei as she walked behind the screen to ¡°use the toilet¡±. As soon as Feng Zhiwei turned around, she saw Prince Chu¡¯s face gloomy and dark as night ¡ª clearly, he had heard this ¡°using the toilet¡± excuse. Alright ¡­ this girl accidentally slandered you this time¡­ Feng Zhiwei awkwardly smiled. The man sitting on the stool did not even look at her as he extended his arm. Feng Zhiwei just stood, staring blankly at the offered, bloodied sleeve. ¡°Change it.¡± This Royal Highness sat as usual, ordering this Lady Feng to help, this girl who had lived as a serving boy but had never learned how to take care and change clothes for others. Feng Zhiwei smiled faintly. ¡°Your Highness, three steps to your left are the maids of the Imperial Palace, and three steps to the right are the attending eunuchs.¡± Her meaning was, for a minor as small as this, could his highness please not bother a National Scholar like me. Ning Yi glanced sidelong at her, his eyes flashing like a cold, lacquered blade, and without a word he nodded to a maid. Just as she had come up and was about to touch his sleeve, he flicked his wrist. The maid was pushed back and fell to the ground, knocking down the healing ointment from another maid¡¯s hand. Both maids cried out in fear and fell to the ground, kneeling and begging for punishment. Ning Yi quietly and impatiently scolded, ¡°Clumsy! Leave!¡± All the maids and eunuchs quickly disappeared, and Ning Yi turned to Feng Zhiwei, the anger on his face already gone, replaced with a cold smile. Feng Zhiwei had no choice ¡ª if she insisted on leaving, she would be leaving misfortune for the innocent servants. She had already known for a long time what kind of person Ning Yi was, seemingly casual and salacious person, but in fact tough and persistent, definitely not one who would easily give up. She bent and picked up the healing ointment, but as she reached down, the tip of a boot pressed down on her finger. Feng Zhiwei lifted her head. The man had leaned downward, his fine silk riding boot lightly place on her finger, and with this forward lean, that extraordinarily beautiful face famed throughout Dijing was only a breath span from her face. Face to face like this, close enough to smell the other¡¯s breath, in a room tinted with the tang of blood, his gorgeous and cool breath and her warm misty air mixed and tangled, and the noise from behind the screen seemed to retreat to the distance, and a silence fell upon this little closet. He did not speak, and Feng Zhiwei did not know how to respond. All her counterfeit gentleness and hidden wit seemed unnecessary in front of this man, and all she could think to do was to lean backwards, finding their distance inappropriate. Chapter 46 Translator: Aristophaneso As she retreated, he pursued, and after this little exchange, Feng Zhiwei felt sudden coldness on her face. She lifted her hand to touch that spot of coldness, and when her finger came away it was covered in blood. In this absent-minded moment, Feng Zhiwei thought back to that day in that small yard when a drop of his blood had fallen between her eyes, and while she was distracted he heard his quiet voice: ¡°That day my blood also fell on your face ¡ª were you happy? Were you proud?¡± The gentle tone hid a flavor of biting and gnashing of teeth. Feng Zhiwei looked up in shock, utterly confused, but in front of this man¡¯s dark eyes, heavy as gloomy clouds, she could not speak. After a moment, she could only embarrassedly reply: ¡°These words that you speak¡­¡± She spoke utterly sincerely, but he could only see her actions as a mechanical deceit ¡ª his long eyebrows twitched as a nameless anger swelled in Ning Yi¡¯s breasts, and suddenly his hand pounced. Feng Zhiwei did not understand what Ning Yi was doing, and she naturally struggled, and because of her struggle, she unknowingly generated Qi inside her body and pushed with a surprising strength, mistakenly pressing on some part of Ning Yi¡¯s body and forcing out a groan of pain. Feng Zhiwei startled herself and immediately loosened her hands, but in that moment of hesitation, Ning Yi¡¯s hand had already reached forward and grabbed her throat. His bloody fingers were around her neck, and the scarlet only made her skin more translucent in comparison. Her large eyes stared back into his, without fear or supplication, and only gradually watered. Her eyes did not tear up in pain or worry, but dewed with a natural mistiness, as a dreamlike shroud fell over gaze. Like a solitary flower before the dawn of day, misted with cold and clear dew, waiting in the lonely dark to blossom. His hand began to tremble. He could not help but think of the first time they had met, this woman sinking in the water, thin, black feather eyebrows over mighty and bright eyes. Even after a murder, her eyes seemed to flow with brilliance and beauty.(The end of Chapter 2) In her he saw an elegant beauty free from the stains of earthly wind and rain, immutable. His fingers clutched her neck. But his heart was a mess. She knew too many of his secrets, and could only bring him worry and misfortune. She saw too deeply, and with too much cunning, and was an obstacle he had to eliminate, but as she stood there staring calmly, his fingers suddenly lost all their strength. If she begged, he would kill her. If she cried, she would die. But she did nothing, calm in the face of his killing intent, and he was once again lost in the little details of their first encounter. They had been the same, trapped for years in a lonely city, struggling against a doomed fate clutching at their souls. His fingers slowly loosened their grip. He was as a sudden hurricane, loud and fury, suddenly turning aside the pitching current of his movement to pass peacefully by a sea of flowers, relinquishing his fury to preserve the beautiful and fragile blossoms. His fingers finally left her neck, and he sighed silently with the depths of his being. He comforted himself ¡ª this had not been a good opportunity anyway, there were too many people outside, and he would not have been able to explain ¡­ yes, this was why he had let her go. Feng Zhiwei slowly lifted her hand to her neck. There were no marks, and no sense of pressure; just then, he had not even revealed the slightest hint of his killing aura, but she knew with certainty that this moment, out of all their past encounters, was her closest brush with death, and that this time Ning Yi had truly wanted her life. At that moment, with his fingers around her neck, her mind had blanked, and she had lost all her cleverness and all her wit. She had stared at him then because she wanted to understand, to know what he was thinking. She did not know what made him finally give up her death, and she fell into a rare long silence. After a moment, she slowly moved, picked up the ointment once more, and shifted to his side, removing his outer clothing and applying the medicine. Ning Yi did not speak, and silently accomodated her actions. The two were no longer at war, and had somehow reached a wordless understanding. With his clothes half off, the man¡¯s smooth, jade skin was open to the air, and if it were said to have the firmness and elasticity of an able swordsman, it also had the elegance and brilliance of a wealthy and honored prince. His defined collarbones were out in the open, and the tight and fluid line of his shoulder and neck. Feng Zhiwei saw none of this, and stared in shock at the bloody puncture wound that had almost pierced through his shoulder blade. The skin and flesh around the wound was hideously curled and twisted, and it was a wonder that he had been able to chase so staunchly with such a serious injury. Feng Zhiwei could not help but gasp, almost as if it were her shoulder and her pain. Ning Yi watched her expression change, and the darkness around his eyes seemed to almost lessen. Feng Zhiwei gently dressed the wound, attentive to every twitch and quiver. ¡°Is it painful?¡± She asked, and quietly leaned forward and gently blew on the wound. Ning Yi was surprised into laughter, and could barely believe that the clever and screwed girl was capable of such a childish move. His heart lightened, and he could not resist speaking: ¡°What are you doing?¡± Feng Zhiwei awkwardly straightened, her eyes downward as she replied. ¡°When I was young and scraped my knee, my mother blew on it like this¡­¡± Her voice quietly faded as she spoke. Ning Yi¡¯s smile fell from his face. He knew how Feng Zhiwei had been cast out of her home. After a moment, he quietly replied: ¡°To have had someone blow on your wound before is a happiness¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei was startled, and looked upward with an expression of disbelief ¡ª was he comforting her? After the words left his mouth, Ning Yi immediately felt as if he had let too much slip, coughing and closing his mouth. Feng Zhiwei bit her lips and continued applying the medicine, her hair hanging downwards, brushing his shoulder, and though it itched, he suddenly did not feel like moving. The soft exhalation of her breath beside his ear was sweet and refreshing, like a half-bloomed crape myrtle in early summer. Beyond the partition, the sound of arguing could be heard, and though Ning Yi should have been paying attention, he felt lazy and ignored it. Feng Zhiwei also paid no mind to the furor, and quietly continued her task, staring at the blood and bone. As she worked and thought about what had happened, she felt a pain in her heart, and could not resist quietly saying: ¡°and for what?¡± Ning Yi froze, and he turned slightly to look at her. Feng Zhiwei kept her peace ¡ª what was all of this for? The struggle and trouble of planning, the determination to sacrifice his body and to take such a deep wound, and to not even have anyone by his side to ask after him or speak to ¡ª this highest throne under heaven, this imperial glory, was it truly worth it? Ning Yi calmly looked at her, not growing angry as he seemed to read her thoughts through her eyes. After a moment, he finally said: ¡°You do not understand.¡± Feng Zhiwei listened in silence, wondering if this claim was true. You lost your mother at a young age, and suffered with your sickly body for years; even with your great talent, you were always ignored or oppressed. Although you and Xin Ziyan are friends with completely understanding, you must pretend to be strangers, and though you once owned Qing Ming Academy, you had to relinquish it to the Crown Prince. You are not favored by the Emperor, so you must attach yourself to the Crown Prince, and in so doing, have constantly paid the price for his stupidity¡­ All this time you¡¯ve hidden away all these wounds and all these secrets, without a single person by your side to treat you with kindness or offer you protection, and so you¡¯ve come all this way and do not mind pushing yourself even harder, treating yourself even more harshly. Chapter 47 Translator: Aristophaneso As she slowly picked up the bandages on the table and carefully wrapped Ning Yi¡¯s wound, she suddenly spoke, and said: ¡°Today you let me go, so in the future, I will also let you go one time.¡± Ning Yi looked at her in surprise, and Feng Zhiwei calmly and steadily returned his gaze. After a moment, Ning Yi smiled, half-consciously shaking his head but keeping silent. This life of his was in his own hands, and under his own control ¡ª his would not rest until his desires were achieved. How could it be possible for this little girl, however clever, to have control of his life in her hands? Feng Zhiwei saw his disbelief but did not argue. ¡°Finished,¡± she announced with a final smile as she carefully tied off the bandage. Just as she finished speaking, an angry shout could be heard from the other room. ¡°Nonsense!¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s voice filled the air with rage and anxiety, and the surroundings seemed to suddenly fall silent. Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi exchanged glances before turning around to look. Through the screen, they could see the Crown Prince bolt upright in anger and step forward, trying to kick the collapsed assassin before being held back by the guards. The Crown Prince panted, his face deathly pale, pointing and cursing. ¡°You liar! How dare you frame me!¡± The seriously injured assassin lifted his bloodied face, and with a poisonous glare coldly replied: ¡°Why so worried, Your Highness? I have not said anything!¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s chest heaved, and he could barely suppress his anger and keep silent ¡ª he had just been satisfied and content, and had been personally interrogating the assassin in the view of several important ministers and princes. The assassin was wily, and though he did not directly saw who he worked for, every sentence he spoke implied that his master held a high and powerful position, knew basically all the roads to and from and within Qing Ming Academy, and had countless servants, and a loyal man like this assassin would never betray his lord. At first the Crown Prince did not understand what was being implied, but as the surrounding people began to look at him with stranger and stranger gazes, he began to ponder these phrases: ¡°high and powerful, knowing all the roads within Qing Ming Academy, and have countless servants¡±¡ª did this not point everything directly at him? This thought filled him with rage and made his hair bristle up with anger, and if he had not been stopped by the guards, he may have even stepped forward and kicked the assassin to death. While he raged, others secretly hid their happiness. The Second Prince leisurely spoke up, saying: ¡°A righteous man remains righteous no matter where he is, and similarly with the sinful man. Crown Prince should rest at ease without anxiety or displeasure; should we not see what else this man has to say?¡± The Seventh Prince frowned and interjected: ¡°Shameless to the highest degree! How daring to suggest this! He is better of jailed in the Celestial Prison and given to the Three Departments to be interrogated!¡± The recently arrived Fifth Prince coldly replied: ¡°The Dali Court is governed by the Crown Prince. As I see it, going through such trouble is pointless.¡± The Crown Prince glared around him, and each prince had a different reaction. The Fifth Prince avoided his gaze, the Seventh Prince gently smiled, and the Second Prince cast a sidelong glance in return. The several important ministers who had always remained neutral changed their positions today, not a single one speaking up for the Crown Prince. The Tian Sheng Emperor coldly watched the drama unfold. He did not fully believe what the assassins said about the Crown Prince ¡ª clearly a man who sat on the highest throne knew that not everything that you heard could be trusted, and even one¡¯s own eyes could be deceived. This assassin had been too obvious in avoiding the Crown Prince, and was now clearly framing him. All of this was too obvious, and the assassin overeager, clearly undermining the authenticity of his words. But there was of course the other understand, that perhaps the Crown Prince was deliberately placing himself in this situation in order to exonerate himself. Those who had experienced the trials and tribulations of political intrigue and had personally been on either end of evil tactics, would of course think more and speculate. The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s eyes flicked over the gathered princes, each with their particular expressions on their faces, calmly and silently judging and thinking. Who was responsible? The Emperor turned to examine the assassin, and even though the man had stared poisonously at the Crown Prince all along, he had never avoided the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes. From start to finish he had stared at the Crown Prince, eyes fixed on him as if trying to remind him something. As he began studying the assassin, the Emperor¡¯s heart began to beat faster. While the princes stood in silent struggle, a burst of rapid footfalls broke the silence as a voice called out loudly: ¡°Where is Wei Zhi, where is Wei Zhi?¡± The voice pushed aside all the guards and rushed forward. By now, all the students had already been evacuated by Xin Ziyan and his men, so clearly this particular student had an extraordinary status, one which the guards did not dare to stand in front of. A figure pushed through the white gauze screen, and Lin Shao¡¯s glittering eyes sparkled in the hall. She looked to the Tian Sheng Emperor and loudly called out ¡°Father Emperor¡± and leaped forward. ¡°Princess!¡± The room greeted, all the attendants bowing. The Tian Sheng Emperor hugged his favorite little daughter, his tight face relaxing somewhat. The Shao Ning Princess had entered the school under the identity of Lin Shao, and was currently examining the Emperor in worry, saying: ¡°Father Emperor, are you alright? You¡¯re fine, right? Your caught was really scared!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor frowned mockingly, and lightly reprimanded her. ¡°How could a dignified Princess be so hurried!¡± But though his voice seemed to discipline, his eyes were filled with doting affection. ¡°I¡¯ve been a student for too long, I can¡¯t go back.¡± Shao Ning giggled before looking around. When she saw the assassin lying on the ground and the furious face of the Crown Prince, she cocked her pretty eyebrows, anger suddenly showing. ¡°This is him?¡± ¡°Yes! Little sister.¡± The Crown Prince also doted on this younger sister from the same mother, and in the past this cute little sister had often saved him from the Father Emperor¡¯s displeasure. Now he complained to her, ¡°This is him. He tried to assassinate Father Emperor and is now trying to frame me.¡± ¡°Really bold and fearless.¡± Shao Ning said with a cold smile, slowly walking over to the assassin and examining him. Suddenly, she grabbed a large rock from the display beside her and smashed down on the assassin¡¯s head! ¡°PU¡± The sounds of a punctured and smashed watermelon stunned, and blood splattered. A weird croak seemed to come from the man¡¯s throat, and his body convulsed strangely before he fell still, twisted. The assassin collapsed into his thick pool of blood, never to rise again. Silence filled the hall, amazement and bewilderment reigning over every figure at this Little Princess¡¯ sudden kill. Only Shao Ning remained as usually, brushing off her hands and coldly smiling. ¡°There, I got rid of this plague.¡± The Crown Prince stumbled backwards in shock, falling into his chair, only some seconds later recovering and wiping away his cold sweat. Secretly, he felt somewhat more at ease ¡ª no matter how bad the situation was for him, the dead man could no longer speak, and perhaps the Emperor would let this matter go? Even if his majesty pursued, this case would still have to be deferred, and would be handled when the other Princes were not gathered and poised to frame him, kicking him when as he is down. Only the deeply loved Ning Shao would dare to do this, and as he thought, he became more and more grateful to this younger sister of his. The Tian Sheng Emperor finally reacted, his face icy cold as he roared: ¡°Fool!¡± ¡°Father Emperor¡­¡± Shao Ning jumped over, tears at the edge of her eyes as she hung onto the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s neck. ¡°This daughter heard some bold man dared to attack Father Emperor, how could I hold back my anger! This man dared to attack the Son of Heaven and frame the Emperor¡¯s descendent. This vicious man was trying to cause disorder in the Royal Court! If I did not kill him, the hatred in my heart would never fade!¡± Chapter 48 Translator: Aristophaneso When the Tian Sheng Emperor heard her say ¡°causing disorder in the Royal Court,¡± his eyes flashed, hesitation appeared in his heart, and a thought flew through his mind ¡ª when did Shao Ning learn to speak these kinds of words? Just as he was about to ask, a cry of surprise came from the guard disposing of the corpse. Everyone turned and saw the guard slowly peel something off of the assassin¡¯s face, holding it gingerly by two fingers. It was a finely crafted human skin mask. Shao Ning¡¯s stone had smashed into the assassin¡¯s skull, and a large amount of blood had soaked into the assassin¡¯s face, and the mask had wrinkled. The attentive guard had realized something was off, and when he tried to peel back to mask with a nail, had discovered the second face underneath. The Second Prince quickly ran over to examine the man, and he immediately cried out: ¡°This is a familiar face!¡± The Seventh Prince kept silent, and the Fifth Prince folded his arms as he calmly spoke: ¡°Isn¡¯t this the martial arts master that Old Six had invited to the Eastern Palace a couple days ago. I think I saw him there once.¡± The Crown Prince froze. He also knew this man. A month ago, he had been chatting with Old Six and had spoken about how rogues were always underfoot in the Eastern Palace, and many of his brothers were watching him with greedy eyes, making him uneasy. Old Six had replied that he could find a reliable Kung Fu master to protect the Eastern Palace, and had found this man, apparently the greatest expert of the Hu Zuhuo Snow Mountain¡¯s Exotic Sword Sect. The Crown Prince met with this expert once and was immediately impressed, and was going to immediately invite him to join the Eastern Palace, but he had been stopped by Old Six. Ning Yi had found the man¡¯s countenance suspicious, and wondered if he had some ulterior motives ¡ª for safety, they had decided it best to give him a position somewhere else and to test his loyalty. Afterwards, the Crown Prince had completely forgotten about this man, and now it turns out that Ning Yi was correct in his suspicions! The truth was probably that when Old Six had presented this man to the Crown Prince, he had been seen by his spying brothers, and this was the only reason that they thought this assassin was Ning Yi¡¯s man. The Crown Prince lowered his eyes and nervously thought to himself. This matter, should he speak or keep silent? But the Crown Prince almost immediately made his decision ¡ª he under a great deal of suspicion, and if he told the truth, he would only be piling trouble upon himself, and why would he do that? As for Old Six ¡­ the Crown Prince was the ruler, and his brother the minister ¡ª a minister dying for his lord is the natural order of the heavens, and is a blessed act! With his decision made, the Crown Prince no longer hesitated and immediately spoke out: ¡°I have also seen this man before, he is Sixth Brother¡¯s Mansion Guard!¡± With this one sentence, everyone¡¯s expression changed ¡ª Ning Yi had always been in the Crown Prince¡¯s camp, and had served with utmost loyalty. The other Princes had thought that there would at least be some form of defense, after all, that would be how a ruler kept the dedication of his follower¡¯s heart. No one had expected the Crown Prince to be so ruthless, immediately sacrificing the pawn to preserve the king! Behind the screen, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart instantly became as brilliant and clear as snow. She turned her head and met Ning Yi¡¯s gaze. In response to this gaze deep beyond meaning, Ning Yi only calmly looked back, the hints of a cold and courageous smile on his face. But from that small smile Feng Zhiwei could read a deeply hidden sorrow and bitterness. On the other side of the screen, all the Princes had reached a silent agreement ¡ª if they could not take down the Crown Prince, it would still be worthwhile to cut away Ning Yi. Plucking the wings from the Crown Prince¡¯s camp was something everyone gladly moved for, and now that the Crown Prince himself had already thrown in the stone, the other princes would not be polite. And since Ning Yi had just saved the Emperor and earned merit, if the others did not seize the opportunity to trample on him, no one could guarantee that he would not be favored by the old man one day, and rapidly rise in power. ¡°Before the Crown Prince, the Qing Ming Academy was governed by Sixth Brother, and he is surely familiar with the roads here as well.¡± The icy Fifth Prince said first. ¡°No wonder the assassin spoke about great nobility and strong powers, with countless servants and intimate knowledge of the roads inside and outside¡­¡± The Second Prince crossed his legs, lying with clear eyes. ¡°Now that you mention it, Sixth Brother really does seem likely.¡± ¡°We should not rush to conclusions.¡± The Virtuous Seventh Prince said sincerely. ¡°We must allow Sixth Brother a chance to justify himself, and have Father Emperor be the judge.¡± As Feng Zhiwei listened from behind the screen, a cold smiled spread across her lips. This prince was the most vicious, before a conviction already using the phrase ¡°justify¡±¡ª these seemingly neutral words already assuming Ning Yi¡¯s guilt. What a good and virtuous prince! The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s Face was half hidden by the edge of the screen partition, and he kept lidded eyes and a closed mouth, seemingly unaffected by his son¡¯s quarrels, but from Feng Zhiwei¡¯s corner, she could see his eyebrows trembling, and a gloomy and sharp darkness pooling in his half closed eyes. At that moment, a voice called out clearly: ¡°Qing Ming¡¯s security was lax, and gave Your Majesty a fright. Ziyan comes now to ask for punishment.¡± Beyond the white yarn curtain, waving in the wind, Xin Ziyan kneeled, bowing at the bottom of the stairs. Second Prince immediately smiled, ¡°Headmaster Xin came right on time, but as for the guilt in this matter, this Prince thinks that you should not be so eager to take the blame.¡± Xin Ziyan straightened from his kowtow, knees still pressed against on the cold stone, his voice clear and resounding as he stared up at the Second Prince¡¯s thick eyebrows and thin eyes. ¡°Then who does Your Highness have in mind?¡± The Fifth Prince coldly replied: ¡°You have just heard, stop pretending that you do not understand.¡± ¡°This Minor Minister really does not understand!¡± Xin Ziyan shot back. ¡°Knowing Qing Ming well and having a good relationship with this Minor Minister is all the proof necessary for guilt? Then when Your Highness Second Prince used the pretext of your brother-in-law¡¯s admittance to Qing Ming Academy forcibly gifted five hundred fine horses, was that guilt? When Your Highness Fifth Prince invited this Minor Minister to a feast at the Jin Shui Residence, and during the feast generously gifted me 20 kilograms of Ming Hai¡¯s tribute, was that guilt? And when Your Highness Seventh Prince often ¡°encounters¡± this Minor Minister at the Mountain Moon Book Residence, and with the name bosom friend, successively gifted me 32 volumes of rare texts, was that guilt!¡± The three consecutive demands fell like steel plates and clattered to the ground, plunging the entire hall into silence. The named prince¡¯s faces swelled and reddened or darkened or paled, none of their expressions normal. Feng Zhiwei stared in amazement at Xin Ziyan ¡ª she really could not measure the true depths of this uncle, apparently he had more talents that just climbing brothel walls and getting run around town by his wife and her troupe, and actually did possess the character and brilliance of a high scholar. It was at this time that Ning Yi stood, and quietly walked into the hall. He walked until he was before the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s feet and knelt, silent, without having glanced a single time at any of the other princes. Speaking could not compare to holding one¡¯s peace, and ten thousand words could not compare to a single silence. It is sometimes only in silence that one can experience the deepest grief and the greatest indignation. Feng Zhiwei watched in silent praise ¡ª when it came to influencing the heart and keeping action and speech within the limits of propriety, Ning Yi had the clearest understanding. She watched quietly, a deep sadness crossing her heart ¡ª so this was a stage planned and completely under his control? This quarrel between brothers, and this vicious pack that had turned on him was real ¡ª the truth of their hearts was clear and in the open. The Tian Sheng Emperor looked at Ning Yi, his eyes deep and immeasurable. After a moment, he opened his mouth. ¡°What do you have to say?¡± All the princes watched, excitement on their faces. Ning Yi stiffened, and in that moment glanced upwards in disbelief before turning towards the Crown Prince. He refused to meet his gaze. Chapter 49 Translator: Aristophaneso Ning Yi closed his eyes, his whole body slightly trembling as his face went paper pale ¡ª with her sharp eyes, Feng Zhiwei could see that Ning Yi¡¯s wound was seeping red, and may have already been ripped open. After a moment, Ning Yi kowtowed, quietly replying: ¡°This was a guard in my mansion¡­ but this son minister does not ¡­¡± At the point, the Tian Sheng Emperor interrupted, and coldly replied. ¡°Since that is the case, you will stay in the side palace for now, and you can come out when this situation is cleared!¡± This was already a matter of house arrest, waiting for conviction, and though it was not exactly what the various Princes had expected, they still watched with happiness, though a long sigh could be heard by the sharp eared. Ning Yi bowed in position, and after a long moment said: ¡°I understand.¡± A guard stepped forward, half supporting and half dragging Ning Yi. Ning Yi shook the guard¡¯s hands off of him, stood up on his own, turned and left. As he walked to the hall entrance, facing forward into a beam of the red-gold setting sun, he suddenly spoke, calmly saying: ¡°The Emperor¡¯s line is as thin as the sun¡¯s rays, setting over the western mount.¡± After he finished speaking he swayed ¡ª And passed out. Though everyone clearly heard his words, they all acted as if nothing had been said. Feng Zhiwei stood, her hands clasped in her sleeves, watching the guards escort Ning Yi as he was carried away, coolly watching the drama unfold. ¡°This Royal Highness, even though he appears badly injured, is really only wounded in skin and flesh. His pulse just now was also strong and steady, it is impossible that he should be this weak.¡± At this juncture, using this method to retreat and excuse himself, how exquisite. The Tian Sheng Emperor sat silently for a long while before he tiredly waved his sons away, gesturing for them to leave. When Feng Zhiwei stepped forward to ask for permission, the Tian Sheng Emperor suddenly said, ¡°Mister Wei, please stay for a moment.¡± Feng Zhiwei stopped, and the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s eyes turned to Gu Nanyi, and Gu Nanyi looked up at the Emperor. The Sheng Tian Emperor watched Gu Nanyi. Gu Nanyi looked up at him. Cold sweat beaded on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s forehead, and she hurriedly spoke: ¡°Your Majesty ¡­ this commoner¡¯s friend has an incredibly simple mind, and ¡­¡± Her face grew embarrassed and she stumbled, ¡°in the common matters of the world, he largely does not understand ¡­ if you¡­¡± Her words were clumsy, but the meaning was utterly clear ¡ª this child was very slow, and if he wandered off there would be danger¡­¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor pondered for a moment, but eventually said nothing and waved for Shao Ning to leave. The Princess pouted, but said nothing and obediently retreated. Feng Zhiwei watched indifferently, seeing this child¡¯s spoiled nature, but also her cunning and propriety. If her decisiveness in the brutal murder of the assassin could be counted upon, then she was both cruel and daring enough to carry the burdens of a Lord, clearly far superior to her full blooded brother. Shao Ning walked by Feng Zhiwei and secretly bumped him with her shoulder, her eyes smiling as she said, ¡°Perform well¡­ hehe, I didn¡¯t scare you, did I?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled lightly and stepped backwards, saluting properly: ¡°Greetings to Princess.¡± Shao Ning rolled her eyes and walked away chuckling, her steps light and. Fast, the bottoms of her thin shoes still covered in brain juice¡­ The Tian Sheng Emperor smiled as her daughter sauntered away, but the happiness quickly fell away as he turned his eyes back to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Mister Wei, We would like to hear your understanding of the circumstances today.¡± Feng Zhiwei blinked ¡ª was the old man testing her? But this topic did not seem appropriate for a freshly minted ¡°National Scholar.¡± ¡°Your Majesty,¡± She said, bowing. ¡°This commoner has no title, and does not dare speak of matters of the nation.¡± ¡°How is this national?¡± The old emperor¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°This is family business.¡± ¡°The Son of Heaven has no private business.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled lightly, replying simply. ¡°En?¡± The Emperor looked down, his gaze sharp as a blade. Feng Zhiwei saw the gaze and knew that she could not pretend ignorance today; she silently died ¡ª this old man has clearly made his own decision, why did he have to make her life difficult. ¡°The Crown Prince is the greatest title in the land, neither easily granted nor easily taken away.¡± She replied after her slight pause. She lowered her gaze and looked at the tip of her shoe ¡ª the stained blood was impossible to unsee, and had dripped on her when she was treating Ning Yi. Feng Zhiwei sighed again ¡ª Ning Yi, it is not that I do not want to help you, but your old man does not want to tear down the Crown Prince, if I go beyond my limits and make wild suggestions, I will be the first to die. No Matter what, her own small life was her priority. As for him ¡­ he had another move, right? The Tian Sheng Emperor silently examined Feng Zhiwei. How rare for such a young man to be so clear minded, and for one with both the understanding and the courage to speak plainly and frankly ¡ª this daring was already more impressive than that of many experienced ministers. Perhaps it was because he was not experienced that he could be so clear in his understanding? The Tian Sheng Emperor did not believe in every superstition surrounding the Zhuo Ying Scroll and the scholar who solved it ¡ª the fate of a country depended on wise rulers and capable ministers, depended on unity between the upper echelon and the lower rings, and depended on the heart of the people. To have one man controlling the fate of an entire country ¡ª the Emperor believed that other than himself, there was no other person who could carry that burden. But this young man in front of him seemed to have some use¡­ ¡°Not in vain has the Zhuo Ying Scroll been preserved these six centuries.¡± The gloom disappeared from the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s face, and he smiled down at Feng Zhiwei, his expression one of great contentment. ¡°You have given the correct answers today and have not sullied the great reputation of Zhuo Ying; we are pleased. For many years, our imperial order has stood unanswered. Today the one who has solved the Zhuo Ying Scroll will receive the status of special expert to the Empire, is granted a hundred-room mansion and a thousand hectares of land. The scholar is granted the title of Zhao Hua Palace Scholar and the title of Pen and Ink Servant to the Imperial Study, to serve at the left and right hand of the Emperor, and to ready himself for consultation¡­ For land, we grant you the suburbs of Dijing at the foot of Mount Mei, and the decision of house will be handled by the Seventh Prince and the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs. In the future, if you contribute greatly to the country, you will be promoted according to your deeds. Are you satisfied with these conditions?¡± As the Emperor spoke, the senior ministers gathered today recorded the order, and among them, Yao Ying ¨C Grand Secretariat of the Eastern Court stood, eyebrows twitching. Satisfied¡­ incredibly satisfied ¡­ satisfied to the point that she was in fact unsatisfied. Was this a matter of granting her a title and a reward? This was barbequing her on the fire! The title of Scholar by itself might seem a nominal gesture at best, and would by itself only ever reach the 6th rank, but the Zhao Hua Palace was a main palace of the Imperial Court, and had never had a Scholar in residence. The Imperial Study¡¯s Pen and Ink servant was an entirely new and bizarre creation ¡ª the Emperor¡¯s Imperial Orders were all recorded by the various experienced and powerful ministers that numbered as Cabinet Grand Secretariats, but this Pen and Ink Servant and the line that he should ¡°to serve at the left and right hand of the Emperor, and to ready himself for consultation¡± was already a bequeathing of ministerial power. The Imperial Study¡¯s Great Commoner Minister ¡ª it looked like Feng Zhiwei was already doomed to this name. As for the land and the house, even though Feng Zhiwei did not understand the exact details, just by looking at the face of these powerful ministers, she was already quite sure that this matter was incredibly problematic. The old man was raising her so high today, did he intent to let her fall heavily to her death? ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Yao Ying licked his lips, pondering his every word. ¡°This sir is young, and is not familiar with Imperial affairs, perhaps we could give her the initial title of Han Lin scholar, and leave him room to climb in the future¡­¡± Chapter 50 Translator: Aristophaneso ¡°A mere 6th rank title, does the Great Secretariat think our National Scholar is unfit?¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor glanced sidelong, and Feng Zhiwei suddenly saw a great resemblance to Ning Yi. ¡°This Minister does not dare!¡± Yao Ying immediately acquiesced. Feng Zhiwei unhesitantly followed:¡± This Minister receives the edict!¡± There was no need to be false, and no need to pretend to decline; this matter could not be refused, and whether the Emperor was offering a reward or a trap, she had to take it. If she refused, he would suspect her heart, and in the end, Feng Zhiwei did not believe this position beyond her capability. This high position would give her the strength to speak equally with the strong powers in this world. She was tired of making concessions and being bullied. Even if every step forward brought her closer to a cliff¡¯s edge, this path was still better than being cast aside and trampled in the dust. As she retreated from the hall, the gathered ministers were already poised to swamp and congratulate this new star. Under the glow of the setting sun, this elegant, young star stood like a solitary jade tree in a clearing, an amiable, reserved smile on his face as the envious onlookers examined her. The setting rays dazzled the eyes, and the crowd squinted up at the young man standing at the head of the stairs, each person already planning how to approach this new Minister, serving so closely to the Son of Heaven. Feng Zhiwei exchanged pleasantries with everyone, speaking and receiving the friendly and cordial greetings when her eyes suddenly sparkled. A man had squeezed through the press of bodies and was addressing her with a smile: ¡°Mister Wei really is a promising youth, I¡¯m envious, envious!¡± The words were intimate and friendly, but held the reserve of one with great power. It was the General of the Fifth Chief Army Qiu Shangqi, her uncle. She had not seen this face for a long time, though she had often thought of it, and everyday they had been apart had passed with the length of three autumns. ¡°Uncle Qiu!¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately pushed separated the crowd of people with light gestures and walked forward, bowing deeply. ¡°It has been a long time! This little nephew is blessed to see you in good health!¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words startled Qi Shangqi ¡ª he had come to form ties with the Son of Heaven¡¯s new favorite minister, and suddenly he was his uncle? ¡°Uncle, many years ago when we met at the Si Bo Pavilion, this young nephew had the chance to witness your handsome and chivalrous bearing, and I have admired and remembered that to this day. When I came to Qing Ming this time, my father had reminded me to pay Uncle a visit, but I have been kept busy by my school work and beg Uncle¡¯s pardon¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s story was full of lies, but she delivered her tale with a sincere voice and frank eyes. Qi Shangqi was already convinced ¡ª the Si Bo Pavilion was a hall in his back garden that all visitors would be invited to; this young man must be a family friend¡¯s descendent, and had accompanied his father to the manor many years ago. His house received countless guests every year, so it was natural that he would have forgotten this young scholar. Qiu Shangqi¡¯s heart burst with joy, and he immediately adopted a familiar manner even though he had no memory of this young man, and so smiling and acting as if he suddenly remembered their meeting, he said: ¡°Ah, so you are that capable nephew! How many years has it been, is your father still well? This uncle constantly thinks of you and your father, but the mountains are too high and the rivers too wide ¡ª we have been unable to meet again, what a shame. Nephew, when you have time, you must come to the manor¡­¡± ¡°I dare not refuse Uncle¡¯s invitation. Qiu Mansion¡¯s Si Bo Pavilion has a wonderful view, and all these years it has featured in this nephew¡¯s dreams¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled as if already transported back to that pavilion ¡ª truly, I really miss that wife of yours and those servant girls¡­ The two men¡¯s shoulders shook with happy laughter, and their eyes were filled with the joy of reunion after a long separation¡­ The officials pushed to the side were all envious of Qiu Shangqi ¡ª he was already a high ranking military officer, and now he had this relation with a civil service official close to the Son of Heaven, how perfect¡­ The two men held each other¡¯s arms and conversed pleasantly, and after agreeing to often pay each other visits, only then could they reluctantly part. Afterwards, Feng Zhiwei laboriously made her escape from the herd of officials and snuck away to her dormitory to rest. The Emperor¡¯s edict had been open ended, and had given her a few days to prepare before she took control of her house, before she assumed her ministerial role. As soon as she stepped into the door, she was greeted by Chunyu Meng¡¯s punch. ¡°What a guy, you really surprised me!¡± Yan Huaishi was also there, smiling sneakily: ¡°Half a day apart, and you have already flown past the dragon gate.¡± Feng Zhiwei ignored their antics and quickly said, ¡°Pack your things, and get read to leave Qing Ming Academy. Brother Yan, do you have a place to stay close to the Dijing Imperial City? Let us go there, and it will be easier to hear the news there¡­¡± Neither of them had any idea what she was talking about, but Feng Zhiwei had already turned to Chunyu Meng. ¡°The Chunyu family should be alright, but you should listen to your father and delay reporting to the Chang Ying Guard. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Chunyu Meng was still reacting when Yan Huaishi interjected. ¡°Isn¡¯t the assassin already dead? Is the Emperor planning something big?¡± Feng Zhiwei paused, suspecting that there were multiple plans in motion. Also, when the princes had been busy gathered and attacking Ning Yi, the Emperor¡¯s expression had been very colorful, and truly the situation was not as simple as it seemed. ¡°Don¡¯t ask. If you trust me, then we must leave.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, already moving. When she turned, Young Master Gu was already prepared, clutching his beloved pillow. That night, after the Emperor left Qing Ming Academy, chaos ran through Dijing. The year was Geng Yi, and historians would one day call this day the beginning of the ¡°Geng Yi Reformation1.¡± The sweeping changes were not so obvious in the beginning, and those involved did not understand the ramifications. It was only many years later, when someone studied this time and carefully tracked the events that the light dawned on this person and the truth was understood. First, the Tian Sheng Emperor summoned the Crown Prince to the Imperial Palace and held a private conversation with his son. Later, the Crown Prince was seen leaving the Palace, an anxious expression on his face. Then, an attempted assassination on Prince Chu was discovered. Servant women in the side palace where he had been confined had tried to poison his food, but were caught by the Yu Lin Guards. The Tian Sheng Emperor hastily summoned the Crown Prince for the second time that day, and nobody knew what their disagreement was about. The servants outside could clearly hear the shattering of plates and cups. The next day, the Emperor ordered the Fifth Prince to take temporary control of the Chang Ying Guards. The Chang Ying Guards had always held the guard of the Eastern Palace, but that same day, the Fifth Prince ordered the Chang Ying Guard to the Imperial Palace, bringing his own Yu Lin Guards onto palace grounds and stationed them at the Eastern Palace, saying that the Imperial Palace did not have enough guards and the Chang Ying Guards were needed there. The Crown Prince stormed into the Fifth Prince¡¯s hall and angrily denounced his actions, but while the Fifth Prince was respectful and spoke of abiding to established rules, he refused to return the Chang Ying Guard, claiming that the Chang Ying Guard and the Yu Lin Guard were both Imperial Guard forces ¡ª why did the Crown Prince insist on using the Chang Ying for the Eastern Palace? Did he have some hidden thoughts? The furious Crown Prince threw tea ware and injured the Fifth Prince. Prince Chu¡¯s Nine City Yamen Bureaucracy agreed to help the Crown Prince, but acted completely to the contrary. Most of the Imperial ministers were greatly disappointed with the Crown Prince¡¯s heartlessness, and though respectful on the surface, were slow and hesitant when it came to real action. The only major player remaining in the Crown Prince¡¯s court was the Tenth Prince, who had so far been ignored because of his youth. Now that the Crown Prince no longer had Ning Yi¡¯s assistance, he could not stop himself from pouring out his woes to this little brother. The Tenth Prince advice the Crown Prince to not tolerate such insubordinate and act with the dignity of the Crowned Heir, to show those who dared ignore him his power! Acting with this advice, the Crown Prince forcefully seized the Nine City Yamen Bureaucracy, and at the Inspections Department discovered evidence of the Fifth Prince¡¯s private affairs, of his hidden association with border generals, his private seizure of fine croplands, and his plans to frame powerful old ministers. Chapter 51 Translator: Aristophaneso The vine led to the fruit, and it was discovered that the evidence also pointed to the Seventh Prince¡¯s involvement. The Crown Prince was overjoyed, but he was afraid that if he directly reported these matters to the Emperor the crimes would be ignored, so he planned a trick. He commanded the servants to delay the gate opening for the morning court, keeping the ministers outside the palace while his men gathered witnesses, and his guards used his Crown Prince seal to arrest the officials involved in the crimes. The Crown Prince was afraid that when Fifth and Seventh Prince might lash out in desperation, and ignoring the advice of his Eastern Palace aids, wrote out an order with his own hand, commanding the countryside Shu Wei Army to enter Dijing and surround the manors of the two princes. The Fifth Prince wished to see the Tian Sheng Emperor, but was stopped each time by the surrounding army. In a fit of fury, the Fifth Prince was about to order the Yu Lin Guard to break through the blockade, and if it were not for the Seventh Prince¡¯s timely arrival, bloodshed would have been inevitable. The Seventh Prince surrendered, and the Crown Prince was delighted, feeling that all the dust had settled, and in his happiness held a private banquet in his Eastern Palace. At the feast, he cried out: ¡°Father Emperor always says that my character is soft, let the old man see my vigor now!¡± Before his words were over, a voice called out coldly: ¡°Not necessary!¡± A man stepped out from behind a partition screen, eyes ghastly cold, face terrifying ¡ª it was the Tian Sheng Emperor himself. All the rumors ended here. What happened next, no one could truly say ¡ª in this short span of ten days, the situation had turned and flipped and turned again. Just as the Crown Prince had controlled and defeated the Fifth and Seventh Prince and consolidated his power, the situation turned again, and the Crown Prince¡¯s power was sealed. The side ministers in the Fifth and Seventh Prince courts seized the opportunity and attacked, impeaching the Crown Prince and his followers, replacing officials in the Ministry of Punishment, interfering in its affairs and punishing innocents. Both sides attacked and made wild claims, and chaos reigned in the affairs of the country. Some of these matters were widely known by anyone and everyone, and some were only uncovered through the Yan Family¡¯s impressive intelligence network and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s own inferences. While others were still confused and unsure about the situation, Feng Zhiwei already knew that the Crown Prince had fallen into quicksand. From the very beginning, Ning Yi¡¯s target had been the Crown Prince. And with him, his powerful brothers. On a beautiful summer day, with the sun shining brightly and the mild wind bringing a cool breeze, Feng Zhiwei sat by a window, using golden pliers to crack walnuts. At every crack, she would bark out a laugh. ¡°A good scheme! A brilliant chain of stratagems!¡± Gu Nanyi sat across from her, and every walnut she cracked, he ate. ¡°This is the Crown Prince,¡± Feng Zhiwei said, gathering the walnuts and arranging them into formation. She placed a smaller piece next to the large one. ¡°This is Ning Yi, widely acknowledged throughout the Imperial Court as a faithful prince in the Crown Prince¡¯s camp.¡± Gu Nanyi immediately picked up Ning Yi and ate him. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face blanked, and she immediately grabbed a shelled walnut to play Ning Yi, but it was no use and Young Master Gu still gobbled it up, accurately spitting out every piece of shell. Finally, Feng Zhiwei grabbed a brush to play Prince Chu, and he finally escaped the fate of being devoured. ¡°Because he was an established member of the Crown Prince¡¯s party, before he rid himself of this title, he definitely could not touch the Crown Prince, for if anything happened, he would face the same charge of betrayal.¡± Feng Zhiwei grabbed a handful of walnuts and flicked them at the Crown Prince and Ning Yi. ¡°Even if he overthrew the Crown Prince and survived, all the other ambitious princes would pounce, and every one of them is more favored by the Tian Sheng Emperor, and more powerful. In the end, he would be only cooking for others to eat, and the seat would never be his.¡± ¡°Then what was he to do?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled faintly, and then tossed the Crown Prince at the other walnuts, bouncing the little pile in every direction. ¡°First, remove himself from the scene, and then use the enemy forces against each other until only he is left standing. She lifted the Ning Yi brush and tapped the Crown Prince walnut. ¡°The assassin was the first stroke, not to assassinate the Emperor, but to lead to Ning Yi¡¯s wrongful imprisonment. ¡°Ning Yi intentionally introduced this assassin to the Crown Prince, and intentionally allowed the other Princes to coincidentally see them together. He was familiar with the Crown Prince¡¯s selfishness, and was confident that the blame would be pushed to him.¡± Feng Zhiwei lifted her eyes and speculated. ¡°If I am not wrong, the full backstory of this assassin has already been revealed to the Emperor one way or another, and even if Ning Yi did not leak this information, with the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s ability, how could he not understand his sons? This is why the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s face was so dark when the Crown Prince placed the blame on Ning Yi and the other princes piled on to drop stones down the well.¡± ¡°Ning Yi accepted the wrongful charge and kept silent for the benefit of all ¡ª the other Princes clearly knew they were attacking the innocent, but cast away the ties of kinship and spoke barefaced lies. The Tian Sheng Emperor saw this all play out right in front of him, and it was no wonder that his expression was so colorful. Feng Zhiwei picked up the Crown Prince walnut and slowly used the hard end of the brush to dig out the walnut meat, sharing half with Gu Nanyi. ¡°The old Emperor is no simple figure, and though he acted as if he did not understand, allowing Ning Yi to be detained and imprisoned, but the truly laughable ones were those princely brothers, who had believed that they had succeeded in defeating a rival when in fact the test had only begun.¡± ¡°Everything that came after was still part of Ning Yi¡¯s plan, only now he was no longer a member of the Crown Prince¡¯s entourage. Since he was ¡°detained in the side palace, recovering from a serious injury,¡± no matter how the score was tallied, no blame would land on his head, and so the table was set¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°Poisoning food, commanding armies, manipulating all manners of evidence ¡­ when the Crown Prince and the other princes had duked it out and ruined each other, His Highness would have fully recovered, the injustice hanging over his head cleared, and it would be time for him to step onto stage in full regalia.¡± Feng Zhiwei clapped her hands and brushed the walnuts princes towards Gu Nanyi who impatiently grabbed them and stuff them into his mouth. A figure clapped behind the window before sticking his head through. ¡°What a wonderful deduction of the political situation. If Prince Chu knew you grasped all his plans, would he wish to tear you apart?¡± ¡°My bones are soft, but they are not so easy to break.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, and with a flick of her hand, accurately returned the brush to its pot. ¡°I bring you the newest report.¡± Yan Huaishi hopped up and sat on the window sill, turning to look in the direction of the Imperial Palace. ¡°The Emperor rejected the Crown Prince¡¯s request to meet and has summoned three Great Secretariats to the Imperial Palace.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, confident that the Crown Prince was doomed. That same night, after the Crown Prince was refused audience multiple times and understood that the three Great Secretariats had never left the Imperial Study, he desperately summoned the Eastern Palace Guards and the Dijing country¡¯s Shu Wei Army, breaking into the Imperial Palace in order to ¡°bring down the Emperor¡¯s evil ministers.¡± But by then, the Tian Sheng Emperor had long moved his court from the Palace to the Hu Wei Army camp. Two Imperial Edicts were swiftly sent out, replacing the Shu Wei Army general, and sending for the Hu Wei Army to surround the rebel forces. Feng Zhiwei was one of the ministers accompanying the Emperor, though in truth, the Tian Sheng Emperor was chiefly concerned with bringing the Young Master Gu by her side. Chapter 52 Translator: Aristophaneso The Hu Wei Army camp was very close to the Yu Quan Palace where Ning Yi was detained, and when Prince Chu heard the news, he rushed out under the starry night, bringing only ten guards along, to present himself to the Tian Sheng Emperor. That night, the father and son had a longer conversation, and what exactly was said, no one could say. Perhaps it had been a conversation between a kind father and a dutiful son, with honesty on both sides, or perhaps it had been an unlimited war of deception, testing words and lies all around. The night covered the cowhide tent and dampening the faint aroma of burning eaglewood; the pale smoke misted and swirled in the light breeze, and all was hidden in a solemn darkness. When the day dawned and dew gathered on the green grass around the tent, Ning Yi respectfully exited the tent, his eyes slightly red under the morning light, but when he turned to look in the direction of the Imperial Palace his gaze was as cold as frost. The tumbling winds of chaos were blowing through, but who would ride the wind to the sky? Suddenly, as if sensing something, Ning Yi turned. There among the dewed grass, lit by the pink glow of dawn, the disguised girl stood, hands clasped behind her back, sleeves fluttering in the wind, gazing at him from afar. An almost smile on her face. Ning Yi looked back. On top of the little hill, accompanied by the bright sun and the mild wind, she stood, her dark hair dancing in the wind with her flapping clothes, and though she stood on high she was not overbearing, and surely if she stood below, she would not be timid. Forever calm and quiet, hiding beneath a calm surface surging waves. A strong and constant woman. The two pairs of eyes met, and at that moment both gazes held an expression that they usually hid away. From that first utter imbalance, when life and death were completely in his hands, to today¡¯s meeting, each hiding their plans behind their smiles. He understood that she had seen through him, and she knew that her gaze had been detected. A strange certainty came over Ning Yi ¡ª from this day forth, she would inevitably approach him, and she would become more and more intangible. He suddenly felt the need to walk over and say something, but what he should say he did not know; regardless, he was certain that crossing the distance between them would take long enough that he would figure it out. Just as he was lifting his foot, she suddenly turned her head. On the other side of Feng Zhiwei emerged a faint, sky-blue robe and a jade statue of a man, looking in no particular direction, but standing closely by her side, lifting his chin to face into the dawning light. The thin and glistening light fell on his veil and the curve of his chin below, and the sunlight was like the cheerful dance of water, jumping from a fountain onto his smooth, jade skin, and then falling to the green grass below; one could almost see a faint halo of light swaying in the air. She looked away and smiled at that man; she said something, and that man still stood as if ignoring her, lifting his closed eyes to the sun, inhaling the sweet musk of wood and herbs. She bent down among the grass and plucked a sweet blade, carefully peeling away the leaves before breaking the shoot in half. She gave half to the young man and placed the other half in her mouth, her eyes smiling as she explained how to taste the flavor. The young jade statue stared at the piece of grass for a long while before finally copying her and placing the grass sheath in his mouth. The warm wind blowing through the hilltop grass and the dawning rays seemed tinged with a sweet fragrance as she faintly smiled, calm and peaceful, towards this man. This was a side of her that he had never seen before. She had always given him the impression of cunning and ruthlessness, of skill at scheming, and of a great desire to avoid his contact. Suddenly he felt disturbed. The rays of light seemed to lose their brightness, and the wind no longer seemed gentle and smooth ¡ª the colorful light broke on the blades of grass, and the heat became too stifling to bear. Ning Yi lifted his arm and pointed towards Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei turned back and watched as Prince Chu¡¯s face inexplicably darkened. As his lips thinned and pressed together and an unkind expression crossed his face, she could only complain silently ¡ª Your Highness was just now so peaceful and content, how can you change so quickly in the blink of an eye, like the temperamental June skies. He pointed at her and then pointed to the Imperial Palace before flicking his sleeves and leaving. ¡°Conduct yourself well.¡± She bowed, smiling faintly, watching as he walked away. ¡°As Your Highness commands.¡± After half the morning had passed, Yan Huaishi and his servants brought snacks for Feng Zhiwei, though mainly they were for Gu Nanyi. In passing, Feng Zhiwei arranged for Yan Huaishi to bump into some important officials as a first greeting of sorts. Yan Huaishi brought news from Dijing, and there it came as no surprise that the Crown Prince¡¯s struggle against the Emperor could only be described as using an egg to fight a rock. ¡°The Crown Prince has lost his reason.¡± Yan Huaishi shook his head, ¡°Even though the Emperor has not interfered in many current matters, he has never lost control over political and military affairs. Did the Crown Prince really believe Feng Zhiwei clasped her hands behind her back and looked into the horizon, narrowing her eyes as if she could see the bloody fire burning around the Imperial Palace, and after a long while, slowly said: ¡°The largest difference between the Crown Prince and Prince Chu is that the latter has never underestimated the Tian Sheng Emperor.¡± To judge the times and understand the circumstances at hand, and to seize the opportunity when it arose, these qualities demanded a great steadiness of will that ordinary men could scarcely imagine. Even Feng Zhiwei could not understand at first why Ning Yi used ten years to plot against a mediocre Crown Prince whom everyone considered easily overthrown. Truly, though the Crown Prince could be easily defeated, it was exceedingly difficult to avoid arousing the Emperor¡¯s suspicion. If she guessed correctly, than the soldiers she had seen the night before the assassination were placed throughout the academy to ensure the assassin¡¯s smooth passage into the inner halls, and to contain and hold the important scions, descendants of important and powerful officials. The Qing Ming Academy was an essential part of the plot, and through this academy, the infamous, but talented, philanderer Prince Chu had already secretly collared the lifeblood of many ministers. When had they started preparing for this plot? At the founding of the Empire? Or perhaps earlier? When the importance of Qing Ming Academy was widely understood, Ning Yi immediately quit, ¡°loyally¡± handing over control to the Crown Prince. Thereafter, the talented wastrel Prince Chu lead a party of young masters throughout Dijing, clearly a playboy without political ambition, playing with the flowers of Dijing, and admiring every passing willow. On those two days that the fateful characters had met, once in the brothel, once on the streets, the other young masters had clearly been following his lead. Knowingly or unknowingly, the heirs and descendants of the noble families and ministers were slowly tied to Prince Chu, and over the course of many years, these ties had grown into unbreakable bonds of mutual interest. Whether it was a matter of private life, or affairs of the public academy, everything was firmly grasped in Ning Yi and Xin Ziyan¡¯s hands. Ning Yi¡¯s plan was not simply to overthrow the Crown Prince, but to do so and gain the trust of the Emperor while securing his support. He had never looked down on this Tian Sheng Emperor who had founded the dynasty with his own hands, even if he was now old and tired of politics, rarely making contributions. The current Crown Prince, trapped in the Imperial Palace, would never know how vicious this capable assistant of his actually was, and was already driven to the edge of insanity by the indomitable Hu Wei Army surrounding him. Chapter 53 Translator: Aristophaneso After the Crown Prince failed to capture the Imperial Palace, he was gradually forced back to his Eastern Palace. The Tian Sheng Emperor wanted to keep the fighting contained to this area, preferring to stain the Eastern Palace than allow blood to be spilled in the Zhao Hua main palace. At the moment, the Emperor seemed very calm, and was playing Go with Feng Zhiwei in a large tent in the middle of camp. Feng Zhiwei would win one game after losing two, and the Emperor was content. Military reports were brought in from time to time, and the Tian Sheng Emperor would read each with an indecipherable expression. His eyes were calm in the candle light, and every wrinkle on his face seemed furrowed with experienced. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart was chilled, like the clear-jade Go piece she held in her fingers. The Imperial Family had been sucked into an abyss. The two played Go late into the night until a galloping horse broke the tranquility of the night. A voice could be heard crying out for the Emperor, and though the Tian Sheng Emperor remained sitting and played his piece, he seemed to lose control of his strength and shook the table, causing the candle¡¯s flame to shiver and wane. Feng Zhiwei silently sighed, stood, and saluted. ¡°This Minor Minister cannot compete, Your Majesty, mercy!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor smiled and swept the Go pieces together. Feng Zhiwei begged leave, but was interrupted by a sigh as she retreated to the door.¡± Let us hear it together.¡± Her heart jumped, but she could not refuse, so she lowered her eyes and bowed. ¡°Yes.¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced upwards and saw the Emperor¡¯s weary eyes, and suddenly she was brought back to that day when she had watched from behind the screen as the princes attacked Ning Yi. That day, the Emperor had worn the same look. A sealed military report was presented, and the Tian Sheng Emperor broke the seal. His eyebrows shook, and he angrily slapped the table. ¡°Bastard!¡± No one knew what kind of madness the Crown Prince had descended into, but he had brought in artillery equipment to bring down the walls of the Eastern Palace. This palace was also known as the Ming Yi Palace, and had originally been part of the Imperial ground and had been symbolically isolated by newly erected walls. This explosion allowed him to advance in his desperation, and opened up a path into the Imperial Palace. The Crown Prince¡¯s surviving guards and the soldiers of the Shu Wei army already knew their miserable fates, and burst forward ferociously, burning and killing as they went, even seizing the Tenth Prince and the Shao Ning Princess as hostages, howling for the Emperor to give justice. The Emperor¡¯s slapped knocked the candle over and it soon rolled across the table, lighting the military report on fire. In smoke, the Tian Sheng Emperor looked furious ¡ªhe thought his son only had mediocre courage and would not venture anything outrageous, and had thought that Shao Ning¡¯s close relationship with the Crown Prince might help her persuade her brother. He had intentionally left his daughter behind, but now the Crown Prince had been so enraged that he had not even spared his own little sister! Several old ministers rushed to the tent, faces shocked at the news. No one tried to excuse the Crown Prince¡¯s inexplicable boldness, and they could only say that man¡¯s mind was an unpredictable thing, and that the Crown Prince had despicable men surrounding him, lamenting that the Crown Prince should be such an unreasonable disappointment after His Majesty had bestowed such favor onto him. Feng Zhiwei watched calmly, thinking back to that scion of the Eastern Palace¡¯s Great Secretariat, the young master Yao who had had his finger broken by Gu Nanyi. She had seen him by Ning Yi¡¯s side several times. The Tian Sheng Emperor raged, gradually calming down. Finally, he spoke quietly. ¡°Mister Wei.¡± It had come to this¡­ Feng Zhiwei sighed silently, but she could not avoid the task. After being pulled so quickly from Qing Ming Academy and then summoned to accompany the Emperor in a military camp, she had hoped that the ten thousand soldiers at the Emperor¡¯s side would mean that she was not needed, but now this surprising matter had happened. Young Master Gu should not have revealed his hand that day, for it would not be forgotten. A quarter of an hour later, a thousand Hu Wei soldiers stood ready to depart as Feng Zhiwei unwillingly climbed atop a horse, coaxing Gu Nanyi. ¡°Let¡¯s go get some alcohol.¡± Young Master Gu already disliked climbing out of bed in the middle of the night, and immediately demanded, ¡°Same as that day¡¯s.¡± ¡°Chunyu Meng has it, I will bring you to him.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied. Young Master Gu seemed pleased, and reached out a hand to grab a piece of grass, broke it in two, and handed her half as a reward. Feng Zhiwei took a bite ¡ª bitter. Holding the bitter grass in her lips, Feng Zhiwei bounced atop the horse as they moved out, thinking back to the Sheng Tian Emperor¡¯s parting words. The immeasurable and ever calm Emperor had had worry in his eyes as he earnestly urged her again and again, ¡°You must save the princess.¡± She had not thought that the Tian Sheng Emperor might actually have a father¡¯s heart for Shao Ning; perhaps in the Ning Imperial Family, there remained some last ties of kinship? The horses rushed to the city. Dijing was on lockdown, and the Hu Wei Army was stationed at every Yamen throughout the Imperial City. This army had been the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s command when he had been a mere royal relation, distantly tied to the Da Cheng Dynasty. Now, the force was led by Commander-in-Chief Xu Yuanliang and Deputy Commander Chunyu Hong, both descendants of founding ministers with illustrious contributions to the dynasty. Smoke billowed from the West Gate, and shouting and clashing shook the skies. Ning Yi and Xu Yuan Liang had received an Imperial Edict to fight the remainders of the Crown Prince¡¯s armies, and had the Crown Prince himself surrounded by the Tian Bo Pagoda at the Southern Palace where he was trapped with Shao Ning and the Tenth Prince. Feng Zhiwei sat on her horse, hands tucked in her sleeves, looking over at this bloody and fiery corner of the Imperial City. The dark red glow flickered over her face and eyes, giving her face a shimmering, watery glint. She did not have the thousand Hu Wei soldiers join the battlefield, and did not send Gu Nanyi to rescue the hostages. For now, she quietly waited. After some time, Ning Yi rode over as she expected, silently stopping by her side. The man and woman pair sat silently, turning to look at the bloody battle. ¡°Some people cannot be allowed to live.¡± After a long moment, Ning Yi slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Some people also cannot be allowed to die.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°For instance, the hostages.¡± ¡°You can rescue Ning Ji.¡± Ning Yi furrowed his brows. ¡°This is enough for His Majesty.¡± He stopped, and then calmly continued. ¡°I can help you.¡± Feng Zhiwei believed his words, but did not reply. This was the first time she could negotiate an exchange of favors with Ning Yi, and her heart seemed to chill. A few words would determine the outcome of lives, and though it was natural for Ning Yi to face this without trepidation, how was she herself facing it so calmly? The Old Emperor¡¯s heartlessness; Prince Chu¡¯s hidden depths, and since she herself had entered the fighting ring, her first care could only be herself. And it turned how that she was naturally a heartless being. ¡°Do not disappoint me.¡± Ning Yi¡¯s smile was beautiful in the dark, shifting night. ¡°Or else you will despair.¡± The smile was full of meaning, and the dark eyes above them unreadable. Feng Zhiwei flicked her horse¡¯s reigns. ¡°Don¡¯t make push me to despair.¡± She returned a smile.¡± ¡°Or else I will be crazy.¡± She approached, stopping at the outermost layer of the troops surrounding the Tian Bo Pagoda. The Crown Prince was putting up stiff resistance, but with the military forces Ning Yi had, it would be easy to conquer the building, but in order to spare the rats to save the dishes, Ning Yi held back, choosing to harry the Crown Prince¡¯s forces, slowly tearing away at his heart until he showed his final madness and was driven to a final gambit. In Ning Yi¡¯s eyes, it would be best if Shao Ning was taken along and died with him. If she did not guess wrongly, Ning Yi had eyes and ears among the Crown Prince¡¯s trusted followers. The man had countless hidden cards to play, and the negotiation just now had only been because he was worried she and Gu Nanyi would interfere with his plans. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Tian Bo Pagoda was open on all four sides with everything in plain view, the Crown Prince and Shao Ning would have long since been killed. Chapter 54 Translator: Aristophaneso In truth, rescuing the hostages was very simple, but she was not able to make the move. The vague sound of the Crown Prince¡¯s harsh laughter could be heard from the roof of the building, his voice sharp as a blade. ¡°Where is Father Emperor? Father Emperor did not come to see me? How heartless to his own son? Refusing to see me¡­¡± With a dull thud, a figure fell from the pagoda roof and crunched against the ground, brain matter spilling every which way. All the onlookers turned in shock, and only after a long examination determined that the corpse was not the Shao Ning Princess, but an Imperial servant girl. The Crown Prince¡¯s laughter grew more and more ghastly. ¡°Father Emperor will not come? Then every quarter of an hour I will toss another person; this servant girl was from Shao Ning¡¯s palace, and the next one¡­ the one following that ¡­ perhaps it will be his beloved little daughter. If he does not come, I will send Shao Ning¡¯s ghost to see him!¡± All corners of the battlefield fell silent, the innocent girl¡¯s slowing blood puddling on the ground. Shao Ning¡¯s voice burst forward angrily, blasting like a silver cannon, ¡°Big Brother you are insane!¡± ¡°I¡¯m insane! I am insane!¡± The Crown Prince laughed uproariously. ¡°Everyone is insane! This fitly empire! This disgusting Imperial Family! All of it is insane!¡± Feng Zhiwei shifted and whispered to Yan Huaishi. After he had turned and left, she stepped forward, calmly calling out. ¡°Your Highness.¡± The laughter abruptly cut off, and the Crown Prince look out into the crowd, his eyes glittering as he focused on Feng Zhiwei. His voice cracked with hope, he said: ¡°Mister Wei, you are here? ¡­ Is Father Emperor coming? I wish to see Father Emperor, to explain my faithfulness and wash away these false grievances!¡± Shao Ning¡¯s voice was even more excited than his, and she yelled out loudly, ¡°Wei Zhi! Wei Zhi! You are here to save me! I knew you would come!¡± A tousled, beautiful face extended forth only to be immediately dragged back by the Crown Prince. ¡°His Majesty is en route, but is held up by some minor ailments. He will be here soon.¡± Feng Zhiwei said without a sidewise glance, lying without any shift in her expressions. ¡°Crown Prince, why must you rage like this? Will you not leave any room to maneuver? When His Majesty arrives, how will you reason with him?¡± ¡°Where are the Secretary Ministers?¡± The Crown Prince continued, looking around wildly. ¡°Why have you been sent alone to speak with me? You are not qualified.¡± Feng Zhiwei showed no emotion, smiling faintly. ¡°I was recognized while under the Crown Prince¡¯s roof; for His Majesty to send me, does the Crown Prince not understand what this means? The Crown Prince paused, and then a gleam of excitement filled his eyes, though still doubtful he asked: ¡°Under my roof¡­ then why has His Majesty ordered his armies to surround me?¡± Feng Zhiwei lifted her head and smiled lightly: ¡°Because, Crown Prince, you are stupid!¡± The earth-shattering and heaven shocking words not only frightened the onlookers, even the Crown Prince was almost shocked to the point of fully showing himself. After a long while, the prince finally shouted out furiously, ¡°Brat, you dare? You dare insult this prince?¡± ¡°Why would I not dare?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled coldly. ¡°Under heaven, no father and son become enemies forever, there are only grievances. Show the truth in your heart and clear your misunderstandings before His Majesty ¡ª why would you choose to meet on the battlefield and to use weapons of war? His Majesty has been bitterly waiting for your Highness in the Hu Wei Camp, wishing to sit knee to knee with you and speak frankly. After that, father and son would have complete cinerary with one another, and hold no grudges, but unexpectedly, the Crown Prince chose the path of death, daring to hold younger brother and sister hostage, and causing chaos in the Imperial Palace! His Majesty has let you off time and time again, but Your Highness has never tried to understands his fatherly heart. The easy road was in front of you, but you chose the road of death, how are you not stupid!¡± Though her words were filled with insults, the light of hope gleamed from the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes, and he asked hesitantly. ¡°This is Father Emperor¡¯s meaning?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied seriously. ¡°This minor minister does not dare falsify Imperial intensions.¡± ¡°How could I be so mad.¡± The Crown Prince was stunned, and he weakly continued. ¡°If Father Emperor is willing to listen to my explanation, then¡­¡± He turned, looking to Shao Ning and Ning Ji, unsure whether he should release his brother or his sister first to show his sincerity. ¡°Your Highness has become aware of his errors and is turning away from the wrong path. Pulling back from the brink is truly the best outcome.¡± A figure suddenly strode forward, a gratified smile on his face as he loudly called out. ¡°Since that is the case, this minister brother will send a fast horse immediately to report to Hu Wei Camp.¡± Feng Zhiwei silently sighed. Ning Yi had to be Ning Yi. His excellency was born to tear apart her work. The Crown Prince was stunned ¡ª sending a fast horse to Hu Wei Camp meant His Majesty was still at camp? Then Wei Zhi had been lying all along? ¡°Shameless! Bastard!¡± The Crown Prince raged, kicking another servant off the roof, sending a body crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust and blood. He cried out harshly, ¡°You are heartless, and I am disloyal! Die!¡± Ning Yi began laughing. He had been waiting for this line. His hand gestured silently within his sleeve. A thick and heavy cloud of arrows rained down from on high, tearing through the sky, leaping over the soldier¡¯s heads and shooting straight for the Tian Bo Pagoda. ¡°PA PA PA PA!¡± The wide opens all immediately slammed shut, the arrows missing their targets and slamming into the panels. The Crown Prince¡¯s mad laughter roared forth, muffled, and no more voices could be heard from within. A crash broke forth, and objects fell forward from the upper floors, lighting trails of bright red and dark yellow as they dropped to the ground. When the shapes hit the ground, they shattered and burst out in flame. Several burning braziers lay on the ground. The wooden columns of the building immediately lit up, and snakes of fire climbed the pillars and soon grew to cover half of the pagoda. The Crown Prince wanted to burn himself! The fire glowed brilliantly, and every face turned ghastly pale. Many years ago, the Third Prince had also committed suicide after his failed mutiny, and today a second prince of the Ning Imperial Family had stepped on the road of death. Ant it was not just one, but three siblings, including His Majesty¡¯s favorite little princess. As the onlookers stared into the furious heat of the dancing flames and though of the consequences that must follow, their hands and feet turned frozen, and they forgot all movement. Only Ning Yi was indifferent in the glow of the flame, his eyes narrowed in the harsh light. The Xu Yuanliang¡¯s heart was in a mess, but though he was commander of the Hu Wei Army, he did not know Prince Chu¡¯s mind and did not dare move without orders. He could only turn his begging gaze to Gu Nanyi, hoping for his help. Feng Zhiwei suddenly cried out, hurriedly patting her clothes, calling out, ¡°fire!¡± Everyone turned, and evidently she has stood too close to the attic and some of the sparks had fallen on both Feng Zhiwei and Gu Nanyi¡¯s clothes. Feng Zhiwei was busily patting the sparks out, not forgetting to take care of Young Master Gu who was apparently without fear, only staring up into the fire as if the fire up on the wooden beams was more interesting than the fire on his clothes. The poor Feng servant girl had to pat away his sparks as well, and was kept terribly busy. Ning Yi had stayed quiet the whole time, but as he saw Feng Zhiwei eagerly putting out the sparks on Gu Nanyi his eyes deepened a few degrees. Up high on his horse, he lifted his eyes to watch the Bo Tian Pagoda burn. The flickering red flames glowed in his eyes, like evil fire spirits dancing and running. His attendants stood anxiously to his side, waiting for his order, but he sat in a trance. Only when the fire had fully encircled the building and it was impossible to save it did he slowly say: ¡°Idiots! Do you not know to how fight fires and save people?¡± Chapter 55 Translator: Aristophaneso The Hu Wei Army acknowledged the order and hurriedly rushed forward to fight the fire and save the victims. To the side, Feng Zhiwei had a bitter smile on her face as she spoke, holding together her half burned robe, ¡°This Minor Minister will leave first to change.¡± Ning Yi glanced at her and said, ¡°Mister Wei has worked hard, but with such a great fire, Mister Gu unfortunately will not be able to save anyone. He should also go change robes first.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled sincerely.¡± Your Highness is the one who is truly laboring, please continue working hard and bearing this burden.¡± She bowed and retreated, passing the gathered crowd and reaching a silent palace room. Yan Huaishi quickly stepped out from behind a small copse of flowers and trees. ¡°You were right!¡± The young man was ecstatic, ¡°Boldly fixing the road while silently creating a detour! The Tian Bo Pagoda has another entrance! Feng Zhiwei smiled confidently ¡ª everyone else had thought that Crown Prince had been driven into a corner and trapped in the attic, his only way out to beg for an audience to prove his loyal heart, but Feng Zhiwei had already begun suspecting on her ride over, thinking that the Crown Prince¡¯s fighting and path of retreat seemed too well planned, nothing like a haphazard and panicked escape. So, before she had stepped out to speak with the Crown Prince, she had Yan Huaishi and his followers canvas the area, carefully combing through the paths around the building. Some of the Yan Family retainers were talented, and as expected, had discovered the Crown Prince¡¯s secret escape route. ¡°The building has no underground tunnels, and is situated by an artificial lake.¡± Yan Huaishi said, ¡°Prince Chu was careful, and also sent people out to check, but one of my retainers is the founder of the Shao Zi School. He said that the Tian Bo Pagoda was built in the Da Cheng Dynasty, and had a very unusual design. Within the building is another hidden building, with a thin sandwiching gap between the two ¡ª this space was not built to hide people, but to hide a staircase that runs through the entire building, leading to the back of the building. My retainer says that this kind of staircase only appears in ancient tombs, and utilizes an intricate design, and after using it to climb upward, it must be used to descend¡­ watch.¡± Feng Zhiwei looked around. On one side of the artificial lake stretched a long range of artificial mountains leading up to the back of the Tian Bo Pagoda. ¡°That mountain¡­¡± ¡°This mountain is empty and utilizes a very mysterious mechanism.¡± Yuan Huaishi said, eyes filled with astonishment. ¡°Past this mountain, diving down into the belly of the lake, is a tunnel that runs to the easternmost Jing Zhai building, very close to the eastern gate!¡± The tunnel was surprisingly built in midair, through the mountain! No wonder even Ning Yi¡¯s meticulous nature failed to find this escape route, even after careful examination of the building. The Tian Bo Pagoda had no tunnels beneath it, and this side of the lake had nothing. Who would think of checking the far side of the water? Feng Zhiwei narrowed her eyes ¡ª the Tian Bo Pagoda stood alone with an artificial lake behind it. Not matter how you looked at it, it seemed like a dead end, but when she had read that mysterious booklet, that person had boasted about all manners of deceptive tricks, and smirkingly bragged about the various mechanical wonders utilized in different ancient tombs¡­ ¡°Heaven has allowed me to find this secret tunnel.¡± Feng Zhiwei looked up, Shao Ning¡¯s excited face flashing across her mind. After a moment, she said: ¡°Let us go look.¡± Yan Huaishi stiffened. He knew how important this decision was, and that it might lead them to go against Ning Yi, but he said nothing and called his follower over to lead the way. This founder of the Shao Zi School could not stop praising the Tian Bo Pagoda¡¯s wonderful design, and was surprised that either the Da Cheng or Tian Sheng Dynasty had such a master. ¡°What manner of school is this Shao Zi School?¡± Feng Zhiwei suddenly asked. Yan Huaishi replied: ¡°Grave robber.¡± Understanding dawned on Feng Zhiwei ¡ª so the owner of that little booklet had been an experienced grave robber¡­ Since this matter was so important, Yan Huaishi only brought the old leader of the Shao Zi School to show the way. Clearly, they did not need to enter the tunnel, and only needed to wait by the exit. To wait outside the palace gates was impossible, so they must wait by the Jing Zhai building. Feng Zhiwei had no intention of seizing the brother and sister pair from the Crown Prince ¡ª they were not inextricably tied to the Crown Prince, and if the Crown Prince escaped he would not bring two burdens with him. If they were smart, they would protect themselves. Born into the Imperial Family and nurtured by all kinds of talent, if they still had no ability and could not protect themselves, they would surely die the next time a disaster occurred, so why would she worry herself over them? Why should she go against Ning Yi and become his enemy? Ning Yi had to kill Shao Ning, or else with such a beloved blood relation of the Crown Prince by His Majesty¡¯s side, the danger was no less than when the Crown Prince had still been favored. Feng Zhiwei did not want to be the killing blow, but also did not want to act against Prince Chu. For now, she strode forward to the tunnel¡¯s exit in order to better control the situation. The Tian Sheng Imperial Palace had been built on the ruins of the Da Cheng Dynasty Palace. The Jing Zhai building had been the place of meditation for an Imperial Concubine to the deceased Da Cheng Emperor. Because of its remote location, people rarely came to this area. A small building stood in the inner courtyard, curtains covering the walls from roof to ground. When Feng Zhiwei arrived, the Crown Prince had yet to reach the exit. Gu Nanyi stood by a dark courtyard pillar, lost in thought. Suddenly, he lifted his hand to touch the pillar ¡ª Feng Zhiwei immediately turned to watch this statue that never made any unnecessary movements. Gu Nanyi¡¯s finger had separated from the pillar, and as his hand fell, a large chunk of black paint fell together with it. Was Young Master Gu bored, and peeling at the pillar for fun? Feng Zhiwei watched the dry paint fall and puff into dust as it hit the ground, disappearing without a trace. Suddenly, footfalls could be heard from below and Feng Zhiwei and the others hid behind the doors. A group of blood covered guards rushed forward, and after swiftly checking all directions, dragged a large chest out from under the statue of a Buddha. More footsteps soon followed, and the Crown Prince and the others climbed outward. Shao Ning stood in an imperial dress in the middle of a group, though she was not as heavily guarded as the Tenth Prince Ning Ji. Hairs strayed from her crooked bun and dangled in front of her face, and she spoke coldly: ¡°Big Brother, what is the meaning of this? Do you really think you can fight with Father Emperor? Are you going to kill me and Tenth Brother now?¡± ¡°What is little sister saying.¡± The Crown Prince turned, his face oddly calm. ¡°How could this prince kill you?¡± Shao Ning rolled her eyes only to hear the Crown Prince bark out a strange laugh. ¡°This prince still needs you to stand in his place, paying respect to Father Emperor every morning and every night.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± His laughter cried out again like the hoot of an owl, sending shivers down everyone¡¯s spines. Shao Ning examined her brother with confusion. The Crown Prince said nothing and only laughed, his eyes darting across the gathered men around him before gesturing for the guards to leave, leaving only the three siblings and a black robed man. His eyes fell on the black robed man, and as the guards marched away, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes zeroed in on the strange figure. After a single look, surprise filled her heart. This person¡¯s figure, why did it look familiar? The man¡¯s slender body leaned against the side of a door, a poorly shaped mask on his face, hiding his features. The Crown Prince leaned in close and whispered into Shao Ning¡¯s ear. Chapter 56 Translator: Aristophaneso ¡°You are insane!¡± Shao Ning shouted, interrupting him. The Crown Prince covered her mouth and viciously replied: ¡°Even a vicious tiger will not eat its own cubs, but how does he treat me? Since he is willing to take the first step, I can see it to the end!¡± Shao Ning slapped the Crown Prince¡¯s hand away and angrily retorted: ¡°You cannot!¡± ¡°Whether this brother can turn the tables depends entirely on you.¡± The Crown Prince suddenly implored, ¡°Your brother was framed, and one mistake after another piled on my head. If you do not help me, then your brother will be buried in an unmarked grave!¡± ¡°I have already told you to return with me! Frankly explain, sincerely admit your errors and ask for punishment!¡± Shao Ning angrily replied. ¡°You even know that vicious tigers will not eat their own sons, but you still concoct this plan of high treason and want to drag me down to hell with you! Nice dream!¡± ¡°So what if I am dreaming?¡± The Crown Prince suddenly laughed coldly, ¡°This is my final gambit, but I carry the will of heaven, and heaven never closes off all roads ¡ª a capable expert is coming to help. They will arrive soon, and then we leave out of the Eastern Hua Gate and travel south along the Dong Bian River until we reach Jiang Huai Province. Liu Cheng Lu, Jiang Huai¡¯s Military Commander-in-Chief was loyal to our maternal grandfather, and he has remained true to me despite our mother¡¯s early death. Our Chang Family has not fallen! Did Father Emperor really believe that I had no strength to fight back?¡± He began begging again, ¡°Shao Ning, nothing is unconquerable, and no sentence is certain. Everything depends on the strength to break through fate! This brother is the true Son of Heaven, and talents will come to me when I am in danger. The great work of heaven must be in my hand, and if the brother and sister are of one heart, you from within and I from without, then when the time comes¡­ brother will bring soldiers into Dijing at your invitation, and with brother¡¯s position has first son of the dynasty, the great seat will be mine! At that time, you will be a Founding Princess and enjoy a domain of a hundred thousand households, forever enjoying peerless honor!¡± Shao Ning was not moved: ¡°No matter who becomes Emperor, I will always be an Esteemed Princess!¡± ¡°And you will always be the esteemed toy, dancing on the strings of others!¡± The Crown Prince smiled coldly, ¡°Watching your words and your deeds, controlling your every year, and when the proper time comes, to marry you to a man you have never met! Perhaps old, perhaps crippled, or perhaps perverted! You looking through the curtain at your husband, him kneeling before his wife, every month only allowed to meet in the bedroom once, and if more you will be shamelessly condemned ¡ª this kind of Esteemed Princess, are you willing?¡± Shao Ning¡¯s expression flickered, and the Crown Prince began continued gently, ¡°Do not think that because Father Emperor adores you that you will be an exception. Think carefully, even if Father Emperor spoils you, when has he crossed the limits dictated by our ancestors? And when Father Emperor passes and the new Emperor is crowned, will you still be spoiled? Who will pay any mind to you then? The Second Prince? The Fifth? Sixth Prince or Seventh? You know how likely this is.¡± Shao Ning fell silent, and the Crown Prince spared her a glance before smiling. ¡°You like that Wei Zhi right? But you also know that Father Emperor will never accept a minor minister like him without any background¡­ Shao Ning, do you not want to marry your true love? To live happily with your loved one, hand in hand for a lifetime, and live the dream of all women in this world?¡± Silence filled the courtyard, and only a hurried breathing could be heard. The cold moonlight showed Shao Ning¡¯s blushed ear, and her harshness and anger had gradually disappeared, and in its place appeared a sweet shyness and hope. Feng Zhiwei stood in hiding, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Since when had she become a part of the Imperial Family¡¯s game? She knew that Shao Ning had¡­ that¡­ but she had only thought that the child was curious. A spoiled princess like her, always surrounded by adoration, only rarely met a person who did not speak sweetly to her, and it was very natural for her to grow interested, but ¡­ she had actually grown such a deeply placed affection? And the Crown Prince even found out and used this to tempt Shao Ning! Feng Zhiwei blushed with embarrassment. Shao Ning turned away, leaning on a windowsill and quietly thinking, turning her face in the moonlight and appearing in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s full view. As Feng Zhiwei took in her moonlit expression, her own face immediately transformed from not knowing whether to laugh or cry, to incredulity. That look¡­ Gu Nanyi suddenly shifted, frowning as he turned; Feng Zhiwei was shocked out of her daze, but just as she was turning, she heard Shao Ning cry out in shock: ¡°Big Brother, what are you doing¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei whirled around and saw the Crown Prince, eyes gleaming murderously and mouth twisted into a grotesque smile, holding a sword he had mysteriously procured and striking towards Ning Ji! Tenth Prince Ning Ji had stood silently all this time, but to this sudden strike he seemed already prepared, twisting out if its way and dodging aside. Shao Ning rushed forward to block the attack, but the Crown Prince pushed forward, sword still raised, shouting: ¡°He must die!¡± Feng Zhiwei suddenly understood. The Crown Prince had said all of this in front of Ning Ji because he had already decided to destroy the evidence. ¡°He is your little brother!¡± Shao Ning cried out. ¡°What brother?¡± The Crown Prince laughed coldly, ¡°Nothing but Old Six¡¯s dog!¡± ¡°I will not allow you to kill him!¡± Shao Ning screamed, face pale. She and Ning Ji had studied at Qing Ming Academy together, and this elder brother had been taking care of her; their relationship was quite good, and she very naturally refused to allow the Crown Prince to murder him. ¡°You¡¯ve lost your mind, and you even dare to attack your father and kill your brother! I will never listen to you!¡± ¡°You will not listen?¡± The Crown Prince turned, his eyes red, ¡°Have you thought this through!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision.¡± Shao Ning replied, standing in front of Ning Ji, her hair a tangled mess but her face clear. ¡°You have shown your heartlessness and cruelty. Even if I help you, you will never treat me well!¡± She stood firm, guarding Ning Ji, facing her maternal older brother¡¯s glittering sword. She stared defiantly into the Crown Prince¡¯s face, and could not see the sudden gleam of metal appearing below Ning Ji¡¯s feet. The dim moonlight left everything in shadows, but a stray beam had broken through the old and dusty windows and fell on the ground on which Ning Ji stood. The grey and dusty ground only made the metallic gleam more dazzling. A narrow and long, thin and brilliant, three fingers wide glimmer. Feng Zhiwei suddenly broke out in cold sweat. A knife! The moonlight gleamed off of Ning Ji¡¯s knife, hidden in his clothes. The Crown Prince had been correct, the prince was Ning Yi¡¯s man, and had been one of the spies that Ning Yi had placed by the Crown Prince¡¯s side. And now Shao Ning was showing him her defenseless back! Feng Zhiwei leaned forward, palms sweaty and cold. Everyone in the Ning Imperial Family had wracked their minds and plotted with all their ability, but in the end, no one knew who was the mantis and who the stalking oriole! Feng Zhiwei saw Ning Ji¡¯s sleeve shake as he seemed to hesitate, the light flickering from his knife sparkling as it shook. Just as Feng Zhiwei was about to move. The Crown Prince laughed harshly: ¡°You refuse! No one will help me! Good!¡± He thrust his sword forward, directly at Shao Ning¡¯s chest. The angry strike flashed forward like a bolt of lightning and was about to pierce Shao Ning! Chapter 57 Translator: Aristophaneso Feng Zhiwei instantly jumped forward. Ning Ji¡¯s hand flashed forward, the dagger in his hand thing as he pushed past Shao Ning to parry the Crown Prince¡¯s sword, but the dagger was too small to completely resist the strike. With great flexibility, Ning Ji took Shao Ning in one hand and whirled away from the sword, throwing himself towards the corridor entrance while his other hand reached into his robes. As he moved, the masked and black-robed man by the window lifted his hand, sending forward a powerful blast of wind to slow Ning Ji¡¯s movements. As Ning Ji slowed, Shao Ning lost her balance and slammed into the hallway. The old and rickety building¡¯s rail immediately broke, and Shao Ning let out a scream as she fell. Feng Zhiwei rushed over, and when the mysterious robed man saw her, he swiftly pulled back his raised hand. Feng Zhiwei had no time to pay him any mind and ran forward to grab Shao Ning. In her desperation, Shao Ning grasped at her savior¡¯s hand, pulling with such great strength that she almost dislocated Feng Zhiwei¡¯s shoulder, but Feng Zhiwei fought through the pain and was just about to pull Shao Ning back up onto the ledge when a sudden brightness filled her eyes, and a howl filled her ears. A fiery arrow climbed through the sky like a red dragon, whistling through the wind and flying past her. A muffled cry came from behind her, and sticky wet liquid splashed against her neck. A weight fell heavily against her, knocking Feng Zhiwei forward before she could get Shao Ning properly up onto the railing! Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Feng Zhiwei could only swiftly grab Shao Ning and hug her tightly. She hurtled through the wind, the world a blur as she flipped through the air. From the corner of her eye she could see a man riding over, moonlight flowing over his armor, his princely flag flying in the breeze, moon-white silk gleaming and golden crown shining, looking up as Feng Zhiwei fell, Shao Ning in her arms. His thin smile was cold beyond compare. People gathered before the Falling Flower Palace. Thousands of torches lit the pre-dawn dark like so many floating stars rising up among the ten thousand palace halls. A thousand armored soldiers stood silently at the foot of the old and dark building, watching as the two thin bodies embraced and tumbled through the air, two willow leaves drifting between heaven and earth. The fiery arrow that had started this all had flown forward with an indecipherable angle, arching through the air like a shooting star, a furious dragon that howled as it pierced into the chest of the one crowned dragon, heir to heaven¡¯s son. The arrow thunked in, flames sparked, blood spilled, and a body fell forward. The Crown Prince¡¯s body dangled against the rail, his head drooping to the ground as if bowing to the gathered soldiers, confessing his lifetime of arrogance, pride, and mediocrity. The Dynasty¡¯s greatest seat, with peerless honor, never-waning ambition, and that struggle beyond despair to rise again against all odds, at this dawn, crumbled to ash. Such lofty blood, spilled to such a worthless and poor end. As dawn beckoned, three people fell. A gust of wind suddenly whipped forward from the horizon, scattering droplets of rain, sending the torch light into a shiver and throwing everything into a haze. As the gathered soldiers blinked their eyes clear, a sky blue gleam flashed. A man jumped over the railing and skimmed down the building as if riding a breeze, accelerating towards the plummeting figures. All eyes were watching, but no heart was certain what would happen or who he would save. Ning Yi sat on his horse, his expression as chill as a deep winter night ¡ª everything was moving according to plan, and once Gu Nanyi saved Feng Zhiwei, Shao Ning would fall and splatter, crunched and no more. Excellent, excellent. Gu Nanyi reached the falling pair. He did not reach out and grab either of them, and only struck lightly into the air with his sleeve. A cool, thick mist suddenly spreading the pre-dawn sky, and the empty sky suddenly seemed like a cool garden of deep green. The man fell, back straight and feet upright, as if a tranquil immortal strolling through the air, and in the mist that flew forward from his sleeve, one could almost see an immortal riding the wind through the clouds. The onlookers watched, hearts and minds still in stunned amazement. The flick of the sleeve separated Feng Zhiwei and Shao Ning, allowing Gu Nanyi to reach forward and point a finger at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s chest. The free falling Feng Zhiwei suddenly get her body lighten, and her limbs and bones relax as air seemed to be sucked into her lungs. The Qi lying dormant in her body was jolted awake, and her falling slowed. Shao Ning was pushed backwards at a strange angle, and flew off into the distance. Gu Nanyi gestured in her direction, palm downwards, and Shao Ning drew a long parabolic curve through the sky into the crowd of waiting guards where a capable expert was able to jump and catch her. As the Princess was being rescued, Gu Nanyi grabbed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand as they gently fell to the ground, neither slowly nor quickly. Though the pair were two men, the hearts of the onlookers were moved as the pair floated downward elegantly and touched the ground, finishing the grand display of breathtaking skill. Everything happened within the duration of a flying spark, and most only saw the Shao Ning Princess pushed away and caught while Gu Nanyi saved Feng Zhiwei, incapable of perceiving or understanding the many other actions involved. These people would have been completely unable to understand the delicate interaction of that finger to her chest and the interplay involved, and the delicate balance on which the chain of events rested. But of course, Ning Yi was one of the people who saw through everything. His eyes flicked to the roof of the building where silhouette of a black robe shimmered and disappeared. Just now, when Shao Ning had been pushed aside, that person perched on the rooftop had acted, pushing with his Qi across a great distance to help adjust Gu Nanyi¡¯s push, sending Shao Ning off to safety. Who was he? A retainer of the Crown Prince? But why would he cooperate with Gu Nanyi? His eyes remained lifted up to the sky as he thought over the strange series of events, deliberately averting his eyes from the falling pair and their held hands. He refused to look at Feng Zhiwei. His outward calm was impenetrable, and no one could see his shock, and his wounded and scarred heart. Shock at seeing her fall, and then alarm when she protected Shao Ning, and finally a tidal wave of anger rising with an unquenchable despair. Their negotiation as they stood before the Tian Bo Pagoda was still clear in his mind, but not even half a day later and she had already betrayed him. She was always this way, masked and gentle, but with one turn, casting aside all promises under the nine heavens ¡ª always using the most enchanting and beautiful demeanor to wield knives and cut him. And he, how long would he keep a soft heart? When would he stop? When? Why keep this weakness that always plummeted his mind into this scourging abyss? In the old days he could still tell himself that an unfavored prince need not consider too much, but now? Now he stood on a different road, and on the path before him lay a bloody civil war, with the fate of thousands upon thousands of lives resting on his shoulders. He could not entertain a single sliver of doubt or hesitation. No matter how much one thought or how many steps one retraced, no one could fight their bitter and cold fate. Wei Zhi, Feng Zhiwei. You and I, from today forward¡­ Are enemies. Feng Zhiwei turned to look at Ning Yi. The man sat in the distance, his horse proud and tall, a thousand armored guards spread orderly behind him. All of heaven and earth was captured in his eyes, and only she was missing. She watched him silently and then finally let out a deep and long sigh. Some things happened without her intentions, and she did not know what she could have done. Fate was indomitable, and seemed to force her at every turn to oppose him. She did not intent to explain. Explanations could not solve their impasse. When she had embraced Shao Ning as they fell from the ledge, at just the right moment for him to ride in and witness it all, Heaven¡¯s will was already complete. Chapter 58 Translator: Aristophaneso The Yu Lin Army General was already walking forward, continuously thanking Feng Zhiwei and Gu Nanyi, back still covered in sweat as he cozied up to the pair. His Imperial Majesty was already on his way to the Imperial Palace, and when he heard that the Shao Ning Princess had been saved by Mister Wei, this scholar would definitely be greatly rewarded, and so time was of the essence in establishing a relationship. As the General played politics, Shao Ning came running over, her hair all askew and one foot bare, laughing and crying at the same time in clear view of everyone, grabbing Feng Zhiwei and leaning against him, loudly calling out ¡°Wei Zhi! Wei Zhi! Wei Zhi!¡± She did not thank Feng Zhiwei for saving her life and did not care that the one who actually saved her was not Feng Zhiwei at all, and all she did was cling to him and cry out, tears in her eyes, as if trying to express all the turbulent emotions in her heart by calling out this name. The guards could only awkwardly avert their gaze, turning away from the unseemly behavior. The arriving high officials and ministers all shared silent looks ¡ª the Princess was performing a drama for all to see, did she truly not care about Imperial dignity? When news of this matter spread, how would they handle the situation? Feng Zhiwei smiled and gently pushed Shao Ning back before retreating three steps and bowing. ¡°Your Highness,¡± She began, calmly and sincerely. ¡°This Minor Minister was careless and was pushed, tumbling down and causing the Princess to fall as well. This Minor Minister has failed; Your Highness, please confer a punishment.¡± She smiled again, ¡°After surviving this disaster, this Minor Minister is as thrilled as the Princess, and apologizes for his discourtesy.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s meaning was clear ¡ª I did not save you. I lost balance when the Crown Prince bumped into me, and it was my fault that you fell. At present, it could only be a matter of merit offsetting failure. And as for your lapse in composure, it was nothing but the excitement from surviving ¡ª though she did not say it was Shao Ning who had lost her presence of mind, she believed that the Princess would understand. Shao Ning stood rooted to the ground in stunned amazement. All the powerful ministers let out a breath of relief. When she finished speaking, Feng Zhiwei retreated. She had lost all her enthusiasm, only a faint smile remaining on her face as she brought Gu Nanyi to an obscure corner to await His Imperial Majesty¡¯s arrival and return the Hu Wei Army Seal of Command. The corner was quiet and lonely, and Gu Nanyi seemed to enjoy the peace. He plucked blades of grass one by one and tasted each, and it was as if the murderous clash and the blood stained night could not lay claim to his calm. Feng Zhiwei stared at him for a moment and then stepped forward, her face almost touching his ever present veil. ¡°Tell me, who are you really?¡± The wind was gentle, a fragrance of flowers still lingered as the first light of dawn rose, greeting the eye. The face hidden behind the veil seemed to lie at the farthest corner of the world. They first met in a small courtyard in Dijing, and somehow she had become his prisoner, and then in an even more baffling turn of events they traveled off and he became her bodyguard. In the months that they had spent together, he had never show any desire to leave and return to his original life, almost as if he had been fated to stand by her side since from the very beginning. And she had always known that he was a true jade statue, solid through and through. It was because of this that she placed in him such unconditional trust, but today¡¯s events were too strange, and she could no longer ignore the question. Secrets were fine, but this was no longer simply a case of privacy. And though Feng Zhiwei also did not expect this oblivious young man to answer her question. He turned his head and looked straight at her for the first time. ¡°I am¡­¡± ¡°Master Wei!¡± A hurried call interrupted Gu nanny¡¯s words as one of the Emperor¡¯s palace attendant rushed over, not even coming to a full stope as he began pulling Feng Zhiwei along. ¡°His Imperial Majesty has summoned you!¡± Feng Zhiwei was helpless, and could only enjoin as she was dragged away: ¡°Remember to finish your reply, or else people might die.¡± The man nodded seriously. The Tian Sheng Emperor stood before the Jing Zhai building, peering up at the roof. The Crown Prince¡¯s corpse had already been retrieved by the Guards, but the Emperor¡¯s eyes were nevertheless locked on the broken rail, as if by staring deeply into the wet stains of blood he would be able to see the last moments of his heir¡¯s life. The dark sky opened up on a shattered rail, tattered wood teetering in the wind, as if an old cripple¡¯s broken toothed mouth, smiling mockingly in despair. The Emperor¡¯s back looked heavy and exhausted with age. Of his twenty six sons, only sixteen survived childbirth. Of these sixteen, four still died in their youth, and two more died after being titled princes. One crippled and another three were killed when the Third Prince rebelled, and now his first born, heir to the Dynasty, dead. The many leaves on the Ning Imperial Family tree, after years and years of internal strife, cut itself down to a simple autumn tree. Ning Yi kneeled before him, sincerely pleading his guilt. Feng Zhiwei arrived in time to hear his last sentences, ¡°hit by a stray arrow and could not be saved in time¡­ this Minister Son¡¯s has offended, and is willing to be punished ¡­ my only hope is that Father Emperor will take care of his precious dragon body and think of the countless lives under heaven¡­¡± What a beautiful and dramatic scene of a filial son. Feng Zhiwei approached and quietly knelt. Ning Yi glanced in her direction and immediately said to the Sheng Tian Emperor: ¡°Shao Ning fell from the building, and this Minister Son was too far away to help her. Luckily Mister Wei risked his own life to save her. For a scholar to act so bravely, this Minister Son is forever grateful.¡± Tian Sheng Emperor turned away from the building, his eyes filled with satisfaction as he looked down at the pair, but Feng Zhiwei sighed privately in her heart, politely refusing the merit. ¡°His Highness praises me beyond my merit, this Minor Minister truly does not dare accept this¡­¡± ¡°Shao Ning!¡± Ning Yi interrupted, calling the Princess over. The Tian Sheng Emperor turned to look kindly at his daughter, a source of some consolation in this time of heartache. Shao Ning was still absent-minded, answering her father¡¯s every question, but her eyes continually darting over to look at Feng Zhiwei. After one too many glances, the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s mind began moving, and he looked from Shao Ning to Feng Zhiwei, some darkness pooling in his eyes. After some time, the Crown Prince¡¯s body was presented, covered in yellow damask silk. The Tian Sheng Emperor did not walk over to his son, closing his eyes for a long moment before sighing and waving his hand: ¡°Leave him at the Ling Ming Yi Palace for now. No need to summon the servants and ministers to mourn the deceased.¡± The Crown Prince would not be buried according to the ancestral rites. Ning Yi did not seem to hear the Emperor¡¯s words, grief across his face and he walked on his knees to the Crown Prince¡¯s body, his throat choked with sobs as he cried out: ¡°Big brother¡­¡± and fell to the ground, silently crying. The Tian Sheng Emperor grief was touched by some comfort. Suddenly, Shao Ning walked forward. Her absent expression seemed to clear up as she looked at her brother¡¯s corpse. She walked forward slowly and then knelt on the other side of the body, facing Ning Yi. Her apricot-yellow dress brushed against the ground, stained beyond repair with blood and dirt, a twin to the yellow and black dragon robe lying before her. Shao Ning lifted the yellow damask silk and looked down at her brother¡¯s face, his eyes still wide open, his mouth gaped as if desperately sucking in air. After a moment, she reached forward and shut his mouth. Finally, she spoke: ¡°Big Brother.¡± Her voice was calm, cold and crisp like the tinkling of ice, utterly incomparable to Ning Yi¡¯s miserable weeping. ¡°Just now, as I was falling, I suddenly understood something.¡± Shao Ning touched the Crown Prince¡¯s cold face. ¡°You are the most pitiful of us all.¡± Chapter 59 Translator: Aristophaneso ¡°You tried to kill me, but I don¡¯t blame you.¡± The Shao Ning Princess said as she carefully smoothed out the Crown Prince¡¯s messy clothes. ¡°I cannot fulfill your dying wish, but today, right here before you, I can promise to fulfill your other wish.¡± She lifted her eyes and looked towards Ning Yi, a strange smile on her face. ¡°Sixth Brother, what do you think?¡± Ning Yi looked back at her. After a moment, he calmly replied. ¡°Little sister, you¡¯re in shock. You should rest.¡± ¡°You are right, Sixth Brother. In the future, you will bear many burdens.¡± Shao Ning slowly stood up, no longer looking at the Crown Prince. ¡°You definitely have to take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Shao Ning, you have matured.¡± Ning Yi said, regarding her with happiness. ¡°The little girl has become an adult, and understands how to help share and relieve Father Emperor and Elder Brother¡¯s cares and burdens. As your big brother, I am happy for you.¡± Shao Ning¡¯s expression shifted ¡ª she was already at a marriageable age, and should have been betrothed long ago. She had been able to rely on Father Emperor and the Crown Prince¡¯s affection to put off this obligation day after day, but now? Who would make excuses for her now that her older brother was gone? Who would be like her maternal brother, fighting against the Imperial Court and allowing her to study carefree at Qing Ming Academy. There was no longer anyone standing between her and the tumultuous waves of blood and the treacherous webs of power. Today, she had parted forever with her closest kin. The young girl sagged in place, her hands clutched deathly pale within her sleeves. The bloody exchange of Imperial maneuvering would be recorded in history simply by the year, and the ¡°Geng Yi Rebellion¡± would become just another page, a ripple in a coursing river, the larger drama just like the deaths of all those who passed on this day, ultimately nothing more than a cold numbering of the dead. The death bill totaled up to a huge figure as Prince Chu led the Three Departments of Justice to relentlessly pursue and barehand, cutting down the weeds and ripping up the roots. Anyone who could be associated with the Crown Prince or construed to be in his camp became a victim of the Geng Yi Rebellion. In this Fifteenth Year of the Tian Sheng Dynasty, in the days from the end of spring to the beginning of summer, countless heads fell lifeless in the streets of Dijing. Many years later, it was said that the stains of blood from the victims of the rebellion could still be seen in the stone slabs of the execution ground. The Crown Prince was stripped of his nobility and buried by the Xi Meng Mountain, far in the Di Jing countryside. His descendants were banished to Northwest You Zhou and were forbidden to return to Dijing. The Fifth Prince was also punished for his involvement in framing the Founding Ministers, relieved of his command over the Yu Lin Army and sent out to oversee the construction of the Long Chuan Canal along the Jiang Huai passage to link the Northern and Southern domain. The project had just begun, and for the three or so years that it was expected to take to complete, the Fifth Prince was effectively banished, and could only return to the Imperial Court for important ceremonies or at the Emperor¡¯s command. The Seventh Prince managed to successfully avoid great punishment, but began to restrain himself, closing the doors to his court and refusing to see visitors to focus on his studies. The heir to the Dynasty was dead, the most favored princes were exiled or punished, and the overlooked Prince Chu had risen triumphantly. June, summer in the year of Geng Yi, the Emperor grants Prince Chu three personal bodyguards and confers upon him the command of the Chang Ying Guards, added sixteen experts to his original Prince¡¯s Guard, gave him command of the Ministry of Revenue, and allowed him control of the conservation of water and management of agriculture in Dijing and its countryside. Honor and power arrived in quick succession. The post-rebellion Ning Yi reassured the Emperor. In the shuffle after the beheadings, many important Imperial positions opened up, but Ning Yi did not hoard power in own his hands to nurture personal loyalty ¡ª in the years the followed, he would remain free and detached, neither accepting retainers nor establishing friendships with powerful ministers, always alone. He was the perfect image of the loyal and virtuous Prince, dedicate to his duties and managing every position according to the rules of the court, assigning positions based on the recommendations of the different Ministerial offices, selected based on merit through Qing Ming Academy. Only Feng Zhiwei understood that Ning Yi did not need to cultivate personal connections ¡ª his hidden power over Qing Ming never wavered. Feng Zhiwei was also promoted, rewarding her role and merit in saving the Princess. She gained two additional titles, and in addition to the original Scholar of the Zhao Hua Palace, she was now You Zhong Yun (Right Justice) of the Eastern Palace and Si Ye (Assistant Headmaster) of Qing Ming Academy, the former conferring upon her the now defunct duties of chief-advisor to the Crown Prince, in charge of advising and teaching him in all matters and writing his Petitions to the Throne, the latter entrusting her with the various duties of second in command of Qing Ming Academy. Feng Zhiwei was filled with frustration after receiving the Imperial Edict ¡ª this sister had no desire to have any interaction with His Highness Prince Chu¡­ She had specially chosen a new mansion on Xi Hua Alley that faced out onto the distant Qiu Mansion. The rebellion had vacated many homes, and among those affected was the original Justice of The Right1, and she had asked for the mansion and become neighbors with her uncle. The Qiu Mansion was also going through hard times, and Qiu Shangqi¡¯s close ties with the Fifth Prince had landed him in many investigations. In recent years, the Tian Sheng Emperor had been troubled by border skirmishes with the Da Yue people and had been looking for solutions to the problem. After National Scholar Mister Wei and Qiu Shangqi became friends, Qiu Shangqi seemed to suddenly become much more intelligent, and he offered a plan to the Imperial Court. Da Yue was on the northwestern border of Tian Sheng, lacked valuable land and resources, and was home to a savage people that frequently raided and robbed. The proposed solution was to open a ¡°Horse City¡± at the border, providing a market so that the Da Yue people could trade their horses for ironware, grain, and textiles, stabilizing the situation and providing a headquarters for peacekeeping. The Tian Sheng Emperor accepted the advice, but the matter did not proceed well. The Da Yue people flaunted the rules and sold sickly horses and used force to ensure high prices, and sometimes they even used a ¡°Morning Market Evening Robbery¡± tactic, coming back at night to steal what they had sold in the morning. The Tian Sheng Emperor was furious, and Imperial Censors used the opportunity to indict Qiu Shangqi, bringing trouble and worry to the Qiu household. Feng Zhiwei sat under a small pavilion in her mansion grounds, looking up at the Qiu Mansion¡¯s overhanging eaves, smiling as she tasted her tea, thinking up a new reason to pay the Qiu family a visit. At that moment an imperial attendant approached, following a manservant. Feng Zhiwei met with the attendant privately, and after a short while sent him away as mysteriously as he had came. She stood and walked to her new home¡¯s back entrance, wondering why Shao Ning was requesting to meet. As she walked, she suddenly realized that in the bustle and scrambling following her role in the rebellion, she had forgotten to press Gu Nanyi to answer her question on that day, so she quickly stepped back into her home to repeat her question. ¡°What were you going to tell me about your identity? Can you tell me now?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Young Master Gu said as he cracked the walnuts that he had recently fallen in love with. When Feng Zhiwei asked the question, he unhurriedly and calmly replied: ¡°I am your person.¡± ¡­ ¡°Flying out of Zhuang Zhou¡¯s dream, wings spread in the east wind, three hundred famed gardens, plucking the sky, scaring away the bees¡­1¡± Feng Zhiwei sat in the comfortable carriage, her eyes half closed as she mumbled to herself. The imperial attendant outside the carriage peered in, eagerly attentive: ¡°Did Mister say something? Is the carriage too bumpy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Feng Zhiwei waved her hand, her small face a touch pale. She was the careless and busy bee, out and about on her own business when she inadvertently encountered a beautiful butterfly and was scared to death. Even now, the shock still remained. Young Master Gu treated his words like gold. ¡°I am your person.¡± Simple and straightforward; bold and terrifying. Feng Zhiwei felt as if she had been struck by five bolts of lightning, not daring to ask a single question more as she hurriedly readied herself and rushed to her appointment with Princess Shao Ning, even forgetting her original plan to be somewhat tardy. The carriage turned this way and that as it carried Feng Zhiwei to the destination, gradually leaving the main streets before finally stopping in front of a small and inconspicuous restaurant. ¡°Not the Palace?¡± Feng Zhiwei frowned, troubled by the inappropriate venue. As she stepped out of the carriage she looked around her, spotting the moving silhouettes of people she assumed were Shao Ning¡¯s guards. Chapter 60 Translator: Aristophaneso Lately, her eyes and ears had become much sharper, and since she had begun studying the Qi Cultivation techniques in the mysterious little booklet, the burning in her body seemed to compress itself little bit little every day, but though the sensation was ever-present, two days stood out clearly from the rest. The first time she had been keenly aware of the burning sensation compressing on itself had been on the day that Fifth Aunt had almost drowned her, and the second time was as she had fallen from the building. After those two occasions, her body seemed to greatly relax, giving her a sensation of rebirth and ascending. This sensation followed closely on the heels of life and death struggles ¡ª was there a connection? Feng Zhiwei remembered how Gu Nanyi had pointed at her as she was falling and thought back to the almost familiar black robed figure in Jing Zhai, some understanding dawning on her. The Imperial attendant led the way through the small restaurant¡¯s long and quiet courtyard, the pair accompanied only by the echoes of their footfalls. Past a curtained door stood Shao Ning, leaning against the door, smiling as she looked at Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s feet stopped. In that moment, she had the sudden impulse to flee. She was suddenly overcome by a wish to beat Young Master Gu to death ¡ª if she had not been scared by him, she would never have run foolishly and unpreparedly into scamming beauty¡¯s trap! Dangerous Beauty. The small tasteful courtyard contained many luxurious flowers, with slim and lovely Cypress Vines slightly curled in the air, and brilliant, beautiful Busy Lizzies between rustling leaves. A panoply of flowers blossomed on the flower wall, but no flower could compete with the beauty of the woman standing behind the curtained door. A golden, flying-phoenix patterned, lace shawl was draped over her short, light-pink gown, touching the auspicious Phoenix Flowers embroidered on her sleeves. Dark-gold, plum blossom branches twined on the rosy dawn of her pleated yarn skirt. The young girl¡¯s dark and silky hair was curled up into a bun and pinned twice with a butterfly, pearl hairpin and a golden agate pin, the bright and smooth pearl coming together with the brilliantly gorgeous agate to top her pair of sparkling, diamond eyes ¡ª her clear and bright gaze looked out of them, perched on top of her tender, young body. The Imperial Princess stood in her splendor, waiting behind the curtained door, waist thin like the wrapped bundle of a bouquet, skin white as snow, almost luminescent in the shadowed dimness of the doorway. Feng Zhiwei looked up at that face and fell into a daze. Her eyes rippled, and a misunderstanding crossing the distance between heaven and earth formed as Feng Zhiwei could not help but react to the shy and expectant gaze in Shao Ning¡¯s eyes. The worry in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart for Shao Ning¡¯s attachment backfired, and suddenly Shao Ning was even more bashful, taking the curtain into her hands and crumbling and fidgeting and twiddling with it as her typical domineering attitude fled across the seas. ¡°Princess.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, regaining her composure and bowing a distance away from the curtain. ¡°This minister did not know the princess planned to meet outside the palace. This minister does not dare disobey the rites¡­I must bid the princess farewell.¡± As soon as she finished speaking Feng Zhiwei turned to leave, quick steps already warring between speed and courtesy as a tender shout called out behind her. ¡°You¡­ you, stand still. Stop!¡± The first ¡°you¡± was still hesitant with surprise and the first embers of anger, but by the second utterance her voice had already regained her usual domineering reserve. Feng Zhiwei silently sighed and stopped, face unwilling as she turned. ¡°I looked for you, and you dare to leave?¡± Shao Ning brushed past her shyness, dropping the curtain and running forward, grabbing onto Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sleeve. All her fingers were covered in thick, bright red nail polish, and looked almost as if they were dripping blood. Gu Nanyi glanced at her nails and felt that this pair of reaching hands was problematic, so he flicked out his sleeve and sent Shao Ning flying backwards. The wind howled as the empty courtyard filled with figures leaping forward to catch Shao Ning. Shao Ning flew through the air, her light pink dress fluttering beautifully in the hair, but her brandished her words like bared fang and claw. ¡°Take this Gu and throw him out! Throw him into the sewer!¡± Gu Nanyi paid no mind as the guard hesitantly approached, only brushing his hands and murmuring: ¡°So much powder!¡± and then sneezing multiple times in quick succession. Shao Ning¡¯s face darkened as she stepped forward from out of guard¡¯s grasp. Feng Zhiwei smiled and turned to the guards. ¡°His Imperial Highness has just granted Mister Gu the title of Armed Imperial Guard, a Fourth Grade Military Rank.¡± The Sixth Grade guards retreated, crestfallen¡­ ¡°Can you help me guard this area¡­ don¡¯t let anyone near the main building.¡± Feng Zhiwei tiptoed and whispered in Gu Nanyi¡¯s ear before turning and approaching Shao Ning. ¡°The Princess has summoned Minor Minister, is there important business?¡± She said, her fingers slipping very naturally into the princess¡¯s hands as she led the blushing Shao Ning obediently into the building. Heavy curtains draped over the windows kept the room dark, and the faint aroma of eaglewood hung in the air. On a long Chinese couch stood a small table holding desserts, fruits, and a silver pot and two rice wine cups. It looked like Shao Ning had planned to have a drink with Wei Zhi. ¡°This Minor Minister has to report for duty after noon, so the esteemed Princess will need to give instructions.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, already fully transformed from guest into host, pouring a full cup of wine for Shao Ning before casually pouring a few drops into her own cup. The two had a few drinks and Feng Zhiwei spoke of any matter from the South Heaven to the North Sea, but never touched on any matters of the country. Shao Ning listened absent mindedly, her cheeks blushed as she stared dazedly at the young man before her. Though the man¡¯s face could merely be described as refined, his temperament was extraordinary, and his calm and elegant bearing in every situation and time was very rare, enabling him to remain unruffled in the face of sudden accidents, and composed when maligned by false accusations. Though he was of ordinary birth and only held a mediocre rank, his faint smile was always on his lips as he watched things happen around him, whether good or bad, as if ten thousand tribulations could not touch the poise in his heart. Dijing was filled with rich and noble blood*, but the other rich and noble young men seemed to carry some foul stench when compared to Wei Zhi, all of them missing, to some degree or another, his steady confidence. ¡°What hurry is there to report to Clearwater1 Yamen?¡± Shao Ning finally said, weary of the cloud and mist in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words. She lifted a hand and finished her wine, smiling disdainfully. ¡°Wei Zhi, with your great talent, you should join the Privy Council. What will you do as Zhong Yun of The Right? Don¡¯t tell me that you will write memorandums for Prince Chu when he becomes Crown Prince? And Assistant Headmaster2 to Qing Ming? Will you be satisfied under Xin Ziyan and controlled by his whims? In the future, still unable to escape Ning Yi¡¯s grasp?¡± Had Shao Ning realized the Xin Ziyan works for Ning Yi? Though her heart was filled with speculation, a faint smile still hung on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s lips. She poured some more wine for Shao Ning and sincerely replied: ¡°For this commoner Wei Zhi to enter the Emperor¡¯s eyes and step into the clouds has already caused much envy in the court; to possess worldly honor and Imperial favor beyond one¡¯s reach is worse than falling short. The princess¡¯s affection is something that Wei Zhi clearly understands he cannot afford.¡± ¡°Why talk of affording or not affording? It¡¯s simply a matter of becoming king or suffering defeat!¡± Shao Ning smiled coldly, her shyness melting away as she gazed forward intently. ¡°Wei Zhi, do not tell me that you do not want this!¡± Shao Ning said, moving closer to the table and fixing her burning eyes on Feng Zhiwei, ¡°I have seen ambition in your eyes! You cannot fool me!¡± ¡°All men in this world have ambition.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, sitting still and smiling back at Shao Ning. ¡°As long as I remain loyal to the country, His Imperial Majesty will grant me honor.¡± ¡°I will give it to you!¡± Shao Ning grabbed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand as she reached for the pot of wine, the Princess¡¯s whole body trembling, the pins in her hair sparkling like swords. ¡°Whatever you want, I can give to you, as long as you help me kill Ning Yi!¡± A quiet drink shared in a dark room; words like blades. The gleam of candlelight reflecting from the golden hairpin in the young girl¡¯s hair was like the glimmer of a sword, and her eyes seemed a pair of burning flames. ¡°Help me kill him!¡± She said, firm and frantic. ¡°Prince Chu is cunning, and is the scum of the country! You have already offended him, and he will definitely not let you live. Rather than stay trapped in despair and waiting patiently for your death, work with me to destroy this wickedness!¡± Chapter 61 Translator: Aristophaneso Feng Zhiwei lifted her eyes and looked into the young girl¡¯s face. Her pair of clear eyes shone with a mirror-like clarity that seemed to capture the fine motes of dust drifting in the air ¡ª this pair of eyes were the only part of her that did not fit her¡­ After a moment, Feng Zhiwei gently pulled her hand out of the Princess¡¯s grasp, smiling lightly as she replied. ¡°Your Highness, I do not understand what you are saying.¡± ¡°You do understand.¡± Shao Ning finished, quickly regaining her calm after she finished her speech. ¡°You know what he has done, and you understand what he is planning for you. You understand, and you should listen to me.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused in silence before speaking. ¡°Your Highness, he is your elder brother.¡± ¡°I only have one older brother.¡± Shao Ning said, pouring herself a cup of wine and quickly finishing it off. ¡°We come from the same womb, and he was twelve years older than me. Our mother passed early on, and when I cried alone through the night, alone in my palace, he came to take me to his palace and watched over me through the night. When I was sick, he put away country affairs to take care of me, and was punished by Father Emperor. When I wanted to leave the palace to play, he would help cover for me, and would take responsibility if something went wrong. I wanted the to have a free life at Qing Ming, and he spent many months speaking to father, spending a lot of effort to have Tenth Brother accompany me¡­ the people of the world all say that he was frivolous and mediocre, and should not have been the Crown Prince, but whether or not he was a good Crown Prince, he was my one and only and forever irreplaceable, best older brother.¡± ¡°My older brother.¡± Shao Ning¡¯s face was flushed, and she placed her cup heavily on the table, sloshing some wine onto the back of her hand. She brought her hand to her mouth and licked up the liquid, her snow white hand a striking contrast to her dark iris. ¡°He died in front of me, his chest pierced through, and after his death not even his descendants were saved, and he could not rest in the Imperial Cemetery. Does being born into the Imperial Family really doom you to this miserable end? Feng Zhiwei closed her eyes, and in her mind¡¯s eye could almost see the bloody flames flashing before her. ¡°I refused to help him poison Father Emperor, but I will not refuse to seek his revenge.¡± Shao Ning smiled miserably. ¡°Wei Zhi, if even I understand how he died to Ning Yi¡¯s interlocking stratagems, how could you not? Or do you really think that I am frivolous and ignorant, and that my so-called revenge is only a childish tantrum?¡± Feng Zhiwei remained silent. For better or for worse, the Princess had finally wisened up, but with Prince Chu¡¯s power throughout the country, avoiding him might not even be enough and she wanted to provoke him? If she courted her death, Feng Zhiwei did not wish to join her¡­ ¡°I am Tian Sheng Dynasty¡¯s most beloved princess, and this title of most beloved is not powerless.¡± Shao Ning laughed coldly. ¡°I was also granted three bodyguards, and while a normal prince only has three thousand guards, I have ten thousand, and all of them are selected soldiers from the Yu Lin Army. Father Emperor has followed the ancient rites of Tang Mu Yi1 and granted me one of the richest and most fertile He Jia county in the Jiang Huai region, and¡­ in the years of Father Emperor¡¯s aging, he has lost son after son, so during these years of as he has tended to the affairs of the country, he has considered treating with me taboo.¡± While the first few things that the princess had mentioned did not amount to much, Feng Zhiwei raised her eyebrows at this last sentence. She had never thought that the Tian Sheng Emperor would spoil his daughter like this ¡ª no wonder Ning Yi thought he had to kill her. Feng Zhiwei paused for a moment before replying in a sincere voice. ¡°Your Highness, these matters are not ones that should enter this Minor Minister¡¯s ears. Whether you speak of your honored self or Prince Chu, both of you are the Emperor¡¯s flesh and blood, and for family to bare blades against each other will devastate His Imperial Majesty.¡± ¡°And is he not already devastated?¡± Shao Ning cast a strange look at her. ¡°You say flesh and blood, and I also thought like this before, but Ning Yi does not necessarily think this way. The things he has done¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei turned her eyes and looked Shao Ning in the face, but the Princess shut her mouth, an uncomfortable expression on her face. ¡°Wei Zhi, I want you to help me, and I also want to help protect your life.¡± Shao Ning took Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand again. ¡°You are already in danger.¡± ¡°Princess, are you not in the same situation as well?¡± Feng Zhiwei looks deeply into her wine cup before suddenly shooting Shao Ning a smile. ¡°You have taken the risk of leaving the Imperial Palace, yet in this most eventful of years, danger is still hidden everywhere. Have you not heard the rumor that remnants of the Crown Prince¡¯s party are still hidden throughout the city, and while the hunt is still ongoing, even if something terrible were to happen, it would be impossible to find the perpetrators.¡± ¡°This will not happen.¡± Shao Ning¡¯s expression changed. ¡°I have brought many guards¡­¡± ¡°These guards, are they all trustworthy?¡± Shao Ning¡¯s face went pale, and just as she opened her mouth, the candle on the table suddenly quivered. The wall behind her silently split open, and a spear head lunged forward like a venomous snake, piercing straight for the center of Shao Ning¡¯s back! The spear moved too quickly for words, pouncing like a flash of lightning, and almost as soon as it had appeared through the opening in the wall, it was already a second away from the Princess¡¯s back. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand smoothly slipped forward out of the Princess¡¯s grasp, her fingers grabbing onto Shao Ning¡¯s sleeve as she pulled back in a mighty heave. Shao Ning was pulled forward, her face smashing heavily into the platter of fruit placed on the table, pressing flat the last slices of peach, splashing the fruit¡¯s juice in every direction. The spearhead flew over Shao Ning¡¯s head, the howl of wind in its wake putting out the candle. The metal tip shone with a cold gleam in the darkness, and like a bolt of lightning flying forward until it ground itself, shot forward into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face. In the blink of an eye, Feng Zhiwei fell backwards, the spear tip almost touching her nose, filling her nostrils with the cold tang of metal and blood. A cacophony erupted outside the room, the sound of whipping clothes never ceasing as figures traded blows. Gu Nanyi never appeared, clearly entangled with another expert whose kung fu was as extraordinary as the person who had sent forth this spear. Someone was determined to make this place the scene of both their deaths. All light was extinguished, and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of peach. The tip of the spearhead quivered in the air like a bloodthirsty venomous snake, searching for its prey. A shadowed figure shot into the room, a guard rushing in, calling out softly as he came forward, ¡°Princess! Princess, are you alright!¡± Shao Ning let out a sigh of relief and was about to call back when her mouth was covered by a cold hand. The palm that covered her mouth was smooth and carried a faintly sweet taste, and as Shao Ning¡¯s eyes fell open in shock, a strange thought flit through her mind, so out of place in the chaos: how is Wei Zhi¡¯s hand so small, so smooth, so sweet¡­ Feng Zhiwei covered Shao Ning¡¯s mouth and grunted deeply. When the guard had run up and reached the side of the couch, Feng Zhiwei flicked her hand up, her fingers grasping forward like a steel claw, seizing the guard¡¯s throat and throwing him into the spearhead. ¡°Chi.¡± The spear pierced flesh, and blood fell as water from a fountain. The guard¡¯s throat gurgled, his shocked eyes suddenly flashing, for a moment, reflecting in his pupils a mirrored look on Shao Ning¡¯s face. Then the light faded, and like the candle beside them, was extinguished. The fierce spear that would not retreat until it had taste blood was finally satisfied, and it retreated back through the hole that it had pierced through. Feng Zhiwei grabbed the peach covered Shao Ning and rushed forward, crashing into a man¡¯s chest just as they reached the door. When the clean, clear smell filled her nose, Feng Zhiwei knew that Gu Nanyi had arrived. ¡°Take her to the Imperial Palace!¡± Feng Zhiwei pushed Shao Ning into Gu Nanyi¡¯s arms. She could not allow Shao Ning to die where she had arranged to secretly meet Wei Zhi. If the Princess had to die, then she could die somewhere else. ¡°No!¡± Young Master Gu immediately pushed Shao Ning aside, reaching forward to grab his little servant girl Feng. Chapter 62 Translator: Aristophaneso ¡°Be good and go.¡± Feng Zhiwei put a fake smile on her face and moved away. ¡°You have to.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Young Master Gu demanded, never willing to move without reason. ¡°Because.¡± Feng Zhiwei placed her hands on his shoulder and pushed him out the door, replying very seriously. ¡°You are mine.¡± Finally, Gu Nanyi picked Shao Ning and up left, breaking through layer after layer of encirclement. Feng Zhiwei retreated into the room to await his return, thinking that Young Master Gu had changed somewhat after the Crown Prince¡¯s death ¡ª before, he almost never strayed more than a step away from her, and now he was even willing to leave her alone. Though at the moment the real target was Shao Ning, so when Gu Nanyi took her away, all of the assailants immediately followed. Feng Zhiwei was not worried for Gu Nanyi¡¯s safety. They were basically at the Emperor¡¯s feet, very close to the Imperial Palace; after his first attack missed, Ning Yi would not force the kill. Hopefully Princess Shao Ning had learnt her lesson, and in the future would not so recklessly summon her to meet. She groped around in the dark for the candle, the corpse on the ground with its eyes still open wide, as if still in disbelief at its sudden sacrifice. Feng Zhiwei looked down at him, sighing. ¡°You appeared too quickly¡­ a spy needs to be more patient.1¡± If he were not a spy, how could he have rushed in so quickly? If he were not a spy, why would he try to locate Shao Ning by calling her name? Shao Ning had failed to understand, but these thoughts had immediately flashed through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind. In this world, there were few people who could have reacted as quickly as she had. The bustle around the room faded, and the smell of blood seemed to silently waft and congeal. Feng Zhiwei clutched the candle in her hand, the creamy, cold wax slippery as a snake ¡ª suddenly, Feng Zhiwei felt something disturb the silence of the darkness, looming as it moved towards her. She reached for where the flint had been placed, but found nothing as she groped in the dark. Luckily, she had a backup stone in her pocket, and with a strike, had her candle lit. The flame bloomed. But before she had time to look into the room, the little fire was extinguished. Feng Zhiwei was shocked, her hand reflexively touching the candle nib, checking the residual heat to make certain that the light had not just been an illusion. But the candle did seem to have shrunk ¡ª had someone used an extremely fast sword Qi to cut the burning candle? At this point, Feng Zhiwei did not dare to run for the door ¡ª if someone was inside the room, she would be turning her back to them. If someone was outside, she would be delivering herself onto their sword. She pursed her lips and lit the candle once more. The flame flickered, then vanished. As the light flashed, Feng Zhiwei threw the candle into the southwest corner of the room and quickly darted backwards. With a thud, she collided, but not with the wood of the door. The hard surface that she had hit gave a little, and seemed to be elastic. When she tensed, she was already clutched within a grasp. The grasp did not smother her, but she could not move even the slightest. The faint musk of masculinity pressed down on her; the person held her in their arms; her ears rubbing against their shoulder; their breath on the back of her ears, soft, warm, and wet; and suddenly she felt a thin sheen of sweat on her skin, sticking to her hair, faintly tingling. Feng Zhiwei could not struggle, so she immediately relaxed, her fingers flexing, grabbing the dagger that silently fell down her arm and into her palm. She had been inspired by Ning Ji¡¯s hidden knife that day, and had returned home to design one herself, a hidden chain attached to a leaf-thin dagger that would silently fall downwards when she pulled. With dagger in hand, she could pierce her attacker¡¯s vitals with a simple flick of her finger. The person behind her quietly sighed. The sigh was long and deep, like wind brushing through branches and leaves, silently breaking upon the foliage, at once almost too faint to hear, yet like thunder blasting by her ear. Feng Zhiwei was startled, and the dagger between her fingers froze as her whole body seemed to stiffen. As she stiffened, the person¡¯s warm hand reached down and accurately pinched the dagger in her palm, their grasp almost intimate as they enveloped her slender fingers, kneading the length of the dagger with the pulp of their finger, gently snapping the metal. The metal broke with a clear snap, and a small smile crossed the person¡¯s face as they flicked their finger, shooting the broken dagger forward to stop up the spear hole on the wall, shutting out the last faint beam of light. The dagger flew forward, but he did not remove his hand, taking her finger and gently massaging it again and again. His palm was smooth and soft, with only a thin layer of calluses on the sides of his fingers. The rough, toughness of his hand met her tenderness, like a fine sandpaper gently moving over a warm, soft heart, and with it came a light tingling accompanied by a small, cold pain. She looked down without speech or movement, in no mood for the intimate moment ¡ª as he held her, he kept his finger pressed just above a fatal acupuncture point on her chest. The man seemed to pay no mind to the deadliness of his gentle hand, his slightly lowered head bringing him almost cheek to cheek with, entangling their breaths, their hair twining together, clinging to her face and his neck, just as soft and cold as the emotion in his heart. At that moment, he tilted his head slightly. One slight movement touching the side of his chin to her cheek. His cold and smooth lips brushed her jade cheeks, like a lively green leaf landing on brilliant, pearly water, touching off the barest of ripples that quietly faded away. Both standing figures shook in place. The man seemed to calm himself in the darkness, and after a few disturbed breaths, evened out before quietly pulling away. The faint touch was like the sheer wings of a dragonfly, unable to bear the heavy cold of the darkness. A faint sadness suddenly rose up from within Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart, and she felt as if she had seen a magnificent range of mountains and rivers stretching before her, only for it all to be shattered in an instant. The tantalizing moment seemed to bite with a freezing edge, like heavy snow pouring down from the heavens, apathetic to the broken butterfly quivering in the snow. The room was dark and silent, with hearts and minds quietly moving until a sudden series of hurried footfalls broke in. ¡°Brother Wei! Brother Wei!¡± Yan Huaishi¡¯s voice called out. ¡°Are you still here?¡± Feng Zhiwei shuffled in place, at a loss for words when the man behind her quietly chuckled and suddenly pushed her. Feng Zhiwei turned as she fell and a soft, cold sleeve brushed over her cheek, bringing with it a light, clear fragrance. She reached forward with her hand, and the sleeve flowed out of her fingers like spring water. The wooden door opened with a whisper, with Yan Huaishi standing in the sudden light. Feng Zhiwei unconsciously looked back. The room and the bed, couch, and table within were covered in a grey, hazy dimness, and the cups and plates were scattered around across the ground, around the body lying quietly in its pooling blood. Everything that had happened seemed a dream. The weather slowly warmed, and the rays of sun began to feel like flowing streams of fire. The magnificent Imperial Palace seemed to be trapped by waves of heat. Chapter 63 Translator: Aristophaneso Not a single strand of wind ran through the Imperial Palace, and servants lined the gardens, holding long sticks and carefully striking the noisy cicadas from the trees, trying to keep any disturbance from the affecting the mood of the already unhappy Imperial Majesty. A hubbub could be barely heard emanating from the Imperial Study, and the inner palace servants all exchanged glances, apprehension in their eyes. ¡°Bastard!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor cried, throwing the Memorandum to the Throne into a man¡¯s face. ¡°This is your good idea!¡± The kneeling man looked up, panic covering his face. It was the General of the Five Armies, Qiu Shangqi. After the Horse Market debacle, the Da Yue people seemed to grow emboldened, assuming the Tian Sheng Dynasty too distracted to deal with their northern border, and their skirmishes and raids intensified. The citizens of the dynasty had been pushed beyond what they could bear, and many had begun to flee into the central provinces, and as more and more people gathered in the populous cities, they brought with them the complex and unclear dangers to local city security. While the different city officials scrambled to address the refugee crisis, news came from across the border of a mighty gathering of troops and forces, and all the signs pointed to a massive Da Yue invasion. Tian Sheng Emperor was incensed and had nowhere to direct his anger, so all of the blame was thrown onto Qiu Shangqi, the man who proposed this Horse Market plan. Qiu Shangqi cried out bitterly in his heart, but he could not speak out and pass the blame. He looked up at the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s desk where Feng Zhiwei sat expressionless, recording summaries of the different Memorandums to the Throne. Qiu Shangqi sighed. He really wanted to pass the buck, but in the end, the advice was truly his own. On the day that Mister Wei had paid his mansion a visit, the two officials had spent some time in Qiu Shangqi¡¯s study, and Wei Zhi and casually opened a book and started reading it. When Wei Zhi had left, Qiu Shangqi had happened upon the open book as he was tidying up, and read inside how the Da Cheng Dynasty had dealt with the Rong people in their times of border difficulty, and with that sudden flash of insight, he had brought forth this advice. So when the matter came to this point, how could he pass the blame? Blame Wei Zhi for touching his books? ¡°This Minister has offended.¡± Qiu Shangqi continued kowtowing. ¡°Trivial Da Yue dares offend our Tian Sheng, Your Imperial Majesty, please grant this official an opportunity to make amends to my crime with a merit. Pass down an edict for the command of the brave sons of Tian Sheng and we will slaughter these presumptuous knaves and thieves and show them that our Great Tian Sheng is not to be trifled with!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor paused, eyes narrowing, neither agreeing nor refusing. After a moment, he finally said. ¡°Withdraw for now.¡± Qiu Shangqi carefully retreated, and once outside the study looking up at the great rolling clouds in the far sky, wondering if he was truly fated in his old age to be stationed at a far away border, fighting horseback tribes and skirmishing. Inside the Imperial study, the Tian Sheng Emperor was silent for a long moment before he turned to his advisors and called out: ¡°Advise me.¡± The several old ministers gathered in the study exchanged glances and then replied together in quick succession. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, it is never advisable to easily broach the topic of war¡­¡± ¡°With uncivilized people, the best method is to impress them with indirect diplomacy and to use our prestige to suppress and curtail their thoughts¡­¡± ¡°The Former Crown Prince¡¯s rebellion is still being rooted out, and to start a war in this current time will be counter to our people¡¯s yearning for peace¡­¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s face darkened again and again, and the gathered ministers all gradually shut their mouths, anxiety on their faces as they lost their courage to speak. In the Chief Ministerial Seat sat Ning Yi. Prince Chu had originally come to report on his work overseeing Dijing County¡¯s water conservation, and had happened upon this official discussion of Imperial business and had been asked to stay and observe; and so the dark haired, jade crowned man sat, a small, calm smile on his face as he listened in. Feng Zhiwei was not to far to his side, helping the Tian Sheng Emperor prepare ink, and as she worked with the inkstone, her face was even more calm than Ning Yi¡¯s. Since Ning Yi had entered the Imperial Study, the two had not exchanged a single glance. The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s expression was unpleasant when Ning Yi suddenly opened his mouth, smiling as he said, ¡°Father Emperor, there is no harm in asking Mister National Scholar for his insight.¡± Everyone immediately turned to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s corner, some with strange expressions on their face ¡ª this title of ¡°National Scholar¡± somehow sounded ambiguous when it came from Prince Chu¡¯s mouth¡­ Feng Zhiwei did not blink, calmly placing down her pen and standing up, composedly replying, ¡°Fight, but by not fighting.¡± ¡°What does this mean?¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°The Da Yue country has always been unconventional and unrestrained, and has never been satisfied as a tributary acknowledging allegiance to others. They have not fought a real war for many years, and have already long forgotten their embarrassment when our Tian Sheng Dynasty pushed them out of this land many years ago, and now they only see the large, fertile central plains controlled by our Dynasty. They have very naturally become restless and seek trouble. Those who refuse to be tamed need to be shown a great demonstration of force, and a lesson must be taught.¡± ¡°Hmm, continue.¡± ¡°But the Da Yue people are nomadic, and are famed for their cavalry that come and go like the wind. It is not difficult to push them back in any single skirmish, but to root out the problem¡¯s source or cause serious damage is never easy.¡± Cabinet Great Secretariat Yao Ying frowned and interrupted. ¡°Wei Zhi, you are dancing around the point. These are nothing but empty words.¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced at the old Secretary Minister. This old man was part of Prince Chu¡¯s party, and also held some grievances against her because of the fate of his son. Now that they were stuck working in the same room, he would take every opportunity to target her, eager to kick her out the door as soon as possible. ¡°Yes, Elder Minister.¡± She gently smiled, humbly deferring. ¡°Wei Zhi possesses small talent and less learning, and dares not boast in front of the predecessors.¡± ¡°It is because of this small talent and lesser learning that you need to practice. Continue.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor furrowed his brows. ¡°Yao Ying, as an elder of Tian Sheng Dynasty, and as a Secretarial Minister, how can you have such little patience?¡± Yao Ying had gotten a face full of ash, unhappily closing his mouth and silently cursing this brat and his fortuitous relationship with Princess Shao Ning, and the special regard His Imperial Majesty paid him in consideration of the young princess. ¡°A centipede does not topple even when killed, and weeds will return the next spring even when burned.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued. ¡°Dayue can always recruit new soldiers, tame and breed new horses, build and buy new weapons. Wars will never take away the unrestrained Da Yue¡¯s ambition, unless¡­ we weaken their people! Destroy their tools! Control their country!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor raised an eyebrow, and quickly demanded. ¡°Speak!¡± ¡°Rather than defending our border, it is better to open it wide.¡± Feng Zhiwei said. ¡°Commander Qiu¡¯s Horse Market advice was in the right direction, but missed out on timing. Da Yue has grown brash and arrogant, and opening a horse market only gave them an impression of weakness and vulnerability, and only fed their presumption. We must first start the war! Press down with our heavy infantry and win a decisive battle, destroying their will to fight, and afterwards beginning our border trade.¡± ¡°More and more absurd!¡± Yao Ying could not hold back his anger any longer, crying out in reproach. ¡°If the war is already won, why bother with a border market at all! Why not continue our victorious pursuit instead of wasting a good victory!¡± ¡°Elder Yao, His Imperial Majesty has just said that we should encourage the free display of understanding to give the young people a chance to gain experience.¡± Hu Shengshan, a goateed vice minister, smiled as he interrupted Yao Ying. Feng Zhiwei smiled in thanks ¡ª this old fellow was the same Teacher Hu who had lead the political seminar that day in Qing Ming Academy. Even though he was also on Prince Chu¡¯s side, he rarely found trouble with Feng Zhiwei. ¡°We need this border market.¡± She continued, smiling without a care for Yao Ying¡¯s fury. ¡°Once Da Yue has acknowledged allegiance, we must put all our effort into trade. Silk, chinaware, medicine, grain¡­ anything that Da Yue lacks except weapons, we must provide generously, and at the same time we can utilize our criminals and oath breakers, moving them north and allowing them to intermarry with the Da Yue people.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± The study erupted as everyone began to cry out. ¡°Our Tian Sheng people are noble in blood, how could we allow them to mix with uncivilized barbarians!¡± ¡°The Da Yue people endure on a poor land, and every day they fight against heaven, fight against poverty, and fight against other steppe tribes, and so everyday they build up their unrestrained, brave and aggressive nature. Once these so called scions of the Roc Bird God marry our Central Plain¡¯s soft and tender women, and once they learn our peaceful and abundant lifestyle, learning to farm and do business, gaining the chance to own property and eat our abundant food, growing dependent on our medicine¡­ will they still have their unrestrained temper and endurance? Will they be able to sacrifice their lives on the battlefield without doubt?¡± Chapter 64 Translator: Aristophaneso Silence filled the room and everyone fell into deep thought. The Tian Sheng Dynasty had learnt a serious lesson from Da Cheng¡¯s failure, and in the late Dynasty¡¯s last years, many powerful figures had severally raised rebellion, almost simultaneously, bringing chaos to the land. All this time since, the Tian Sheng Dynasty had been trying to isolate Da Yue, and guard against any outside influence entering and intermixing with Tian Sheng. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s suggestion today challenged the fundamental foreign policy of the Tian Sheng Emperor and the current dynasty! This Wei Zhi dared to think, and dared to speak! Da Cheng had dealt with barbarians for six hundred years, and every person in this room were recognized as the current dynasty¡¯s most capable ministers. Naturally, everyone understood Feng Zhiwei¡¯s advice: disseminating civilization, starting a war in order to command the peace, and using trade were the three main methods of suppressing and pacifying nomadic peoples, but each method had its limitation. The threat of the nomadic tribes constantly loomed over the central plains, and tough, warrior nomads were like weeds in the grass, impossible to root out with flame, returning again and again each year with the spring wind. After conquering and assimilating one nomadic tribe, another newer and tougher barbarian will appear. As one tribe falls, another rises, and permanent control is never achieved. Once the soldiers start moving, what followed might be a long and attritious war, leaving the dynasty vulnerable to challenge from other powerful and aggressive political figures. When this happened, and the dynasty became entangled in conflict on multiple sides, resolution and return to peace would be a long and arduous affair. Once this happens once, which minister of the next generation would dare to propose such a solution? Even now, to Tian Sheng¡¯s southwest lay the flourishing Xi Liang Dynasty, secure in their link to the sea and famous for its salt production and commerce. Once war reached a stalemate, who could say whether Xi Liang would not take advantage of the fire to loot the burning house? This responsibility was one that no one could carry, and even if the plan were good, no one dared support it. ¡°Have you not considered that once the nomadic people have embraced our central plain civilization, learned our technology, adopted our laws, and gained access to our national policy, they would become even more powerful?¡± After a long while, Hu Shengshan slowly replied. ¡°Intermarriage and trade relations can only ever be long term ambitions. Copying our central plain civilization is not something one can do in a morning and a night.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled as she replied. ¡°And other than Da Yue¡¯s Hulun Steppes, there are also the Tie Le, Gu ¨¡, and Duo Shu tribes. All these tribes have been growing restless, and once we have defeating Da Yue, we can give aid to the other tribes and use the nomads to limit one another. In the next decade, Da Yue will not be able to resolve these difficulties and leave the steppes.¡± ¡°Furthermore.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, her soft and gentle temperament vanishing and a witty, brilliance rising in its place. ¡°This Minor Minister has two goods that are certain to bring Da Yue under our dynasty¡¯s control, and turn the wolf into a dog!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor replied, mood uplifted. To the side, Ning Yi suddenly squinted his eyes. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes turned and she walked over to Ning Yi, sketching a small bow. ¡°Your Highness, would you mind lending me something?¡± Ning Yi looked up and into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face. He could not read the young, masked girls face, nor decipher anything from her naturally misty eyes. Their eyes met and both of them turned away. Ning Yi¡¯s eyes fell to his sleeves, and indifferently responded. ¡°Okay.¡± He did not ask what the thing was, as if he had already figured out the request. Feng Zhiwei smiled coldly, biting her lips. The others did not understand the riddle in which the two were speaking and watched impatiently. Feng Zhiwei pointed to Ning Yi¡¯s wrist and smiled. ¡°I need to borrow Your Highness¡¯s Buddha Beads.¡± Ning Yi wore a moon-white silk robe lined with gold, the voluminous sleeves embroidered tastefully with green, five petal plum blossoms. His clear and elegant bear was dazzling, and the Buddha Beads on his wrist were completely hidden from view. The Tian Sheng Emperor smiled as he spoke,¡± Old Six, I never knew you were a layman. When did you start believing in the Buddha?¡± ¡°A couple days ago, Seventh Brother invite me and some of the other brothers to his mansion for a feast.¡± Ning Yi smiled as he replied. ¡°At the feast, he gave everyone a string of Buddha Beads, telling us that these beads were part of the tribute from Xun Luo. If it is worn in the summer, it will protect the heart and clear the eyes, and prevent your body from sweating. This Minister Son wore it because I dislike the hot weather, not because I am a layman.¡± As he spoke, he pulled back his sleeve, revealing the string of black Buddha Beads on his wrist. The color looked old and elegant and carried a faint fragrance. Just from a casual inspection, the bracelet was not a simple ornamentation, and hanging on Ning Yi¡¯s jade wrist, even the solemn Buddhist adornment seemed to carry a beautiful allure. He extended his hand forward, not moving to take the Buddha Beads off, smiling up at Feng Zhiwei, his eyes dancing with color beneath his thick, long eyelashes. Feng Zhiwei watched him. He stared back at her. His wrist hung in the air, and he refused to take it back. Feng Zhiwei silently grit her teeth, and conscious of the growing embarrassment from the stalemate, she carefully reached out, pinching with her fingers while avoiding touching his skin. As the ministers watched the exchange, Hu Shengshan suddenly laughed. ¡°Mister Wei¡¯s orchid fingers really have the flavor of a fine woman¡¯s hand.¡± Everyone laughed, and Feng Zhiwei could only awkwardly laugh along. ¡°This subordinate is the first son in my family. My older brothers all died in their youth, and my parents were worried that I would not live to maturity, so they brought me up as a girl. I have let the great ones see something laughable.¡± While she spoke, she moved quickly, her fingers brushing Ning Yi¡¯s palm and pinching the string of beads when Ning Yi suddenly curling his fingers, gently touching her palm. The touch was as soft as the touch of a floating feather, but it shocked Feng Zhiwei, and she subconsciously withdrew her hand, almost dropping the Buddha Beads in the process. Face burning, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes reddened as she comforted herself, assuring herself that the mask covered her blush. Ning Yi laughed. ¡°Mister Wei really is a detailed person, this careful even when taking off a string of Buddha Beads.¡± The room laughed again, but this laughter was different, and while some of the ministers in the room still laughed amusedly, others chuckled with a gleam in their eyes. A poor boy from a peasant family should not have such mannerism¡­ Feng Zhiwei looked into Ning Yi¡¯s cold, smiling eyes and responded frankly. ¡°Wei Zhi is from a humble family. Today I was fortunate enough to meet with Heaven¡¯s Face and am being specially regarded by Prince Chu and the other mighty ministers. I cannot help but feel joy and trepidation, if I have acted frivolously, please forgive me, Prince Chu.¡± ¡°It is nothing.¡± Ning Yi smiled gently. ¡°When I saw you here, I was also very happy, and my happiness also had some nervousness.¡± The ministers began laughing and joking, but the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s thoughts remained fixed on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s wolf-taming idea, so though the exchange just now piqued his curiosity, he did not think any deeper. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty.¡± Feng Zhiwei quickly changed topic and stepped forward to present the Buddha Beads.¡± The two wolf-taming strategies lie in this.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor took the Buddha Beads into his hand and examined the strange, complex patterns inscribed into the beads and suddenly understand. ¡°Geluk Lamaism?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Feng Zhiwei did not want to tarry a minute longer than necessary so she quickly explained. ¡°Da Yue is rooted in the nomadic tradition, and their founding Khan Hu La is said to have believed in Lamaism, and even though Lamaism has declined and been suppressed by Shamanism, most of the royal families of Da Yue believe in Lamaism. This Minor Minister thought that we could use various methods to popularize Geluk Lamaism in Da Yue.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°There are three advantages. Firstly, Geluk Lamaism has ¡°Two Forbidden Commandments,¡± with monks forbidden from marriage and child-bearing. Secondly, monks are not allowed to take part in agriculture. When many strong, young men shave their heads and join Lamaism, the population and military might of Da Yue will fall. Even if the monks return to secular life in war time, their time living the Buddha life will grind away their killing edge. Secondly, Lamaism believes in the Six Great Divisions of the Wheel of Karma, and command an ascetic practice in this life in preparation for the next, so they wish for their followers to retreat from public life and set down their worries about the present. Thirdly, Lamaism is preserved in the temple, and is not like Shamanism that can hold worship anywhere, and building temples will pull the nomads from their horses and ground them in place.¡± Chapter 65 Translator: Aristophaneso ¡°And the second thing?¡± Feng Zhiwei spoke quickly, but the Tian Sheng Emperor asked even more quickly, slightly leaning forward. If he did not need to maintain Imperial dignity, he would probably have already flown from his seat.¡± ¡°Wool.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied. ¡°The Yan Family in our South Sea region carries out oversea business all year round and has procured a type of long wool sheep. This sheep¡¯s wool is dense and thick, and can be spun and weaved into a soft, light, and warm cloth, far better than the fabric we use currently for our winter clothing. This sheep is not suited for the hot and humid weather of our southern land, and because the Min Jiang Textiles Department is afraid the introduction of this material will harm our local cotton producers, the Yan Family has been prevented from popularizing this wool. If we can raise this sheep in northern Tian Sheng where the environment fits this sheep, we will not only build an industry that will rise the quality of life of our people, we will also establish a fetter that contains Da Yue¡¯s economy.¡± ¡°As for how to popularize Lamaism and this new wool¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei lifted her chin and smiled. ¡°All the esteemed ministers here are capable and experienced and will definitely have many good plans to help lessen Your Imperial Majesty¡¯s cares and burdens. This Wei Zhi will not overstep his place.¡± Demonstrate talent and capability, but also maintaining decency and propriety. All the high ranking and powerful officials sitting in this room, whether they supported or opposed this new proposition, could not help but reevaluate this young scholar. And this talented young man stood in the solemn, munificent Imperial Study, at the center of all political plans, in front of this crowd of dragons and phoenixes, and his bright, shining feathers did not dim at all in comparison. Her bearing was elegant but not proud, humble but not groveling, a jade tree swaying in the wind, yet standing firm even in the highest reaches of the nine heavens. Everyone could not help but lean forward somewhat, unconsciously looking up at this young man, brightness in their eyes ¡ª this young lad was brilliant and learned, and would definitely blossom in the future! This young lad was too sharp, and perhaps might shatter in the midst of his climb! This girl had suddenly shifted style, shedding her humility and common-pretense, directly pushing the Yan Family to the forefront of political power. Dangerous! This last thought only belonged to His Highness Prince Chu¡¯s, a smile frozen on his face as he sat straight in his seat, gazing up at this cunning woman, beautiful and gorgeous, like a demon-red mandala blooming in the depth of night. ¡ª In the Fifteenth Year of Tian Sheng, June, Qiu Shangqi, General of the Five Armies was appointed Northern Expedition1 General, and given charge of two hundred thousand soldiers and ordered to take command of the northern border. That same month, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Production received an Imperial Edict commanding them to begin secretly planning an introduction of the English Longwool Sheep in cooperation with the Southern Sea Yan Family¡¯s Dining representative. The Yan Family representative volunteered the English Sheep free of charge for the first three years, and only asked for thirty percent of the profit each year afterward. The generosity of the Yan Family gained the Emperor¡¯s appreciation, and an edict was passed down, granting the family the title of Imperial Merchant, charged with organizing and supervising business and trade between Dijing and the southern lands. All these events were related to Feng Zhiwei, but few people would be able to guess her involvement. The matter of deciding Northern Expedition General had involved heated and furious debate. This general needed to win decisively and then after victory take charge of reconciliation, therefore the person filling this position needed both to fight fiercely and also possess sophistication and prudence, two conditions that seemed almost contradictory. Furthermore, after the dynasty had been founded, the Tian Sheng Emperor had grown wary of many of the old generals and had killed or exiled most of the capable and experienced leaders, so in the end the Tian Sheng Emperor ordered Qiu Shangqi to remedy his failures and sent Chunyu Hong along as his deputy, finally balancing the demands of the various forces at play1. As someone sent out on the expedition as a punishment, even though the title of general seemed powerful, it was difficult for Qiu Shangqi to have lofty hope. In his anxiety he paid a visit to Wei Zhi, the ¡°son of a close family friend,¡± and asked him to care of the Qiu Mansion while he was gone from Dijing. ¡°My friend¡¯s son.¡± Qiu Shangqi¡¯s hair had greyed dramatically and tears marked his eyes as he held Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand, entreating her. ¡°The situation in the Imperial Court is delicate and complex. Your Qiu brothers are not sophisticated enough, and Old Three was just raised to Field Officer in the Hu Wei Army. Both within and without the mansion, I can only rely on you to watch after my people for me.¡± Qiu Shangqi looked at Feng Zhiwei with sincerity in his teary, old eyes. Because the plan had not been carried out to completion, Wei Zhi had not yet been rewarded for his contribution, but it was clear to everyone involved that His Imperial Majesty greatly appreciated this young and talented man ¡ªit was only a matter of time before the scholar would gain remarkable success in his official career. On the other hand, the Qiu Family young masters were all various types of worthless, gaining positions in the Hu Wei Camp through family merit and idling their lives away within the city. It had been acceptable before because the Qiu Family had been part of the Fifth Prince¡¯s entourage, but now that the Fifth Prince was in exile, his followers all needed to lower their heads and bide their time, not even daring to breath too loudly. If he did not cling to a big tree, Qiu Shangqi was afraid that if he ever lost his political power, or if the worst fate were to befall him on the battlefield, then the large family he left behind would be helpless, and so he tried his best to solidify his friendship with Wei Zhi and hoped the talented young man would watch over the Qiu Mansion in the future for the sake of ¡°old family friendship.¡± ¡°My father¡¯s dear friend, rest easy.¡± Feng Zhiwei responded earnestly. ¡°The Qiu Mansion is my home as well, and the sons of the Qiu Family are my brothers. Whatever I have, they will have as well.¡± As she spoke, she brought out a silk bag and placed it in Qiu Shangqi¡¯s hand. ¡°Uncle, when you arrive at Cang Lan City near the border, open this.¡± Happiness covered Qiu Shangqi¡¯s face ¡ª at this point, Wei Zhi¡¯s wisdom was common knowledge in the Imperial Court, and he was sure that there was some sort of secret master plan hidden within the silk bag! He very carefully stored the bag in a pocket within his robe and bid Feng Zhiwei farewell. The army set out for its long march, and when they finally were nearing the distant Cang Lan City, Qiu Shangqi could no longer resist and secretly opened the silk bag. Two Hundred thousand soldiers saw their general cry out in shock and spit out a mouthful of blood before falling from his horse. The piece of paper he had taken from the silk bag floated up, carried away by the wind and into the Cang Lan River. The beautiful handwriting on the little paper faded into the water, disappearing, never to be seen again. ¡°The Qiu Mansion is my house, the sons of the Qiu Family are my cousins. Your wife is my aunt, and you are my uncle. From today onwards, your things belong to me. Congratulations, and many thanks.¡± ¡°Junior Feng Zhiwei pays her respects.¡± The length of road between the Wei Scholar Mansion and General Qiu¡¯s Mansion only measured some dozen or so steps. Feng Zhiwei steadily measured this length with her calm gait, breezing down as if on a light stroll through a cool garden. The distance between her and the mansion was now as simple to cross as an easy walk. There was no more being cast out, no more wandering in the night snow, no more hiding in brothels or being framed, and she did not need to run, hunted, to Qing Ming. There were no longer secret dangers crowding around her, and the headache of rebellion leading to her firm footing in the Imperial Court was conquered. Beside her were Yan Huaishi and Chunyu Meng, and the young Yan family scion seemed even more high-spirited than Feng Zhiwei. He had just finished discussing the matter of importing English Longwool Sheep with the Ministry of Revenue, and some days ago, a group of senior Yan Elders had arrived in response to his letter home, undoubtable bringing great compliments to their successful junior. Young Master Yan¡¯s eyebrows and eyes creased as if within the happy smile on his face were written the big word ¡°Winner.¡± Chunyu Meng had recently become Ji Cao Military Consultant to the Ce Branch of the Chang Ying Guard. The Chang Ying Guard had three branches, the Yun, Yu, and Ce1, and the Ce was the most trusted, with a camp right next to the center of the Imperial Palace, their guards allowed to rest within the Palace itself. Originally, Chunyu Meng had been unable to enter the Ce Guard, but with the rebellion and the housecleaning throughout all dimensions of the Imperial Court, and not to mention his father¡¯s powerful position as deputy to the Northern Expedition General, the Chunyu Young Master had also gotten a nice, cushy job. After the initial rebellion uproar, Feng Zhiwei had convinced Chunyu Meng to not report to the Chang Ying Guard immediately, saving him from this gigantic mess, and so now Chunyu Meng admired Feng Zhiwei from the top of his head to the tip of his toes, taking on the role of horse-squire to Feng Zhiwei as she rode, and even willing to be her little slave boy. Chapter 66 Gu Nanyi stood three feet away, not too near, but close enough for him to extend a hand and touch her. The entourage stopped together, and they could distinctly hear hurried footfalls rushing within the mansion as the main gate opened. Two rows of servants quickly ran outward, standing at attention in front of the entrance while the Qiu Mansion butler waited at the gate, his face covered with smiles as he bowed deeply to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Master Wei, our madam asks for the honor of your presence.¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced sidelong at the butler. The day that she had been exiled from the mansion, even though there had been a nominal excuse of ¡°lying low until the trouble was over,¡± everyone here, whether intentionally or otherwise, collectively ¡°forgot¡± to arrange a sending off or any preparation of food or money. That day she had walked out with nothing but the clothes on her back, and this butler had sat in the gatehouse, legs crossed and picking at his teeth, casually spitting as she walked past, a small piece of meat dislodging from his mouth and landing at her feet. ¡°Butler Zhang?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and patted his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Qiu Mansion butler is one of the most capable in all of Dijing, perfectly organizing every matter in the Qiu Mansion all by himself. After seeing you today, I can tell you are surely not a common man.¡± Zhang Cheng was greatly flattered, never expecting that this famous young man, the lofty National Scholar, would actually know his name. His yellow face reddened, and he bowed repeatedly. ¡°I do not dare accept Master Wei¡¯s praise¡­ I do not dare.. I do not dare¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled at him, her eyes warm ¡ª- you had better take it in as much as possible, because soon enough, you may not be able to hear it anymore. She turned away from the bowing Zhang Cheng and walked in through the gate, calling out. ¡°The Madam¡¯s invitation? If you can ask the two young masters to the front hall for some tea, I will go to the back hall myself. The Qiu Mansion is the home of my father¡¯s best friend, and it is also my home. Everyone, there is no need to be polite.¡± Zhang Cheng paused for a moment before stepping forward to halt her, instinctively concerned by the impropriety, but at this point Gu Nanyi had already swept him by. His eyes fell and no longer focused on anyone, and suddenly Zhang Cheng felt as if a wall had formed in front of him as he tottered backwards and almost fell into the screen wall in front of the gatehouse. Feng Zhiwei stared straight ahead, leading Gu Nanyi past the screen wall. She did not go directly to the madam¡¯s courtyard in the mansion interior, first pausing at a lonely spot in the Clasped Hand Veranda[1] to take off her mask. Behind her mask was her customary drooping-eyebrow and yellow-faced makeup; ever since she had seen the Shao Ning Princess¡¯s real face, she knew that her own face could never be easily revealed. Mask off, she stepped into a small courtyard in the northwestern corner of the Qiu Mansion. Just as she turned a corner, she passed by a group of servants carrying trays of tea ware and dessert, clearly bringing the dessert from the kitchen to the main building. Feng Zhiwei saw the servants and smiled. This matter was truly fated, and this chance meeting too coincidental. Was this group of servants not those old female maids that had cause the ruckus that day in the kitchen? This one in the lead, was she not the same Old Woman An who had slapped Feng Zhiwei across the face? Old Woman An saw her as well and stopped, calling out instantly in laughter: ¡°Oh, look who it is, isn¡¯t it our Young Madam Feng?¡± Old Woman An was not incautious, and her eyes took in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s robe. She wore a fine and delicate, light blue cambric robe, simply styled but well cut. This fine summer cambric was a new fashion just released in Jiang Huai Providence, and the cloth was breathable and comfortable, and almost glowed with a smooth, watery sheen. The cloth was incredibly difficult to make and costly, and so was always reserved as tribute to the Emperor; this robe that Feng Zhiwei wore had just been granted her by the Tian Sheng Emperor some days ago, and was a robe only available to a select few in Dijing. Because the fabric was too rare, even a servant from a wealthy and influential family like Old Woman An failed to recognize it, and she assumed the robe was just a normal cambric. From her point of view, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s clothing was not poor, but also was not on the level of nobility, and it was not at all the silken robes of a glorious and honorable homecoming. With this thought, Old Woman An relaxed and continued, her tone twisted. ¡°Young Madam Feng must have made her way! Look at you dressed neither as a woman or a man, with clothing probably gifted from a young master in a brothel somewhere?¡± The other female servants tittered, hands over their mouths, eyes full of disdain. Feng Zhiwei turned to look at Old Woman An, a small smile on her face as she spoke: ¡°How have you been lately, auntie? You look like you¡¯ve become more and more healthy.¡± ¡°Young Madam does not need to flatter this old woman.¡± Old Woman An rolled her eyes and sneered. ¡°This madam is very good. This mistress said that she would prepare a pension for my old age, and not too long ago she gave me money to buy a house. This old woman¡¯s life is fated to loyally end out her days at the Qiu Mansion.¡± The other servants quickly joined in with flattery, and Old Woman An was like a moon surrounded by a cluster of stars. She peered happily in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s direction and continued: ¡°Young Madam, are you living a good life now and returned to see the Madam? The Mistress is about to host an important guest, later when he leaves, do you want me to beg the Madam to meet with you? You had better not come back to beg for help. Even if the Qiu Family is wealthy and influential, we cannot afford to help an obscene relation.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, hands clasped behind her back as she stood at the corner of the veranda, examining Old Woman An with interest. The old auntie was gleefully sticking her nose up in the air when she finally noticed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes. Her eyes were calm and deep, and without happiness or sadness, and without any pain or resentment or anything at all. The eyes were deep like the sky above, as if those of a god living in the clouds, looking down on the petty people milling around after power and profit. These eyes made Old Woman An think that Feng Zhiwei was not angry, and this lack of anger was because Old Woman An was not deserving of her anger. The old servant shivered in fear, thinking back to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes that day she had slapped her on the face, remembering very clearly what Feng Zhiwei had said to her as she wore this same soft smile, those words that had given her nightmares many nights in a row. She was somewhat afraid, but as Feng Zhiwei was not accompanied by any attendants and she thought of how there had never been any news of the young madam, she regained her courage and sneered. ¡°What a cheeky girl, what are you doing blocking the way? Don¡¯t cause us trouble as we present desserts for Madam¡¯s important guest!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, why am I standing here?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and turned to the motionless Gu Nanyi who had been statueing by the side all this time. ¡°Hey, young master, someone here insulted me.¡± Gu Nanyi turned in confusion ¡ª one has to forgive Young Master Gu, he has never experienced the refined manner of insults by relations of a big family. In his understanding, only spit flying uncontrollably, murderous faces, stabbing fingers, and brandished blades and swords counted as hostility, and only these needed to be dealt with. Feng Zhiwei tiptoed and placed her mouth by her ear, saying: ¡°They slapped me in the face¡­¡± Before she had finished, Young Master Gu was already moving. His body twisted up into the air, his cyan Qi flashing across the dark purple veranda. Old Woman An and the others only felt their eyes blur with the light blue green and heard a series of slaps as a burn lit their faces in pain. ¡°Hua lala!¡± The cups, bowls, and plates shattered on the ground as seven bloody front teeth fell from mouths. Seven servants, seven teeth, not a single servant exempted. [1] ³­ÊÖÓÎÀÈ:a veranda often seen in a siheyuan. It forms a circle like that formed by a man¡¯s arms, hands and chest as he clasps his hands together. ³­ÊÖ means holding hands. Chapter 67 Translator: Aristophaneso Miserable cries rang out as Feng Zhiwei blinked innocently and finally finished her sentence. ¡°¡­ a couple of months ago.¡± Gu Nanyi stood for a moment among the scattered porcelain and blood but soon found the area too dirty for his taste, calmly stepping on the seven women lying on the ground and walking back to Feng Zhiwei. Just as Auntie An was curling up, shaky finger raised, about to point at Feng Zhiwei and unleash a barrage of curses, her eyes flipped back as she was pushed down again¡­ In quick succession, another three servant women had their breasts trampled¡­ Feng Zhiwei smiled as she walked past the seven groaning servants, each lying in various contortions of misery, and as she passed by, helped Auntie An clean some spilled tea from her face with her boot, very carefully cleaning the front of her face and then the back, rubbing the top of her head and then her chin. As she wiped away the tea, she spoke: ¡°You know, it¡¯s bad to block the passage, but it¡¯s even worse to lie here while you block the way. Good dogs don¡¯t even act this way, and you still don¡¯t get up? The Madam¡¯s important guest is still waiting for you to bring the dessert.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Old Woman An¡¯s eyes turned blue with hatred as she viciously bit down on the tip of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s shoe, but unfortunately for her, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s boots were stuffed with cotton. Feng Zhiwei smiled down at the old servant woman and kicked forward, and with a dull smack, kicked her tongue into her teeth, unleashing another flow of blood. Feng Zhiwei moved on without a backwards glance, calling out indifferently: ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ll leave you with a bit of wisdom. The evil we bring upon ourselves is the hardest to bear, so from today forward, live properly.¡± She swept past the moaning servants and before the Qiu Mansion guards could respond, had already brought Gu Nanyi into the small northwestern courtyard that she had been heading for. After some time passed, the Qiu Mansion guards finally arrived and helped Old Auntie An up. The old servant woman laboriously climbed onto her two feet, her face swollen and her body covered in blood as she shook, clinging to railing, spitting broken teeth into a handkerchief and catching her breath. She glared venomously in the direction that Feng Zhiwei had left in and cried out hoarsely. ¡°That woman has come to make trouble! You still haven¡¯t gone and captured her!¡± The Qiu Mansion guards stood, hesitant to follow a servant¡¯s orders. Old Lady An cursed, pounding the ground: ¡°Idiots! Don¡¯t you see how I¡¯ve been beaten? Go quickly! I will immediately go report to the Madam! The Madam will definitely send her to the Yamen! Go! I¡¯ll take full responsibility!¡± This old lady was Madam Qiu¡¯s personal maid and had always played an important role in Madam Qiu¡¯s household, and since she truly had been beaten quite viciously, the guards stopped hesitating and quickly rushed towards the small courtyard. Old Lady An fussed with her hair and evened her breath before commanding some people to clean up the scattered porcelain. ¡°Grab that and bring it to the madam. The six of you injured, come with me!¡± Her face was twisted in ferocity, and a cold light flashed in her eyes. ¡°I will have the madam kill you! You dare to come here, but you will never leave!¡± Across from the Clasped Hand Veranda, past the East and West Side Courtyards lay the Qiu Mansion northwestern corner and the small courtyard in which she had lived for ten years. Feng Zhiwei stopped some steps away from the courtyard and paused. On the western side of the small yard stood a laurel tree, and though it had not yet blossomed, its fresh, green leaves rustled in the wind. Feng Zhiwei looked up at the tree and felt as if she had been returned to her childhood when the sweet fragrance of blooming osmanthus had filled the entire yard. Her mother had brought along brother and sister, the shallow basket in her hand filled with light yellow osmanthus blossoms, and that night they had had delicious, tender osmanthus scrambled eggs. Her younger brother gulped down food as she helped serve her mother, the osmanthus blossoms like small yellow pearls sprinkled over the coarse rice. She would serve her mother, and her mother would use her chopsticks to pick out the little pearls and place them in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s bowl, and in the dim light of the oil lamp, the two shared a smile. In a flash, so many years had passed. Water glimmered in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s misty eyes. Gu Nanyi stood quietly alongside her. Feng Zhiwei lifted her eyes and straightened, smiling at him as she said. ¡°Come, let me show you where I grew up.¡± Young Master Gu nodded and very straightforwardly walked into the courtyard. Feng Zhiwei paused in astonishment ¡ª even though she had headed straight for this little courtyard as soon as she had entered the mansion, anxiety had filled her heart from the many years of separation and she still was not sure how she would face her mother, but this Young Master Gu just walked directly took the lead. Young Master Gu¡¯s logic was very simple ¡ª this is your home, and who doesn¡¯t just enter the door when they come to their house¡¯s entrance? Before they could fully push open the courtyard gate, a white light followed whistling wind and flew through the half open courtyard door. Before Feng Zhiwei could make out the light, Gu Nanyi had already reached out a hand and caught it. In his hand lay a half bowl of rice with a piece of vegetable hanging sadly from its edge. ¡°Everyday eating vegetables! I¡¯m already becoming a cow! Mom, ask the main kitchen to bring some meat!¡± It was Feng Hao¡¯s voice. ¡°Behave.¡± Madam Feng¡¯s voice was still patient and gentle with love. ¡°There are guests today so there will be leftovers later. Endure and I will bring some for you later.¡± Feng Hao was quiet for a moment before a pounding noise sounded out, as if he were slamming the table in annoyance. ¡°Mom, you said last time that you would borrow some money, have you got it yet¡­¡± Silence filled the courtyard building for a moment before Madam Feng quietly replied: ¡°Hao-er, that Qing Ming Academy, perhaps you should not go study there¡­¡± ¡°No way!¡± Feng Hao pushed away the bowls on the table. ¡°They can go! I can go too!¡± ¡°They? They who?¡± Madam Feng seemed to be angry and replied in a hard tone. ¡°I still have not asked you, but that time you came back from that group of friends so anxiously, hiding all those days without coming out when Duke Zhen Guo¡¯s son was injured ¡ª what was that all about?¡± Feng Hao seemed to freeze, but then quickly cried out all the louder, ¡°How would I know!¡± Madam Feng stayed silent for a moment and then sighed. Quietly, she asked: ¡°You¡­ have you seen your sister?¡± ¡°No!¡± Feng Hao answered quickly before changing the subject again. ¡°Mom, the money¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any either!¡± Madam Feng shot him down. Feng Hao jumped up, and with a clatter, seemed to have overturned the table. Feng Zhiwei smiled. It was her usual warm and gentle smile, but it carried with it a ghastly coldness. She reached over and took the rice bowl from Gu Nanyi and pushed through the courtyard door, beelining towards the astonished Feng Hao and saying, ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Before Feng Hao could react, Gu Nanyi had already floated over and lightly punched his belly. Gu Nanyi used no internal force, but the inexperienced and untrained Feng Hao still cried out in loud pain. As his lips flew open, Feng Zhiwei turned her hand and poured the rice into his mouth. Feng Hao¡¯s belly burned with pain and he felt as if his internal organs had all been pressed together. Before he could catch his breath, his mouth was filled with a half bowl of rice, and he suddenly choked, his eyes rolling up as he almost passed out. Madam Feng quickly pounced over, hurriedly patting his back and helping him smooth out his breathing. Feng Hao spent a long moment trying to gulp before he could swallow the mouthful of rice, and the ball of rice seemed to plop down his throat with an audible sound. Blue veins stood out on his neck and tears began to gather in his eyes. Chapter 68 It was only after he managed to catch his breath that he could hear Feng Zhiwei¡¯s indifferent voice speaking down to him: ¡°Wastrels like you are more useless than horses and cows, and I even think that this rice and these vegetables are too good for you, and you dare waste?¡± Feng Hao clutched his belly and paused teary eyed, staring upwards at Feng Zhiwei for a long moment before finally recognizing her. As the recognition dawned, his expression completely changed as he scurried behind Madam Feng, only daring to poke his head out from behind her as he yelled: ¡°Mom! Look at this bitch! She hits me as soon as she comes back! And she even brought back a wild man!¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Madam Feng snapped back, her eyes glued to Feng Zhiwei ever since she had swept in through the door. Her eyes watered and billowed like waves as her breath caught in her throat. Finally, she managed to call out softly. ¡°Zhiwei¡­ you¡­¡± The words stuck in her throat. Feng Zhiwei smiled gently, turning aside. She could not help but focus on the dusty and cracked table, and in that moment a thousand emotions fought in her heart, and all the words she wanted to say mixed together and clammed up her tongue, and even a simple greeting was beyond her ability. She breathed deeply, eyes still avoiding her mother¡¯s face as she spoke: ¡°I¡¯ve come to see you, to ask you about a matter.¡± Madam Feng¡¯s eyes never left her daughter¡¯s face, not a single complaint in her heart about Feng Zhiwei¡¯s demeanor. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even told you what it¡¯s about.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, eyes still examining the table. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t agree so quickly.¡± ¡°Your plans have never been bad.¡± A small smile crossed Madam Feng¡¯s face. ¡°You must be thirsty? Have something to drink.¡± She turned quickly and busied herself with preparing tea, ladling some water from the water barrel in the corner and thoroughly washing an old and chipped tea cup. ¡°No need, I already need to leave.¡± Feng Zhiwei looked up, eyes avoiding her mother as she bustled around. ¡°I want you to let me send Feng Hao to study at Mount Shou Nan in HeXi province.¡± Madam Feng paused. Feng Hao jumped upright. ¡°Mount Shou Nan!¡± He cried out in terror, even forgetting the unbearable pain in his belly. ¡°Leaving Dijing? You want to send me out of Dijing to that miserable place where birds don¡¯t even nest? HeXi province was in the northwestern corner of Tian Sheng, and the seasons were bitterly cold. The Shou Nan Academy founded on the eponymous mount was also famous, and while Qing Ming was known for its nobility and freedom, Shou Nan was infamous for its rigor and rules. It was considered a punishing ground for scions who had made great mistakes, and was a place that polished away foolishness and unbridled arrogance. At its core, it was a disciplinary school, and no matter how arrogant or domineering a student was when they entered, when they left, they would have been transformed from a tiger into a household cat, and all of their energy would have been ground away. All these children of noble and rich families were terrified by the idea of this school, and Feng Hao was the same. ¡°Only a place like this is suitable for a person like you, don¡¯t even think about Qing Ming.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, not even sparing Feng Hao a look. ¡°I will arrange people to send you there immediately, and I will pay for three years of tuition and living expense. ¡°Piss off!¡± Feng Hao cursed loudly, his eyes reddened and his hair almost standing straight. ¡°Who do you think you are? You dare make decisions for me? I said Qing Ming, and it has to be Qing Ming! What Shou Nan Mountain, and what HeXi province, I would rather die than go there!¡± Madam Feng quivered at these words, her back to the brother and sister as they fought. ¡°I said you will not enter Qing Ming and you will not.¡± Feng Zhiwei said indifferently as Madam Feng stilled. ¡°You have no choice.¡± Feng Hao glanced fearfully at Gu Nanyi and examined his calm and assured sister and suddenly no longer dared to curse. He twisted around and clung to his mother as if by sticky glue. ¡°Mom! You won¡¯t let me go, will you! You really won¡¯t let me go, right! You cannot bear it!¡± Madam Feng still kept her back to Feng Zhiwei, though her straight back seemed somewhat stooped as the hand holding the water ladle quivered. As Feng Zhiwei looked at this back, a faint despair seemed to rise up in her heart. Finally, after what seemed like a very long moment, Madam Feng put down the ladle, holding onto the sides of the water barrel as she straightened. She moved very slowly, as if trying to straighten out her thoughts as she adjusted her posture, but when she finally stood upright, her back and waist were ramrod straight. She looked into her small son¡¯s hope-filled, begging eyes and smiled, reaching out and smoothing his messy hair. Feng Zhiwei stepped backwards, her eyes turning cold. ¡°Hao er¡­¡± MadaM Feng said slowly, dotingly arranging her son¡¯s hair. ¡°Yes, your mother cannot bear it.¡± Feng Hao gleefully looked into his mother¡¯s eyes but suddenly paused; for a moment, he felt as if his mother was not looking at him, but through him towards another person. The feeling quickly disappeared, and in the next moment, his mother¡¯s warm gaze returned to his face. He let out a sigh of relief before turning to peer victoriously at Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei leaned against the door frame, a smile marring her face as she watched the deep affection between mother and son. ¡°Truly a loving mother and a dutiful son. A perfect, loving family.¡± She smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ve meddled too much as an outsider.¡± Madam Feng¡¯s hands dropped and she lowered her eyes, her limbs suddenly stiffening. ¡°Since that is the case, the two of you should take care.¡± Feng Zhiwei finished, and without another word, bowed and left. ¡°Bitch!¡± Feng Hao called out, laughing coldly as he stepped out from behind his mother¡¯s back. ¡°Piss off far away. My business, and our Feng Family¡¯s business, is not your concern!¡± Feng Zhiwei did not look back, only stepping forward more quickly, a light rustling wind gathering with her steps. But Gu Nanyi turned. This young statue who never cared for anything not immediately in front of his eyes, who had never showed any interest towards other people or other things, suddenly turned around and peered at Feng Hao. His whole face was obscured by his veil, yet Feng Hao felt as if he were pierced by a pair of cold eyes, cold and apathetic like the gaze of a frozen statue. Feng Hao shivered, but before his shiver could end, the world blurred in front of his eyes and the sky was in his face as he was launched flying through the air. The slapping of flesh could be heard for a moment before Feng Zhiwei¡¯s voice called out. Feng Hao struggled in terror, his arms and legs flailing as he sailed through the air and crashed into the ground, the pain in his body made him think that all his bones had been shattered. Sudden footfalls rushed forward and a dozen hands reached down to help him to his feet. Feng Hao wailed in terror for a long moment before finally realizing that he was surrounded by the Qiu Mansion guards. Before he could wonder why the guards had come to this small yard to save him, he twisted his swollen face and cried out ferociously: ¡°Assassin! There¡¯s an assassin!¡± The Qiu Mansion guards exchanged glanced as someone asked. ¡°Where did the assassin go?¡± ¡°Went to kill the Madam!¡± Feng Hao cried out, pointing in the direction that Feng Zhiwei had left in. ¡°Protect the Madam!¡± The Qiu Mansion Guard Leader cried out, leading the guards away, leaving Feng Hao to crash heavily into the ground once again¡­ Chapter 69 Chapter 69: Chapter 69 At this point, Feng Zhiwei had returned to the veranda and replaced her mask, was now approaching the Madam¡¯s Li Hua Residence. Her pace was as quick as the breeze as she passed through the hallways and into the courtyard, passing by the young servant girls and elderly crones, none of whom saw her clearly. The summer wind felt bitterly cold against Feng Zhiwei¡¯s skin, but also as if stifling hot, as if a ball of fire was piercing though her chest and burning up her insides to ash. Everything was ash, and all that remained of those inextricable ties of kinship and her timid, hopeful expectations of reunion was her bitter heart, but still she strode forth to protect the unwilling, unsought for and unthanked. Why bother? Why suffer? She carried her chestful of sadness as she walked briskly in the warm breeze, as if the wind in her face could pull away the bitterness in her heart. Suddenly, a hand reached over and gently touched her shoulder. Feng Zhiwei froze in shock, slowly turning her head. Gu Nanyi had actually voluntarily touched her. He peered down through his veil, quietly watching her. A deep tranquility covered the veranda, both sides of the manicured walkway lined tastefully with flowers and greenery. His veil fluttered in the wind, obscuring most of his face, leaving only the clarity of his eyes, glorious and brilliant like the purest obsidian diamond. In the calm of the veranda, the tall and slim man and woman shared a gaze. Silence surrounded them as they stood by the carved railing, a cluster of red peonies blooming like fire at their side. Feng Zhiwei reached up and grabbed his hand, turning into him and gently leaning against his shoulder. ¡°Lend me your shoulder¡­¡± Gu Nanyi froze in the summer wind. All of heaven and earth, the small distance before his veil. His world, one step forward or back. For twenty two years, he had lived within his small stretch of the world, never willing to share his small corner, no one ever daring to near. But today the seals along his domain were broken, the clouds had opened up, and that woman so quietly and resolutely stepped close, leaning against his shoulder. Her sweet breath puffed at his veil, bending it inwards to brush gently and coolly against his cheek. Gu Nanyi was somewhat lost, and somewhat confused. He lightly creased his brows, unsure. Such close and quiet breath, warm and wet beside his ear should have been unbearable; as unbearable as coarse clothes and loud noises and harsh lights¡­ all sound seemed like the shattering of wood, all light sharp piercing and piercing white, and coarse clothing was sandpaper against his skin. Even faces seemed often to be shattered into so many horrifying pieces. Yet the quiet breathing by his ear seemed to fill him with an indescribable calm and peace. He did not have the words to describe his experience, but he felt like he could almost remember a time from many, many years ago when someone had gently caressed his hair as they said to him*, My Nanyi, father and mother have no other wish in this life but for you to one day know the feeling of happiness.* Happiness¡­ feeling¡­ these were words he did not understand. He tilted his head and peered down on the face lying against him. Her eyes were closed, her long lashes gently quivering, as if the wings of a dark butterfly fluttering in the wind. The fragrance of the red peonies wafted gently up the carved railing, but could not compare to the beauty and grace of her smell. A hand gently clutched his shoulder, the fingers slender, the knuckles delicate, and nails lucent like pearls. Gu Nanyi gently lifted his chin and felt the summer breeze against his face. Feeling¡­ so this is what it means. Feng Zhiwei did not know that the tranquil and jade statue of a man was experiencing his first swelling of emotion, and that his soul, sealed by ten thousand years of pure snow, was suddenly pierced by a beam of brilliant light, and now only quietly awaited a traveler to open its gates. She only knew her exhaustion and weariness, and needed rest. The man beside her was tall and quiet, and seemed able to carry and support all her gloom and heartbreak. Feng Zhiwei moved her cheek, lightly bunting his shoulder for a moment before pulling away. When she looked up, her small smile was once again on her face and as if nothing had happened, she said: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± As he watched the woman briskly walk away, Gu Nanyi leaned his head and touched cheek to the lingering warmth on his shoulder. A faint fragrance still remained, and as he breathed it in, he noticed a small stain of wetness on his face. Gu Nanyi reached out and touched it, and when he held his finger up to the sun, he saw a small stain of water. He looked at it uncomprehendingly for a moment before suddenly understanding, and touching the shoulder that Feng Zhiwei had leaned against. He felt at the little stain of moisture in his robe. In the tranquil veranda, as the summer sun streamed in broken up by the shade of the plants, a man stood for a long moment, touching his shoulder. Madam Qiu had already been waiting for a long time in the Li Hua Residence, and even though Master Wei had not yet arrived, it was too improprietous to walk out and find him. As she sat wondering, a blue robed man suddenly walked over, cloaked by the sun. A servant girl quickly ran forward and then quickly returned to report their guests arrival. Finally, Madam Qiu swept over accompanied by her servant girls and old maids. As she was wondered at the absence of her butler, the young man before her bowed, clasping his hands, ¡°Greetings to Madam Qiu.¡± ¡°Just call me aunt.¡± Madam Qiu smiled kindly. Before her husband had left on the expedition, he had already told her about this young scholar¡¯s success and the Emperor¡¯s favor. Not only could Madam Qiu not offend him, she must try her best to win him over. The young man standing the hall was neither groveling nor arrogant, his features delicate and pretty, his bearing casual and elegant, his whole demeanor very pleasant to behold. Madam Qiu kindly invited him to sit, secretly sighing in her heart about her three sons, none of them as talented as this young man before her. The host and guest exchanged the conventional greetings and spoke gently about the formalities of their meeting. According to Madam Qiu, meeting Wei Zhi in the private courtyard was only the Qiu Mansion¡¯s way of showing its cordiality, and since Wei Zhi called Qiu Shangqi uncle, then it was still fitting with tradition to meet with him as a familial senior with a junior. After conversation and tea, she planned to bring in the three Qiu Mansion young masters to come accompany the young Minister Wei Zhi. Concluding the brief exchange, she picked up her tea cup. Though the host had already picked up her cup, Feng Zhiwei made no move to follow. Madam Qiu brought the tea to her lips and took a sip. She smiled and turned to Gu Nanyi, speaking kindly: ¡°Qiu Mansions Fragrant Mountain Ch¡¯iao-She is not bad, you should try some as well.¡± Gu Nanyi took his hand from his shoulder, took the time to rub his fingers to make sure there was no wetness remaining before finally pushing away the tea that Feng Zhiwei had proffered, only saying: ¡°Dirty.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, but the faces of all the people belonging to the Qiu Mansion darkened. Madam Qiu¡¯s face was also uncomfortable ¡ª was this Wei Zhi raised in the country side and completely unfamiliar with the rules? And how could a retainer so blatantly sit next to their master and say such aggressive words? ¡°Madam.¡± Feng Zhiwei finished her cup of tea before slowly speaking. ¡°This Nephew has some things to tell the honored ma¡¯am¡­¡± She paused while speaking and looking around her. While Madam Qiu sat in confusion, Feng Zhiwei continued: ¡°I went to the Hu Wei Camp the day before yesterday¡­¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70: Chapter 70 The Qiu Mansion Third Young Master had just been conferred a military rank in the Hu Wei Camp, so Madam Qiu¡¯s face instantly turned serious, and with a wave of her hand, dismissed the servants around them. ¡°The Madam truly manages her servants well.¡± Feng Zhiwei praised lightly as she stood. ¡°The Qiu Mansion¡¯s manners has become more rigorous than before.¡± Madam Qiu was just about to reply with some modest words when she finally heard the words that Feng Zhiwei had used. ¡°Than before¡­¡± She peered up confusedly at Feng Zhiwei, wondering why this Master Wei was speaking as if familiar with the Qiu Mansion. Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°Hao-er is still immature, and Wei-er still lacks understanding.¡± She smiled as Madam Qiu¡¯s expression changed. ¡°They have bothered you over these years.¡± ¡°You¡ª you¡­¡± Madam Qiu stood and retreated a step, clutching the back of her chair, tottering in place. ¡°I am Wei Zhi[1].¡± Feng Zhiwei proclaimed, hands clasped behind her back, her eyes calm and merciful. ¡°It is who I am now, and it is who I will be in the future. It is Wei Zhi who stands in the Imperial Court, and Wei Zhi who claims the Qiu Mansion. She procured an envelope and handed it over. ¡°This is Uncle Qiu¡¯s letter to his madam.¡± Madam Qiu¡¯s face went pale as she read, and as soon as she was finished she instinctively crumpled the pages into a ball, but as she regained her sense of propriety, unfolded it once again. Feng Zhiwei smiled as she watched. With her current status, it was very simple to procure a sample of Qiu Shangqi¡¯s handwriting, and once brought to the talented guests gathered in the Yan Family household, a letter written in Qiu Shangqi¡¯s own hand was quickly forged. The letter¡¯s tone was very ambiguous, repeating again and again that Wei Zhi was extremely capable, and that the Qiu Family had no master anymore. The Madam must listen to Wei Zhi¡¯s arrangements and proceed according to her dictates, pursuing a sincere cooperation. In Madam Qiu¡¯s understanding, the letter said that Qiu Shangqi knew of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s identity and still asked her to accept her rule, and she did remember her husband repeatedly reminding her to forge a good relationship with this ¡°Master Wei.¡± A muddied river of emotion seemed to be running through her heart as she sat in stunned silence. ¡°Madam.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued placidly. ¡°Since I am being frank with you and Master Qiu, you do not need to worry that I still hold a grudge against the manor. Now that Master Qiu is no longer present, with all the matters that will surround this manor in the future, it will be best if you and I can work together in unity.¡± Madam Qiu stared at Feng Zhiwei, knowing that she spoke the truth. With their different statures, and with Qiu Shangqi absent, if she wanted to pursue vengeance, then the madam could only watch helplessly as her Qiu Family be torn apart. Coming in person today and revealing her true identity was a show of sincerity, and the madam understood that if she did not learn to differentiate right from wrong, she would be setting herself against this young minister. When the time came, who would support her? Even if her parents wanted to help, they would probably be incapable of saving the Qiu Mansion. Yet she still hesitated, unable to accept this new situation without fear, though there were no good alternatives. The Master was no longer present, and with him gone went the pillar of both the family and of her heart, and now the banished Feng Zhiwei returned with such a heaven-shattering status. Even now as her mind raced, she was still sunk in shock and astonishment. ¡°You¡­ what do you want?¡± She finally managed after a long moment. ¡°You still regard me as an outsider.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°I have always been your niece, and what is mine is yours, and all that is yours, I share a part. Is there any need to draw a clear line?¡± Madam Qiu opened and closed her mouth, her face pale beyond belief. Feng Zhiwei turned kindly eyes on her and continued: ¡°My identity is naturally a secret. Feng Zhiwei will return to the Qiu Mansion, brought back by your will from your parents¡¯ home in Huai Jiang Province. Master Wei will remain the son of a Qiu Mansion family friend¡­ Do you understand?¡± Madam Qiu stood numb, cold sweat forming on her palms in the hot summer heat. As she looked up at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s unsmiling eyes over the kindly expression on her face, Madam Qiu felt a wave of coldness rise up from within her. She had never underestimated this niece, but she had still underestimated her far too much! ¡°You are happy, I am happy, and the entire family is happy. From today onwards, I am sure I do not need to tell you how to treat the Feng Family¡¯s returned young mistress.¡± Feng Zhiwei gestured casually with her sleeve. ¡°Naturally, a gifted plum will receive a return gift of a peach. The Qiu Mansion and my three cousins will be in my care.¡± Madam Qiu sat down mechanically, and after another long silence said: ¡°Zhiwei, about before¡­¡± ¡°Please call me Master Wei.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. Madam Feng struggled to calm her breath, and just as she was about to speak again, a clamor broke in from afar. ¡°Catch the assassin! An assassin is here for the Madam!¡± The outcry was quickly followed by Auntie An¡¯s terrible, throat ripping scream: ¡°Madam! Madam! This old lady was almost murdered by that Feng Family bitch! You must demand justice for me!¡± Madam Qiu¡¯s face fell again and again. Feng Zhiwei turned and grabbed Gu Nanyi as he was about to float forward and deal out some more punches, and Gu Nanyi immediately froze and stared down at the slender fingers on his wrist. ¡°I will not bother the Madam any longer, and will take my leave.¡± Feng Zhiwei stood. ¡°Tomorrow, Zhiwei will be waiting outside the city gate for your carriage to bring her back to the Qiu Mansion, do not forget.¡± As Madam Qiu bitterly nodded, Feng Zhiwei noticed that she had been unhinged by everything that had unfolded, faintly smiling as she reminded: ¡°Should you not urge the important guest to stay?¡± Madam Qiu climbed shakily upright, following Feng Zhiwei for a few steps as they walked to the door, calling out numbly and loudly: ¡°This humble house has prepared a feast, perhaps Master Wei could stay for dinner before leaving?¡± ¡°This nephew greatly appreciates this Madam¡¯s wonderful hospitality.¡± Feng Zzhiwei bowed deeply. ¡°Unfortunately I still have matters to attend to. Next time I will definitely come to learn from Aunt¡¯s wisdom. After affecting some politeness, Feng Zhiwei strolled past the guards rushing around, spotting Chunyu Meng and Yan Huaishi in the distance watching the uproar. Chunyu Meng hugged himself, almost bent over in delight as he laughed aloud: ¡°General Qiu¡¯s guards are imposing! Chasing an assassin from east to west across the mansion, and not even spotting a shadow!¡± The Qiu Family and the Chunyu Family were both famous military clans, each part of different political parties. The two families did not have good relations, so Chunyu Meng was delighted at the opportunity to drop a few insults. Madam Qiu did not recognize these two men, and was even more astonished when the butler introduced them ¡ª how did Feng Zhiwei have so much power? She had even become friends with the Chunyu and Yan Families! Finally, the Madam reached the top of the stairs and cried out in annoyed rebuke towards the guard leader. ¡°I¡¯m right here, how could there be an assassin? Yelling and making a mess, are you not worried of becoming a joke to our guests!¡± ¡°Madam!¡± Auntie An stumbled and crawled forward up the stairs. ¡°This old servant was just beaten by that woman from the Feng Family¡­ look ¡­¡± Madam Qiu did not even spare a glance for Auntie An¡¯s bloody nose and swollen face. ¡°You truly have become confused in your old age! What is this place? You dare to come here and holler and shout? Do you want others to say that My Qiu Mansion has no rules! Take her away and slap her¡­¡± Before the guards had even dragged away the stunned Aunite An, Madam Qiu was already coldly addressing the servant girls and old maids: ¡°Wei-er is on her way back from my Sheng Family¡¯s household at Jiang Huai province, and she is still outside the city. How could she be here to beat anyone? Have Old Liu prepare a carriage tomorrow, and send some servant women to bring the young Feng miss back to the Qiu Mansion.¡± [1] Feng Zhiwei (·ï ֪΢) Wei Zhi (κ Öª) Chapter 71 Chapter 71: Chapter 71 Translator: Aristophaneso All the servants were astonished. The Feng Family girl had disappeared after she was banished, and no one had ever heard the madam mention her name, so people had just assumed that she was dead. And if she was dead, then she was dead ¡ª nobody cared. Why was she now at the Sheng Family place in Jiang Huai? And why was she returning to the Qiu Mansion? ¡°Madam!¡± Auntie An broke free from the grasp of the other servants and rushed forward. ¡°Please, you must listen to me, it really was the Feng Family girl¡­¡± ¡°Drag her out!¡± Madam Qiu cried out angrily, gesturing heavily before returning to the room. Feng Zhiwei smiled as she swept by Auntie An crying miserably on the ground, her sleeves fluttering in the wind, her gait not disturbing even a single flake of dust. The next day, Feng Zhiwei did not need to report to duty, so after signing in, she returned to her Feng Zhiwei attire and waited outside the city gate for the homecoming. Just as she arrived at the gate, she saw a group of foreigners galloping towards the city, dust billowing out behind them like a storm. The people lined up at the gate hurriedly dodged to the sides, but were unable to avoid the cloud of dirt and debris that followed. The soldiers guarding the gates frowned and murmured to each other: ¡°The Twelve Tribes of Hu Zhuo! More and more unreasonable every day!¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s gaze followed the arrogant horsemen and she also frowned. The United Twelve Tribes of Hu Zhuo was collectively the largest tribe that lived in the Duo Lun steppes. They were of the same ancestry as the people of Da Yue, but there ancestors had lost the struggle for the crown and fled to the south, eventually occupying the southwestern region of Duo Lun. In the years since, they had continuously lost their struggles against the Da Yue people and had voluntarily sworn allegiance to Tian Sheng, paying tribute to the Emperor. But in truth, the tribute demanded was simply a token¡¯s worth, for the Twelve Tribes occupied the steppes between the domain of Da Yue and the lands of Tian Sheng, providing a formidable barrier of defense for the Tian Sheng Dynasty. In return, the dynasty sent many foodstuffs every winter. Now that Tian Sheng and Da Yue were preparing for war, the loyalty of the United Twelve Tribes of Hu Zhuo was more important than ever. It was rumored that Hu Zhuo had dispatched an honor guard of ten thousand troops and their King¡¯s son, sent to Dijing to pay their respects and demonstrate their loyalty and support to the Tian Sheng Emperor. In return, the Imperial Court had begun treating these tribesmen with greater respect and affection, and it seemed like this generous treatment had already birthed new arrogance in the steppe¡¯s people. Feng Zhiwei did not intend to find trouble, so she met calmly with the Qiu Mansion butler and entered the carriage, but just as the carriage was starting off, someone came along and knocked against the carriage window¡¯s glass. Though it was with the gesture of a knock, this one move smashed the glass window and shattered the expensive material. A man laughed from outside the carriage: ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the young, wealthy daughters of Dijing are beautiful and delicate beyond comparison. Since it¡¯s so difficult to meet one, let me take a look.¡± He spoke carelessly, but his carelessness seemed to front an extreme self-indulgence, as if everything in this world would bend to his orders and no one would bar his way. The Qiu Mansion¡¯s Butler Zhang was terrified ¡ª before he had left the mansion, the Madam had repeatedly reminded him to treat the young miss with respect, and even though he had been unhappy with the order, he did not dare go against the Madam¡¯s will, but this unexpected disaster had actually befallen them. Even though the Tian Sheng Dynasty officials and nobility were romantic and carefree, they remained incredibly serious with their daughters. If a stranger randomly flirted with their unmarried daughter as they passed the street, it would definitely affect the prospects of her marriage in the future. And so Butler Zhang brought the guards forward, but just as he moved, several strong horses moved to block his way, their hoofs stomping down in a mighty roar, eight crimson-gold bullwhips flying out like nimble snakes, tossing the Qiu Mansion guards aside. The horsemen moved quickly and in concert, their faces covered by their wide-brimmed hat, leaving only stubbled, sharp chins in view. The man who had broken the glass with his finger did not pay the bustle any mind, peering in attentively in search of this young, wealthy lady. The glass was shattered and the curtain lifted, and as the bright light streamed in, Feng Zhiwei hurriedly turned away. But before she could turn, the man¡¯s eagle eyes had already seen her face, and after a moment of dazed silence, he burst out in laughter. ¡°Oh the Immortal Heavens!¡± He laughed so hard he shook. ¡°No wonder the wealthy daughters are always hiding themselves away! They are all such unpresentable, yellow-faced girls!¡± Are you ill?¡± He reached forward curiously to turn Feng Zhiwei¡¯s chin. ¡°Are the central plain¡¯s women all this weak?¡± As he spoke, his movement froze. In the dim light of the darkened carriage, a glimmer reflected from his wrist. An inch below his wrist, right on top of the vital tendon in his hand sat a blade of sharp, broken glass, pressed unhesitantly against his skin. ¡°The central plain¡¯s women are indeed all this weak.¡± Light glimmered in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes as she spoke, her tone warm and gentle. ¡°And if I am scared, my hand might shake, and with this tremble, the mighty steppe-man¡¯s bow arm will be as weak as a central plain¡¯s woman.¡± The man outside seemed to think for a moment, though from Feng Zhiwei¡¯s angle she could only see an angular chin and straight nose. ¡°Central plain¡¯s women are not only yellow-faced, but also cunning.¡± The man laughed loudly, not moving away, but instead twisting his wrist and flicking his finger outwards, breaking the glass shard in two, slashing one part into his skin and sending the other piece towards Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes! The man would rather risk the injury to his hand than retreat! ¡°Nanyi!¡± Feng Zhiwei called out quietly. Within the dark corner of the carriage interior, a servant girl in cyan clothing dropped her walnuts and lifted a hand, slapping out horizontally. The robe¡¯s sleeve fluttered like a floating cloud, but the wind that followed was as a raging thunderstorm, flashing out for a moment before disappearing, easily slapping the man away. The man¡¯s huge body could not resist, and he was tossed away into the distance where he smashed into a grocer¡¯s stall. The crowd of people gathered around only saw the arrogant man laughing at the young lady within the carriage, reaching inwards, and before they could sigh for this young lady¡¯s misfortune, the man had been blown away as if by a fierce wind, tossed miserably into the distance. Before the people could react, the delicate black carriage was already moving, and they were only left with a woman¡¯s calm comment. ¡°What an outstanding Reaching heaven-no road to hell-head forwards feet backwards-seven up eight down-monsters wildly dancing-hands waving feet trampling-four directional concealment -octaginal pipa-wild geese alighting on sand in a flowing river with duckweed-flying Kungfu skill1!¡± The people were stunned in place and were trying to decipher this mouthful of a Kungfu skill name, and by the time they could react, the carriage was already long gone. In the distance, the man¡¯s guards were freeing him from the ragged clothing and socks of the second-hand clothing stall. A flowery undershirt sat on his head, a ripped Taoist robe around his waist, and colorful stockings hung from his ears, as the man stared numbly in the direction of the carriage. In the light of day, the man¡¯s swollen face obscured his features almost beyond recognition, but his pair of amber, wine eyes were deep with a fascinated glimmer. ¡°Hey! Central plain¡¯s woman!¡± Feng Zhiwei paid no mind to what had happened, treating everything as a joke. She was in a very good mood today, and would not be so easily angered. Chapter 72 She held her chin up high, beaming at her little cyan robed servant girl ¡ª our Young Master Gu really was extraordinary in woman¡¯s clothing, that waist, that face¡­ just no chest. Gu Nanyi was intently munching his little walnuts ¡ª Feng Zhiwei had shelled a large pile for him the night before, and while she had been shelling, she had changed out his clothing. Feng Zhiwei was confident in her understanding of Young Master Gu, and knew that he never paid any mind to anything except her, so she was not worried that he would refuse to crossdress. All she needed to do was keep the servant girl costume simple, make the color a cyan, sky blue, and keep the material as thin and soft as everything else he wore. His curtained hat had been switched out for a veil. When she had been changing out, Feng Zhiwei had shut her eyes tight, or else Young Master Gu would have shattered the walnuts into a million pieces and given rise to all kinds of extravagant imagination. The Fourth Rank Arms Bearing Imperial Guard Young Master Gu had been suddenly demoted, and was now the servant girl of the Feng Family¡¯s young lady. The carriage rolled forward, passing the mansion gates and reaching the Qiu Family Inner Hall where Madam Qiu waited in welcome with her servant girls and old maids. Madam Feng and Feng Hao stood to the side as well, wearing significantly better clothing than they had worn the day before. Madam Feng¡¯s face wore a complex look, while Feng Hao¡¯s was twisted. Old Auntie An was not part of the ensemble, a decision that Feng Zhiwei smilingly approved of, content with Madam Qiu¡¯s understanding. ¡°Zhiwei!¡± Madam Qiu had already adjusted her demeanor over the night, and she wore an almost natural expression as she walked forward affectionately. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone since the beginning of the year! You¡¯ve stayed at my uncle¡¯s house for this while, and now you¡¯re finally back, did you enjoy your time there? How are my uncles and aunts and cousins doing? How do you think Jiao Huai¡¯s weather and scenery compares to Dijing¡¯s?¡± ¡°Aunt has kept me in her mind all this time.¡± Feng Zhiwei saluted and smiled. ¡°The elders and cousins are all well, and they¡¯ve asked me to greet aunt for them.¡± Madam Qiu and Feng Zhiwei exchanged the conventional greetings as the pair entered the Inner Hall, ¡°unintentionally¡± revealing Feng Zhiwei¡¯s happenings since she had left the mansion. Whether the others believed the story was not Feng Zhiwei¡¯s concern. If anyone tried to plan some underhanded trick and wanted to send themselves to their death, then they were welcome to their fate. When they had finally settled down and were seated, Madam Qiu smiled and announced: ¡°I have prepared the Cai Xia Residence for you, and you can settle in later.¡± A shocked hubbub immediately arose. The entire Qiu Mansion was still confused by Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sudden return and Madam Qiu¡¯s changed attitude, and now the Madam was even giving her the former residence of the now married, first young mistress. Feng Zhiwei smiled, though she had no intention of accepting. She had already decided what residence she wanted ¡ª the Cui Fang Residence that had belonged to her Fifth Aunt, the woman who had died in the lake. This was her true purpose in returning to the Qiu Mansion; the Cai Xia Residence was also located right beside the main residence, and was too inconvenient for someone with double identities. But before she could refuse the generous offer, a cold curse rang out. Who does she think she is! She does not deserve my eldest sister¡¯s house!¡± A voice swept in with its owner as a figure dressed in light green stepped into the room. Qiu Yuluo was the third young mistress of the house, only a year younger than Feng Zhiwei, but though the two had grown up together, their personalities were completely different. This one was incredibly stubborn and self-centered. Qiu Yuluo rushed inside, not even glancing at Feng Zhiwei as she moved towards her mother, her voice disbelieving as she spoke: ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve asked you for the Cai Xia Residence so many times and you never gave it to me, and now you¡¯re giving it to an outsider?¡± Madam Qiu inwardly groaned. She had no way of explaining her concerns to her daughter, but also could not allow her to treat the Feng Family as if nothing had changed. To change a decade long habit in a single day was something she could command in her servants, but it was far more difficult when it came to her own sons and daughters. As she was more and more depressed, she glanced over at Feng Zhiwei. The Feng Young Miss made no move to intervene, sitting back as if waiting for a good show. In the midst of her depression rose some seeds of doubt ¡ª with Feng Zhiwei¡¯s current status, she had no need for the Qiu Mansion. Was she coming back now for her mother and younger brother? To get revenge for the years of insult? Or because of some other plan? Madam Qiu pressed down all the doubts and turned to her daughter, smiling and taking her hand: ¡°Your elder sister Feng is finally back, should you not quickly greet her?¡± ¡°My elder sister is at the South Sea¡¯s Chang Family Estate.¡± Qiu Yuluo smirked coldly. ¡°What kind of elder sister is this?¡± She had been warned to avoid the madam today, and to obediently stay in her room and practice embroidery, but before she had even finished a single pattern, Auntie An had begged an audience. Old Auntie An¡¯s swollen face had given her a fright, and since Qiu Yuluo had basically been raised by the old lady, their bond was deep. After she had listened to Auntie An¡¯s teary complaint, anger had risen in her heart and she had immediately dropped her embroidery and rushed over. ¡°Yuluo!¡± Madam Qiu¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You are too childish!¡± Qiu Yuluo turned to face Feng Zhiwei directly. ¡°When did she go to grandfather¡¯s house? Why did I not know? Mother, be careful that you haven¡¯t been tricked by this petty person.¡± ¡°The Mansion¡¯s affairs are not your concern.¡± Madam Qiu gestured for the servants to bring her daughter away. ¡°You are not a child anymore, why do you still throw tantrums? Do you really want to throw away all our family¡¯s face? You¡¯re still not going back to your embroidery?¡± Everything had been acceptable until the last sentence, and when these last words came out, Qiu Yuluo was incensed. Her face grew pale as she clutched her finely threaded Dragon-Pattern cushion, her eyes filling with tears. ¡°What embroidery? What embroidery do you want? Why do I have to do it?¡± By the third question, Qiu Yuluo¡¯s words had already become tears. Madam Qiu¡¯s face fell again as she silently blamed herself for speaking poorly while she was in an uneven state. She sighed, and just as she was about to comfort her daughter and send her away, the smiling Feng Zhiwei stood. ¡°The Third Young Lady need not worry.¡± She said, ¡°How could Zhiwei dare to live in the Young Madam¡¯s residence? I think the Cui Fang Residence is not bad; it would be a shame to leave it empty, so that place will do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you know your place!¡± Qiu Yuluo coldly snorted. ¡°Of course.¡± Feng Zhiwei remained smiling. ¡°This Elder Sister does not dare upset the Third Young Miss or disturb your heart. What matters most in embroidery is a calm mind, and if you could not embroider what you like, it would be this sister¡¯s offense.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Qiu Yuluo fumed. This girl was too much! She clearly knew this topic was her taboo and still chose to infuriate her with it. Qiu Yuluo immediately thought back to the turmoil in her marriage arrangements this past half year. She could never forget the glimpse she had caught of that man in the heavy winter snow, the enchantingly beautiful, light-gold mandala, that sweet and romantic backwards glance, and now all her future and dreams had been snatched away from her[1]. Now, whenever she embroidered her wedding dress she could only think of the man in her dreams who she would never be with, and even now grief filled her heart, tears her eyes, but still she refused to cry, only lifting her chin up in the air and flicking out her sleeves as she left. ¡°Yuluo still lacks understanding¡­¡± Madam Qiu watched helplessly has her daughter walked away before turning back to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Let us dine together.¡± Feng Zhiwei watched Qiu Yuluo leave, thinking back to the information that Yan Huaishi had given her. The Third Young Miss of the Qiu Family had already been engaged, but just as the groom was about to send the betrothal gifts and money over, the Crown Prince¡¯s rebellion broke out and the groom¡¯s family lost all their power and were exiled to the border. After that, she had been engaged to the Second Young Master of Duke Ying Guo¡¯s Family, but soon after, the duke was involved in the Framing Founding Ministers debacle and this second betrothal was broken again. In the course of Yan Huaishi¡¯s investigation, he had learned that the Qiu Family intended to build connections with the now favorite Prince Chu. The Qiu Family¡¯s Young Miss was already married to the eldest son of South Sea¡¯s Chang Family, which was the noble and powerful family of the Fifth Prince¡¯s late mother. If the Qiu Family¡¯s Third Miss married Prince Chu, then the two Qiu daughters would have ties to different Imperial factions, guaranteeing the safety of the Qiu Family through the struggle for the throne. [1] This man in her dream is NY. Then she was arranged to marry some other man. Chapter 73 But since Qiu Yuluo had broken engagement twice, the gossips in Dijing had already labeled her as bad business. No matter how shameless Qiu Shanqi was, he could not ignore all decorum and introduce this daughter to Prince Chu, and there was no way that their Qiu Family¡¯s daughter could be taken as a concubine, so Qiu Shangqi had to give up on this plan. When Qiu Shangqi recovered from his disappointment, he betrothed his daughter to Assistant Minister Scholar Li¡¯s eldest grandson. The Li family was famous for its unimpeachable conduct, and a civilian minister with such a reputation would be held in high importance no matter the dynasty. Qiu Shangqi had learned from the mistakes of the past and seemed to have finally made a good decision. Since Young Master Li was studying away from Dijing, the marriage had been set for the following year. Feng Zhiwei thought that Young Master Li sounded somewhat familiar, and after some careful recollecting, she remembered ¡ª wasn¡¯t this the same Young Master Li whose balls she¡¯d grabbed? The marriage of the Qiu Family¡¯s Third Young Miss really had many strange twists¡­ ¡°Let us dine together, the kitchen has already prepared everything.¡± Feng Zhiwei heard Madam Qiu say to Madam Feng and Feng Hao, and then heard her mother politely and quietly refuse. Feng Zhiwei smiled coldly. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t go.¡± Feng Zhiwei gently her Madam Feng¡¯s arm. ¡°After such a long time, don¡¯t you miss me?¡± She had repeatedly told herself to keep a cold heart and a cold mind, planning to only fake the motions on the surface, no longer bringing any trouble to herself, but when these childish words came out of her mouth, she could not help the sourness that rose up in her heart. Madam Feng looked at Feng Zhiwei and silently touched her face. Her smell filled Feng Zhiwei¡¯s nose, and that sourness in her heart thickened and she had to retreat a step. ¡°Madam, mother.¡± She turned from guest into host, smilingly pouring the wine, ¡°This stored-in-cellar ¡®Yi Hu Zhu¡¯ is really nice. It is rich and mellow and has a beautiful aftertaste. Let¡¯s all drink a cup.¡± This homecoming feast had been extensively prepared but was hastily eaten, and other than the unhappy glutton Feng Hao, all the others seemed distracted by their thoughts as they picked at the food like dragonflies skimming over water. After dinner, Feng Zhiwei went to the Cui Fang Residence. The Qiu Mansion Butler was very efficient and had already cleaned the whole place while the party was dining. Madam Qiu had announced that some decorative pieces would be arriving tomorrow, and had invited Madam Feng and her son to move in as well, but Madam Feng immediately refused. Feng Zhiwei said nothing and entered, shutting the door and finally resting. After some time, Feng Zhiwei and Gu Nanyi changed clothing and snuck out, meeting Yan Huaishi along a compound wall in the Qiu Mansion¡¯s backyard. ¡°There are guests.¡± Yan Huaishi said simply. Feng Zhiwei examined his face and smiled: ¡°It¡¯s not those important people, is it?¡± ¡°You really are a crystal heart.¡± Yan Huaishi smiled. ¡°Want to hide?¡± ¡°Hide where?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled as she stepped forward, walking back to her own mansion. ¡°I¡¯ve long since entered the quagmire.¡± ¡°What quagmire? Wei Mansion¡¯s terrace is elegant, its pavilion beautiful; if this is a quagmire then my Prince¡¯s Mansion must be a sheep pen, haha.¡± A deep and powerful laughter called forth, followed by steps with a dragon and tiger¡¯s gait. If one were to judge just from appearances, it was as if he were the owner of the Wei Mansion. Feng Zhiwei smiled and stepped forward, greeting: ¡°This one did not know that Your Highness Prince Wei had already arrived. Not coming out and greeting you, please forgive this one¡¯s offense. Second Prince Ning Sheng, titled Prince Wei, laughed as he stepped forward to grasp Feng Zhiwei¡¯s arms and halt her bow, his manners frank and clear, his attitude cordial and kind; just from his eyes alone, one could spot the clear unhappiness. ¡°Second Brother, even if you are being humble you cannot say this.¡± A man approached slowly, a cold smile on his face. ¡°Your Prince Wei Mansion has gathered so many capable talents, how could it be a sheep¡¯s pen. It should at least be a cattle¡¯s pen.¡± Chunyu Meng could not help but bark out a laugh ¡ª Second Prince Ning Sheng loved martial arts and did not read books, and because of this had often been scolded by the Tian Sheng Emperor. One time, the Emperor had commented that ¡°Old Second is innocent like a clay ox or a wooden horse.¡± These words spread through the entirety of the Imperial Court and was a standing joke for a long time. Now that the Fifth Prince had brought it up again, the honest and frank Chunyu Meng could not help but lose control. As Ning Sheng cast a glance at Chunyu Meng, Feng Zhiwei graciously stepped forward, blocking him from view, smiling as she replied: ¡°Fifth Prince has gloriously descended to my abode. My humble home is honored by your presence.¡± ¡°Mister Wei does not need to be humble with him.¡± Second Prince Ning Sheng placed a hand on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Old Five always has reserve on his face, but in truth he has the warmest heart. As long as there is something good happening, he will never miss it.¡± Ning Sheng¡¯s words were accusing Fifth Prince Ning Yan of being involved in the Framing Founders case. Feng Zhiwei silently sighed, complaining inside about these brothers incompatible like water and fire, bringing their quarrel all the way to her family gate. ¡°Elder Brothers, what are you doing? Blocking the gate so that the owner cannot even return home?¡± A gentle and smiling voice called out, the so called ¡°Virtuous Seventh Prince,¡± Seventh Prince Ning Yii [1]had arrived to mediate. ¡°Today truly is a special day.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled with her eyebrows, gesturing with her arms in welcome. ¡°Princes, please.¡± The several princes all laughed and followed Feng Zhiwei into the mansion. They had all long since decided to become friends with Feng Zhiwei, but it was actually rather difficult for Princes to casually approach ministers, so they had not dared act rashly. A few days ago, however, when Father Emperor had been examining their work in the Imperial Study, he had given them a listen and even left them with this phrase: ¡°There are many scholars well-versed in both ancient and modern learning, and you idiots still don¡¯t know how to consult with them?¡± Now it was as if the clouds had scattered and the bright moon had appeared overhead in the night sky ¡ª was there anything more proper than consulting the new ¡°National Scholar?¡± And so Old Second had summoned all his beautiful concubines and compared them each to each, and when he had finally decided on the prettiest one, happily left early the next morning only to ¡°coincidentally¡± bump into the Fifth Prince on the Dong Yang Boulevard, and was forced to send away the beauty and walk together with the Fifth Prince. As they passed by the ¡°Shan Yue Bookstore¡± Fifth Prince suddenly announced that he had forgotten to bring the book that he wanted to consult Mister Wei about, and since they were here he should buy a new copy. But, ¡°coincidentally¡± again, they met the Seventh Prince here at the Shan Yue study, and the party of two became a party of three. Second Prince Ning Sheng nursed his grievances silently, smiling with a hidden coldness at everyone he met. Feng Zhiwei watched every prince as they all entered the mansion ¡ª according to the Imperial rumor-mill, the Second Prince was fierce, the Fifth Prince cold, the Sixth Prince romantic, and the Seventh Prince virtuous, but it seemed as if the rumors were not necessarily true. If the Second Prince truly was only a forceful and explosive prince, then how did he respond so quickly to Fifth Prince¡¯s jab? And certainly, as a member of the Imperial Family, if he did not possess some shrewdness and cunning, he would have long since been burnt to ash. Yet still, despite this Imperial struggle that had delivered itself to her doors, there was still something to be grateful of. The one person she truly did not wish to see had not come, so everything was still terrific. The National Scholar and the three Princes walked together, each carrying their own hidden purpose. Feng Zhiwei smiled and commented: ¡°The rooms will be quite muggy on this hot summer day. Princes, should we head to the Lan Yue Pavilion in the backyard? It is t cooler there.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Second Prince chuckled. ¡°I remember that this mansion used to belong to Old Wang, the old Justice of The Right[2] The Lan Yue pavilion is built on high ground, and is a nice platform to climb to sky gaze at the moon and enjoy the cool breeze. It truly has one of the more unique view in Dijing, and with wine cups and the river flowing by the pavilion, we can have a winding stream party as well.¡± ¡°Your Highness is so heroic, I did not expect the Prince to also enjoy the literati¡¯s little hobby.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled as she replied. ¡°I thought that the pursuits of warrior poet fit Your Highness better¡­¡± [1] ok so this seventh prince Äþôà(Ning Yii) is different than our sixth princeÄþÞÄ(Ning Yi). But their names pronounced the same. [2] ÓÒÖÐÔÊ you zhong yun Chapter 74 She suddenly stopped. The Princes all stopped as well, eyes wide open as they looked upwards, colorful expressions on their faces. Before them lay the low hill paved with white stone, and on top of the hill stood a pavilion, its eaves spread like a flying bird¡¯s wings. From the eaves hung, high and low, small jade bells that rang out and chimed in a clear, beautiful melody with the passing breeze. A man was already inside the pavilion. The man held a jade wine cup and drank clear wine as he leaned against the pavilion¡¯s railing. His moon-white sleeves were embroidered with golden dragons, and his brilliant pearl and gold crown bound down his flowing dark hair. A breath of air swept over the high pavilion, tossing loose a stray hair, and they all watched as he gently pinned it back an ear. All the pavilion servant girls seemed for a moment to forget to breath. The unsurpassed beauty of the generation. He stood casually and elegantly as if all that lay before him was his. After finishing off one cup, he tilted up his cup, and a servant girl immediately moved forward, very happily pouring another cup for him. Down below, everyone was still astonished. ¡°Everyone is here?¡± He called forth from the top of the hill, a guest playing host as he raised his cup. ¡°Come, come, the little Wei Family¡¯s liquor ¡°Ping Jiang Chun[1]¡± is quite decent. Rich and mellow, and leaves a wonderful flavor in your mouth. Don¡¯t be polite, come have a cup.¡± The first one to recover was the Seventh Prince, Ning Yii. ¡°So Sixth Elder Brother has already shot ahead.¡± He laughed as he gazed up the hill. ¡°And here we were anxiously waiting at the Front Hall when you had already passed into the inner chambers.¡± Second Prince Ning Sheng turned his eyes and glanced at Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei did not know whether to laugh or cry. This strategy truly stole the fuel to smother the flame ¡ª Ning Yi, this brother, with him so comfortably and unrestrainedly sitting there in her pavilion, it would be odd if the princes did not assume that the two exchanged private messages. When she thought about exchanging private messages, Feng Zhiwei could not help but think back to that incident in the dark room, with the faint fragrance of flowers and the warm breath¡­ her face flushed, and she was glad for the mask over her face. ¡°So the Sixth Prince has also come.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled as she silently impugned her butler. ¡°This ¡®Ping Jiang Chun¡¯ is our Front Hall wine for our normal guests. The Sixth Prince has taken it by mistake, should we not replace it with something more suitable?¡± The Princes around her all showed some relief ¡ª Old Six and Wei Zhi were not as close as they had feared. ¡°Sixth Brother, you should not have done this.¡± Second Prince Ning Sheng laughed, hand affectionately on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s shoulder again. ¡°If you want to drink Brother Wei¡¯s wine, you need to figure out where the best wine is hidden first, how can you be so impatient.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s shoulder was already numb with all the pats that it had been given, but she could only slap on a stiff smile and secretly curse ¡ª Brother Wei your face! ¡°Since I¡¯ve offended Little Wei last time,¡± Ning Yi said, his eyes falling on the hand on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s shoulder before flicking away. ¡°He has hidden all the good things away.¡± Little Wei? Little Wei your face! Too lazy to play word games much longer, Feng Zhiwei hurriedly invited the Princes to climb up to the pavilion while she called for her servants to replace the liquor. This ¡°Ping Jiang Chun¡± was in fact the best liquor in her mansion, and now she needed to find something better in a rush. Luckily, the clever and bright Yan Huaishi was here for her, and his servants were already rushing about behind the scenes. After some time, ¡°Qian Gu Chun[2]¡±, one of the best liquors in Dijing, was brought up to the pavilion, and all the other Princes turned meaningful smiles towards Ning Yi. Ning Yi himself did not respond, only gesturing slightly with his cup in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s direction as he spoke: ¡°Truly, the ¡°Yi Hu Zhu[3]¡± wine is also decent, Brother Wei should try some next time.¡± ¡°Your Highness has good eyes, and with your attentiveness, your recommendation could never be wrong.¡± Feng Zhiwei smilingly replied. The two exchanged a glance and both chuckled. As she had expected, Prince Chu truly did have spies in the Qiu Mansion, and one was even of quite the decent position. Feng Zhiwei thought about these matters as she entertained her guests. Madam Qiu¡¯s private courtyard was not somewhere an ordinary servant could enter. Ning Yi was clearly warning her, revealing the existence of his spy in order to tell her that all her actions were under his control, and that she should not make any waves. Feng Zhiwei had never expected to conceal her movements from Ning Yi. The two could be said to each have a hold on the other, and so both would move circumspectly, though she was of course the comparatively weaker party, so clearly she would not do anything stupid. She was a forthright person, really. ¡°Old Ten also came with me.¡± Ning Yi smiled as he spoke. ¡°But ¡°One Drink Andy¡± couldn¡¯t hold his liquor so I found a place to let him rest, hopefully I haven¡¯t found you trouble?¡± ¡°Not at all, not at all.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled charmingly, putting on the face of a great host. ¡°We have wine, and everyone is here, how about we play a Winding Stream Party game?¡± Seventh Prince Ning Yii proposed. ¡°Let the theme be hot and cold, four lines in a round. The first three lines must include at least one hot and one cold thing, and the final line must end in three characters. If your line is bad, you¡¯ll have to drink three cups as punishment.¡± Fifth Prince Ning Yan smiled and suggested. ¡°Old Five really is in a good mood.¡± The Second Prince cast a sideways glance at his brother. ¡°Is the Canal construction finished?¡± ¡°I came back to the capital for my mother¡¯s birthday.¡± Fifth Prince said calmly, his words straightforward and simple. The Empress had died early, and Fifth Prince¡¯s mother Imperial Noble Consort Chang was the empress¡¯s cousin, and was the reigning power in the Imperial Harem. The Chang Family is extremely powerful, and their background was what got Fifth Prince off the hook despite his involvement in the framing founding ministers debacle. The Tian Sheng Emperor often maintained political balance by setting power against power. The powerful Chang Family lived in Tian Nan Province, and Tian Sheng Dynasty¡¯s only non-lineage Prince, Prince Yong Ning, lived right next door in Xi Ping Province. Grand Secretariat Yao Ying and Hu Sheng Shan both worked for Ning Yi, and so the Tian Sheng Emperor found new ministers to balance Ning Yi¡¯s reach, creating new titles for several young ministers in each of the six ministries, half of whom worked for the Seventh Prince. Different powers balanced and restrained each other, keeping any one faction from overpowering the others. This was the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s fundamental political strategy. And because of this as well, the Princes had never lost their fighting spirit, and were always cultivating their own power and fighting each other. Allow this Minor Minister to offend and begin first, throwing out a brick to attract the jade.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, not wanting the Prince¡¯s to quarrel in her mansion, so she filled the cups with liquor and floated them down the river by the hill. ¡°In the clear jade cup lies freshly warmed liquor[4].¡± The cup floated by the Second Prince. ¡°Beneath the Yin Ma Bridge hangs a red river lantern[5].¡± The second prince said, hurriedly taking up the cup. Cups floated by the Fifth Prince and he cocked his brows as he took a sip. ¡°Snow flies in the hall as we huddle around the brazier[6].¡± He said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ve made it too easy for the next person.¡± The final jade cup floated down the river and stopped before Ning Yi. Ning Yi smiled, his long eyebrows dancing as he threw back the wine. ¡°I am freezing[7]!¡± Everyone laughed, and Feng Zhiwei almost spat out her liquor, looking up in disbelief at Ning Yi ¡ª this bad guy also had this kind of humor? ¡°Old Six, what kind of line was that!¡± Second Prince laughed uproariously and pushed Ning Yi. ¡°That won¡¯t do, that won¡¯t do, take your three cups!¡± [1] ƽ½­´º Tranquil Spring River [2] ǧ¹È´¼ Thousand Valleys Mellow wine [3] Ò»õúÖé, A Casket of Pearls [4] ±Ì(Bi) Óñ(Yu) ±­(Bei) ÖÐ(Zhong) ÐÂ(Xin) ÎÂ(Wen) ¾Æ(Jiu) [5] Òû(Yin) Âí(Ma) ÇÅ(Qiao) ÏÂ(Xia) ºÓ(He) µÆ(Deng) ºì(Hong) [6] ·É(Fei) Ñ©(Xue) Í¥(Ting) Ç°(Qian) Óµ(Yong) ¯(Lu) ×ø(Zuo) [7] ¶³(Dong)µÄ(De)ÎÒ(Wo) Chapter 75 Ning Yi did not argue and very straightforwardly drank the three cups of wine, showing the bottoms of the cups to the applause of the other princes. Feng Zhiwei smiled along, but suspicion still lay at the bottom of her heart. Him so straightforwardly drinking here in her mansion seemed problematic no matter how she sliced it. The games went round by round, and each Prince had his victory and his defeat. All of the Princes got somewhat drunk, but through an unspoken agreement between all of them, no one mentioned any political matter, only here at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mansion to have some fun. Ning Yi did not drink too much, yet still acted as if he could not hold his liquor, lazily lying down on his crossed hands, his jade white cheeks dyed with a tipsy blush. His dark hair poured over his face, framing his dropping eyes and setting them off, highlighting even more strongly their resemblance to gorgeous mandalas blooming in the misted night. This kind of laziness was completely different from his usual noble elegance, and simultaneously stirred the heart and made others shy. A cup flowed down the river and floated to a step before Ning Yi. Rather than standing to pick it up, he curling his finger and pulled the cup towards his palm, but lost control of his Qi as the cup was flying through the air, the offending object tilting towards Feng Zhiwei. Without thinking, Feng Zhiwei reached out to catch it, expertly recovering the cup, but before she could hand it to Ning Yi, he had already leaned his head over and buried his head into her hand and finished off the cup. His silky hair hung down over her skin, and his warm, moist lips brushed her palm. Feng Zhiwei froze, stiff. His head was on her hand, his cool and gorgeous smell melding with the sweet and mellow liquor, weaving together a beautiful and intimate aroma. He drank from the cup extremely slowly, his breath blooming against her palm, tickling her slick and wet palm. She was unsure whether it was some liquor that had fallen from his lips, or sweat gathering in her hand. Feng Zhiwei controlled herself, trying her best to suppress any disturbance in her eyes, only smiling as she said: ¡°Your Highness had drunk too much¡­¡± pulling her hand away, and moving to push him back. Ning Yi flicked his hand and the cup clattered to the ground, and amidst the clear ringing of jade on the hard surface, he murmured: ¡°It is my turn¡­ In a dark room, a snowy neck and a cherry blush[1]¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s head seemed to explode, and her face burned. ¡°Ai, I really am drunk¡­¡± Ning Yi said, tilting forward and leaning on her, smiling. ¡°Is there somewhere in the Wei Mansion for this drunkard to rest? Come, come, stay with me¡­¡± He held on to her, his whole body leaning against her, his finger oh so coincidentally falling right on top of her collar, and if she moved his finger just a touch, she would really become that ¡°snowy white neck and blushing red in the daylight.¡± Feng Zhiwei was helpless, and she turned to look up at the roof of the pavilion where the liquor-loving Young Master Gu sat, happily drinking, and even if he noticed right at that moment and moved, he would still be too late. She gritted her teeth and lifted Ning Yi¡¯s heavy body, apologizing to the others and dragging the drunk Prince Chu off to find a place to rest. Ning Yi leaned into her embrace, refusing to stand on his own, and she could only clutch him tightly, half holding half dragging him as he mumbled ¡°let¡¯s sleep together.¡± As she dragged him into the distance, she could vaguely hear the Second Prince yelling out uproariously behind her. ¡°Old Six¡¯s line is terrible, where s the hot and the cold? Drink, drink!¡± After they passed behind an artificial mountain and were alone, Feng Zhiwei smiled and said: ¡°Your Highness, are you finished with your acting?¡± Ning Yi lifted his misty eyes, the faint smell of alcohol on his breath as it brushed against her neck, only murmuring in response. ¡°Oh?¡± Before Feng Zhiwei could continue, he loped his arm around her and chuckled into her ear: ¡°You are allowed to act, and I cannot?¡± Ai, the Qian Gu Chun really is strong, I¡¯m so dizzy¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei peered at him with suspicion. From how tipsy and blurry-eyed he looked, he seemed truly drunk; was she overthinking things? She dragged Ning Yi to a guest room in a courtyard on the east side of the manor grounds, and when they were finally inside, Feng Zhiwei angrily threw the prince onto the bed and turned to leave. But before she could manage a step away, the man lying on the bed suddenly extended his leg and hooked with his feet, throwing Feng Zhiwei off balance and pulling her backwards. Unable to stop her momentum, Feng Zhiwei fell on top of the prince, and though he let out a yelp of surprise, his voice contained a smile. Feng Zhiwei immediately struggled upwards, but she only saw the world blur in front of his eyes and she was already flipped over, locked against Ning Yi¡¯s chest in a tight embrace, her face right in front of his. Their noses touched, their breath intermingled, and their lips almost brushed as Ning Yi held her close in the dubious and intimate position. Feng Zhiwei struggled, but Ning Yi¡¯s arms were like iron clamps holding her tight. She could barely move her arm, digging her elbow into Ning Yi¡¯s chest, pushing a gasp of pain out of the man. Finally, he muttered, ¡°How ruthless¡­¡± He continued: ¡°But you have always been this ruthless¡­¡± He spoke softly and quietly, without any of his usual coldness or wickedness, just some slurring from the alcohol. The drunken mistiness seemed to wash away the hostility and tension in their hearts as his arms gradually loosened around her and she slowly pulled her elbow away. She turned as much as she could, pulling her lips away from his. ¡°I drink so rarely.¡± He words seemed to echo forth from within his chest, his deep voice carrying the faintest tremble, ¡°and it had to be at your mansion¡­ I don¡¯t know how long I will be drunk like this¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart stirred at his words, and she felt as if there was another meaning behind them, but she did not know what to say or where to begin. The man himself seemed to have no intention of explaining, murmuring to himself quietly. ¡°I have to go to the Ministry of Punishment later¡­ the Hu Zhuo Prince¡¯s follower beat someone to death¡­¡± His voice grew more and more gentle, and when Feng Zhiwei turned back to look, he had fallen asleep. Feng Zhiwei was delighted and immediately climbed to her feet, quickly rearranging her clothes as she stepped away. She looked back and saw Ning Yi lying on the bed, his clothes disheveled and hanging apart, his dark hair spread around his snow-white skin. Compared to his normal cool elegance, in this moment his beauty seemed to take on more allure, and after a dazed moment, Feng Zhiwei hurriedly turned away. She stepped outside and thought for a moment before locking the door. Ning Yi¡¯s followers were waiting in the front courtyard, so she called for her mansion guards to come and stand at the door. With the other Princes gathered in her manor, she could not take any liberties with Ning Yi¡¯s safety. She was walking away, taking a route along the veranda when she froze again. In the rustling of the breeze, she thought she had heard a faint noise. The sound of sleeves shuffling in the wind, light footsteps tapping on roof tiles, and clothes moving quickly as people dashed forward. Feng Zhiwei frowned, standing in the long veranda, wondering what people had come to her mansion. The sounds of the movement suggested that these intruders were all experts, but why had her people not moved to intercept? Ever since the Crown Prince¡¯s Rebellion, Feng Zhiwei had begun noticing secret protectors stationed around her at all time. It was also because of their presence that Gu Nanyi had begun to relax his guard around her, and though they never showed themselves and Gu Nanyi never said anything, Feng Zhiwei also did not ask. Now that something was clearly afoot in her mansion, and her invisible protectors were not reacting, did it mean that¡­ these experts were not targeting her?¡± [1] (°µ(An) ÊÒ(Shi) Ñ©(Xue) ¾±(Jing) Ó£(Ying) ÌÒ(Tao) ºì(Hong) Chapter 76 All the princes gathered here in her mansion, but which one was the target? The late summer breeze blew through her air, carrying the scent of crude, cold iron, and a layer of cold sweat covered her body. Feng Zhiwei stood in the veranda, stuck between advancing or retreating. Finally, she stepped forward a few times, and then hesitantly looked backwards. A pair of hands suddenly lunged forward from the corner of her vision, dragging her into the bushes lining the sides of the veranda! Feng Zhiwei whirled, taking in the figure hiding under the trees. Her pupils focused, and then she smiled. ¡°So it was you, Esteemed Princess!¡± Princess Shao Ning wore short clothing, her face half-covered as she crouched by the bushes, anxiously scolding Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Aiya, what are you doing walking back and froth? You really want to scare me to death¡­¡± Was it not because I heard your anxious breathing that I deliberately waffled to draw you out?! Feng Zhiwei remained smiling, peering at Princess Shao Ning with an air of innocence. ¡°Why is Your Highness dressed like this? If you had informed this Minor Minister earlier, I would have properly welcomed you. But you¡¯re here just in time, the Princes are still at the pavilion drinking, is Your Highness interested in joining us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to play.¡± Shao Ning smiled coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t play the fool. Since you¡¯ve seen me, give me a straight answer. I am moving against Ning Yi today, are you in or out?¡± ¡°This Minor Minister does not understand what Your Highness is saying.¡± Feng Zhiwei smothered the growing anger in her heart and continued placidly. ¡°This Minor Minister only knows that if anything happens in my mansion, the whole grounds will be confiscated and investigated, and my entire family will be executed.¡± ¡°How could I let the blame fall on you.¡± Shao Ning smirked. ¡°Look, all the princes are here today, so if anything happens it will not be your fault.¡± So this coincidental gathering of princes was Your Highness¡¯ doing?¡± Shao Ning did not reply, but instead said: ¡°They rarely get drunk like this, but it makes sense that it would be today. The Hu Zhuo tribe¡¯s murder case is already creating a huge disturbance, and no matter the decision, the political situation will definitely change. They are all very stressed, so they also very naturally let loose. The heavens are helping me.¡± She clutched Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sleeve and hurriedly continued. ¡°I will not kill him in your mansion. First, I will destroy Father Emperor¡¯s affection for him. Since you¡¯ve seen me, you cannot remain a bystander. Later, when you bringing him sobering tea, take this¡­¡± The Princess¡¯s fingers moved and she stuffed a little paper bag into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hands. ¡°and help me add this.¡± Feng Zhiwei silently held onto the little paper bag as Shao Ning continued coaxing her: ¡°Ning Yi will not let you off. This is the best opportunity to get rid of him, if you let this opportunity slip by, you will regret it!¡± ¡°Princess.¡± Feng Zhiwei slowly began. ¡°Since you have dragged me into this, you need to tell me the entire plan or else I will not be able to help. ¡°The Hu Zhuo Prince¡¯s follower caused trouble in Dijing and beat to death a minor officer of the Ministry of Personnel Affairs. The minor officer graduated from the Han Lin Academy, so all his civilian minister compatriots have been riled up and are demanding a severe punishment, not to mention the many students who have gathered for the Provincial Exam coming together to write a Ten Thousand Word petition to Father Emperor. ¡°But the Hu Zhuo Tribe is incredibly important for the war effort, and its prince claimed that if anyone dared touch his man, the whole tribe would seek reprisal. The killer has been apprehended and is being held in prison by the Ministry of Punishment, and now the three interdependent judicial departments under Ning Yi¡¯s purview ¡ª the Ministry of Punishment, the Dali Court, and the Department of Supervision ¡ª are all experiencing great headache. ¡°And then?¡± ¡°I have already sent someone into the Ministry of Punishment prison.¡± Shao Ning smiled coldly. ¡°The killer will ¡®commit suicide¡¯ tonight.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart trembled as she understood Shao Ning¡¯s plan. Before this quandary was resolved, the easiest solution was of course if the killer committed suicide to escape punishment, taking the decision out of the hands of the ministry, but how could the Hu Zhuo Prince possible believe that his man would kill himself? When the inevitable investigation was launched and the truth made known, then Ning Yi would definitely be in trouble. Feng Zhiwei was sure that Shao Ning would have evidence planted to trace back the faux-suicide to Ning Yi¡¯s servants and then back to the man himself. When the Hu Zhuo Prince discovered that it was Ning Yi who had ordered his retainers to poison and fake the killer¡¯s suicide, he would be furious, and this case would inevitably influence the war effort, and at this point it would already be an inconsiderable matter for Ning Yi to lose the Emperor¡¯s affection. It was not even clear if Ning Yi would be able to survive the other Princes¡¯ joint attack. It was indeed an insidious plan. Shao Ning clearly had a clever schemer under her employ, yet it was still somewhat odd that this schemer seemed so honest. They had intentionally planned this gathering of princes here at the Wei Mansion so that Feng Zhiwei would escape culpability, and no matter how she looked at the matter, this entire scheme seemed to take her into consideration. So in truth, today truly was a great opportunity to rid themselves of Ning Yi. ¡°This is not poison.¡± Shao Ning smiled coldly. ¡°it will only have effect when the right moment arrives. You do not even need him to drink it. As long as you place it near his head and have him breathe it, it will be effective. You can also take his pulse and rub the powder into the skin around his veins.¡± As she spoke, Shao Ning crushed a green pill a rubbed the powder on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s fingers. ¡°Help me.¡± Shao Ning stared into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes, her face beginning to blush. ¡°As long as Ning Yi is gone, you will have made a great contribution, and with my help, there will definitely be a day that you will rise up to success and prosperity. When the time comes, we can¡­¡± Shao Ning¡¯s blush deepened, and she lowered her head in embarrassment. Feng Zhiwei did not know whether to laugh or cry and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Since I have been dragged in by the princess today, then I have no choice but to take part¡­ but we are surrounded in every direction by Kungfu masters, and killing is very simple.¡± Shao Ning¡¯s face went pale, and she could not resist the doubt in her heart and looked up. Before she could turn her eyes back downward, Feng Zhiwei had already disappeared from the long veranda, taking the little paper bag with her. After ordering the guards to leave and opening the lock, Feng Zhiwei slipped back into the guest room. Ning Yi lay on the bed, peacefully sleeping, breathing evenly. Feng Zhiwei stood for a quiet moment, watching his face. His thick, long eyelashes painted arced shadows over his eyes above the straight line of his nose. His thin lips met, lightly pressed together in a beautiful curve. The sleeping figure of the man before her lacked some of the heartless coldness he kept around him in his waking hours, and right now he lay there warm and peaceful, like a gentle lotus leaf basking in the sun. This man. The one who had tried to kill her so many times, as if from birth the two had been destined to stand opposed on a chess board, facing off from the corners of the sea and the ends of the sky. Feng Zhiwei turned to the dark circles beneath his eyes, wondering to herself at the road of struggle this man had walked all his life, and how many nights of restful sleep he had ever had. As if he could feel that he was being watched, Ning Yi opened his eyes, turning lazily towards her. His waking eyes were clear and bright, without any of his normal depth or mystery. Feng Zhiwei stood calmly under his gaze, smiling. Ning Yi smiled as well, suddenly murmuring: ¡°When you look at me like that, you make me think that you are my wife, waiting on me by my bedside¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei blinked: ¡°Just pretend you are still sleeping off the alcohol, and are still in a dream.¡± Ning Yi laughed, not at all angry as he reached forward to grab her, pulling her towards him. Feng Zhiwei did not struggle, and sank into his arms, gradually enveloped by the light fragrance of liquor and his cool, deep musk. Chapter 77 Translator: Aristophaneso ¡°It is so rare for me to sleep well¡­¡± Ning Yi slowly ran his fingers through her hair. ¡°And so rare for you and I to get along well¡­¡± ¡°If Your Highness could accept me.¡± Feng Zhiwei bit her lips. ¡°This kind of getting along will happen often.¡± Ning Yi smiled without responding, his hand slowly moving. Feng Zhiwei turned her eyes away and looked down. ¡°You just came from the front yard?¡± Ning Yi whispered into her ear. ¡°Is there any new circumstance that you want to tell me about?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, lifting her eyes, her smile already back on her face. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°The Second Prince¡¯s lines really were too impressive¡­¡± She smiled as she chatted with Ning Yi, noticing that Ning Yi¡¯s eyes were still misty. Not sure whether he was truly listening, she smiled and said: ¡°The wine really was strong¡­¡± ¡°How about you bring me a bowl of sobering soup.¡± Ning Yi smiled and push her. ¡°Something you made with your own hands.¡± Feng Zhiwei looked him in the eyes and smiled, standing up. ¡°Sure.¡± The wooden door opened with a quiet shuffle and her slim silhouette exited the room. Sunlight poured in through the open door, blurring the outline of her figure, while Ning Yi remained deep in the shadows beyond the reach of the rays of light, watching her leave. After some time, Feng Zhiwei returned, smiling as she carried a bowl of the sobering soup and placed it on a small bedside table. ¡°Too much liquor will harm your body. Let me take your pulse.¡± A small smile remained on her face as she extended her hand. ¡°I almost forgot you also know medicine.¡± Ning Yi extended his wrist, faintly smiling. ¡°I¡¯m just a little tipsy.¡± He looked up at her, dim light glittering in his eyes. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s smile remained warm and kind as she focused on his pulse. After some time, she relaxed her hand, smiling: ¡°You are right, Your Highness has a healthy body.¡± After she finished speaking, she picked up the bowl of soup, and though Ning Yi looked at it, he made no move to take it from her. ¡°This soup that I made, perhaps Your Highness does not dare drink.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and placed the bowl on the table. ¡°I will take it away.¡± But as she turned away, a hand reached out and took the bowl. ¡°Poisonous liquor may be sweeter than honey, but good medicine is always bitter.¡± Ning Yi finished the soup in one go, lazing standing after placing down the bowl. ¡°No matter the taste, you must drink it before you will know. It is not early anymore, and I still have affairs to attend to. I must go.¡± Feng Zhiwei bowed behind him. ¡°Farewell, Your Highness.¡± But as he walked, Ning Yi suddenly stopped and turned, unsteady on his feet, body tilting. Feng Zhiwei hurriedly moved to support him. Ning Yi very naturally leaned his elbow on her shoulder, putting much of his body¡¯s weight on her. Feng Zhiwei frowned, but before her brow was fully furrowed she had already habitually smoothened it into her usual faint smile. Ning Yi watched her change in expression with some humor. This young woman was always maintaining her small smile, a smile that could not startle a puff of dust, and a smile that was constant through wind and rain, and till the point that even she could not distinguish a true smile from a fake one. Did she truly plan to wear this false face for the rest of her life? Ning Yi suddenly reached forward and pulled back her mask, rubbing his finger into her glabella, saying: ¡°wrinkle it, wrinkle it.¡± Feng Zhiwei looked at him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry ¡ª how crazy, others were always trying to smooth out the wrinkles around their eyes, and here he was asking her to furrow it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re busy. Go. Go.¡± His Highness did not like her fan smile and she was also tired of pretending, so after replacing his mask she began to push him away. ¡°I won¡¯t see you out.¡± Ning Yi lowered his face, a string of his dark hair hanging down, touching Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyebrow; his snow white skin only made his eyes more vibrant by contrast, somehow making his beauty even more enchanting. Finally, he leaned in and whispered by her ear: ¡°I understand, you cannot wait for me to leave.¡± ¡°Your Highness is joking.¡± Feng Zhiwei brushed back a hair behind her ear and turned away from his lips, trying for a natural expression. ¡°This Minor Minister is anxiously waiting every day for Your Highness to visit, so that Your Highness can add some more wrinkles around my eyes.¡± Ning Yi only looked at her, smiling silently before turning and leading the way. When the pair had returned to the pavilion, Feng Zhiwei was surprised to see that the allegedly ¡°drunk and collapsed¡± Tenth Prince Ning Ji was sitting happily with reddened face, drinking with the others. ¡°Old Ten got drunk first and couldn¡¯t take drinks for Old Six.¡± The Second Prince lifted a finger and pointed at Ning Ji, laughing. ¡°Whenever Old Ten is here, Old Six never gets drunk, but this time there was nobody to drink for you.¡± ¡°Perhaps the Wei Mansion¡¯s wine just tastes that much better.¡± The Seventh Prince smiled gently. ¡°Come. look at the birthday present I prepared for my Imperial Noble Consort mother.¡± The halfway drunk Fifth Prince suddenly announced, retrieving a delicate brush pot from his sleeves. ¡°The commissioner of Minnan province had people scouring ten thousand Li of mountains for half a year to bring back this one of a kind treasure, and it just arrived to Dijing today. Let me widen your horizons.¡± ¡°How rare can this brush pot be. Her Imperial Noble Consort Highness has always loved calligraphy; are there still good brush pots that she has not seen before?¡± Second Prince said, about to shake his head when he suddenly emoted in surprise. From within the finely carved bamboo brush pot suddenly emerged a pair of beady eyes. ¡°Mouse!¡± The Tenth Prince cried out loudly, falling backwards. The Fifth Prince caught him, laughing as he said: ¡°Old Ten, how are you still so easily startled, not at all carrying the majesty of the Imperial family.¡± The Tenth Prince blushed as he peered forward at the little creature emerging from the brush pot. A pair of tiny monkeys crawled about, each about the size of a finger, but complete with a round and fluffy head, big, dark, and round eyes, and short, tiny tails. Extraordinarily, their fur was a blond gold that made them glow, finishing off the image of these extremely cute and pretty animals. ¡°Are these the legendary Pen Monkeys?¡± The Seventh Prince sighed in amazement, ¡°I thought these creatures were already extinct? Where did you find them? And they¡¯re golden too! Aren¡¯t Pen Monkeys supposed to be brownish grey or orangish yellow, how can they have such brilliant fur?¡± The Fifth Prince could not hold back his smug smile. ¡°Gao Shan, the commissioner of Minnan, is a very thoughtful man. This pair of Pen Monkeys was only found by employing the famous beast training Show Wu tribe and searching ten thousand Li of mountains. In all the world this pair is unique. Imperial Noble Consort mother is skilled at letters, and if this cute pair can rub some ink for her and bring her papers, they will surely entertain her and bring some enjoyment to her lonely hours in the Back Palace.¡± Everyone found the pair of Pen Monkeys extremely adorable, and they all crowded around to play with them. ¡°Fifth Elder Brother is really filial.¡± Ning Yi leaned forward to look at the little animals, his hands clasped behind his back, smiling as he continued. ¡°With these at her Imperial Noble Consort Highness¡¯ side, it will truly be furred claws lighting incense and short tails preparing ink, what a wonderful image.¡± Everyone laughed while the Fifth Prince replied: ¡°Old Six, don¡¯t be so silver-tongued, tell me, what have you prepared for Imperial Noble Consort mother¡¯s birthday?¡± ¡°I was also raised by Her Imperial Noble Consort Highness, and consider the Imperial Noble Consort as my mother as well. I have long been prepared, though my gift is not as ingenious as Fifth Elder Brother¡¯s.¡± ¡°It is good that you are prepared.¡± The Fifth Prince said, a small smile crossing his face. ¡°Imperial Noble Consort mother will be glad that you remember her love.¡± Chapter 78 Ning Yi smiled silently. From her angle, Feng Zhiwei could see a dim sparkle in his lidded eyes. After laughter and conversation, the group eventually dispersed. Feng Zhiwei walked them to the gate, and just as she was letting out a breath of relief, grateful that Shao Ning had not started any chaos, she heard clashing metal in the front yard. ¡°Assassin!¡± Someone cried as weapons were unsheathed. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart tightened and all the princes exchanged a glance before rushing forward faster than she could. People fought intensely in the front yard, many guards wearing the uniforms of different mansions were working together against two makes men in grey. The grey men were like ghosts, plunging here and dashing there, the swords in their hands unpredictable as they flashed at and spilled blood, pushing back the guards. Feng Zhiwei stood for a moment, observing, almost immediately detecting the weirdness of the scene. One of the assassins seemed to fight aimlessly, not even fighting to kill, the long sword in his hand systematically striking the guards back by hitting their left shoulder, never missing. Just as the assassins seemed about to break through the encirclement, a man suddenly flew over, a large object clutched in his left hand. Feng Zhiwei locked onto the figure as he wobbled in the air, recognizing the blue and white porcelain vase used for the front yard water lilies¡­ The man clutched the vase as water spilled all around, tottering over the the battle strewn yard and smashing downward. The Sleeping Lilies flew as water erupted outwards, spraying the assassins and forcing them to cover their eyes. As the grey men retreated, waving their swords in front of them, the vase smasher dashed through the broken porcelain and struck out with his sword, the cold metallic light gleaming. ¡°Cha!¡± Two swords clashes, glittering metal sending rays like sunlight, and a swing was followed by bloody light. Three left shoulders were pierced with holes. The assassins trembled and, after throwing down a smoke bomb, fled in separate directions. The vase smasher stood still, holding his shoulder as he gasped in pain. Feng Zhiwei examined him for a moment, recognizing Ning Cheng, Ning Yi¡¯s personal bodyguard. He glared in the direction that one of the assassins had fled, shouting angrily: ¡°Sima Guang[1] smashed the vase! Sima Guang smashed all the vases!¡± Feng Zhiwei was speechless. Sima Guang Smashing the Vase was a legend told in the Da Cheng Dynasty, but who this Sima Guang actually was was completely unclear, all that remained of the historical record was a comment the Shen Yin Empress had made six hundred years ago, describing the man as someone who worked housing demolition and relocation. The yard was filled with chaos, all the princes disturbed. They quickly ordered their guards to give chase as they hurriedly bid farewell to Feng Zhiwei. She walked them to the mansion gates, peering up at the Imperial Palace, some darkness pooling in her eyes. That night, hurried horses broke the silence of Dijing¡¯s center road. As the day dawned, the Hu Zhuo tribe Prince pounded the Imperial Court Drum outside the palace gates, the deep, low bass of the drums chasing away the mists and clouds as the dark sky brightened. The loud drum beats woke half of the city. The drum had been placed outside the Imperial Court by the Tian Sheng Emperor when he had founded the dynasty, and anyone who suffered great injustice could pound the drums and call forth a court of justice. The drums were largely symbolic, representing the importance and sanctity of civil affairs. The threshold for ¡°incredible injustice¡± was really too high, and as time passed the drum became a simple ornament, and now that someone dared evoke the symbol, all of Dijing trembled. ¡°Millions of Huo Zhuo people bow before the great Tian Sheng Emperor. Today, Daerza, guard of the Fei Peng Branch of the Hu Zhuo tribe, detained by the Ministry of Punishments, was found dead, poisoned by the order of a Tian Sheng Prince. The false charges that trapped Daerza was still unresolved and now a true criminal goes free. The United Twelve Hu Zhuo Tribes hereby swear an oath, not suffering an existence alongside this criminal. We beg the Emperor, the wise and just ruler of these lands, to investigate this matter and capture this great offender, resolving this great injustice Hu Zhuo has suffered.¡± A Hu Zhuo man dressed in a dark green robe, a white cloth wrapped around his head, stood pounding the drum, his sleeves falling to his shoulders and revealing his powerful arms. The morning sun pierced the clouds layer by layer as the many gates to the Imperial Palace opened up, one after another. The Tian Sheng Emperor was summoning the ministers and servants for an Imperial Court session at the hours of dawn. Glaring sunlight shattered over the thousand jade stairs, the paved white square as if surrounded by heavenly clouds. Through the pale mist, a dark-green-robed with a jade white head-binding approached, a corpse carried in his arms. Bringing a corpse to the Palace! The impropriety shocked the ministers as they all watched the man approach the throne. The Tian Sheng Emperor sat on high, a terrible expression on his face. The man approached, his straight arms almost perpendicular to his body, extending the stiff corpse before him. In the early morning, it was as if he wore the rosy mists of dawn as he pierced the wind, not caring in the slightest the sanctity of the court, daring beyond belief. The Palace Guards crossed their spears and blocked the way, calling out with disdain: ¡°Such impudence before the Son of Heaven? Leave now!¡± With a clattering cry, spears like a forest pointed downwards, forming an iron wall guarding the court. ¡°Is it that corpses are not allowed in the palace?¡± The man lifted his chin, a sneer dancing on the corner of his lips. Finally, he placed the corpse on the ground. Just as everyone was letting out a sigh of relief, their hearts at ease at the sign of the arrogant prince acquiescing to the rules¡­ The man moved with the speed of lightning! He knelt, his hands like steel as he stabbed into the corpse¡¯s chest, cutting downwards and retrieving a section of the liver! The Chang Yi Guards standing watch on the jade stairs were used to bloody scenes, but they were still not prepared for this strange and disgusting move, their hands softening as their faces contorted in disgust. A young rookie guard was so shocked that his spear fell from his hands and clattered on the stairs. ¡°A corpse is not allowed, but I must bring the evidence of poison. Is this alright?¡± The man declared, the organ perched on his flat extended palm, his face impassive as his sharp words filled the court. ¡°Let him pass!¡± The resounding order rang out from the perch of heaven, but the man approached without fear, carrying the liver into the Golden Palace. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± He cried out, not even bothering to finish a proper bow as he held out the liver. ¡°This Minister¡¯s innocent follower was murdered. I have here the poor man¡¯s liver, the dark green color a clear sign of poison. If Your Majesty cannot trust my words, summon the Director of the Imperial Institute of Medicine!¡± While the Princes and Military Officers were handling the scene well, the civilian ministers were clearly disturbed, many of them stepping backwards and on the verge of vomiting. The men before them looked around, a smiling sneer on his face. Feng Zhiwei stood near the end of a group of scholars, examining this loud and infamous Hu Zhuo Prince. The man was tall and strong, his powerful eyebrows tapering sharply, his bright honey skin smooth around his open collar, but his peculiar irises even brighter. When they stared at you, they were like amber wine, but from the side they sparkled with a subtle purple. Catching the sun, they shone like radiant diamonds. His features were not delicate, but greatly expressive, his emotions a dance upon his face, calling forth the golden grass of the wide, endless steppes. The Hu Zhuo Prince, Helian Zheng. As he turned his eyes met Feng Zhiwei¡¯s and the prince saw a pair of misty, distant eyes filled with curiosity and confusion, without any fear or disgust. [1] ˾Âí¹â(17 November 1019 ¨C 11 October 1086), courtesy name Junshi, was a Chinese historian, writer, official, and politician. Chapter 79 Helian Zheng paused for a moment, not expecting such a bold figure in the group of Civilian Ministers, but the moment passed and the prince snorted, turning back to the throne. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty!¡± The man continued in fluent, accented Chinese. ¡°This is Daerza¡¯s liver! Poisoned! Black!¡± As he spoke, he gestured for an eunuch to approach and present the liver to the Emperor, but the eunuch did not dare move, turning pale faced to the Emperor. The Emperor furrowed his brows, but his words were still courteous as he replied: ¡°Prince, if you are reporting a case of murder, you should go to the Ministry of Punishments. The Three Judicial Departments will give you the justice you demand. Ripping open a corpse and brining this liver to the palace is not the way.¡± ¡°The Three Judicial Departments will cover up this travesty!¡± Helian Zheng immediately shot back, even uttering a mistaken word. His meaning was clear, however, and the directors of the Judicial Departments went pale. Kong Chengshu, the Minister of Punishment, called out coldly: ¡°Prince, you have not even appealed to the Ministry of Punishment, how can you saw that our judicial system would pervert the law and judge unfairly.¡± ¡°You all work for the perpetrator!¡± Helian Zheng smirked, waving his hand and scattering black liver blood. ¡°Of course you will pervert the law!¡± Every face transformed. The Three Judicial Departments were managed by Prince Chu, and Helian Zhang¡¯s words were a direct accusation against Ning Yi. ¡°All accusations require proof.¡± The Second Prince immediately replied. ¡°Prince, if you dare to slander a Tian Sheng Dynasty Prince here in the Imperial Court, no one will be able to protect you!¡± ¡°Slander?¡± Helian Zhang lifted his head and laughed, throwing the liver down at the Second Prince¡¯s feet. ¡°Look! I took it out of Dazaer right before your eyes! Even the dumbest steppe eagle knows that this blackened liver is poisonous, death to the flesh!¡± The Second Prince furrowed his brows, nudging the thing by his foot, covering his nose as he replied: ¡°Perhaps he ate something poisonous by mistake¡­¡± the prince did not continue speaking, turning to smile at the falling expression of the Minister of Punishment. ¡°Yesterday at noon, I went to see Dazaer.¡± Helian Zheng explained. ¡°He was fine! But that night, our people saw a black shadow flying out of the Ministry of Punishment¡¯s prison, and when we hurried in to check, Dazaer was dead!¡± ¡°Did you catch the killer?¡± The Fifth Prince asked, his eyes fiery. ¡°No.¡± Helian Zheng snorted angrily. ¡°But we injured him!¡± Finally, he turned to face the silent Ning Yi. ¡°Your highness, Dazaer unintentionally injured someone and caused his death; even if he had to pay with his life, the decision was to be made by the Ministry of Punishment and the Dali Court. Why did you send your people to kill him?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ning Yi cocked a brow, smiling thinly. ¡°You¡¯re right, why would I send my people to kill him?¡± ¡°Copying my words is useless.¡± Helian Zheng laughed coldly. ¡°You know why you sent your man to kill him. Our Hu Zhuo Tribe wanted him alive, and your Imperial Court¡¯s sour scholars wanted him dead, so you killed him and made it look like a suicide. If Dazaer committed suicide because he was afraid of the punishment, we couldn¡¯t blame you and the case would have been perfectly resolved, but you didn¡¯t know that our steppe heroes worship the glorious Tengri and would never cowardly kill themselves!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ning Yi replied, his small smile never changing. ¡°Very reasonable, quite brilliant, I didn¡¯t know it before but the Prince really is quite eloquent.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me.¡± Helian Zheng proudly replied. ¡°I understand your mockery! Our steppe men are straight shooters, we don¡¯t have your central plain¡¯s winding ways. If you want proof, I have it!¡± The prince turned and bowed to the Tian Sheng Emperor: ¡°Your Majesty, please allow me to summon the witnesses.¡± The Emperor nodded assent and the prince clapped his hands, summing a group of men. One of the Hu Zhuo guards, a petty official from the Ministry of Punishment, and a small group of civilians came forward, trembling as they knelt far from the stairs.¡± ¡°I fought with the killer, he used swords in both hands!¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­ this minor minister did not see the killer¡¯s face, but that afternoon, the honored Sixth Rank Guard Ning Deng came to the prison and looked around the place.¡± ¡°This commoner was knocked down by a masked man, and when he helped me up he used his left hand¡­¡± As the witnesses made their testimonies, the watching crowd wore many different expressions, some worried, some excited. Feng Zhiwei did not understand at first why they kept mentioning the left hand, but when she thought back to how Ning Deng has smashed the vase, she understood. Ning Deng had used his left hand to hold the vase, and his left hand to wield his sword. From the onlookers¡¯ expressions, everyone knew about this bodyguard¡¯s habit, and she had only missed out on this fact because she kept avoiding Ning Yi. If the witnesses pointed at Ning Deng, that meant they were pointing at Ning Yi. Ning Yi listened quietly, impassive, the faint smile unchanging on his face, and only those familiar with him would see the cold edge. ¡°Father Emperor.¡± Ning Yi turned to the throne and bowed, speaking sincerely: ¡°This minister¡¯s bodyguard Ning Deng was with me all of yesterday, there was no way he could have snuck out to commit this murder. Father Emperor, please give your judgement.¡± ¡°The Prince is concerned for his subordinate and will always defend him.¡± Xu Boqing, the Minister of Personnel, said. ¡°We should allow Bodyguard Ning to give his side of the story. Should we summon him and have him brought to court?¡± ¡°Are this prince¡¯s words unreliable?¡± Ning Yi glanced at Xu Boqing, causing him to stiffen. The Minister swallowed, but continued insisting: ¡°This Minor Minister is only taking Prince Chu¡¯s reputation into consideration.¡± ¡°Minister Xu spoke wrongly.¡± Grand Secretariat Yao Ying spoke up. ¡°Everyone knows that Prince Chu is very strict with his followers; are you suggesting with your words that Prince Chu is lying?¡± ¡°I do not dare.¡± Xu Boqing bowed to Ning Yi, but right away Ge Hongying, the Vice Minister of Public Works, spoke up, smiling: ¡°Even under the brilliant sun live shadows. Prince Chu attends to thousands of matters every day and does not have time to watch every single one of his followers. Even if there are one or two shameless cretins by his highness¡¯s side, it would not detract from Prince Chu¡¯s great virtue.¡± ¡°The matter cannot be explained like this¡­¡±Hu Shengshan began, stroking his beard. ¡°Elder Hu, I have to disagree..¡± A powerful young minister from a hostile faction began. As things began descending into a verbal competition, the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s brows furrowed more and more. Finally, he called out angrily: ¡°Enough!¡± Silence filled the court as the Tian Sheng Emperor paused for a moment. Slowly, he spoke: ¡°Go, bring Ning Deng here.¡± Ning Yi¡¯s eyes darkened while the other prince¡¯s hid excitement. ¡°Even if it was Ning Deng, that does not mean Prince Chu ordered it.¡± The Seventh Prince spoke up, smiling. ¡°Perhaps it was a private grudge.¡± ¡°Seventh Prince speaks reason.¡± Helian Zheng replied, his smile stiff like iron. ¡°Even though Bodyguard Ning and Dazaer are ten thousand miles apart and have no contact, I am not the kind of person to randomly frame people. I have more evidence.¡± Chapter 80 Helian Zheng brought forth an old man wearing Hu Zhuo garb, the Hu Zhuo Tribe¡¯s Grand Physician, an elder who had served his family for many generations. The old man tottered forward, explaining: ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, Dazaer was poisoned by the rare poison ¡°Fragrantless¡± from the Qin Zhuo Snow Mountain by the border of Da Yue. The poison is odorless and colorless, and the toxic will only show on the liver six hours after death. A coroner will usually perform an autopsy immediately after a criminals death, so naturally they would not discover this matter. This poisons is incredibly rare and is only ever found in Da Yue; this commoner only saw it once in his youth.¡± ¡°Please, Your Majesty, bring forth the Imperial Academy¡¯s Physician to examine this.¡± Helian Zheng requested. Director Liu from the Imperial Academy of Medicine quickly rushed forward accompanied by the best coroner from the Three Judicial Departments. The coroner carefully examined the body by the stairs and finally turned to report: ¡°Your Majesty, it is indeed Fragrantless.¡± Whispers filled the court as worried expressions crossed the faces of Yao Ying and Prince Chu¡¯s other followers; all of them were secretly wondering whether Prince Chu really had been so plagued by this case that he really had sent an assassin. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this Fragrantless poison.¡± The Second Prince announced, smiling. ¡°But now that I think of it, Sixth Brother¡¯s Mother was from Da Yue?¡± The words sent shock through the court as everyone remembered that Ning Yi¡¯s late mother really had been from Da Yue. She had been a small tribes princess, captured during a war between Tian Sheng and Da Yue, but she had passed away so long ago and at such an early age that she had long since become a taboo topic, with even the Tian Sheng Emperor forgetting her. The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s face fell more and more, a sense of dread filling the court, swallowing all sound. Now that things had progressed to this point, the case was no longer about finding the murderer; an icy heaviness fell upon the court. Da Yue and Tian Sheng were preparing for war, and Hu Zhuo Tribe¡¯s involvement was of incredible importance. When this news reached the Hu Zhuo tribesmen, they might directly turn their weapons and strike into the Central Plains, at a time when simply standing by or obstructing would severely damage the Tian Sheng armies! Now that the Second Prince had brought up Ning Yi¡¯s origins and reminded everyone of his mother¡¯s mysterious early death, the thought came unbidden to all minds ¡ª could Ning Yi have turned to his Da Yue background and colluded with the enemy? Had he intentionally killed the Hu Zhuo Tribe¡¯s warrior and enraged their ally to help Da Yue? This matter had transformed from a matter of injustice to treason, and the consequences of such an accusation were horrifying and deadly to anyone involved. Feng Zhiwei examined Ning Yi ¡ª as soon as the Second Prince had brought up his mother, Ning Yi had seemingly lost all will to speak; his long lashes were turned down and obscuring his eyes, hiding his expression even as the air around him seemed to freeze. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Director Liu of the Imperial Academy of Medicine said carefully. ¡°Fragrantless is no ordinary poison and no ordinary Da Yue citizen could have access to it. This poison originates from the Snow Mountain¡¯s Luo Ri[1] Tribe, and in order to successfully produce it, a member of the Luo Ri royal line must cultivate it with their blood essence¡­¡± ¡°The Luo Ri Tribe¡­¡± The Emperor muttered, narrowing his eyes as he tried to remember his dead concubine¡¯s background, but that woman had passed so many years ago and had been like a floating cloud, here and then gone. He could not even remember her face, how could he remember her tribe? And her death was an old matter he did not wish to face¡­ the Emperor furrowed his brows, his heart somewhat chaotic. ¡°The royal line of the Luo Ri Tribe has a legend: according to them, they are the descendants of the sun god Gema, and the blood of their royal family has the pure gold color of the sun.¡± The Hu Zuo Grand Physician suddenly announced. ¡°A test will show the truth.¡± Helian Zheng smiled and agreed: ¡°Yes, a test will show the truth.¡± The palace went silent; testing blood in front of the court was an insult that passed into humiliation for the powerful Dynasty Prince Ning Yi ¡ª Imperial Majesty could not be profaned, and this matter even involved the Imperial Harem and the reputation of a deceased prince-mother. If this test was allowed to take place, incontrovertible damage would be done between Emperor and son. Everything depended on his Imperial Majesty and whether or not he would trust and protect his son, and whether or not he could resolve this matter with a light touch, balancing his rule with his son¡¯s dignity. The court stared at the Emperor nervously as Feng Zhiwei stared at her feet. ¡°This is not poison.¡± Shao Ning¡¯s words echoed in her ears, ¡°It will only have effect when the right moment arrives¡­You can also take his pulse and rub the powder into the skin around his veins.¡± Everything was falling into place. The medicine and the green pill Shao Ning had asked her to apply to Ning Yi¡¯s were not poison, but they had thrust Ning Yi under the accusations of treason, dooming him to a hopeless death! Shao Ning had lied to her. She did not simply wish for Ning Yi to lose the Emperor¡¯s affection; she had concocted a crime of treason, utterly destroying Ning Yi¡¯s base and setting him up for a fate without redemption. With the influence of the two medicines she had applied, the conspirators could guarantee that Ning Yi¡¯s blood show gold. In the silent court, Ning Yi looked upwards at his father. The Emperor¡¯s face was grey, his expressions transforming as he diligently avoided meeting his son¡¯s eyes. Finally, the Tian Sheng Emperor nodded, gesturing impassively: ¡°Then test it.¡± The words plowed through the court like a raging tornado, the ministers unable to keep silent any longer. As the uproar went up around him, Ning Yi looked away from the Emperor. His eyes were calm, but the light within them flickered and trembled like a candle in the wind, finally going out. In the darkness that followed, he was alone, only lonely light accompanying him on the stage. Feng Zhiwei watched his light go out and felt as if her heart had been cut by knives. In that moment, she was brought back to that day her mother had chosen Feng Hao over her, accepting her banishment from the Qiu Mansion. On that day, had she had such desolate eyes? She bit her lip and looked up again, meeting Ning Yi¡¯s gaze. His eyes were impossible to read, and her heart jumped. A servant brought forth a gold basin and placed it on the Imperial Table. All ministers retreated while Helian Zheng remained rooted to the ground, narrowing his eyes at Ning Yi. Ning Yi walked forward, examining the silver knife and golden basin before him. He smiled calmly and rolled up his sleeves; everyone around him had fallen away and he stood alone, facing his fate, his shoulders cold and lonely. ¡°Your Majesty, please allow this minister to administer Prince Chu¡¯s blood test.¡± Every head turned in surprise as Feng Zhiwei stepped forward, bowing calmly before the emperor. ¡°His Highness¡¯s heart is disturbed and the test requires he extract his wrist blood. This minor minister is afraid that a self-administered test is not the most suitable. This minister¡¯s hands are skilled and steady, please allow this minor minister to help.¡± [1] ÂäÈÕ setting sun Chapter 81 The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s heart was still filled with gloom so he casually nodded at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s request. She smiled and stepped forward, gently rolling up Ning Yi¡¯s sleeve. Carefully moving, she picked up the sharp silver knife and placed it against his wrist. Yesterday she had held his wrist to take his pulse, and today she would cut him, administering a test of life and death. Ning Yi¡¯s dark, deep eyes reflected back her misty gaze, circles of light shining in an abyss, dim and blurred, so close and yet so far apart. Feng Zhiwei turned, avoiding his eyes. The silver light flashes as the knife cut, spilling blood. A light golden liquid fell, too bright to face. Cries filled the court as the Emperor¡¯s face fell. Ning Yi lifted his head, staring in disbelief at the light gold blood flowing from his wrist. The blood flowed downwards into the golden basin, mixing indistinguishably with the water colored gold by the basin¡¯s light. Feng Zhiwei stared at the knife, clearly in disbelief. The court was still, filled with men turned to statue. ¡°Ning Cheng is here¡­¡± A loud guard¡¯s cry startled everyone from their daze, the warrior escorting Ning Cheng before the court. As soon as Ning Cheng was brought forth, Helian Zheng walked forward, without a single word ripping his robe. Ning Deng¡¯s robe lay tattered, revealing his wounded left shoulder for all to see. ¡°Your Majesty, the proof!¡± Helian Zhang laughed. ¡°Yesterday, my guard wounded this villain in his left shoulder!¡± A chain of irrefutable evidence was lain out, the dust settling into place. A portion of the men in the court looked as if dead men walking, while others could barely hide their expressions of extreme joy. Ning Yi¡¯s wrist bled true, and he could say nothing as he stared dazed at the gold basin. In the basin before him, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s shadow shivered over the growing pool of light gold blood. The Second Prince stepped forward angrily, roaring: ¡°Sixth Brother, are you insane?¡± Xu Boqing shook his head quietly: ¡°Your Highness, we ministers knew you were worried about the Hu Zhuo case, but you cannot solve it with such extreme methods ¡­ this ¡­ ay ¡­¡± His worried voice fell silent. Ge Hongying, Vice Minister of Public Works, immediately followed: ¡°This one hopes the Hu Zhuo prince will follow the right principles, or else¡­¡± Seventh Prince shook his head, rebutting: ¡°Impossible! Impossible! Sixth Brother would never do this! With Sixth Brother¡¯s intelligence, how could he not understand? There¡¯s definitely some villain framing him¡­¡± The Fifth Prince took the opportunity to harshly rebuke his brother: ¡°Sixth Brother! You clearly have not thought through this matter! Admit your sin to Father Emperor and the Hu Zhuo Prince and beg for mercy!¡± ¡°Beg for mercy? For violating the law, the Prince must be dealt with as a commoner!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor erupted, veins trembling as his anger silencing the court. ¡°Guards!¡± ¡°Ah ya¡­¡± A soft cry interrupted the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s orders, despite its quiet volume clearly filling the court. The ministers turned: Feng Zhiwei had slipped on water on the ground as she had been retreating back into the crowd, and the silver knife she had dazedly held twisted and cut her hand. A servant immediately rushed forward and everyone turned away from the minor affair, but the servant cried out in shock, pointing soundlessly at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s wrist. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s blood dripped downwards, light gold! Suddenly, every gaze was focused on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand, utterly baffled. ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± The Emperor stuttered in his shock, posting at Feng Zhiwei. He almost asked whether his minister was also a member of the Luo Ri royal family, but the words were too ridiculous to speak out loud. How could there be such a coincidence? That legendary royal family had already long ago been extinguished. Ning Yi suddenly burst into laughter. He leapt forward, grabbing the knife from Feng Zhiwei and tossing it, the blade painting a silver curve through the air and cutting the hands of the Second Prince, Xu Boqing, and Ge Hongying before falling to the ground. The three victims cried out in shock as the Second Prince roared furiously: ¡°Sixth Brother, you¡¯re insane!¡± Ning Yi beckoned, pulling the silver knife back into his hand, smiling as he toyed with it. ¡°I¡¯m not insane, it is those who black-heartedly covet power who have gone insane¡­ everyone, take a look at your hands!¡± Xu Boqing took his hand away from his wound and looked down, crying out with shock. All of their hands bled light gold! The Tian Sheng Emperor shot upright. Helian Zheng was shocked speechless. ¡°You have all spoken and so now it¡¯s my turn to speak¡­ Yesterday, Son Minister was accompanying my brothers the entire day.¡± Ning Yi smiled, slowly pacing down the court, the knife in his hand glittering cold in the pale sun. ¡°At noon, while Dazaer was locked away in the Ministry of Punishment, Son Minister was attending a drinking party with my brothers at Master Wei¡¯s mansion. I soon drank too much and Master Wei brought me to rest in a guest room, and he watched over me while I rested. When I recovered, we brothers all left the Wei Mansion together. ¡°Old Ten was too drunk and did not dare return to the Imperial palace, so he and I went to Seventh Brother¡¯s mansion where we chatted the night away, drunk and happy. Today, we were summoned to the Imperial Palace at daybreak. In all this time, Ning Deng was by my side, the two of us never leaving each other¡¯s sight. I could not have ordered him to go assassinate Dazaer. Master Wei and Seventh Brother can vouch for me.¡± Feng Zhiwei bowed in agreement as Seventh Prince helplessly nodded, his face awkward. ¡°As for my wounded guard¡­¡± Ning Yi sneered, turning to an attendant. ¡°Go, bring one of the prince¡¯s guards, anyone will do.¡± At those words, even if the other ministers did not understand, the faces of the various princes changed. ¡°Father Emperor.¡± The Fifth Prince began, walking forward and saluting. ¡°Yesterday, when we sons were drinking together at the Wei Mansion, two assassins broke in and injured all the guards that were with us. Guard Ning was also injured at that time, all of the son ministers saw it happen¡­¡± ¡°If you knew it wasn¡¯t him, why did you not say so earlier!¡± The Emperor roared furiously. The Fifth Prince fell hard to his knees, slamming down onto the golden ground. ¡°And as for the light gold blood¡­¡± Ning Yi glanced at Director Liu of the Imperial Medicine Academy and Hu Zhuo¡¯s Grand Physician, proffering up the blade. ¡°Your Majesty can examine the basin and the blade.¡± Director Liu instantly collapsed, kowtowing as if trying to pound garlic. The Grand Physician was rooted in place, sweat dripping down his head like rain. This matter had wound around like mountain roads, any turn barely inches from a drop. The onlookers were just stirring out of their terrors when they realized ¡ª Prince Chu had perfectly turned the tables! Chapter 82 Helian Zheng turned, glaring furiously at the Grand Physician. As soon as the old man met Helian Zheng¡¯s eyes, he quivered as if fighting an intense battle before turning and fleeing. ¡°Hu!¡± ¡°Cha!¡± The old man fell with a cry, steps away from the gate, his back stabbed with a folding fan and an ornamental dagger. Helian Zheng and Ning Yi both straightened, putting down their hands and exchanging a glance. The blades in their eyes glittered as they laughed. ¡°Prince Chu has great Kungfu!¡± ¡°Prince Hu Zhuo has great decisiveness!¡± ¡°Ha ha.¡± ¡°Hei Hei.¡± After laughing, they turned, ignoring each other. The Tian Sheng Emperor regained his calm and spoke. After saying some words of consolation to Ning Yi, he ordered the Three Judicial Departments to return to their investigations of the previous crimes, adding on Director Liu¡¯s collusion to murder a Dynasty Prince. Finally, he turned to Helian Zheng: ¡°Next time, don¡¯t be so hasty.¡± Helian Zheng¡¯s mouth twitched as he lowered his head: ¡°Yes. Please, Your Majesty, help our tribe find the real killer.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The Emperor replied, smiling kindly as he brought back order to the court. ¡°You can leave this case with the Three Judicial Departments. You will have your justice. It is just as your King Father said, you are still young and boisterous; your Father has asked me many times to find you a legal wife, saying that our Tian Sheng women are mild and virtuous and could soften your temper. Do you have a person in mind?¡± Helian Zheng¡¯s face twitched. The Hu Zhuo King wanted a marriage alliance with the Central Plains and the Tian Sheng Emperor was happy with the idea, but Helian Zheng did not want to be bound by marriage and had kept delaying. But today, he had wrongfully created chaos and the Tian Sheng Emperor had immediately seized this matter ¡ª if he still refused, the old man would tell his father and he would have no more good days. But he truly did not want to tie himself down to a woman so quickly, and the Central Plain¡¯s women were soft like greenhouse flowers. Where was the fun? After struggling with himself, a brilliant idea popped into his head as he recalled an interesting encounter he had a couple days ago. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Helian Zheng began. ¡°There is someone that I like, but this woman has a low status and cannot be the Hu Zhuo Prince¡¯s legal wife. What does Your Majesty think if I take her as my concubine?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor emoted, curious. ¡°Since you are willing then I am happy to see it happen. Which family¡¯s daughter? Say the name and I will marry her to you.¡± Ning Yi and the others all turned curious gazes to examine the prince, the intense air somewhat dissipating. ¡°This minister has only met her once. She is not beautiful, but incredibly talented, and I like that.¡± Helian Zheng lifted his chin, cocking his brows as his eyes danced with hidden playfulness and excitement. ¡°Niece to Fifth Army General Master Qiu, Feng Zhiwei.¡± Ning Yi¡¯s head suddenly whipped backwards. Meanwhile, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hands shook and she almost dropped the white cloth she was using to wrap her wound. Both of them looked over, Ning Yi staring at Feng Zhiwei, Feng Zhiwei glancing at Ning Yi, their eyes meeting for a moment. Then the moment passed and they both turned away, Feng Zhiwei continuing to bind her wound, glancing sidelong at Helian Zheng. She used the same gaze to look at her bleeding hand, as if Helian Zheng were a wound the she needed to wrap fiercely, tight enough that he could not move. Such matters were not fitting for the Golden Palace and the Emperor soon dismissed the ministers, ordering Helian Zheng to the Imperial Study. The experienced ministers and Princes were brought along, even Feng Zhiwei accompanying them, in charge of the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s ink and brush. As soon as they were seated in the study, Ning Yi turned to Helian Zheng, his eyes glimmering with a cold, bladed smile, the same expression he had worn when Helian Zheng was framing him for treason. He smiled, saying: ¡°I was just thinking, the Prince really is quite interesting. Being married by the Son of Heaven is such a glorious opportunity, do you really want to waste this chance on a concubine? Do you really think you can depend so heavily on the Son of Heaven¡¯s generosity, without any sense of propriety?¡± ¡°Prince Chu¡¯s words are strange.¡± Helian Zhang shot back sardonically, purple light glimmering in his amber irises. ¡°This is his Imperial Majesty¡¯s grace, as a minister, am I supposed to refuse his gift?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ning Yi smile thinly, curving only around the corners of his lips. ¡°Too much cleverness will snap, and too much prosperity will lead to decay, Hu Zhuo Prince needs to be careful of too much good fortune[1] or it will take its toll on your life.¡± ¡°Wheat bran[2]?¡± Helian Zheng cocked his head, not understanding Ning Yi¡¯s complicated court subtlety. ¡°My horses eat the best oats and they grow strong and powerful so they can carry my 38-catty heavy spear. You Tian Sheng young masters are too frail to withstand a gust of wind, with your powder and your paint. Your horses only need wheat bran to grow strong enough to carry you.¡± His words were as incongruous as the mouth of a horse on the head of an ox, but as everyone was hiding their smiles, Helian Zheng proudly continued: ¡°The Tian Sheng women have to be ridden by you weak men, how pathetic!¡± The princes and ministers reddened, with some of the white haired ministers covering their faces and cursing the savage for profaning the golden palace. If it were not for the presence of the Emperor, some of the ministers may have flicked their sleeves and taken their leave. Feng Zhiwei had just been tying up her bandage with her teeth when she heard these words and she could not resist a jolt, almost ripping open her knot. Ning Yi turned to focus on Helian Zheng, examining him for a moment before nodding: ¡°Truly, the prince is a heroic and rare man. With words like those, the women of Dijing must find you legendary, flocking around you like birds.¡± Some of the other men gathered in the Imperial Study snickered. ¡°She will definitely be honored to marry me.¡± Helian Zheng replied proudly. Glancing sidelong at Helian Zheng again, Ning Yi suddenly laughed, nodding and sincerely replying: ¡°Yes, prince, you are right. This little prince will await the day that you and your new woman come thank the Emperor, and on that day I¡¯ll definitely prepare a precious gift to congratulate you.¡± His words were sincere but his tone was undeniably mocking. Helian Zheng was not stupid, and he turned to glare angrily at Ning Yi. The two men stared off, one smiling coldly, the other staring angrily, ready to come to blows, all that was missing were the lightning bolts and roaring thunder. All the ministers exchanged speechless glances, wondering at Prince Chu¡¯s strange behavior. He would normally never stare down another person like this, and they all thought his behavior influenced by his grudge against Helian Zheng for wrapping him up in the deadly scandal. The Tian Sheng Emperor assumed the same thing, noticing Ning Yi¡¯s unpleasant expression and stepping in to change the subject, chuckling as he said: ¡°Prince, Qiu Shangqi¡¯s niece is one of the finest women of Dijing, with her background, why did you say she is of low status and only fitting as a concubine?¡± A minister coughed lightly as Grand Secretary Yao Ying leaned in to awkwardly explain: ¡°Your Majesty, Qiu Shangqi has only one younger sister, the one who that year¡­¡± [1] ¸£Ôófu ze, good fortune [2] ôï×Ó Fu zi wheat bran Chapter 83 The Tian Sheng Emperor paused, his face darkening as he recalled the matter. The ministers all turned their eyes away ¡ª the matter of the previous Qiu Mansion young madam¡¯s elopement had been sensational news in Dijing, and everyone had heard about it, but the whispered rumor was that the young madam had only eloped because she had heard she had been chosen as an Imperial Concubine. Everyone knew that this matter was a thorn in His Majesty¡¯s heart, so they all attentively averted their gaze. ¡°Your Majesty, this minister has asked about this girl.¡± Helian Zheng said excitedly. ¡°She is fifteen years old and unmatched, and the people say she is a warm and gentle woman full of virtue. This minister wants this kind of woman, so when I marry a lawful wife in the future, my family will not be chaotic.¡± As Helian Zheng spoke, Feng Zhiwei was secretly cursing him to the nine hells. When did this bastard become so familiar with me? He even knows I¡¯m unbetrothed? And he wants a peaceful family after more marriages? He can really dream! Ning Yi furrowed his brows, working hard to stamp down on his urge to react. ¡°If that¡¯s the case.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor spoke, his face returning to normal as he reached for his tea cup. ¡°Come, here my Imperial Decree¡­¡± But then the Emperor suddenly began coughing, his face reddening as he choked. Servants hurriedly rushed forward as his command was interrupted. Beside the Imperial Desk, Feng Zhiwei had quietly palmed some of the dessert arranged on the table, and while adjusting her hair, she had flicked some crushed peanuts into the Emperor¡¯s tea cup. The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s trachea was not particularly healthy and he easily chokes, and so Feng Zhiwei successfully prevented the Imperial Decree. As the servants helped the coughing Tian Sheng Emperor, Feng Zhiwei stepped beside Helian Zheng, smiling at him: ¡°Prince, you have a good eye!¡± ¡°Of course¡­ oh, you know the Feng girl?¡± Helian Zheng glanced sidelong at her. ¡°How do you know her? Where did you meet her? She never leaves home and rarely contacts anyone, how do you know her?¡± Helian Zheng had not even married her and he was already like a jealous husband, rooting after a ¡®secret affair,¡¯ more focused on possessing her than actually getting to know this noble daughter. ¡°My father is an old friend of the Qiu Mansion.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied. ¡°I¡¯ve visited the Qiu Mansion with him, but I have indeed never met this noble daughter, but¡­¡± She let her words hang in the air, and Helian Zheng could not resist: ¡°But what?¡± Feng Zhiwei frowned, face falling into deep thought before shaking her head: ¡°I should not speak of others behind their back¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡± After these words, Feng Zhiwei shut her mouth tightly, sealed like a clamshell, her expression clearly saying that even knives could not make her explain. Helian Zheng stared at Feng Zhiwei with his shining eyes, his expression quickly changing. Come ask me come ask me come ask me¡­ Feng Zhiwei smiled with quiet confidence. ¡°If it¡¯s nothing then it¡¯s nothing,¡± Helian Zheng replied, quiet for a long moment. He turned away, a strange smile on his face: ¡°I¡¯m not really going to take her as my concubine.¡± Feng Zhiwei choked on her saliva, almost dying¡­ this barbarian did not play by the rules! ¡°I¡¯ve never met a woman who dared hit me¡­¡± Helian Zheng turned to the study window, the bright rays of light dancing over his purple diamond eyes. ¡°How could I let her off so easily? ¡°Haha, don¡¯t the Central Plain¡¯s women treat their husbands like heaven? From now on I will be her heaven, and if I tell her to wash my feet she will wash my feet. If I tell her to massage my legs, she will massage my legs. And after I marry ten women, I will have her serve every one of them¡­ her violence? Her ferocity? No matter how violent or ferocious she is, she¡¯s still a cave mouse in an eagle¡¯s claws!¡± Your mother is a cave mouse! Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mouth twitched as she summoned all her strength to control her face. After a moment, she chuckled, turning to Helian Zheng and saying in praise: ¡°Good, good, the Hu Zhuo Prince really has great ambition and triumphant bravery¡­¡± Although she was praising him, her eyes were filled with sympathy, and when Helian Zheng noticed this sympathy he began to grow suspicious. Finally, he grabbed her sleeve and asked: ¡°Look at you muttering and mumbling, this Feng Zhiwei, is there something wrong with her?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem, no problem at all.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, pulling back her sleeve. ¡°Better to destroy ten temples than spoil a single marriage. I congratulate Prince Hu Zhuo in marrying such a fine beauty, and if you want someone to wash your feet someone will wash your feet, and if you want your legs massaged, someone will massage your legs. ¡°She will serve your ten wives and concubines, and you will even save money on the servant girls. Congratulations, congratulations, happiness to you.¡± She spoke all these words solemnly, no longer meeting Helian Zheng¡¯s eyes. AS the Emperor recovered, she swiftly returned to his side, leaving the frowning and contemplative Helian Zheng alone. Across the room, the impassive and aloof Ning Yi suddenly cast a glance at the two. The Tian Sheng Emperor continued coughing for a bit, and when he regained his breath he tapped the table, calling Feng Zhiwei: ¡°Wei Zhi, write for me.¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately smoothed out the prepared paper and dipped the brush into the ink. ¡°Today, Fifth Army General Qiu Shangqi¡¯s niece¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Helian Zheng suddenly stepped forward, interrupting. All eyes turned to examine the prince as Helian Zheng kneeled and kowtowed. He called forth loudly: ¡°Your Majesty, after serious consideration, this minister believes that a mere concubine is not worthy of Your Majesty¡¯s personal decree, could this Imperial Grace wait until I decide to marry a lawful wife?¡± Ning Yi immediately called out praise: ¡°The Hu Zhuo Prince is truly filled with propriety, modest and courteous!¡± Helian Zheng nodded shamelessly: ¡°Of course!¡± The Emperor hesitated a moment before agreeing. The truth was, granting a concubine was not in accord with the ancestral rites, but he had thought to make an exception to placate the restless lad before him. Now that he had given up on the matter himself, then the situation could be resolved perfectly. Helian Zheng did not really care about this matter; his original plan was simply to appease the Emperor. He did not want a true wife yet, so he immediately reacted by asking for a concubine, but the truth was he really did not care about an imperially decreed marriage. But this Feng young miss, what exactly was her problem? He needed to take some time to thoroughly investigate, and somethings he might not be able to discover from others, so perhaps he needed to add a little personal touch¡­ Helian Zheng frowned, lost in his thoughts. Feng Zhiwei smiled and put down the brush. Ning Yi leaned back in his chair, slowly sipping his tea. The rising sun shone down through the window, the summer¡¯s brilliant light beaming in. After Helian Zheng left, the Imperial Study held another meeting. Qiu Shangqi and his troops had arrived at the border and were stationed by the Jie Luo Mountain, fifty Li away from Da Yue. The Jie Luo mountain was located in the central area of the Hu Lun mountain Range, a range which cut through the center of the Hu Lun steppes, separating norther and south. To the east of the mountain range ran the River Ling, a major river that passed through all four of the Wei, Jing, Yong, and Su[1] states. The area was easily resupplied and sat by the natural barrier of the Jie Luo mountain, with a commanding view of the open terrain. Qiu Shangqi had ordered the fifty thousand border guards to guard the western line of the Jie Luo mountain, facing the land of the United Hu Zhuo tribes. Vice-General Chunyu Hong and his hundred thousand troops guarded the eastern line, watching the southern border of Da Yue, with Qiu Shangqi and his hundred thousand stationed in the middle. [1] ÎÀ,¾²,ÓÀ,Ëà Chapter 84 An experienced military strategist watching over this kind of arrangement was safe and reliable. Using local troops familiar with the land to watch the Hu Zhuo border was also part of the strategy, the men most familiar with the terrain and the political situation at hand keeping an eye on the Hu Zhuo tribes, so even if the disaster struck and the Hu Zhuo tribes turned coat, they would still have some space to maneuver. After a few minutes discussing the agenda of the day, it became clear that the Tian Sheng Emperor did not want to investigate the political scheming. With the war afoot, domestic peace needed to be maintained, and the Emperor was very pleased with Ning Yi¡¯s restraint, his son very wisely forgoing heated pursuit and aggression. Happy, he said: ¡°Old Six, your duties often require you to come to the Imperial Palace, and coming and going so much cannot be convenient for you. We¡¯ll grant you the Feng Yun Residence in the Long Yi Palace, a place to rest your head if you ever miss the opening of the Palace Gates. All adult princes were granted a mansion outside of the palace grounds when they reached maturity, and none of them were allowed to spend the night inside the Imperial Palace, so this allowance was a very special Imperial Grace. None of the other Prince¡¯s were happy at this favor, but they had all just made fools of themselves so they did not dare open their mouths. ¡°The Feng Yun residence is elegant and beautiful, right next to Father Emperor¡¯s resting Palace. Morning and evening greetings will be very convenient for Sixth Brother now.¡± A beautiful smile entered, tea wares held on a tray, a string of servant girls behind her. The only one who could smile and sweep into the study in the middle of a discussion of military secrets was obviously Princess Shao Ning, the beloved princess. ¡°Congratulations, Sixth Brother.¡± Shao Ning said as she began serving the tea, tilting her head at Ning Yi. Ning Yi laughed, lifting his eyes and meeting Shao Ning¡¯s. ¡°This is Father Emperor¡¯s grace.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor hesitated at Shao Ning¡¯s words, his expression flickering, but he soon regained his smile: ¡°We¡¯re discussing official business, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I heard that the foolish servants could not serve well and made Father Emperor choke on his tea.¡± Shao Ning replied, smiling as she swept around the Imperial Desk and behind the Emperor¡¯s back, massaging his soldiers: ¡°Your daughter brings this Biluo Tea, light and fragrant, good for Father Emperor¡¯s throat.¡± ¡°My filial daughter.¡± The Emperor praised, patting her daughter¡¯s shoulder, his furrowed brows smoothing out as he turned to Feng Zhiwei: ¡°You¡¯ve suffered a small wound, but thanks to your accident Prince Chu could clear his name and avoid this not insignificant scandal, so you will be rewarded as well. From today forward, you will follow Minister Yao(Grand Secretariat) and study the affairs of government, expanding your horizon.¡± At these words, the princes and ministers once again reacted. Yao Ying was the first Minister of the dynasty, his voice in all worldly matters the most influential in the court. This appointment, although a seeming downgrade from direct secretary to the Emperor, was in fact an incredible power move. Now that Wei Zhi was directly appointed secretary to the Prime Minister, the Emperor¡¯s intentions were clear, to groom Wei Zhi as the future Prime Minister. Heated gazes filled the room and it could not be said whether they were envious or anxious. Feng Zhiwei gratefully thanked His Majesty for his grace, but her mind was on high alert ¡ª the Tian Sheng Emperor knew that Prime Minister Yao Ying and Feng Zhiwei were not on good terms, and it was instead Vice Minister Hu Shengshan who favored her. Assigning her to Yao Ying may not play out well for her; was the Emperor moving for his own agenda, balancing the court in his favor? Shao Ning turned her bright eyes to Feng Zhiwei, laughing brightly: ¡°Many congratulations Master Wei, you are just like Prince Brother Chu, successful in your youth, rapidly climbing the world.¡± Feng Zhiwei could only hide her bitter smile. She had somehow burnt herself again, the Princess¡¯s eyes shooting icicles from behind the Emperor¡¯s back. The Emperor was often easily fatigued in recent years so he soon dismissed the study. Feng Zhiwei stood by attentively, waiting for her turn to leave, when the passing Ning Yi suddenly turned to her, saying: ¡°Master Wei looks listless, be careful of heatstroke in this hot weather.¡± ¡°Thank you Your Highness for your concern.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied courteously, unhappily engaging in the conversation. ¡°It was my honor to witness Your Highness¡¯ lofty and elegant poise as he mapped out strategy, it truly brought back a sense of nostalgia.¡± Ning Yi peered into her eyes, and even though her mask was good enough to fool everyone, her eyes were still clear and complex, containing enough emotion to fill a book ¡ª some anger, some dissatisfaction, some rejoicing, and some resentment. He could barely keep from laughing, the crease of a smile on his lips like a flower blossoming in the snow. Feng Zhiwei rarely saw this smile, a side of him in complete contrast to his normal demeanor, and for an instant the beauty dazed her. But the moment passed and Ning Yi¡¯s shadow was already disappearing around the bend of the hallway. Feng Zhiwei slowly turned her head to follow, her fists clenched, a small little wax-coated ball in her hand. The Shao Ning Princess had slipped the object into her hand as she walked around the Imperial Desk. Feng Zhiwei signed with resignation, breaking the wax and unfolding the note. Shao Ning had asked for a meeting. Outside of the Imperial Study, a small eunuch silently slipped beside Feng Zhiwei, surreptitiously leading her through many turns and finally stopping in front of a small garden. Many seemingly empty residences surrounded the garden, the hanging eaves of the palatial rooms cold and silent. Strange plants grew around them, their roots clearly northern in origin, but the unsuitable climate and the clear neglect had deprived the plants of all flowers. A pair of green riding boots silently appeared before Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes; she lifted her head and smiled: ¡°This minor minister almost did not recognize the Princess in this new attire.¡± Shao Ning stood in blue eunuch¡¯s uniform biting her lip, her face serious as she stared at Feng Zhiwei for a long moment. Finally, she asked: ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I wanted to ask the Princess this as well.¡± Feng Zhiwei straightened, her eyes filled with confusion. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°You used the thing I gave you?¡± Shao Ning asked again, her eyes suspicious at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s seeming frankness. Feng Zhiwei nodded honestly and Shao Ning could only pause, silent. The Princess¡¯s silence confirmed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s suspicion, and she chuckled coldly as she said: ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I risked my life for the Princess, but the Princess is unwilling to confide in me!¡± Shao Ning¡¯s face fell, her imposing poise falling away as she unconsciously stepped backwards. ¡°If you wish to use me, don¡¯t doubt me; if you doubt me, don¡¯t use me. The Princess has been ruined by her own cleverness.¡± Feng Zhiwei pressed as Shao Ning backed away. ¡°After the Princess gave me the medicine, why did you not trust me? Why ask Director Liu to tamper with the knife and water? This unnecessary move upset everything!¡± ¡°I was not certain that the medicine I gave you would work¡­¡± Shao Ning murmured, a sliver of panic in her eyes. ¡°He said that having a backup plan would be good, how could I know that everything would go wrong¡­ but¡­ but¡­¡± The Princess lifted her gaze, iron suddenly in her stare as she thrust out her chest. ¡°If you didn¡¯t cut yourself, how would they have found out?¡± ¡°The Princess is wrong again.¡± Feng Zhiwei shook her head. ¡°I did not intentionally cut myself.¡± Chapter 85 Translator: Aristophaneso ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°I was walking away and suddenly slipped.¡± Feng Zhiwei lied, her deceptions always more truthful than the truth. ¡°Out of nowhere, I stumbled and the knife cut my hand. I¡¯m not and idiot, I already drugged the Prince, why would I help him? ¡°But no one knows that you drugged him¡­¡± Shao Ning said quietly. ¡°That¡¯s true, no one can be certain that I drugged him.¡± Feng Zhiwei shook her head disappointedly, turning to leave. ¡°If only the Princess had trusted me, but you had to have two plans in motion. Now, you will never be able to know whether I am loyal and honest.¡± ¡°I trust you!¡± Shao Ning cried out, grasping Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Wei Zhi, don¡¯t be mad, this matter was my fault. Ning Yi is wily and must have spies planted around me. He already knew everything and was completely prepared; he had that assassin confuse everyone by wounding every guard¡¯s shoulder so that he could clear Ning Cheng¡¯s name. He obviously knew about the plan already. Wei Zhi, you must help me!¡± Not again¡­ Feng Zhiwei sighed quietly, but when she turned her face was covered with sincerity: ¡°Princess, I should not be the one to help you, at least not in the near future. If Prince Chu has spies, he must know about our cooperation; I am not able to protect myself, how can I fight him? We should bid our time and hide our intentions, waiting for an opportunity.¡± ¡°And, Princess¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei reminded her. ¡°This plan was only known to a few people, you should look closely at the people around you.¡± ¡°The people around me¡­¡± Shao Ning mumbled, dropping Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I only have my wet-nurse¡­ she wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Her voice grew so quiet Feng Zhiwei could not tell what she was saying, and then suddenly Shao Ning was smiling again, her dazed listlessness disappearing. Her face once again a blooming, smiling flower, she toed the withered plants around them, asking: ¡°Do you know where we are?¡± Feng Zhiwei cocked her head questioningly and Shao Ning soon explained, full of satisfaction: ¡°I often came here when I was young ¡ª I liked the flowers and plants here, and there was a very, very beautiful woman who lived in that palace over there.¡± The Princess said, pointing at a quiet residence behind the garden. ¡°Then someone told me one day that I could no longer come here, and so I stopped, but recently I¡¯ve been thinking about this place again and had some people investigated, and now I finally understand the history, haha¡­¡± The Princess¡¯s laughter was strange and without happiness, her eyes flickering as she sank into thought. Suddenly, she turned: ¡°Today, Father Emperor granted the Feng Yun Residence to Ning Yi, and even though it seemed like a casual grace, the truth is that Ning Yi has laid countless plans, including today¡¯s framing debacle, to gain this little residence. How disappointing that I¡¯ve sown someone else¡¯s trousseau, but that¡¯s fine. You have your clever plans but I have my own ways, haha.¡± Feng Zhiwei silently examined her. Finally, Shao Ning grabbed her sleeve again, turning and pointing: ¡°See, the Feng Yun Residence.¡± Finally Feng Zhiwei saw the Feng Yun residence. It was close, but the winding path around the garden, artificial mountain, and lake made it seem further than it was. ¡°You should go.¡± Shao Ning smiled coldly, her hand on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just wait, the show isn¡¯t over yet!¡± After leaving the Imperial Palace, Feng Zhiwei returned to the Wei Mansion, changing her clothes. Once ready, she lifted a large, red, sandalwood box, revealing a deep tunnel. She had had her people dig this tunnel from her Wei Mansion room to the Cui Feng Residence, enabling her to come and go. Young Master Gu wore his expensive, servant girl attire and followed Feng Zhiwei, a small bag of walnuts shaking in his sleeve. After emerging from the tunnel, the two sat down in the room. Feng Zhiwei had already had Madam Qiu inform everyone that Miss Feng had a weak physique and could not handle much excitement, and so no one neared the quite Cui Fang Residence. Madam Qiu did not prepare any servant girls and the Qiu Mansion servant girls did not want to come here. In their eyes, Feng Zhiwei was still the cheap daughter of the wretched widow, and they were all still surprised that Feng Zhiwei had managed to finagle her way into the Madam¡¯s good graces, securing a temporary residence. Feng Zhiwei paid no attention to any of this, risking coming to Qiu Mansion in order to check on Madam Feng and search the Cui Fang Residence. That day when she had pulled her Fifth Aunt into the icy lake, that woman¡¯s strength and reactions had been incredibly strange, and when she recalled that Ning Yi had appeared right after, a confused suspicion grew in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart. But after carefully combing through the residence she still found nothing, so Feng Zhiwei could only furrow her brows and lay back on the bed, disappointed. But as soon as she lay down, she felt something poke into her back. She turned and soon found a golden hook used to tie back the curtains around the bed, half covered by the blanket. She sat up, holding the golden hook in hand. On the top of the hook was a half piece of hollowed white jade, specially formed into two round swells, smooth and delicate with a hint of red rouge on their crests, coquettish and alluring like a woman¡¯s breasts, the whole object very similar in shape to some of the private toys women used for their pleasure. Almost all concubines had something of this sort, useful in jostling for their husband¡¯s favor, but very few people used it is a bed curtain hook. And since it was clearly a curtain clasp, why was it underneath the blanket, had someone intentionally hid it away? Feng Zhiwei examined the white jade, pressing some strength into a little gap she found in the material. The white jade popped opened, dropping out a tiny golden locket. Feng Zhiwei paused, examining the familiar object. As she turned it over in her hand, she immediately noticed the birthdate engraved on the back ¡ª Feng Hao¡¯s birthdate! Feng Hao was born in June of the third final year of Emperor Li¡¯s reign, Da Cheng Dynasty. He had worn this golden locket as a baby before it suddenly went missing; unexpectedly, it was hidden here. But why had Fifth Aunt stolen Feng Hao¡¯s golden locket? Whom was she stealing it for? Feng Zhiwei found her mystery but it only deepened her confusion; she felt as if she had accidentally touched upon an enormous secret, but the huge fog that surrounded it all hid everything. Feng Zhiwei wondered and wondered, finally putting the golden locket away and heading for Madam Feng¡¯s residence, but as she was stepping out she hesitated. Ever since Madam Feng had refused to send Feng Hao to Shou Nan mountain to study, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s relationship with her family had rapidly deteriorated. Although Madam Feng had often come to deliver food and handmade clothing, Feng Zhiwei refused to see her. She could put on a kind and gentle face to everybody else, but they were strangers. Facing her mother and younger brother, her family who¡¯d she spent so many years with, she found it far more difficult to maintain her mask. Chapter 86 Translator: Aristophaneso Only those you cared for can hurt you the deepest. As she hesitated, noise came from the courtyard and a large crowd came flooding in. The person in the lead cried out in her sharp voice: ¡°Congratulations to Miss Feng!¡± Feng Zhiwei walked out, opening the door onto a yard filled with glittering eyes and gloating smiles. Old Lady An stood in the lead holding clothing and accessories, her donkey face cracked with smiles, powdered makeup falling in droves. ¡°Congratulations to Miss Feng!¡± Old Woman An cried out again, proffering up the clothing in her hands. ¡°We¡¯ve heard that you have been chosen to become Prince Hu Zhuo¡¯s concubine! The Hu Zhuo Prince is here to visit and the madam is hosting him in the front hall. Do you need to change and attend?¡± The servant women had to strain to hold back their laughter as an older lady called out: ¡°I¡¯ve heard the steppe men are strong, Miss Feng is truly fortunate.¡± Then another old servant replied: ¡°But don¡¯t they have a heavy gamey smell? I heard that steppe men wash their feet maybe once a year. When the Young Madam is serving her husband, be careful not to choke.¡± The servants burst into laughter. Old Woman An shoved the clothes forward; the garish pink-red was only ever worn by concubines, and the paired fresh-green longuette clashed tremendously. The golden necklace was a heavy affair reminiscent of a dog collar, and together the red, green and yellow exploded together into an insult. Helian Zheng was really too impatient, rushing over so quickly! Feng Zhiwei cocked her brows as she looked over the offered clothes. Finally, she said: ¡°This couldn¡¯t be Old An¡¯s hidden treasures? How sad, hiding them away for so many years without having the chance to wear them. Are you sure you want to bring them today to me without ever getting the chance to wear them?¡± Old Woman An half-choked, her hands stiffening in the air. The Madam had not asked her to bring the clothing; it was her own attempt at petty revenge and humiliation. These clothes and accessories truly were what she had hidden away in her chests, prepared when she had thought she might marry Manager Liu. But in the end, Manager Liu married a different woman after his wife¡¯s death and she never got the chance, to her lifelong regret. She had not thought that Feng Zhiwei would be so astute and attack her weakness so directly. ¡°You¡­¡± The old maid quivered with anger, stuck in place unable to move forward or retreat. Suddenly, a quiet voice spoke behind them. ¡°What is going on here?¡± Everyone turned to see Madam Feng¡¯s confused face looking into the courtyard. She had heard noise coming from Feng Zhiwei¡¯s residence and had come to investigate. Old An¡¯s eyes flashed and she instantly waltzed over, her mouth splitting into a teeth baring grin: ¡°Madam, this old lady almost forgot to congratulate you! Your daughter is going to fly into heaven, she¡¯s about to become Prince Hu Zhuo¡¯s concubine!¡± ¡°Prince Hu Zhuo? Concubine?¡± Madam Feng repeated in confusion, her eyes wide. One of the other old women explained, her tone hovering between friendliness and hostility. ¡°Yes, concubine! Your daughter somehow managed to seduce Prince Hu Zhuo while she was wondering outside, and now the Hu Zhuo Prince has asked His Majesty to grant her as a concubine. His Majesty was prepared to sanction this marriage in the Golden Palace! Bah, what nonsense, a sanctioned concubine marriage? Is it even possible?¡± Madam Feng¡¯s face turned pale as she was struck speechless, her mouth opening and closing mechanically. Feng Zhiwei looked at her mother, her heart torn with bitterness ¡ª she was going to be given away as a concubine and her mother still did not say a word? The mother and daughter gazed at each other across this yard filled with enemies, the former still processing the news, mind in chaos as she thought of how to deal with this situation, the latter filled with a sense of desolation and disappointment, hoping that her family might actually come to her aid. They fell silent with thought, but the servant women only imagined that the Feng¡¯s were struck dumb by cowardice. ¡°What marriage, trying to save face?¡± Another servant smirked, covering her mouth. ¡°But our Young Lady Feng is truly impressive, so subtly hooking herself to Prince Hu Zhuo. Where this cloistered noble girl learned this kind of trick!¡± ¡°Passed down through the generations, learnt at the feet of her parents!¡± Another boorish girl said, repeating some bookish terms she¡¯d memorized. ¡°Pa!¡± Blood flew. The girl screamed and a hoarse cry filled the courtyard as Madam Feng grabbed the heavy gold collar, throwing it forward like a discus, smashing it into the servant girl¡¯s mouth. Shattered teeth flew and blood splattered on Madam Feng¡¯s face, but she paid no mind as she retrieved the blood gold collar, spinning it out again. ¡°Has no one taught you courtesy? I¡¯ll beat you until you understand!¡± The crowd of smirking servants shrieked in fear, fleeing. Madam Feng rushed over and grabbed Old An¡¯s proffered tray, throwing it out of the courtyard. ¡°Old thing, take your grave clothes and get out!¡± The bright garish clothes flew, flapping forward and into the faces of a group of men. One cried out in dismay, sneezing: ¡°Gah, what a sickly smell! Disgusting!¡± He brushed the clothes to the ground, unceremoniously treading it into the dirt. As the man revealed his face, all the onlookers felt as if the sun had dimmed. A rainbow seemed to gleam from the man¡¯s eyes, amber purple dark as a deepness well, a mixed, dazzling beauty of contrast. His sleeves were rolled up, his shirt unbuttoned, his light caramel skin beaded with crystal sweat, exuding a brilliance of masculinity that stunned all the women in the yard. Many Qiu Mansion guards rushed behind him, yelling out: ¡°Prince! You cannot enter, you cannot¡­¡± but the guards could not bar the way of the man¡¯s entourage, thin whips whipping out and smacking away the mansion men. None of the guards were seriously injured, but neither could they approach. So this was Prince Hu Zhuo. Each gaze was filled with a different look as everyone turned to Helian Zheng. The man¡¯s eyes took in the scene, calmly examining Madam Feng and the bloody necklace in her hand before turning to Feng Zhiwei. His eyebrows lifted with recognition and he smiled: ¡°Yellow-faced girl, is this your mother? Truly, each tougher than the last.¡± Feng Zhiwei choked a little as he spoke again, loudly: ¡°I like it!¡± This time it was Madam Feng¡¯s turn to cough, quickly hiding the necklace that she had held high above her head. ¡°Prince Hu Zhuo, are you here to offer betrothal gifts?¡± Feng Zhiwei said, recovering at Helian Zheng¡¯s arrival. She had been about to teach the servants a lesson when she had been shocked still by Madam Feng¡¯s outburst, but now that the Prince had arrived, she smoothly returned to her calm and grace. Chapter 87 ¡°Yes.¡± Helian Zheng replied, examining her. She had a slightly tallow face and low eyebrows, but if he looked at her closely she was not actually that ugly, and he quite liked her tranquil demeanor and grace. The more he looked at her, the happier he became, and finally he waved his hand, ¡°Ba Biao[1]!¡± His eight guards with their gold threaded whips immediately stepped forward. ¡°Betrothal Presents!¡± The eight men each took out a little yellow cloth-bag, proffering them up as if they were precious gifts. What rare treasures were these? Anger rose on Madam Feng¡¯s face again and she was just about to step forward and slap away the cloth bags when she caught Feng Zhiwei¡¯s gaze and swallowed her anger, stepping back a step. ¡°Presenting the most precious betrothal gifts of our land, for my woman.¡± Helian Zheng loudly declaimed. ¡°Just as eagles cannot live without the sky and sheep cannot live without the plains, the warriors of the United Twelve Tribes cannot live without this!¡± The Ba Biao moved as one, unfurling the yellow cloth bags revealing eight piles of fine white powder, snowy white and dazzling to the eyes. Salt. The yard filled with snickers and Madam Feng glared angrily. Feng Zhiwei smiled as well, but without mockery, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Beside them, hidden behind a large flower vat, Old An laughed so hard she trembled: ¡°Salt¡­ the betrothal gift is salt¡­¡± Helian Zheng lifted his chin, his eyes proud and serious, not at all bothered by the snickering laughter. He peered sideways at the servant women, sneering: ¡°Central Plain¡¯s women truly are unlearned!¡± ¡°It is indeed a precious gift.¡± Feng Zhiwei nodded, smiling. ¡°Hu Zhuo is landlocked and far from any salt mines, but salt is still the most important and irreplaceable part of a person¡¯s life. Without silk and brocades, cow and sheepskin will do; without poultry and fish, lamb and milk will do; but without salt, the Hu Zhuo¡¯s fearless steppe warriors will not have the strength to fight on the battlefield. Prince, is this your way of saying that I am irreplaceable?¡± Helian Zheng¡¯s eyes gleamed as he spoke spiritedly: ¡°I knew that Yellow Face was not like these peasants who only know gold, silver, and jewelry.¡± ¡°I am unique.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, looking down motionlessly at Helian Zheng. ¡°And when you finally marry your lawful wife, what betrothal gift will you present for her uniqueness and preciousness?¡± Helian Zheng thought seriously for a moment before replying: ¡°A salt bowl!¡± A salt king¡­ Feng Zhiwei eyed this salt-bowl-harem Hu Zhuo Prince and could not help but think that Hu Zhuo¡¯s royal court was really able to save money with these gifts¡­ Helian Zheng looked up into her eyes, her faint smile containing amusement and gloom like countless small stars twinkling in the misty, dark blue night ¡ª beauty and hidden majesty. Those eyes were open and clear, and as he stared, her face no longer seemed so tallow nor her eyebrows so misplaced; her expressions seemed to grow more elegant and beautiful, as if floating clouds were spreading, revealing a brilliant sky hidden above, and she seemed to become lofty and distant, warm and gentle. Helian Zheng hated looking up at anyone, but somehow in this moment everything felt right, as if her position above and his below was intended by nature. He was stirred from his trance by the woman¡¯s voice, her beautiful smile: ¡°This Concubine has heard that steppe men always give a show of their strength when they propose, to demonstrate their eagle-like heroism and dignity. Is the Hu Zhuo Prince willing to prove his prowess before this Concubine?¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words instantly filled Helian Zheng¡¯s mind with imagination, a large, beautiful tent lit with brilliant red candles, a bride within veil-covered, smooth and soft skin peeking through¡­ A grin split his face as he quickly replied: ¡°Of course, only the triumphant are worthy of marrying the best women!¡± ¡°Good.¡± Feng Zhiwei sat, feigning weakness. ¡°This Concubine does not know Kungfu, and I cannot ask you to fight the Qiu Mansion guards, but this Concubine has a dear servant girl who has some feelings for the steppe eagle¡¯s magnificence. Are you willing to show her some moves?¡± ¡°Your servant girl?¡± Helian Zheng laughed loudly. ¡°I never fight women, but since she is your personal servant girl, I do not mind conquering her to make you happy.¡± Feng Zhiwei examined the prince who had leaned so heavily on the words ¡°personal¡± and ¡°conquer,¡± waving her hand and calling: ¡°Yiyi, someone wants to conquer you.¡± The servant girl wore elegant, sky blue robes topped by the beautiful veil, setting aside her walnuts as she impatiently stepped forward. Servant girl Gu moved hastily, eager to return to her snacks. Young Master Gu held himself elegantly, his clothing like that of a fairy, his demeanor gorgeous, and his too tall height only gave him more charm. In the eyes of the Central Plain, he was too tall and his steps too casual, but Helian Zheng and his guards perked up brightly. ¡°So the Central Plains women can also grow this tall!¡± Helian Zheng turned to laugh with his Ba Biao, ¡°Taller than Elder Sister.¡± ¡°Princess Jesili is the most beautiful nightingale of the steppes and no one can compare.¡± A man with an indigo face tattoo replied, voice deep. ¡°But this woman is pretty good as well.¡± ¡°San Sun[2], do you like her?¡± Helian Zheng laughed. ¡°Go, if you win I¡¯ll gift her to you.¡± ¡°Thank you Prince!¡± The burly San Sun happily took off his outer robes, revealing his strong muscles. Helian Zheng called out behind him, ¡°Be gentle, don¡¯t hurt the beautiful woman.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± San Sun replied, casually unfurling his whip. ¡°This subordinate will be gentle with his own woman.¡± Feng Zhiwei sat, leisurely shelling her walnuts as she interrupted the conversation: ¡°Prince Hu Zhuo, you know we Central Plains people speak subtly, even though I asked you for pointers, this is still a Kungfu competition, and a competition needs to have a winner and a loser. Should we make a bet?¡± ¡°A bet?¡± Helian Zheng replied incredulously. ¡°You can¡¯t be thinking you can win?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be more exciting with something at stake.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, carefully peeling the skin off of the walnut meat. ¡°Since you¡¯re so confident in your victory and already granted Yiyi away without my input, how could you not dare to bet?¡± ¡°You are mine and so your servant girl is mine.¡± Helian Zheng replied, glancing sidelong at her. ¡°Why would I need to ask your input? Fine, if you want to bet then bet, since you want to gamble, don¡¯t blame me if you lose everything.¡± ¡°Then we are agreed.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°Whoever breaks the bet has to crawl backwards out of Dijing.¡± [1] °Ë±ë Eight Valiants [2] ÈýöÀ Third Falcon Chapter 88 ¡°Deal!¡± Helian Zheng straightforwardly agreed. ¡°This Prince always pays his debts!¡± ¡°Good.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, smiling and leaning against her hand, examining the Prince with amusement. ¡°If this Concubine wins, you can never mention this concubine matter again, and from now on whenever you see me you must call me Aunt.¡± ¡°Daring!¡± Eight whips arched golden through the air, striking towards Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face. Feng Zhiwei sat peacefully, not even cocking an eyebrow as she carefully peeled her walnuts, unperturbed by the wind of the whips and the looming shadows. Helian Zheng stared at Feng Zhiwei before bringing up his arm, the eight fierce whips freezing and pulled back as if part of the Prince¡¯s limbs. ¡°Very bold.¡± Helian Zheng narrowed his eyes for the first time, ¡°and if you lose?¡± ¡°If this Concubine loses,¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, blowing her walnut meat clean, her watery eyes glancing over at the Prince. ¡°Then I will go to the steppes as is required; you can have the servant girl as you wish; and from the southern skies to the northern seas I will be your companion, and everything in the world that is within my power, the Prince need only ask.¡± Helian Zheng¡¯s first reaction was of dissatisfaction. The girl was already his concubine and she clearly needed to go to the steppes and give him her servant girl, but the final words of ¡°need only ask¡± were so soft and tender, like a peach blossom drifting in the spring wind. As he looked up at the lovely girl blowing gently on her walnut, the corners of her eyes tilted over so slightly upwards, he felt as if he was looking at a beautiful feather dancing in the wind. That floating dance had sunk into his heart, filling him with a desire he could not satisfy, and for a dazed moment he felt as if she had peeled the walnut to feed him¡­ He was so dazed in fact that he did not even know what he himself said in reply, he only saw the surprise on everyone¡¯s faces and hear Feng Zhiwei¡¯s clapping praise: ¡°The Hu Zhuo Prince is forthright.¡± The praise lifted Helian Zheng¡¯s spirits, sitting and waiting for Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words. She said: ¡°This Concubine only has this one servant girl, what does the Prince think appropriate? Should we fight round-robin or brawl, or do you want to have your guards fight first and you serve as anchor?¡± Helian Zheng cocked his eyebrows, somewhat displeased: ¡°You are just sending your servant girl out for some pointers, why should I take part? Why round-robin? San Sun is enough.¡± ¡°This Concubine bets everything on my Yiyi.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, her face amused. ¡°Does the Prince dare to be the same?¡± ¡°Why should I not dare?¡± Helian Zheng replied proudly. ¡°San Sun, give good pointers.¡± ¡°Rest assured! Tonight Your Highness and Old San will both enter the bridal chamber!¡± A face-tattooed Eight Valiants laughed even more brazen than Helian Zheng, the mythical beast inked on his face creased with his smile. Feng Zhiwei stood and walked over to Servant Girl Gu, sighing deeply: ¡°Ai, my poor Yiyi, such a tender and fragile girl going forward for me to fight the valiant warriors of Hu Zhuo¡­¡± ¡°She can also add a wager.¡± Helian Zheng casually gestured, growing more and more generous. Feng Zhiwei immediately leaned forward into Servant Girl Gu¡¯s veil, whispering: ¡°Add one, add one.¡± At first she thought the reticent Servant Girl Gu was ignoring her, but then he surprised her by saying: ¡°After the fight.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused, looking up at Servant Girl Gu with some amazement, wondering which kitchen¡¯s smoke had polluted him into actually thinking about a worldly matter like betting. In her amazement, she did not realize that she had brought her eyes so close to Gu Nanyi, her upturned face almost brushing against Gu Nanyi¡¯s chin, the veil the only barrier between her long eyelashes and Gu Nanyi¡¯s skin. The indifferent Gu Nanyi looked down, the young girl¡¯s smooth face filling his eyes, and he suddenly realized that the girl was far too close. He did not understand why his mind was frazzled or his heart filled with discomfort, as if he were looking at a small, delicious walnut marooned at the bottom of a cliff, and though it smelled amazing, it remained distraughtingly out of reach. Gu Nanyi stilled for a moment, pondering, but he failed to understand what he was feeling or why, so he chose the easiest solution and pushed Feng Zhiwei away, stepping forward without a backwards glance. The Hu Zhuo guards were grouped casually, laughing and teasing San Sun for his imminent happiness. Helian Zheng sat to the side, drinking tea and served by the Qiu Mansion retainers as he cast glances at Feng Zhiwei, watching her move, growing more and more pleased by her beauty ¡ª just like the tea, better tasting after each sip. But when Gu Nanyi stepped forward, Ba Biao immediately fell silent. Helian Zheng turned his head towards his guards and saw Gu Nanyi, the hot tea almost choking him in his startlement. A strange jade sword had appeared in Gu Nanyi¡¯s hand, a broiling scarlet fashioned out of blood jade protruding from an intricate pagoda styled golden hilt. Golden pagoda hilt, blood red sword ¡ª the mismatch of colors filled the heart with a strange coldness. Gu Nanyi stood, his posture full of openings, but all of them illusory, his stance a harmonious whole without weakness. Footwork, weapon, or demeanor all made obvious this servant girl¡¯s skill, and if the steppe men were still foolishly celebrating, they would truly have thrown away their steppe warrior¡¯s fame. San Sun grew solemn, turning towards Helian Zheng. The Prince slowly placed down his tea cup, staring up into the sky for a long moment before gesturing decisively towards his guard. San Sun straightened, nodding wordlessly and unhooking a pair of golden maces from his belt and stepping forward. In that moment, Feng Zhiwei actually grew to somewhat respect Helian Zheng. It was clear that Gu Nanyi was no pushover, but the Prince was still willing to wager his name and his desires on his follower¡¯s success, allowing his man to fight freely. His trust and his faith in his followers was extraordinary. For such a lord, one could die smiling. San Sun stepped forward, respect and gratitude in his heart for his master¡¯s faith, a righteous hunger filling him as his blood pumped loudly in his ears. His hands stood easily under the weight of his golden maces, and as he faced Gu Nanyi¡¯s lazy stance, he could not help but feel recall his own undefeated record and wonder if he had misjudged this maid. How could she be an expert? She was stilling holding a walnut! ¡°Hei!¡± With a grunt, his wide mace flew forward, pulling a fierce wind and falling like a round sun, bearing downward with the weight of Mount Tai. The wind was so forceful that it seemed capable of smashing Gu Nanyi to paste, the sudden breeze billowing out Gu Nanyi¡¯s sleeves, seemingly about to blow away the tall and thin man. Chapter 89 Metal clanged. A thin, clear sound filled the air, but before the sound could even fade the golden light had vanished. A flash of blood red struck the flat of the mace, Gu Nanyi¡¯s jade sword slapping down the blunt weapon just as it was about to strike. The golden mace was bulky metal, and the jade light and thin. Gu Nanyi¡¯s mastery of his weapon and his astonishing internal force and coordination was on full display. Helian Zheng¡¯s face fell. The gathered valiants all took a collective gasp. Feng Zhiwei was sitting casually by the stone table, hiding under the eaves from the piercing sun, idly imaging Gu Nanyi¡¯s red sword as the pole to the yellow mace lollipop. She tapped her fingers, wondering if she should replicate the notebook¡¯s lollipop for Servant Girl Gu. The Jade Sword was pierced through both of the maces, stringing them together as if on a chain. San Sun¡¯s face was deathly pale as Gu Nanyi flicked his hand, a red flash cutting the golden weapons in half as two became four. Finally, he nudged one of the golden halves aside, lazily turning. San Sun kneeled to pick up one of the mace halves and roared, shooting forward and attacking. Servant Girl Gu did not even turn his head, kicking again, red light flashing once more, and four became eight. San Sun rolled back, standing again with a golden eighth, pouncing forward once more. Servant Girl Gu kicked again and the mace eighth shattered and scattered in the air. San Sun fell, spitting out broken teeth. He reached up to his mouth and pulled out an offending dangler, jumping up and stamping down on the tooth. Finally, he turned and grabbed a stone stool, shouting and recklessly attacking once more. ¡°Enough!¡± Helian Zheng crushed his tea cup, scolding angrily: ¡°San Sun, enough! You¡¯ve lost!¡± ¡°No!¡± San Sun roared in ferocious denial. ¡°I can lose, I can even die, but my master can never call a Central Plains girl aunt!¡± His words finished, he moved again, smashing the stone stool down on Gu Nanyi¡¯s head. Young Master Gu turned, looping both San Sun¡¯s head and his stone stool under his arm as he pressed down against himself, shattering the stone stool and covering San Sun¡¯s bloody face with stone fragment ash before tossing the man away like a bag of rice. San Sun landed heavily, and when his feet failed him, he crawled forward, reaching for Gu Nanyi¡¯s foot. His dirty face ate dirt as he crawled forward on the dusty and bloodied ground, his eyes filling with the blood of his wounds. He¡¯d rather die than let his master suffer humiliation. Feng Zhiwei was moved. She had not expected Helian Zheng¡¯s followers to be so loyal, and if she allowed this fiasco to continue, Helian Zheng would surely oppose her to the ends of hell. After a moment of hesitation, she Calle Gu Nanyi back, planning to end the fight as a tie. Helian Zheng was a clever man, and he would take the loss and stop bothering her. But Servant Girl Gu ignored her gesture, slowly turning back to face San Sun, his veil hanging motionless. Feng Zhiwei paused with surprise, her heart filled with wonder. Was Young Master Gu angry? He could actually get angry? Since when? Before she could even fish her thought, San Sun had grabbed onto Gu Nanyi¡¯s leg and was biting downwards just as a jade sword flashed down, striking like lightning. ¡°Cha.¡± A blurred shadow shot over and blocked Gu Nanyi¡¯s sword just as it was about to strike. A man held a stone stool, blocking the thin jade sword, his whole body trembling as he held up the makeshift weapon against the weight of the blow, but his smiling face and dancing brows showed no sign off his struggle as he spoke: ¡°We¡¯ve lost! I accept it!¡± San Sun¡¯s face filled with tears as he tried to bite down, only for Helian Zheng to kick him aside. Gu Nanyi¡¯s jade sword was still pressed downward, unrelenting, cutting through the stone stool and splitting Helian Zheng¡¯s robe, sending his trousers to his ankles. Helian Zheng acted as if nothing had happened, casually being his robe together, his eyes bright as he examined Gu Nanyi with praise: ¡°Impressive!¡± Then he turned, walking over to Feng Zhiwei and examining her as well. Finally, he bowed deeply, calling out loudly: ¡°Aunt!¡± In her surprise, Feng Zhiwei crushed the walnut in her hand. He really did it! ¡°The expert also has a bet.¡± Helian Zheng continued, no sign of embarrassment on his face as he turned calmly to Gu Nanyi. ¡°Speak, and we will honor it.¡± Feng Zhiwei was growing worried. Servant Girl Gu was not his normal self and Feng Zhiwei had no idea what he would demand, and she could only pray that he would not go overboard. Gu Nanyi calmly pointed to the salt beside them. ¡°The losers have to eat the betrothal gifts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence filled the yard as Feng Zhiwei crushed another walnut¡­ Helian Zheng turned his head to regard the bags of salt, staring for a long moment at Gu Nanyi. His eyes glittered as he laughed, turning over and grabbing a bag of salt and beginning to eat. ¡°Your Highness, no, let us! Let us eat!¡± The Eight Valiants stirred from their stunned silence and rushed forward, fighting for the salt bag in their Prince¡¯s hand. The courtyard could only watch in astonishment as the steppe warriors fought over the salt, all of them floored by the strange turns that the day had taken¡­ After swallowing down the bags of salt, each of the Ba Biao warriors were pale beyond belief with only Helian Zheng still a normal color. The man seemed indomitable in toughness and strength, and after brushing away the dust and salt on his robes, he tightened his makeshift belt and stepped forward again, his powerful thighs peeking through his cut robes as he approached Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei calmly returned the man¡¯s gaze, her eyes narrowing in a smile: ¡°The steppe men really have impressed this aunt!¡± Impossibly, the eight valiants went even more pale, but Helian Zheng smiled. His smile was different from his usual expression, his amber, purple eyes flashing with playfulness and cunning, as if the eyes of a steppe fox emerging from his nest to hunt the night. He patted his clothes once more, walking away. As he exited the courtyard, he turned his head, his voice hoarse from swallowing salt: ¡°I forgot to mention¡­ in our steppe tribe, we can marry our aunts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Good news never left the house while bad rumors spread across the land; the news quickly spread that the Hu Zhuo Prince had visited Qiu Mansion seeking a marriage alliance with General Qiu¡¯s niece, but he was forced away with dust on his nose. In the span of days, all of Dijing and the Imperial Court had heard the rumor. What had exactly happened, nobody knew. It was only known that the famous Ba Biao had miserably retreated from the Qiu Mansion, and that for many days after, the Hu Zhuo Prince could not speak, communicating only with gestures that nobody could understand. Chapter 90 All kinds of rumors and all manner of stories were circulating in the Imperial Palace, and Feng Zhiwei even heard that the Hu Zhuo Prince had been scared away by Young Madam Feng¡¯s ugliness, or that Miss Feng had been incredibly unreasonable and driven the Prince away, but in the end most people believed that it the culprit was the young lady¡¯s notorious mother, the infamous, eloping shrew. When Feng Zhiwei heard this final rumor, she had to take a moment of silence to honor her innocent mother¡¯s sacrifice. But right after, she had to take a moment of silence for herself ¡ª she had unintentionally become famous, and now her name was more famous than the greatest beauty of Dijing, Hua Gongmei, daughter to Minister of Personal Hua Wenlian. But regardless, her double life had entered an easy stage. With peace at home, she could focus on her new Imperial task ¡ª the Tian Sheng Emperor was embarking on a new venture, commemorating his political and military achievements with a new ¡°Records of Tian Sheng¡±, a compendium that would include classic, historical records, philosophical writings, astronomy, geography, historical relics, folk customs, and other noteworthy works. The Vice-Prime Minister Hu Shengshan was editor-in-chief, Qing Ming Academy Head Xin Ziyan and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s alias, Vice-Headmaster Wei Zhi, were assistant editors, and the three of them were in charge of assembling a group of talents from Qing Ming Academy and the Imperial Academy. All sorts of talents were gathered together in a single hall, charged with the task of a magnum opus that would surpass all predecessors and allow no successors. With the plan of presenting the book to the Tian Sheng Emperor on his next birthday, the group of editors had gathered in a side palace near the Imperial Archives. The editors had been given temporary residences within the Imperial Palace compound, allowed the great honor of resting within Palace walls while on their task. During these days, Feng Zhiwei often traveled back and forth between Qing Ming Academy and the Imperial Palace, and so she had guards stationed around Cui Fang Residence in her Qiu Mansion home. While she claimed ill, the guards would scare off any passerby, using their Kung Fu to ¡°haunt¡± the area, and the Qiu Mansion staff were soon convinced that Fifth Concubine¡¯s ghost had come back to haunt the area. On one of these mornings, Feng Zhiwei had just arrived at Qing Ming when the translucent white pants of a beautiful middle-aged man filled her vision: ¡°Little Zhi, Little Zhi¡­¡± ¡°Does Headmaster have any orders?¡± Feng Zhiwei politely greeted, sure that the lousy man was up to no good. ¡°Little Zhi, don¡¯t be so distant.¡± Xin Ziyan complained, eyes dancing as he took her hand. ¡°Ai ya, I was just talking about you. Really, Little Zhi, it¡¯s been so hectic around here lately. Scholar Hu is busy with the military resources and reports, and I have my hands full with the compendium, I really can¡¯t manage Qing Ming Academy as well. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to take on the Politics and History department for me?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. With war so close, Ning Yi had shifted his focus to Qing Ming¡¯s Military College, cultivating the powerful military resources. More and more, the good-for-nothing rich young monsters in the Politics and History department had lost their value ¡ª with Ning Yi¡¯s current political status and secure position, these relationships were no longer so important, so Xin Ziyan could easily hand over the Department to Feng Zhiwei. After all, without any one dealing with the spoiled young masters, the brats had been up to no good. They were truly thankless burdens, and if she dealt poorly, she might even upset all manners of high level officials. Did this old man think she¡¯d had it too easy and wanted to laugh at her? ¡°Headmaster!¡± Feng Zhiwei exclaimed, looking deeply into Xin Ziyan¡¯s gleaming eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve really run yourself ragged, your face is all yellow and your eyes are drooping in exhaustion.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Xin Ziyan shamelessly agreed, frowning deeply and using her sleeve to wipe his nose. ¡°You must have pity on me¡­¡± ¡°The students of the Politics and History Department have lofty backgrounds.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, frowning even more deeply than the headmaster. ¡°My words are like the breeze, and I cannot scold or beat them, I really cannot manage this¡­¡± ¡°You can beat and scold.¡± Xin Ziyan easily replied, carefully wiping his nose. ¡°I¡¯ll take full responsibility.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s frown immediately disappeared as she agreed, sweeping away and stealing Xin Ziyan¡¯s new handkerchief, wiping some imaginary sweat from her face before balling up the expensive cloth and hiding it away. ¡°This little brother will force himself to help you this one time¡­¡± The headmaster squatted in the chair like a hoodlum, eyes turning from Feng Zhiwei¡¯s vacated seat to her happy silhouette as she walked away, and he suddenly wondered if, perhaps, maybe, possibly, it seemed likely that¡­ he had lost this exchange¡­ ¡°Dappled Horse coat, at least a thousand gold coins¡­¡± Gossip and chatter filled the dining hall with noise even after closing hours, and though only some minutes remained before afternoon classes, a large group of people were still gathered around playing games, punishing losers with various humiliating tasks. Laughter and jeers filled the heavens. These rich and powerful young masters had no hopes of passing Imperial Examination but had been granted official rank because of ancestral contribution. When Xin Ziyan had personally watched over the academy, these students had still behaved themselves, but now that the Headmaster was too busy to manage them, the young masters were growing rowdier by the day. As their spirits roared to the skies, a curious and courteous voice approached the outer rims of the horde: ¡°Brothers, what are you all doing?¡± ¡°Are you retarded, you don¡¯t know finger-guessing?¡± One of them called back casually. ¡°You want to play? One tael of silver per round, ten taels buy-in.¡± ¡°I have no silver, but will this do?¡± The voice replied good-naturedly, passing a token through a gap in the crowd. The young man squatting in the chair grabbed the token and slapped it on the table, examining the object carefully. It was an identity token of the Academy¡¯s top officials, and the words ¡°Vice Headmaster¡± were emblazoned on the bronze material. The man paused and turned, looking into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s smiling face. ¡°Young Master Yao, you¡¯re in good spirits.¡± ¡°You.¡± The young man was Yao Yangyu, the unfortunate son of Grand Secretariat Yao Ying whose fingers had been broken by Gu Nanyi. He had been stunned by the token, but when he recognized his mortal enemy Wei Zhi, an overpowering fury swelled within him. He sneered, his voice dragging as he spoke: ¡°What do you want? The Vice President wants to play? Ten Silver Liang, the same price for everyone¡­¡± He called out, picking up the token and tossing it aside. ¡°This trash token is worth nothing!¡± The token landed on the grand with a crisp, audible clang, and the hall fell silent. ¡°Worth nothing?¡± Feng Zhiwei echoed, her smile still plastered on her face. ¡°Crafted by Imperial artisans under the supervision of the Internal Affairs Committee, granted personally by His Imperial Majesty and bestowed upon me personally by your father¡­ I¡¯d like to sell it for ten taels, but His Majesty will not allow it, your father will not allow it, and our lofty Tian Sheng Dynasty¡¯s Imperial Law will not allow it ¡ª You will pick it up!¡± Her smiling words transformed instantly, flashing from amusement to angry ferocity in the blink of an eye, her fury slashing through the crowd like a bolt from heaven, nature¡¯s fury wielded by human force into a sword strike that struck indomitably at its target. The gathered layabouts were struck into stunned, quivering amazement, forced into silence. Chapter 91 Translator: Aristophaneso Yao Yangyu stared at Feng Zhiwei with a look of surprise, never imagining that the mild and kind Wei Zhi had such intimidating anger. It was as if he were facing a glorious phoenix1, one moment arcing gorgeously through the open sky, the next diving in fury with her sharply gleaming beak. He sat in stunned amazement, and before he could react Feng Zhiwei had kicked out and shattered a leg of his chair. Caught by surprise, Yao Yangyu fell to the ground, sliding downwards and eating dirt by Feng Zhiwei¡¯s feet. Feng Zhiwei stepped forward, pressing down on the young man¡¯s back, her other foot flicking the token into the air and onto the table. Her anger sheathed, she smiled once again: ¡°Everyone, is it worth something now?¡± The stunned young masters finally responded, nodding hurriedly. As the silent boys watched in amazement, Feng Zhiwei gestured, her gathered guards shutting the dining hall door. ¡°Then let¡¯s play.¡± Feng Zhiwei said lightly. ¡°You all want to play, so I will accompany you. My token is priceless, as you all admit, so I will use this Vice President token as my stake. You all bet one Liang per match, and everyone must play until I lose. As long as I haven¡¯t lost, you must keep playing without break. You cannot leave, cannot east, cannot sleep, or even piss while you play.¡± Her small smile crossed her face again as she looked into the deathly pale faces: ¡°Let¡¯s have some fun.¡± The gathered housemasters who¡¯d come to watch her performance were all filled with the same thought ¡ª shameless! With her priceless token, she could never lose all her money, so this ploy could only end with everyone else going bankrupt, and this was without even mentioning her torturous demands. The young masters began to play, but it was the first time they were being forced. Feng Zhiwei was shameless beyond compare, eating while the boys watched, leaving anytime she needed, obeying none of the rules she herself had set, but who could stop her? When she left, the young masters wanted to flee, but Master Gu, Fourth Rank Weapon Bearing Imperial Guard stood vigil, his signature white veil blocking any attempt. As he stood by the crowd, his walnuts in his hand, his reputation suppressed all rebellion, his very presence wielding absolute power in the hall. ¡°I have diarrhea¡­¡± One person complained. Young Master Gu flicked out a walnut shell, the makeshift ammunition piercing the air like an arrow, scaring the shit back up into the young man¡¯s colon. ¡°I¡¯m ill¡­¡± Another man said, falling to the ground and twitching. Young Master Gu flicked out another walnut shell arrow, knocking out the offending ruffian and curing his illness. ¡°I¡¯m not playing! I¡¯ve seen people sell through force, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone forced to have fun!¡± Another young master said bravely, having exhausted all tricks. Walnut shells flew through the air like a rain of arrows, pounding the young master¡¯s head full of bumps. Some of the young masters were slowly sidling out of view, edging towards the door while the gathered housemasters turned a blind eye, but just as a hand reached the door¡¯s clasp, the door swung open and smashed into his nose. The thick wooden door opened out onto the starry night, and a pair of beautiful eyes peered through the rain of walnut shells at the unconscious men on the ground. Vice Headmaster Wei had returned, body rested and stomach filled, ready for another shift. One young master could handle it no more, his eyes rolling up into his head as he directly passed out. The great barrier of walnut arrows barred the way of even demons and gods. After three days and three nights of the enforced gaming time students lay strewn every which way on the dining hall floor and only two figures remained standing. Of course, it was the Vice Headmaster and her walnut guard. ¡°When will I find a worthy opponent¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed, her lonely silhouette stilled among the collapsed crowd. Young Master Gu chewed his eighth walnut of the day. From that day forward, no one dared play any of the layabout betting games in Qing Ming Academy, and the tortured young masters were all suitably scarred, immediately running anytime they saw anyone playing Finger-Guessing, vomiting at the thought. The Qing Ming Academy lost much of its rowdiness, but after a few gameless days, the young masters grew bored once more. This time, they did not play the forbidden betting games but instead played Fly Ball ¡ª a noble entertainment good for the body that even His Majesty recommended; surely Vice Headmaster Wei would say nothing about this? In the courtyard in front of the Politics and History Department, students played, energetically chasing balls as they secretly gambled. Two days later, the Vice Headmaster and his walnut guard made another appearance. The young masters immediately grew weak at the knees, but the Vice Headmaster was unusually kind that day, simply watching them play. When the students saw the Vice Headmaster doing nothing, they grew bold. After the third game had begun, Feng Zhiwei turned to Young Master Gu: ¡°Do you understand? Young Master Gu replied: ¡°Take the ball, smash it into the goal.¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed in admiration, praising Young Master Gu¡¯s wisdom, nudging him to join in the next round. And so the Fly-Ball team¡¯s doomsday began. No matter what angle, what trajectory, what plan, or what feint they tried, the jade statue of a man would always be there, spitting a walnut shell in your face and stealing your ball before smashing it into your goal. In that moment, true darkness would fall over your eyes as you felt the heavens and earth collapsing around you, and life would grow too painful to live as your hopes were destroyed. Yao Yangyu, the Fly-Ball team captain had just been blocked the eighteenth time when he grabbed the ball, hugging it to his chest as he cried indignantly to the skies: ¡°Heavens! How can you allow this travesty!¡± Young Master Gu dashed over, stealing the ball and kicking it into Young Master Yao¡¯s face. ¡°You cheated.¡± Young Master Gu announced calmly, chewing on his walnut. Qing Ming Academy¡¯s Vice Headmaster became the true number two power of the land, his fame almost as resounding as that of the Headmaster. Now, whenever students met their Vice Headmaster, every one of them would hurriedly retreat and walk backwards, bowing respectfully all the while. To all this, the Vice President only innocently commented: ¡°I¡¯m actually a very kind person.¡± The Very Kind Vice Headmaster had a whistle custom made, after all she knew that the Qing Ming Academy had no entertainment and such a deathly serious atmosphere would not be good for the students, so she instigated a new Morning Exercise Decree. Everyday at Fifth Watch, before light touched the sky, Fourth Rank Weapon Bearing Imperial Guard Gu would climb the tallest tower overlooking the Politics and History department, wielding the whistle to loud effect. When the whistle blew, no matter how painful it was, every Politics and History student needed to turn out for their morning run. And because Young Master Gu¡¯s lung capacity was very good, his loud, insanity inducing whistle would not stop until every student had arrived. Chapter 92 Young Master Gu¡¯s whistle flew over the academy and through Mount Song to the skies above Dijing ten miles away. After a while, the citizens of Dijing no longer needed the watchmen¡¯s call, and after a while, there was no longer any need for His Majesty¡¯s Morning Drum, for Young Master Gu¡¯s whistle was good enough. All students woke at fifth watch and lapped around Mount Song. Weakness was accepted, but never laziness ¡ª the Academy¡¯s physician followed the students in a carriage, and anyone who dared fake illness would receive a walnut gift from the Vice Headmaster¡¯s retainer, Young Master Gu. The countless lazy students had their faces struck and covered with the remains of delicious walnuts. After the run, all students were gathered to practice Chinese Boxing. With the military expert Feng Zhiwei invited to instruct her students, the military students soon discovered that there was suddenly a group of students even fiercer than them. The powerful and wealthy scions and peasants were treated the same without any special privilege. All the poor students applauded in praise, and the Dijing Family Heads all nodded happily ¡ª their sons and grandsons were suddenly behaving, their bad temperaments erased, their bodies strengthened, and they were no longer picky with food or hanging out at brothels. Every time they visited home, they would immediately collapse on their beds and pass out. Going out for women? As if they had the energy for that! Feng Zhiwei was in very good spirits. She woke early with her students and enjoyed practicing Kungfu. Young Master Gu¡¯s brilliant and glorious moves had shown her the true extent and capability of mastery ¡ª out in the world, might made right. But nevertheless, her happiness was not without flaws, especially one particularly large annoyance. Helian Zheng often visited the manor to chase after his ¡°aunt.¡± This man really refused to learn his lesson, and after becoming a nephew and being forced to eat mouthfuls of salt, he still arrived almost everyday to report for duty. Sometimes he would pester her relentlessly, other times he would come to admire Gu Nanyi¡¯s extraordinary Kongfu, and as time went on, his interest in the jade statue¡¯s martial ability only grew and grew. But of course Young Master Gu never paid the prince any attention, only sending him away in the typical Gu Style ¡ª simply and violently. Feng Zhiwei tried basically everything to avoid Helian Zheng, refusing countless of his meetings. Only Ning Yi and Helian Zheng would ever see both Wei Zhi and his Gu bodyguard and Feng Zhiwei and her servant girl ¡°Yiyi.¡± Even though Young Master Gu covered his face wherever he went, palace or residence, his style never changed, and Feng Zhiwei was worried that sooner or later, Helian Zheng would notice something. Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and on a certain day, Helian Zheng arrived at the Imperial Palace and deliberately provoked Bodyguard Gu. An hour after his beating, he arrived at the Qiu Mansion Cui Fang Residence and challenged Yiyi. After two successful beatings, the Hu Zhuo Prince stood, rubbing his face thoughtfully. Feng Zhiwei watched the man walk away, thinking deeply before finally turning to Gu Yiyi: ¡°So, should we silence him?¡± Young Master Gu crushed a walnut and showed it to her. ¡°No, the consequences are too heavy.¡± Feng Zhiwei answered herself, a bitter smile crossing her face finally: ¡°Why did I come back?¡± She had had so many reasons for returning to the Qiu Mansion. She had sworn an oath, she wanted to figure out what Ning Yi had come for, and¡­ she wanted to take care of her mother. She wanted her long suffering mother to be saved from her decade-long misery and live a proud and dignified life, reviving here in her home the glory of the Fire Phoenix Woman General. She wanted everything and would not settle for secretly rescuing her mother and setting her up in a comfortable life, so she had risked the return. But the greater the hope the harsher the fall. ¡°Let¡¯s take it one step at a time, and we can have some people carefully watch Helian Zheng.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued, smiling wanly. ¡°At least Helian Zheng must return to Hu Zhuo soon. When he is gone, he will no longer be able to bother me.¡± The next morning, Young Master Gu spotted a familiar face in the group of students as he whistled. His bird cry immediately cut off, and the students could only watch in numb surprise as Master Gu flew down from the tower. A new student stood in the group, his eyes glittering like diamonds as he raised his hand and loudly exclaimed: ¡°New Student He Zheng greets the Vice Headmaster! Greets Sir Gu!¡± Feng Zhiwei peered into his determined eyes and quietly sighed to herself as she slapped a fake smile over her lips: ¡°A freshman?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The man replied, his eyes glowing. ¡°Fresher than fresh.¡¯ ¡°You look thick and sturdy, you should join the Military College.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled faintly and replied, quickly unfurling her school records. ¡°How about I transfer you to the Military College?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Helian Zheng shook his head immediately: ¡°My Little Aunt said that wisdom triumphs.¡± Feng Zhiwei: ¡°¡­¡± The eloquent Feng Zhiwei was struck dumb as she pondered ways to transfer this brave over to the Military College. Suddenly, noise filled the gates to the courtyard and a residence master rushed over and whispered into her ears: ¡°A young man surnamed Feng is yelling out that he¡¯s the Hu Zhuo Prince¡¯s brother-in-law and is demanding admittance into the academy, what do you¡­¡± The Hu Zhuo Twelve Tribes were currently welcomed in Tian Sheng with great courtesy and fanfare, and Helian Zheng¡¯s unusual eyes were easily recognizable. ¡°Brother-in-law?¡± Feng Zhiwei echoed in surprise. A boy finally rushed into the courtyard, guard trailing behind him as he yelled: ¡°My brother-in-law is here! My brother-in-law will be my guarantor.¡± When the boy saw Helian Zheng he immediately rushed over and grabbed his sleeve: ¡°My sister is your concubine, you have to support me no matter what!¡± (sooooo shameless. I am furious) Feng Zhiwei stared at the pair, smiling faintly, her clasped hands crackling behind her back. After half a moment, she cried out coldly: ¡°Where did this insane fool come from? Kick him out!¡± ¡°Ai, don¡¯t do that.¡± Helian Zheng replied, clasping Feng Hao under his arm and smiling down at Feng Zhiwei: ¡°He really is my little brother-in-law, can the great gentleman bend the rules a little?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied icily. ¡°The academy bends no rules.¡± Feng Hao struggled in Helian Zheng¡¯s firm grasp as he tried to move forward to grab Wei Zhi¡¯s sleeve. The prince flicked the boy¡¯s forehead, saying: ¡°Quiet, little brother!¡± Immediately after, the crumbling sound of a crushed walnut filled the air. ¡°How about this ¡ª the Academy allows students to bring bodyguards right?¡± Helian Zheng bartered. ¡°He will be my bodyguard.¡± Feng Zhiwei thought for a moment. Feng Hao was without shame, and he eagerness to join the Academy beyond bounds. If she refused his request, she knew he would run around with the Hu Zhuo Prince¡¯s name on his lips, cheating and bullying his way through the city. Heavens only know what trouble he would get up to then; if he were under her command, she could watch over him, and Helian Zheng seemed like a man who would quickly reign in Feng Hao and train him into obedience. Finally, she flicked her hand in acceptance, turning and ignoring the gathered students. As Helian Zheng held the excited Feng Hao down by his shoulders, he watched Wei Zhi leave, deep in thought. That night, a Politics and History freshman was caught trying to climb the walls of the Vice Headmaster¡¯s residence Chapter 93 Translator: Aristophaneso It was said that on that night, Young Master Gu exploded. That night, the Vice Headmaster posted a list of new rules, a list of a total of 188 points mainly targeting freshman. That night, His Highness Prince Chu had been working all night in the Imperial Palace, tracking the guest list for Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s birthday celebration. He sat for a long while staring at a single page as if willing the ink to change shape. ¡°Prince of Hu Zhuo Helian Zheng and his fianc¨¦e Feng Zhiwei.¡± Let¡¯s explain the walk climbing incident. According to the freshman who had been caught on the wall, the weather had been so great and the stars so bright that his heart had stirred. The student claimed that a curfew at the night¡¯s second watch was inhumane, and even on normal days he could never fall asleep before the third watch. Unable to sleep, he went out exploring and saw a flower so beautiful he just had to smell it, not noticing that the flower was growing on the Vice President¡¯s residence wall. That was all. According to the owner of the wall, there were no flowers on that wall. According to Master Gu: Dark of night, raining, fourth watch, Qinggong1. In the pouring rain and a night dark enough to hide one¡¯s own fingers, someone had used Qinggong to climb the Vice Headmaster¡¯s flowerless yard wall. Which version was the truth? There was naturally no doubt. For the truth was that the man climbing the wall was only halfway over when he met the eyes of someone waiting for him. The veiled figure¡¯s eyes were bright like the polar stars, and after some unknown signal, the main hall window was pushed open. A head poked out, a faint smile on her lips as she called out: ¡°So you came.¡± Helian Zheng sat astride the wall, filled with disappointment. He had thought that even if he could not sneak into the house, if he made an uproar breaking in during the night, then the Vice Headmaster might rush out in a flustered moment, half-clothed and a feast for the eyes, but his target was even more clothed than he. So he sat on the wet wall and called back a reply: ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Is the view good from the top of the wall?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Have you admired it long enough?¡± Helian Zheng lifted his eyes and turned in every direction before replying: ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Feng Zhiwei said as she slid the window shut. ¡°Then you can stay there forever.¡± The Helian Prince shook his head, paying no mind to this person¡¯s words ¡ª this Vice Headmaster really was not cute at all, why would he speak so rudely? Who could keep him on this wall forever? A prince like him went wherever he wanted, and he could stay as long as he willed. He glanced down at the ground as he moved to demount the wall, but he could not bear the indignity of clambering down in front of Gu Nanyi so he readied his feet against the wall, preparing to fly handsomely downwards like a glorious falcon. But just as he was positioning his legs, Young Master Gu flicked his hand forward shooting out a glittering broken ray of silver lights. Helian Zheng immediately froze ¡ª The long and silvery nails pierced through Helian Zheng¡¯s pants around his crotch, nailing him neatly against the wall. Accurate and extraordinarily exquisite concealed weapon skills could not make Helian Zheng sweat. But even he feared the silver nails surrounding his most important part, nailing the fabric around his organ tightly against the wall, seemingly close enough to spark flame. If Young Master Gu¡¯s aim had had been the slightest bit off, the heroic male falcon would have ended up a female falcon. Helian Zheng¡¯s limbs froze and he dared not exert any force to continue his leap. As his body followed its inertia, his taut trousers were quickly ripped apart and reduced to stripped shreds. The prince could only cover his crotch and sit back against the wall, endeavoring to hide his privates behind the weeds and vines around him. But then the wall beneath him moved. For a moment, Helian Zheng thought he was imagining things, his fury cluttering his mind, but the tremors and shivers of the wall beneath him grew more and more intense and he could only watch as Young Master Gu wielded his jade sword to cut his section of the wall; the bodyguard slicing through the hard material like it was tofu before detaching his seat and carrying it away. The stone slabs were joined together by a fine rice paste mortar and was of such expert construction that the surgical abscission left both wall and seat perfectly intact. Young Master Gu marched away with the chunk of wall on his shoulder, the noble Helian Prince cupping his privates as he sat astride the seat. As the young master walked, he began to whistle. Semi-conscious students rushed out of their dorms and began lining up on either side of the road. As the whistling neared, the dreary eyed prisoners looked over, blinking and rubbing their eyes over and over. But no matter how they rubbed, the reality never changed. The gorgeous Young Master Gu was steadily walking forward with a chunk of wall on his shoulder, carrying Prince Helian and his shredded trousers through the early morning breeze. The Hu Zhuo Prince could pay the surprised crowd any mind, busy as he was grabbing every which way for his unruly fluttering strips of pants to cover his family jewels. He had no choice. He was seated so high that the crowd only needed to tilt their eyes upwards to see everything. As more and more students assembled, Helian Zheng spotted a skulking Feng Hao, hurriedly calling out to him: ¡°Little brother-in-law, toss me some pants¡­¡± But then this little brother who had hugged his thighs and cried out so pitifully for help the day before immediately turned and ran away. ¡°Pah!¡± Helian Zheng spat, ¡°You don¡¯t even deserve to carry your sister¡¯s sandals!¡± He could no longer go on like this. Helian Zheng looked all around him ¡ª was he being paraded around like a shamed trophy? How could a dignified prince like him bear the loss of face? So he grit his teeth, after all his nakedness meant nothing; they were all men here, what was he afraid of? So he readied himself again, throwing caution to the wind and moving to leap forward, preparing his best lightness techniques to escape this encirclement. But as he moved, he realized that the silver nails that had nailed his trousers to the wall had melted into a sticky liquid that stuck to his thighs and privates and the wall. Now Helian Zheng really did not dare move ¡ª if he jumped away and forever left his little bird behind, his mind would collapse. And so Helian Zheng obediently behaved, allowing Gu Nanyi to carry him through the main road and into the square, all the while high up in the air at the center of the crowd, admired by every gaze from the Politics Tower to the History College. ¡°No¡­¡± Helian Zheng muttered, his fading pride giving away to terror as he looked up at the tower in realization. And as he expected, Young Master Gu began calmly climbing the tower. When he reached the small platform on the roof, Young Master Gu put down the wall and found two stones to pin the wall in place. Finally, he used his sword to write a few characters on the stone beneath Helian Zheng¡¯s feet, and then without a backwards glance, returned below. Chapter 94 Translator: Aristophaneso Helian Zheng sat trembling on the wall, perched up atop the tower, shivering like a fragile black lotus swaying in the bitter cold wind. Beneath him, fierce words carved by sword line the stone for all to see. ¡°Wall climber, displayed in chains!¡± In truth, the prince did not remain on the wall for very long. This sensational news was quickly whispered into the ears of Headmaster Xin, and the man had to rush over from the editing palace to release the glorious Hu Zhuo Prince from his bonds. The nails and subsequent glue had done no harm and was already slowly losing its adhesiveness. In the end, only a few strands of hair were left as a permanent memento, after all Feng Zhiwei had still acted with restraint, and it was she who had sent a messenger to notify Xin Ziyan. Helian Zheng was filled with regret. If he had known the glue was so mild, he would have leapt away as soon as possible, but now his thighs had been put on display for every single person in the academy. He was not so much embarrassed that everyone had seen his legs, but why had the person he wanted to look not come to admire him? The Helian Prince could only gripe to himself. The blows continued as the sun set and rose once more. The next day, the Vice Headmaster posted a hundred thousand character long booklet of new student rules with a total of 188 points, with each term carefully explained. The new rules included things like: ¡°No climbing walls. No sight-seeing on walls. No leaving any bodily hair or skin on Academy property. Offenders will be fined a thousand Tael.¡± And so because of the strands of body hair Helian Zheng had left permanently attached to the wall, he had to pay a thousand Tael. But even so, the Helian Prince held no grudges. To this man of the steppes, even such a loud and startling event was swept away like wind through the gorges of a mountain range, whistling by and out of sight in the blink of an eye. Now that climbing walls was forbidden, Helian Zheng obediently arrived at the gates to the Vice Headmaster¡¯s residence, carrying the new tome of rules and carefully checking his actions against the points listed within. Feng Zhiwei answered the door with great tranquility as if the events of the previous night had never occurred. When she heard Helian Zheng¡¯s request, Feng Zhiwei knotted her brows. ¡°Prince,¡± She smiled faintly as she replied. ¡°Vice Headmaster Wei needs to attend Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s birthday celebration.¡± Naturally, Feng Zhiwei could not attend. ¡°Vice Headmaster Wei is overworked editing the book and managing the Academy and has fallen sick.¡± Prince Helian announced, squeezing by Feng Zhiwei and plopping himself down on her bed before she could turn. Comfortably making himself at home, he took of his shoes and propped up his feet on a pile of rare, ancient books Feng Zhiwei had been arranging for her trip to the Imperial Palace the following morning. Fury filled Feng Zhiwei, but she did not speak, quickly sweeping outside to breathe the fresh air. Even the undefeated under heaven had been defeated by the indescribably pungent smell of those feet, with Young Master Gu flashing up to the roof, clearly hoping the strong wind would blow away the rancid odor. Helian Zheng lay down prone on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s bed, burying his face in the soft, still warm quilt and rubbing his face into the fabric, drunk on the subtle fragrance. His woman always changed her face and never wore rouge or powder when she played a man, so where had this fragrance come from? Women of the steppes were healthy and strong, but when it came to charm and elegance they really could not compare to the women of the Central Plains¡­ Lost in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s fragrance, the prince had completely forgotten his previous contempt for the Central Plains. When Feng Zhiwei finally cleared her nostrils of the smell, she returned to the room and saw Helian Zheng hugging and rubbing her quilt, her beautiful, soft brocade already rubbed to ruin. Anger bubbled forth and she finally spoke, her voice filled with ice: ¡°Prince, Vice Headmaster Wei is not sick and does not need you to make an excuse for him. If you do not want to violate the 189th rule and be paraded again, I advise you to quickly leave.¡± ¡°He is sick.¡± Helian Zheng replied with complete certainty, looking up at her: ¡°Vice Headmaster Wei¡¯s partner has just arrived at the Compendium Committee to request a leave of absence, and the Compendium Committee will request a leave of absence for the Qiu Ge Grand Scholar tomorrow.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused in silence, and after a long while finally swallow her anger and smiled faintly. ¡°Even if I am ¡®sick¡¯, Feng Zhiwei will be sick as well.¡± ¡°Feng Zhiwei must go.¡± Helian Zheng replied as if completely unaware of the volcano he was stirring, shaking out the dust in his boots. Happily continuing, he said: ¡°I¡¯ve just confirmed with the Ministry of Rites that I will bring my fianc¨¦e with me to the celebration. The lists have probably already been reported to the Cabinet and will have been examined and verified.¡± Feng Zhiwei stood silently, waiting in the shadows as she pondered the man before her, wondering how she should dispose of him. ¡°That look really turns me on.¡± Helian Zheng announced, sitting up and rubbing his chin as he met Feng Zhiwei¡¯s gaze, his eyes filled with interest. ¡°You¡¯re like some incredibly cunning Red Eagle from Mount Whitehead in the Hulun Steppes, hiding in the dark and deep forests where they perch before shooting downward to catch their prey. Cruel, fierce, intelligent, and so incredibly exciting ¡ª ai, come, look at me again.¡± How could such a thick-faced shameless, crusty barnacle of a man exist in this world! Feng Zhiwei suddenly realized the Prince Chu was after all a very kind man, and truly little Young Master Gu was warm and gentle, and basically every man under the heavens were quite adorable ¡ª her standards had only been too high. ¡°Listen to me, Vice Headmaster Wei really should not go.¡± Helian Zheng began abruptly, his playfulness falling away. ¡°Your position now is coveted by many, and all sorts of dangers surround you. The people who attend an Imperial Feast like this all have complex backgrounds, and even the slightest mistake will ensnare you in someone¡¯s trap. You must understand, if there¡¯s a good thing that everyone wants, if they cannot get it, they will destroy it.¡± The Prince¡¯s Chinese was rudimentary compared to that of a well-read scholar and his words were all over the place, but his meaning was clear. As Feng Zhiwei listened, she realized with some shock that she had misjudged this Helian Zheng. When they had first met, he had broken her carriage¡¯s window, and so she had thought him reckless; the next time, he brought a corpse into the Imperial Palace and cut open a corpse right on the steps of the Jade Stairs, and so she had known him to be ruthless and decisive. On their third encounter, he had come to the Qiu Mansion for a marriage alliance, with his guard San Sun fighting desperately for his honor, and the prince eventually admitting defeat for San Sun in return. He had called her Little Aunt without hesitation and had swallowed down a bag of salt without complaint. He led well and nurtured loyalty and possessed all the qualities of a Great General. When he chased her to Qing Ming Academy, he held no grudges when he was shamed, and so she knew he was a generous man of the steppes. In short, he was a magnanimous steppe brave, a strange but great man who knew when to yield and when to make a stand. She had never thought he would understand the devilish intricacies of the Central Plain¡¯s Imperial Court, and she had not thought he would understand the vicious hearts of her people and their schemes and calculations. Chapter 95 Helian Zheng smiled at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s surprised eyes, bitterness crossing his face for the first time. He explained again in a quiet voice, ¡°The steppes also have struggles for power¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei listened silently, understanding that political struggles were the same everywhere. Both of them stayed silent and the room fell quiet. Summer wind blew in through the ajar window, tossing Helian Zheng¡¯s dark hair over his prone back; framed by his hair, the color of his purple eyes gleamed even brighter, the amber mingling with the deep purple, outshining the moon. His robe fell loosely against his strong, light honey chest, lazily curling up on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s small bed like a big, gentle cat hiding away its claws. His wild, almost palpable manliness blurred the silence. Feng Zhiwei finally had to avert her eyes, and she listens as Helian Zheng spoke again, half pleading: ¡°Come with me¡­ the list cannot be changed, and you don¡¯t want the Feng Family¡¯s Young Miss to be noticed by the Imperial Court again, do you?¡± So you¡¯re clever! Feng Zhiwei cast a resentful glare at the man claiming her bed. Though his face had hints of pleading, his expression was complacent, and the situation filled Feng Zhiwei with despondence. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes swept over the prince; her gaze filled with mistiness, a small subconscious pout on her lips; her entire demeanor completely transformed from her usual calm and tranquil poise, and a sweet, alluring seemed to fall over her. Helian Zheng¡¯s heart stirred and his eyes perked up, and the prince was completely unable to restrain himself, hurriedly leaping upwards and rushing to grab Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hands, saying: ¡°Little Aunt, there is a Combining Bed Curtain ceremony that we perform in the steppes before marriages, how about we try it out¡­¡± ¡°Pa!¡± ¡°Peng!¡± Young Master Gu tossed the unruly prince out onto the street. Helian Zheng¡¯s boots soon followed, smacking him on the head before tumbling into the outer yard pond. Three days later, the fish all floated belly up, having died miserable deaths¡­ Two days later, Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s birthday celebration began. As the familial sister to the Empress, Noble Imperial Consort Chang assumed control of the Imperial Harem after the Empress¡¯s death and was currently the most powerful woman in the palace. Even though her flourishing youth had passed, she had lost none of her Imperial Favor. The Emperor treated this now lifelong companion of his with suitable respect, and so the feat on her fiftieth birthday would be conducted with solemnity and grandiosity. The feast was planned for dinner, but everyone gathered at the Imperial Palace early in the morning to congratulate Noble Imperial Consort Chang. The Imperial Consorts and Concubines celebrated in the morning, and after a birthday noodle lunch for all the women at the Long Qing Palace, the inner and outer Titled Madams came with the other guests to celebrate in the afternoon. Male and female guests only dined together in the evening feast and were separated for the rest of the day. When Feng Zhiwei learned of the packed schedule, she realized she had been foolishly tricked aboard a pirate ship. Feng Zhiwei woke early to wash and prepare her makeup. Helian Zheng had sent servants with jewelry and a fine silk dress in the incredibly rare and valued Jiang Huai[1] style, the fabric a light, watery blue with hems and cuffs of pure snow white, like an ocean surf¡¯s clear white spray marking the lines of a vast beautiful ocean sweeping in from the horizon to meet the beach. The dress was beautifully cut in a simple elegance, with exquisite detail in all its embroidery, truly exemplifying the mastery of Dijing¡¯s top embroiderer, the Luxuriant Pavilion. Her jewelry was a set of rare, valuable natural sea pearls, and even the concealed button at the neckline was made out of the extremely rare Southern Sea pearl. The whole ensemble was like that of a sea fairy or nymph, every part combining in a gentle, beautiful harmony. A young woman naturally enjoys beautiful clothing, and even Feng Zhiwei¡¯s stressed face relaxed as she examined her gift. As she touched the soft fabric, she was surprised again by the depths of a wild man like Helian Zheng. Movement stirred behind her, and when she turned, Feng Zhiwei saw her mother leaning against the doorframe, watching her with complicated eyes. Feng Zhiwei paused. The mother and daughter had not met since the Hu Zhuo Prince had come seeking a concubine, and both women were clearly uncomfortable with the situation. After a moment, Feng Zhiwei finally cleared her throat and asked: ¡°May I help you?¡± Madam Feng examined her daughter. The brilliant morning sun shone down on the light blue dress and shimmered over the beautiful fabric. The glowing pearls and the exquisite dress propelled Feng Zhiwei¡¯s beauty into an otherworldly level; her face seemed to soak in the rays of sun, gracing her with a calm and noble glow ¡ª her extraordinary beauty, daily concealed by her ugly, raw clothes and masking makeup, was finally on full display. Madam Feng¡¯s heart twinged¡­ her Zhiwei should have always been this beautiful. ¡°I came to tell you..¡± Madam Feng began, but as Feng Zhiwei turned away it was as if her heart had been stung and she quickly changed her words. ¡°Your little brother, he was admitted to Qing Ming Academy.¡± But not he had gone not as a student, but as a servant¡­ Feng Zhiwei hid a cold, ironic smirk and calmly nodded her acknowledgement. ¡°Zhiwei,¡± Madam Feng looked into her daughter¡¯s face, her words hesitant. ¡°That day, I did not want to send him to Mount Shou Nan Academy because¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei turned to meet her mother¡¯s gaze and waited. This woman was still the mother who had raised her for over a decade; Feng Zhiwei would always give her the chance to explain herself. But as Madam Feng opened and closer her mouth, a flash of barely noticeable pain crossed her eyes, and finally she closed her mouth in silence. Feng Zhiwei could only quirk her mouth in a self-mocking smile. She could not express her disappointment, after all she had been disappointed too many times already. ¡°I understand, is there anything else you wish to tell me?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied even more politely than before. Madam Feng bit her lips, hesitating as she said: ¡°Nothing much, but since you are heading to the Imperial Palace, if you see Princess Shao Ning¡¯s wet-nurse Chen, please ask after her health for me. It¡¯s been many years, and I miss her a lot.¡± Feng Zhiwei frowned, having no desire to meet with Shao Ning. ¡°With my status,¡± Feng Zhiwei replied courteously. ¡°It is not easy for me to speak privately with the princess, but if I get the chance I will ask after her for you. Is this wet-nurse Chen an old friend of yours?¡± ¡°No¡­ yes.¡± Madam Feng replied, carelessly blurting out ¡®no¡¯ as if in a trance. She hurriedly changed her words and panicked under Feng Zhiwei¡¯s gaze, finally saying: ¡°I need to finish with Hao-er¡¯s clothes, I must go.¡± Feng Zhiwei could only watch as her mother hurried away. In this short half year, her mother had already aged so much, her back already slightly stooped as if weighed down by countless secrets and worries. Feng Zhiwei sighed, doing her best to put it out of her mind. ¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡± A familiar voice called out smilingly from behind her. Feng Zhiwei turned once more. Helian Zheng stood framed by the sun shining through the door, dressed not in his steppe¡¯s royal garb but rather the traditional Tian Sheng nobility¡¯s robes. His clothes were the same light blue of her beautiful dress, and a dark-green jade crown tied back his hair. He was clean and handsome, and he carried with him a natural majesty like that of a great, precious gem. [1] ½­»´,Jiang, Yangtse River; Huai, Huai He Rive Chapter 96 When Feng Zhiwei turned around, Helian Zheng froze, amazement filling his eyes. A smile crossed his lips as he spoke: ¡°Incredible, I never thought you would dress up so well.¡± Feng Zhiwei touched her yellow face and drooping eyebrows ¡ª was he blind? Did he not see his Little Aunt¡¯s ¡°otherworldly¡± face? But Helian Zheng seemed oblivious to all of this, smiling happily as he looked Feng Zhiwei over. He did not think any part of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face was ugly. A yellow face? That was the color of smooth gold! Drooping brows? A sign of longevity! No matter what anyone else said, he felt that this yellow-faced Little Aunt had a true charm to her. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Helian Zheng said, reaching for her hand. But Feng Zhiwei stepped aside, dodging away. ¡°Hu Zhuo Prince, there is one thing I must say first.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly announced. ¡°For this celebration you acted first and then asked after, and for both your sake and mine I will attend this feast like this, but I will speak the blunt truth first. This does not mean I agree to marry you, and I will not allow this a second time.¡± Helian Zheng cocked his head at her and smiled, replying: ¡°I understand, I understand, you Central Plain¡¯s women most highly value your reputation. That was why I wrote fianc¨¦e on the lists ¡ª if I hadn¡¯t taken you into consideration, I would have directly written concubine. ¡°I don¡¯t like lamb, and I¡¯m not interested in serving ten madams.¡± Feng Zhiwei spoke again, smiling faintly. ¡°Rather than one of many steppe king¡¯s concubines, I¡¯d rather be the head wife of a common family in Dijing.¡± ¡°You might be able to conquer me once more and make me willingly break our steppe royal tradition, and then you will be my only wife.¡± Helian Zheng replied, arms crossed as he hugged his legs to his chest His glittering eyes staring into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s. ¡°Beautiful, pay me more attention. ¡°For a great king, I could.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, sweeping past the prince. ¡°Come back when you have enough achievements.¡± Helian Zheng remained still, watching the slim, decisive woman¡¯s back as she strode past him, his diamond eyes deepening with growing interest ¡ª her words were arrogant beyond belief, but coming from her, they seemed to demand a solemn respect. Contained in that slim body of hers was a greatness and unyielding strength that outstripped all the commons, like a glowing flame in a field of darkness. Feng Zhiwei stepped into Helian Zheng¡¯s prepared carriage followed by two young, clever servant girls. She had learned her lesson and did not dare bring Gu Yiyi with her today, so she had had to shell several bags of walnuts to comfort her Yiyi. Young Master Gu ate walnuts everyday, ordering his snacking in groups. He would only ever eat eight walnuts in one round, just like how he ate meat. Eight first, then eight later, and no matter how many walnuts he ate, it was always in multiples of eight. In order to curry favor with her Yiyi, she even separated the cracked walnuts into bags of eight that he could hang from his waistband. When the students of Qing Ming Academy heard the light clunking of the walnuts, they that the veiled monster Master Gu was near. The coach took an hour to reach the gates of the Imperial Palace where Feng Zhiwei and Helian Zheng were separated, an Imperial Harem Maid bringing the former to the Inner Palace while an Imperial Guard led Helian Zheng to the outer palace. Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, Helian Zheng was already jumping down from his horse and rushing over to the door, extending his hand. Officers and servants all stopped what they were doing to watch, everyone of them curious as to which family¡¯s Young Miss had managed to tame the arrogant and unbridled Hu Zhuo Prince. As the curtain was pulled back, a delicate, snow white, jade hand reached out, almost translucent in the sun. Only a large, dark-green pearl decorated the slim and long fingers, setting off her elegant, glowing hand. ¡°Gorgeous!¡± A bachelor from the Han Lin Academy shook his head in amazement, sighing to himself. A light blue sleeve followed the jade hand, the rare, pale blue like a fresh, summer breeze over a calm sea, the pretty white surf meeting the fine beach sand like a promise. Nothing extra adorned the simple, elegant combination of white embroidered hem and soft fabric. ¡°Incredible! Marvelous!¡± A scholar from the Chun Shen Palace shook his head in amazement, sighing to himself. By this point, every gaze had turned to watch and a pregnant silence had fallen over the palace gates. Horses drove in from the road and stopped by the gates, but no one paid them any mind. Helian Zheng¡¯s eyes shone brilliantly, a smile quirking his lips as he reached out to take the beautiful hand. As the hands touched, an unconscious sigh susurrated through the crowd. The woman inside the carriage finally extended a foot outwards, her thighs slim and exquisite, the beautiful curves of her hips and waist and bust accentuated by the perfect interchange of taut and relaxed fabric, the stunning beauty of her body completely satisfying the expectations set by her jade hand. ¡°Gorgeous!¡± The Vice Prime Minister stopped beside the Han Lin Academy Bachelor and the Chun Shen Palace Scholar, all of them shaking their heads and sighing. The murmurs of breathy sighs passed through the crowd once more, and even Helian Zheng felt greatly flattered. The beauty finally stepped down, elegantly leaning slightly into Helian Zheng¡¯s proffered hands, her steps quiet and able, filled with an athletic and dignified charm. But then the beauty lifted her head. ¡°Ah..oh¡­.¡± The first cry of surprise was quickly subdued as the courteous guests realized their rudeness, smothering their outbursts. ¡°How pitiful! Her face!¡± The three old men shook their heads in dismay, flicking their sleeves and sweeping away. None of the onlookers knew what to think. How could someone with such beautiful bearing have such a pinched tallow face and drooping brows? Was this not the archetypal face of the daughter of a ruined family? Dismay, disappointment, sadness. What a waste, truly a waste. But Helian Zheng paid no attention to the change in the onlookers, still supporting the beauty beside him as if she were a precious treasure, offering her his arm and scoring him to the Imperial Palace palanquin. Feng Zhiwei had noticed the reactions of the people around her from the very beginning, and she could only smile faintly in response ¡ª the world was filled with the slow-witted who could not decipher beauty from ugliness. How many people were like Helian Zheng, unattached to the superficial? But as she walked a few steps forward, she suddenly felt a sting in her back. She turned. Ning Yi stood not too far away in his Imperial Robe and golden crown garb, his hands clasped behind his back, calmly looking watching the guests arrive. His eyes did not fall on her, but were instead locked onto Helian Zheng¡¯s hand. At that moment, Feng Zhiwei felt as if his gaze was sharper than a knife¡¯s edge. But when her eyes flicked back for a second glance, Ning Yi had already turned away and was staring into the emptiness, so Feng Zhiwei could only smile and turn back. After she mounted the palanquin she was taken to a side palace where she was educated in the formal mannerisms of the celebration. With that finished, she joined a group paying a formal visit to Noble Imperial Consort Chang. The aged consort was still filled with elegance and poise, her features majestic, looking at least a decade younger than her age. The only flaw was the exhaustion that peeked out from the heavy makeup on her face ¡ª one could only imagine how difficult and tiring it must be to maintain her position this past ten years. ¡°This must be the Feng Young Madam?¡± Noble Imperial Consort Chang spoke, spotting Feng Zhiwei through the crowd gathered in front of her, gesturing for the young girl to near. Feng Zhiwei could only lower her head for a moment and sigh self piteously. When she lifted her head, a natural, warm smile filled her face, and she unhurriedly climbed the lotus steps, following the new etiquette to the letter as she suddenly was once again the center of attention. Chapter 97 Noble Imperial Consort Chang smiled down at Feng Zhiwei, admiring her demeanor and bearing as she neared. When her face came into view though, the Imperial Consort stiffened for a moment; luckily, her long-cultivated restraint quickly snapped her out of her daze and allowed her to smoothly take Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand as he expressed a few words of thoughtful concern for her and the Hu Zhuo Prince. The brief exchange over, the Imperial Consort released Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand and turned back to arranging the birthday longevity noodles in the side palace, calling for a few of the aged, titled women to join her in the Inner Palace to chat. With Feng Zhiwei¡¯s piddling status, she was naturally ignored and consigned to a boring stay at the side palace. She watched as Princess Shao Ning swept through in her full regalia, immediately greeted by one of Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s smiling servants. The two spoke familiarly, after all, as the daughter of the Empress, Shao Ning was Imperial Noble Consort Chang¡¯s niece. Feng Zhiwei sat and ate her noodles, pondering the two little monkeys she had briefly spotted in the Imperial Consort¡¯s brush pot. Clearly, the two little pen monkeys were the gifts from the Fifth Prince, but she could not tell if it the monkeys originally brilliant golden fur had dimmed because of the palace¡¯s lights or some other reason. As she thought, the others around her were examining her; they examined her gorgeous and elegant dress, examined her priceless jewelry, and then after looking over all of these things, they finally examined her face, their gazes heavy with mockery and sarcasm. Feng Zhiwei ignored them all ¡ª eyes could not kill, only strength could. ¡°Young Madam Feng?¡± A voice asked, sitting beside Feng Zhiwei, finally unable to restrain herself. ¡°I do not think we have met.¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced at the gorgeously dressed woman. Was she some First Rank Duke¡¯s daughter? She did not remember. Feng Zhiwei smiled faintly and nodded, her chopsticks never stopping as she continued eating her noodles. As Feng Zhiwei continued munching along, not engaging in the conversation, the young daughter of some lord grew embarrassed and snorted with displeasure. A woman in the daughter¡¯s entourage immediately piped up: ¡°Of course we have not met, Young Lady Feng lives in the Qiu Mansion, she probably has little opportunity to visit the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± A few other voices joined in, laughing quietly. ¡°With the famous Qiu Family Auntie, even if Young Lady Feng wanted to visit the Palace it would be quite difficult.¡± Feng Zhiwei finally turned from her noodles to face the final speaker, the mocking voice¡¯s owner freezing as the two met eyes. Feng Zhiwei shifted her bowl of noodles and the moment passed, and Young Lady Feng calmly replied: ¡°Older Sister, please smile more softly, the powder on your face has fallen into my bowl.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The woman gaped, dumbfounded, her pretty face turning blue. ¡°Will these young misses please conduct yourselves with dignity!¡± A sturdy, feminine voice called over. As everyone turned, they noticed that a middle-aged servant woman was suddenly standing by the side palace gate. The sky-cyan robed maid turned her elegant and calm gaze towards these trouble-making noble daughters and spoke again in her heavy voice: ¡°The Imperial Palace is not a place to gossip. Behave yourselves.¡± As the side palace fell silent, the servant woman stepped forward and turned to Feng Zhiwei for a moment, a small smile flashing over her eyes before she once again faced the dozens gathered around her. She spoke calmly: ¡°The Qiu Family Married Aunt is our Tian Sheng Dynasty¡¯s greatest heroine. Before our Tian Sheng Dynasty was firmly founded, Yin Zhiliang ¡ª one of His Majesty¡¯s finest generals ¡ª turned traitor at the Battle of Tian Shui Pass, dealing the Tian Sheng Army a heavy blow. At the following Battle of Huye Hill, our army lost tens of thousands of soldiers and our Great General Qiu Zhan was killed. Routed, our main force retreated tens of miles in great disorder, and Traitor Yin Zhiliang hoped to divide the land, claiming the territory beyond Tian Shui Pass for himself. All of our generals had lost their courage after these defeats and even His Majesty had planned to yield, but the Qiu Family Daughter refused to retreat. ¡°Taking her dead father¡¯s armor, she took to the field and lead the army into battle, routing the rebel army in the first engagement and then using three more battles to send the entire Yin Army fleeing hundreds of miles. After these achievements, she became the first female Marshal and founded the Fire Phoenix Army, continuing forward with a hundred thousand soldiers to pry Yin Zhiliang out of the Central Plains, forcing him back to the Xi Liang Region, a wasteland so remote that he could never hope to rise again to challenge Tian Sheng. ¡°Such a heroine is the pride and glory of our dynasty, her contributions to our nation and peace soaring to the skies, and you envious, useless noble daughters living recklessly on the backs of your fathers dare speak of what you do not understand?¡± The servant¡¯s clear, powerful words dominated the palace hall, and Feng Zhiwei listened with glistening eyes ¡ª she had always known that her mother¡¯s history was extraordinary, but she had never heard the true details, but now she knew. This servant must know what happened that year and why her mother was the way she was now. It was clear from her tone, demeanor and the chastened obedience of the arrogant noble daughters that this woman was no ordinary servant. Feng Zhiwei guessed that this servant woman was the one whom her mother had told her to ask after; if she remembered correctly, this servant was Princess Shao Ning¡¯s wet-nurse and had raised her; with the Princess¡¯s current high position in the Imperial Palace, this servant woman¡¯s status was naturally respected as well. ¡°Many thanks to the revered lady.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, standing respectfully and tidying her clothes. But a moment after Feng Zhiwei was upright, the mockery-instigating young lady suddenly fell to the side, knocking over Feng Zhiwei¡¯s bowl and spilling the soup all over her dress. Before Feng Zhiwei could even speak, the fallen young lady yelped and jumped to her feet, staring wide eyed and loose jawed at the mess ¡ª what had happened? Why had a wave of weakness suddenly swept over her, forcing her uncontrollably downwards? Wet-nurse Chen had already made an appearance and the noble daughter had just been thinking of a way to apologize to the Feng Family girl and curry favor with wet-nurse Chen, but now this had happened? While the young lady froze in pale horror, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face was filled with dismay as she gathered up her stained dress, half crying as she spoke: ¡°Elder sister, when has this little sister offended you? This, how am I supposed to¡­ how¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei trembled with anger, unable to even speak. All the ladies were now watching the three young bullies with great disapproval, with servants already rushing to the main palace to report the mess. The young lady who had ¡¯caused the disaster¡¯ was still frozen, staring dumbly at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s wronged, almost crying face; and finally, the young miss burst into tears. As soon as the noble daughter cried out, Feng Zhiwei straightened and scolded her: ¡°Do you not know where you are and what day this is? On Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s birthday you dare to come and cry in the palace?¡± ¡°Attendants, send these young ladies back to their mansions where they can cry all they want!¡± Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s Head Servant called out angrily as she swept into the hall, wasting no time as she ordered her followers to send the young ladies out of the palace. Feng Zhiwei had not moved from her spot, a sad sighing smile on her face as she looked down at her dress. Wet-nurse Chen examined Feng Zhiwei, an approving smile on her face as she casually suggested: ¡°Young Lady Feng, I still have some dresses from my youth, they will surely fit you, if you do not mind, come with me and change your clothes for the banquet tonight.¡± Feng Zhiwei had been waiting for these words and immediately agreed, gratefully accepting and following Wet-nurse Chen out of the hall. As they walked, Wet-nurse Chen always faced forward, her spine straight. As Feng Zhiwei examined the woman, she wondered if the servant had a military background ¡ª her entire demeanor was filled with able and efficient energy. Chapter 98 The pair remained silent until they entered a room in one of the Yu Ming Palace¡¯s side courtyard. Finally alone, Feng Zhiwei saluted, saying: ¡°Mother has asked Zhiwei to greet honored wet-nurse. Many thanks for defending my mother¡¯s name.¡± ¡°We finally meet.¡± Wet-nurse Chen replied, grasping Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand and checking her over, her indifferent facade falling away. After looking her over from head to toe and even examining her drawn eyebrows, the wet-nurse finally nodded and spoke again: ¡°How are you and your mother doing?¡± Feng Zhiwei wondered at this wet-nurse friend of her mother ¡ª why did the woman seem to care more about her than her friend? Feng Zhiwei answered all of wet-nurse Chen¡¯s many questions about her mother¡¯s health and situation, and told her everything she wanted to know about how she and Feng Hao were getting on. When Feng Zhiwei finished answering all the detailed questions, Wet-nurse Chen patted her hand and said: ¡°When you go back, tell your mom that these years have really troubled her, tell her not to worry about too many things, just accept the will of heaven.¡± The wet-nurse finally stared into her eyes, an almost sobbing, deep sense of loss cracking her voice: ¡°You are good.¡± Feng Zhiwei could not decipher these final strange sentences, so she smiled and nodded, kindly refusing Wet-nurse Chen¡¯s offer to escort her back to Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s palace. Feng Zhiwei excused herself, explaining that sitting in the side palace had gotten boring so she wanted to visit the Imperial Garden before returning on her own, and since Wet-nurse Chen did not insist, she departed. Feng Zhiwei sat for a while in the Imperial Garden. The Tian Sheng Imperial Harem Garden was extremely large, and Feng Zhiwei ambled her way deeper into the grounds, strolling past several artificial mountains. Suddenly, she spotted a strange well. Nearing the well, she let her fingers glide over the bluestone ring, trailing the age marks streaking the material. She remained like that for a moment, surreptitiously examining her surroundings for people; she was far out and away from the beaten paths, and when she was sure no one would stumble upon her, she grabbed the well¡¯s edge and began climbing downwards. After she had climbed down a length about equal to a man¡¯s height, she pressed forward with the tip of her foot and smoothly inserted it into a dent in the stone. As she lightly exerted some force in a forward push, the stone moved aside, revealing a door. Feng Zhiwei paused, carefully smelling the faint rot eking out of the door, but she discovered nothing amiss. Every dynasty built tunnels from the Imperial Palace, and it was not unusual for a long period of peace to result in such tunnels falling out of use. As these tunnels were forgotten, they would become just another part of the landscape, and perhaps this well was the entrance to just such a tunnel? Feng Zhiwei was curious, but she was not going to recklessly investigate, after all she had absolutely no idea where the thing would lead. What if it led to Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s residential palace? Or right into the old Emperor¡¯s throne? She still wanted to live! But as she hung there, examining the door, the sky overhead rapidly darkened and began to pour with rain. Feng Zhiwei sighed at her poor luck. As she peered out of the well, she realized that the closest pavilion was a hundred or so meters away and it would be impossible to reach the shelter without ruining her new dress. She could only turn back and hide away in the comparatively clean tunnel to wait out the rain. She slowly entered the long, narrow tunnel. The smell of dirt filled her nose, and Feng Zhiwei thought that even before the tunnel had fallen out of use, it was not nearly grand enough for any important purpose. To Feng Zhiwei¡¯s surprise, after walking for a while, the tunnel began to gradually brighten ¡ª was the other end of the tunnel not sealed? Were the original diggers not afraid that someone would stumble upon the entrance? Feng Zhiwei listened carefully, hearing only rain. At least she was not walking to the rear palaces or main court. Feng Zhiwei stepped forward once more and light flashed before her eyes as a beautiful woman in peculiar makeup suddenly emerged before her. The woman¡¯s sleeves floated in the air as she leaned slightly forward, her eyes and brows set in an elegant and peaceful expression, her silk slash dancing in the air as if she were some fairy from a heavenly court. Feng Zhiwei stopped, stunned, her mind racing. Half of her turned to flee before her mind caught up to her feet and she turned back to the woman to investigate. The smiling eyes and graceful figure were frozen in place, and the figure¡¯s skin translucent in the tunnel¡¯s light. As Feng Zhiwei stepped forward once more, she realized that the woman was a crystal statue embedded in the wall. The craftsmanship was beyond masterful, and every strand of hair and fabric was real beyond belief. With the sudden brightness of this part of the tunnel, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s senses had been easily confused. Yet how truly peculiar for a priceless statue such as this to be placed at one end of a random, unused tunnel. Feng Zhiwei stepped forward again. Behind the beautiful statue was a huge chunk of crystal blocking the way into a palace courtyard. Luxurious and beautifully spaced flowers and trees sat counterpoint to a manmade river and arching bridge. Just barely in view was an overhanging eave with a blackened gold bell hanging from it, completing the scene of beauty in decay and disrepair. The tunnel was silent, closed off from the pitter patter of the outside rain as the dense downpour streaked thick lines down the crystal. Feng Zhiwei could make out the yellowing, white stone bridge in the distance and the fragmented lotus leaves scattered below it. As she hid in the tunnel, staring out past the crystal wall into the scene of desolation, Feng Zhiwei felt as if she were standing before a legendary Memory Mirror, looking into a sealed reflection of an ancient past, where even stories had yellowed, with every beauty aged, and the accompanying lute¡¯s music a whimpering whisper, the last music of a passing dream. As Feng Zhiwei stood and watched, sadness filled her heart. A shadow stirred as a figure walked into the deathly still courtyard. Without rain coat or umbrella, the man stepped forward like a ghost, climbing the arching bridge. He stopped at the peak of the bridge¡¯s curve, languishing in the rain, his moon-white robes already soaked, the water flowing down his violet, gold crown and into his hair and down the angles of his face. His brows were dark as night against his slightly pale face, and his brooding eyes were filled with cold darkness and astonishing beauty. Past the crystal, the rain fell soundlessly around the main, the rustling wind failing to stir his wet sleeves, the cold water dripping from his robes and pattering down in broken flowers against the yellowed bridge. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand reached out as if to pull the man in from the rain, but all she could touch was cold crystal wall. Before her, the man on the bridge slowly knelt. Kneeling in the cold rain, he turned to look into the palace room, his lips moving clearly as he spoke quietly. Feng Zhiwei could only stare intently into the man¡¯s face, forming her lips with his as an icy chill crept over her. ¡°Mother Concubine¡± The rain poured as a man knelt in on a cold bridge. An impromptu dusk had fallen over the land, and the chill wind blew through the desolate, abandoned palace. The boy had come to call out for the one who loved him most, even though he knew she could never answer him. A wall and a courtyard away, the countless Imperial Palace rooms and yards were decorated with beautiful flowers and plants, filled with brightly dressed partygoers. Yet though the happiness and celebration was only a few steps away, he could not reach it even if her walked to the ends of the earth. Feng Zhiwei stared at the kneeling man¡¯s face, all the different expressions she¡¯d seen racing through her mind. She¡¯d seen him cold, calm, serious, deadly, a thousand expressions on the face of just one man, but she had never seen him so lonely and sad. Feng Zhiwei quietly stepped away from the crystal wall. Chapter 99 She knew that people like him only ever showed their brilliance, always hiding their sadness from view. When she had stood in front of the crystal she could see no way forward, but as she stepped back, she retreated into the crystal beauty¡¯s embrace. She must have touched something for the crystal beauty¡¯s arm suddenly began to move and the crystal wall silently slid open. When Feng Zhiwei turned back to examine the crystal statue, the beauty¡¯s posture had changed, with her arms hugging herself and her beautiful head tilted slightly upwards, adding a degree of seduction. Feng Zhiwei paused for a moment in surprise, unable to ward off the feeling that the new posture was ever so slightly creepy and dirty. Even though the crystal beauty was only a statue its mien was still one of elegance and nobility, and this new stance seemed to sully that aura. With the crystal wall no longer barring her way, Feng Zhiwei found herself standing inside an artificial mountain, the crystal wall¡¯s outer layer painted a light green shade of moss. The peculiar paint only allowed light through one way and had completely hid her from view, so it was no wonder that Feng Zhiwei had not noticed her. Now that the crystal wall had slid open, Ning Yi finally reacted and turned. He looked back through the curtains of rain, staring down at her from the bridge¡¯s peak. The rain fell like lines of silk, and there she stood at the bottom of the bridge, staring up at him. Their gaze interwove with the falling rain, forming a fine, careful tapestry of emotion. If their gazes were like silk threads, then at this moment it had also become threads of rain, shapeless, colorless, cool, and lasting, unable to be cut or pulled apart, linked together like the heavens and the earth. After a long moment, Ning Yi began slowly moving down towards her, stepping methodically down the bridge, grasping the railing. Rain streamed down his cheeks, lending his hair an even darker black, thickening his imposing brows, and deepening the brooding emotion in his eyes. His lips were so pale that in the wetness of the downpour they seemed to lose all their warmth. The capital teemed and prospered, but here he was alone and helpless. Ning Yi reached Feng Zhiwei and his mouth moved to form a question when he spotted the crystal wall behind her. His expression instantly transformed as he dashed forward, moving around Feng Zhiwei and entering the tunnel. Feng Zhiwei was somewhat disturbed by Ning Yi¡¯s ghastly pale face and his reaction to the crystal wall, and when she turned she saw Ning Yi staring dumbfounded at the crystal beauty, biting his lips and squeezing all the blood out of them. He stared at the statue with pain and yearning and happiness and remembrance, all of his emotions merging into an indescribably complex gaze, and as Feng Zhiwei turned from the man before her and the beauty on the wall, she finally understood. Ning Yi stared for a long while before finally stepping forward with extreme caution, his hand trembling as he reached forward as if to touch the statue¡¯s face. He extended his fingers carefully, as if afraid that even the slightest bit of strength might shatter the moment like a dream. But with this step, Ning Yi¡¯s eyes took in more of the statue and he finally noticed the crystal beauty¡¯s peculiar posture. Ning Yi paused again and took a closer look. Sudden anger flooded from his eyes like the raging sea before a coming storm, the surging waves rearing and roaring, smashing down against the shore as if trying to flood the heavens with their raging. ¡°Cha!¡± A white light flashed like a bolt of lightning and shattered through the air, dazzling the eyes. Feng Zhiwei stepped back in shock, already lamenting the death of the priceless crystal treasure. She stepped, her trod cracking the scattered crystal pieces below her. Across from her stood a Ning Yi, his hair fanning out around him as he supported himself against his sword. The crystal wall was half ruined but the statue was completely intact. Ning Yi had held back at the last minute, unable to destroy a crystal statue that might be the last in existence. He stood there leaning against his weapon for a long moment, his long eyelashes drooping. With Feng Zhiwei¡¯s angle, she could only see the lines of his delicate and pale jaw. Feng Zhiwei could hear nothing except her own breathing, and Ning Yi¡¯s unmoving paleness deeply worried her, and she could not stop herself from stepping forward to do something. But just as she reached Ning Yi¡¯s side, he suddenly collapsed. Thunder cracked overhead as the fierce downpour drenched the already slippery mossed ground lining the artificial mountain. Feng Zhiwei laboriously carried Ning Yi out of the tunnel, and as soon as she poked her head out of the hole she was immediately drenched. She wiped futilely at her face, silently cursing herself. Really, why had she hidden in the tunnel? What a waste of effort, she was always fated to be soaked. After cursing herself, she cursed Ning Yi. Really, why did he have to be so dramatic all of a sudden? Couldn¡¯t he just maintain his cool and calm facade? Looks like he still had to take some notes from her! A palace room stood beyond the yard, and though it was old and abandoned it was at least clean and dry. Feng Zhiwei looked out of the tunnel at her distant goal, imagining some medicine stored within that might be able to help Ning Yi. After examining the unconscious Ning Yi, Feng Zhiwei felt she could do nothing but carry him out of the tunnel. The pouring curtains of rain was an almost solid wall, pooling on the ground and filling the mossed pond, dimly reflecting the silhouette of a slim and delicate figure laboriously carrying another person, marching forward step by step. Though the building was not far, she trudged along a long while before she finally reached her destination, overcome with relief as she felt a pillar against her skin, the rain completely blotting out her sight. Letting out a breath, she twisted the lock, opened the door, and carried Ning Yi inside. Grey cloth covered everything in the dim room, and at first glance the grey shadows seemed like so many silently crouching beasts. Feng Zhiwei moved Ning Yi towards a chair. The man was so soaked that he would soon be sleeping in water if she moved him to the bed, so she could only settle for a chair, covering the man head to toe with a quilt before taking his pulse. Feng Zhiwei frowned at his wrist. Ning Yi had not caught a cold from the rain nor fainted from heartache; his lung and spleen were badly injured, and his pained heart and intense emotion must have brought back pain from an old wound. If not quickly treated, this problem would lead to countless trouble. His Qi was frigid, and she had to scatter the cold or else his old wound would worsen. Feng Zhiwei stood in the dim room and stared up at the ceiling, thinking. Finally, she closed her eyes. She reached under the quilt and began stripping Ning Yi. Feng Zhiwei moved as fast and efficiently as she could, but she could not help but slow the further she got, her ears flushing even as her hands continued to move. Wet clothes fell in a pile on the floor, and just by their number one could tell that all the clothes that could be removed in company were removed, and all those that could not be removed were also removed. Feng Zhiwei began retracting her hands from the quilt when she suddenly stopped. His smooth and cool skin had given way to roughness, and as her hands hesitantly investigated, she could make out an extremely ferocious scar. This was probably the old injury that had brought on the unconsciousness, but as a royal son and lineal descendant of the Emperor, how had he gotten such a terrible wound? Chapter 100 She slowly slid her fingers along the scar, tracing the uneven surface of the long and wide wound, imagining the terrible blow that caused it. Feng Zhiwei thought back to the stories about the prince¡­ that when he was seven he had almost died from an illness and emerged with a very different personality. Had that illness actually been this injury? The scar ended and her finger tips brushed against good skin, the smooth coolness sending a blush through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s cheeks. She quickly pulled back her hand and schooled her thoughts, thinking about anything but the barely covered man beside her, hoping for the awkwardness to pass. While she thought about Helian Zheng¡¯s smelly feet and wondered if Gu Nanyi might one day finally get sick of walnuts, Feng Zhiwei used the quilt to wipe down Ning Yi before bringing over and covering him with dry quilt, swapping the two quilts and never exposing Ning Yi¡¯s bare skin. Finally, Feng Zhiwei picked up the quilt covered Ning Yi and placed him on the bed. The man was still unconscious, but his shallow, rapid breathing had smoothed out somewhat. Feng Zhiwei continued forcefully rubbing his body, helping his blood circulate, bringing a certain amount of relief to the unfortunate prince. The grey-green tinge to his pale face gradually retreated, the ill color fading away and setting off the man¡¯s drooping eyelashes and the shadows underneath his elegant, closed eyes. None of his usual poise or gorgeous beauty remained, with only a soft and light frailty in its place, and he was like a graceful wisp of a cloud. As she busied herself helping the prince, Feng Zhiwei was soon sweating all over and could only regard the comfortably dreaming fellow with frustration and envy, patting his face: ¡°Sleeping so well!¡± After energetically patting Ning Yi¡¯s face, Feng Zhiwei felt refreshed and patted him a few more times. Aih, she really had to seize every opportunity to beat him a little, after all she would not get any more chances in the future. Somewhat appeased, Feng Zhiwei realized that Ning Yi¡¯s hair was still wet, so she removed his gold crown and hair pin and spread out his hair. Worried that his head might hurt after resting on a wet pillow, Feng Zhiwei moved him closer to the side and draped his long, black hair over the edge of the bed. With Ning Yi more or less taken care of, Feng Zhiwei left the bedside to find a fire stone and fire pan. As she pulled down the grey cloth covering the furniture, she could not help but grunt in approval ¡ª everything in the room was simple and elegant, detailed and beautiful. It was immediately obvious that the slightly foreign design was very precious, with every marvelous curve showing off the unique beauty of a different culture. But Feng Zhiwei had neither the time nor the mood to appreciate the beauty as she rooted around the room for the things she sought. Luckily, the room stored pretty much everything she could want, and she even found a cattail ottoman and a wooden clapper. After securing the fire stone and dragging the fire pan under the bed, she started the fire and began drying Ning Yi¡¯s clothes and hair as she combed through the wet locks. His hair was well tended and felt soft and cool like brocaded silk, and Feng Zhiwei leaned over to gently brush away some of the strands stuck to his forehead. Then Ning Yi woke. His sleep had been plagued with struggles as he trudged through a world of dark pain, chaos, and an ever whipping storm of ice, and when he finally escaped and opened his eyes, he could see nothing except a thin, white finger fine like jade, gently moving above his face. As he followed the hand back to its source, he saw the fine arc of a snowy chin and the curves of soft pink lips, glistening in the dim grey of the room. Heavy curtains hang low around them as fire crackled, sending warmth into his bones. The dark, cold, and pain faded like a passing dream. Or was this dream? As his unfocused eyes stared, the finger in front of his eyes moved busily like a butterfly flying among flowers, and Ning Yi was brought back to a moment much like this many, many years ago, in a palace room like this, with a woman like the one beside him, gently, carefully wiping his forehead and brushing aside the clumped strands of sweaty hair. His heart filled with joy. Had everything he lost come back to him? He quietly groaned as he caught the finger and pulled it to his cheeks, leaning gently into it. ¡°Mother¡­¡± The warm finger pressed into his cold cheek and he felt as if the gentleness in the hand was pushing into him, and his eyes creased with pleasure as he refused to let the hand go. Feng Zhiwei froze as Ning Yi clutched her finger and rubbed his face against her, unable to decide whether to pull back or allow Ning Yi to continue taking advantage of her. The man was clearly not fully awake, so she hesitated. If she pulled away and fully woke him, would he grow angry out of embarrassment? But if she did not move and he came to, would he be even more embarrassed and even more upset? As she waffled, her finger quivered slightly, and Ning Yi fully woke. His misty, blurry eyes focused and became clear as dark jade, and he fully opened his eyes and saw the face before him. Ning Yi¡¯s gaze slowly sharpened as he took in the person and the room they were sitting in, and he let go of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s finger as he asked in his deep voice: ¡°Why are you here?¡± He showed no embarrassment or anger, instantly snapping back to his normal sharp and cool poise, the mistiness in his dark eyes gone and his alert guard back in place. Feng Zhiwei wiped her finger against her dress before turning back to drying his clothes, smiling faintly as she replied: ¡°I was trying to hide from the rain and stumbled over here. As Ning Yi listened, he grabbed a corner of his quilt and pulled away the covers, but when he saw what lay underneath he quickly pulled the fabric back over him. The quilt once again secured, Ning Yi began staring blankly down at himself. Feng Zhiwei faced away from him, her back to the bed as she calmly held up his underwear to check if it was fully dry. But as she lifted up the offending piece of clothing, Ning Yi could no longer hold onto his calm and he angrily yelled: ¡°Put it down!¡± Feng Zhiwei turned her head and shot him an innocent glance, sighing dramatically. So difficult! She was only doing this for his comfort, or else why would she care whether his underwear was dry? If all she wanted was appearances, she could have just made sure nobody could see his wetness from his outer robes. Retrieving the pretty much dried clothes, she dutifully folded them into a neat pile and brought them over to the bed, the silk short taking pride of place on the top of the pile, forcing another deep breath from Ning Yi. He could not help but look up at the woman beside him. She looked completely serious and innocent of all teasing, and even seemed to hide a shy embarrassment, but he still felt that she had definitely done this on purpose. But even the embarrassment and awkwardness of the moment served to help scatter some of the thick, cloying sadness pressing down on him. Ning Yi sighed and circulated his Qi ¡ª even though his old injury had acted up, his wound had not worsened and his body had not been damaged by the coldness of the storm. He had her to thank for this. The neatly folded clothes were placed down by his side, and Ning Yi looked up to stare numbly into the woman¡¯s face. The storm had washed away the makeup concealing her beauty, and her extraordinary elegance stunned him. Her slim face held eyes filled with liquid light, wet like the mist scattered by the rain. She had loosened her ruined hair bun, and when she leaned over her silky hair hung down and brushed against the back of his hand, the soft locks piercing their way gently into his heart. Chapter 101 Suddenly, Ning Yi flipped his hand over and pressed down on her hair. ¡°Ouch,¡± Feng Zhiwei called out lightly, her hand reflexively patting his as she freed her hair. ¡°Behave.¡± She spoke quietly and warmly, a hint of a smile on her face. She wore her usual gentle and soft expression, but there was just a little bit more thoughtfulness and care. Ning Yi suddenly felt as if tiny candle was lit inside his cold heart, a soft enduring light. Ning Yi turned away, shuffling underneath the quilt and quickly dressing. Finally presentable, he turned and carefully examined the room, his eyes falling dark as he asked: ¡°What are you burning?¡± A frown crossed his face as he continued: ¡°You touched her things?¡± ¡°I only know what you needed.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied without turning to face him, seemingly oblivious to the unhappiness in his voice. ¡°No matter how valuable a treasure is, it is not as important as a life.¡± Ning Yi fell silent, his eyes roaming over the room. Finally, he spoke again, sad and quiet: ¡°Everything is still the same¡­¡± Wind blew in through the window, sending a shivering sneeze through the still soaked Feng Zhiwei. Stuck in her wet dress, Feng Zhiwei could pay no attention to Ning Yi¡¯s melancholy grief for the turning of the leaves and passing of seasons. Ning Yi rubbed gently at his chest before taking a pill out of his robe and swallowing it. As Feng Zhiwei sniffled, Ning Yi stirred, hesitating a little as he said: ¡°You can take those curtains and burn them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re willing?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, turning back to peer at him teasingly. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you sniffling throughout the feast and giving yourself away.¡± Ning Yi sat up, covering himself with the quilt, his expression indifferent. This guy could never speak his heart, and Feng Zhiwei paid no mind to his foolishness. She turned back to the fire pan and stirred the heat higher when the man behind her called out: ¡°Pull it closer to the bed.¡± He was really treating her as his servant girl? But though she complained inside, the young, habituatedly double-faced lass Feng smiled and dragged the fire pan over. ¡°Come here for a second.¡± Ning Yi commanded again in the same indifferent tone. Feng Zhiwei walked over and sat on the bed¡¯s edge. The man beside her pulled back the quilt and commanded again in the same tone: ¡°Come, you can have a side.¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately shot to her feet and replied: ¡°I have to go comb my hair.¡± But the man beside her gently grabbed her waist, and though he used no Internal Qi, his expert grappling technique slid through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s resistance and her whole body softened as he dragged her down into the warmth of the bed. While her heart pounded and her body stiffened into an unmoving pole, Feng Zhiwei smiled fawningly, pulling on the claw clutching her: ¡°Your Highness, men and women cannot be so intimate. ¡°I have no plans to be intimate with you.¡± The man replied, his cool, gorgeous musk filling her nose, the intoxicating smell tinged with the faint fragrance of herbs ¡ª his smell was powerful and refreshing, as enduring as his refusal to release Feng Zhiwei¡¯s waist. Even as she tried her best to pull away, she was slowly and inexorably pulled closer and closer, inch by inch. ¡°Do you think you are so pretty that I will lose control?¡± Feng Zhiwei clung to the bed¡¯s edge, thinking for a moment before replying: ¡°I think I am.¡± The man beside her coughed, choking at her audacity, ignoring her struggles and directly paralyzing her with a pinch of her acupuncture point. As he stuffed her under the quilt, he spoke angrily. ¡°How can you dry off while wearing your dress like that? I¡¯m not even bothered by you getting me wet, what are you frowning about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m frowning at you.¡± Feng Zhiwei glared angrily, her calm demeanor evaporating. ¡°This is how you treat your savior? How will I marry in the future?¡± ¡°Marriage?¡± Ning Yi replied, the anger on his face suddenly mixed with complicated emotions. He smiled coldly as he continued speaking. ¡°So you really are dreaming of becoming Prince Hu Zhuo¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°Luckily it isn¡¯t Prince Chu¡¯s Wife.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, smiling even more facetiously. Ning Yi glared at her for a long moment before suddenly bursting out in laughter. After he finished his chuckle, he paid no more attention to her protests and stripped her out of her dress. Feng Zhiwei could only lie paralyzed, misery coming over her as she thought back to Master Dong Guo¡¯s story[1] and the similarities between this Prince Chu and that traitorous wolf. But she also knew that she was getting her due, as the prince was clearly taking his revenge. Retribution had come so swiftly, and if she had known better, she would have left him some underwear to hid his embarrassment. Women¡¯s clothes are more troublesome, so it took Ning Yi some time to remove the outer layer of her dress and take it to the fire to dry. When he turned back from the flame, Feng Zhiwei was squeezing her eyes shut, her mouth moving as she muttered something to herself. As he leaned in to listen, he made out her mantra: ¡°He¡¯s a eunuch he¡¯s a eunuch he¡¯s a eunuch¡­¡± Ning Yi could only glare at the infuriating smile on this exasperating tigress, and half of him wanted to just slap down and end his torment once and for all. But as he stared, the words seemed to fade away and soon all he saw was the adorable face of the woman lying beside him. The faint blush in her cheeks set off the soft, downy white of her jade smooth skin, and her lips was a shade of intoxicating red that could almost block out the infuriating words coming from her beautiful mouth. Those mumbling lips needed a break. Ning Yi leaned down. Fresh, sweet lips met and the taste was like a million seasons of spring. That first touch was electrifying, and Ning Yi knew immediately that any more and he would lose himself, but he could not resist pressing in further through those lovely lips. Perhaps he really had just planned to stop her murmuring words, or perhaps he had thought to bully this prickly rose of a woman, but as soon as he felt that soft, worldly warmth, he surrendered to his desires, a weary traveler who had finally reached a safe haven of rest. In his twenty-three years of worldly bitterness, he had never tasted such sweetness, and now he could no longer control himself and all he wanted was to luxuriate in her intoxicating smell. His fingers reached firmly into her hair and cupped the back of her head as his other hand pulled her closer to him; and all the while, he pushed deeper and deeper into her, mixing and entangling their taste forever. Rain poured in a pattering flood, but the two bodies were pressed together without room for escape, close enough to hear each other¡¯s heavy breathing. Beside them, the fire crackled and sent a spark into the air. The tiny flower of flame bloomed in the dim room like an enormous firework startling the bedfellows from their drunken trance, and Ning Yi¡¯s eyes shone clear as the mist fell away. He pulled back, turning away. As he moved, he gently rubbed his chest, coughing lightly before wiping away the faint redness on his lips. His wound was torturing him, and the medicine was overpowering ¡ª he had almost lost control. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s chest trembled with her rising breath and the flush in her face betrayed her. She was still paralyzed from the acupuncture strike, so she could only glare up at the bed curtain, picturing that person¡¯s face and trying with all her might to burn it with her stare. She no longer needed the fire; at this point, the heat of her skin was enough to dry the dress. Ning Yi calmed himself and pulled a little further away, but when he finally turned around and saw Feng Zhiwei¡¯s calm face and ferocious eyes, he could not help laughing. [1] ¶«¹ùÏÈÉúÓëÀÇ Chapter 102 The smile quickly disappeared, flashing for a moment like the brief flowering of an epiphyllum before wilting away and dissipating into the empty loneliness of the palace room. He pulled Feng Zhiwei close, taking off the inner layer of her dress and leaving only the moon white underwear beneath. Shifting her, he propped her head on his arm and spoke, his tone light: ¡°Rather fortunate¡­ otherwise, if you had seduced me into doing something inappropriate in Mother Concubine¡¯s palace, then that would truly have been a crime.¡± He spoke as if she had made a move on him. Although Feng Zhiwei could still speak, her anger choked her voice, and she swore to herself that, in the future, even if he lay in front of her dying, she would calmly walk past his corpse, perhaps even stepping on his face as she swept by. ¡°This is the Yi Lan Residence.¡± Ning Yi continued, holding her in his embrace and gently playing with her hair. In the peace and tranquility of the moment, the past seemed like the heavy rain pounding ineffectually outside ¡ª the distant noise audible, but holding no sway over his heart. In that moment, he did not wish to hide away his secrets any longer. ¡°After my mother ¡®died,¡¯ she live here for ten years.¡± He explained. Feng Zhiwei murmured, half ignoring Ning Yi as she closed her eyes to sleep ¡ª although he wished to share, she was not yet willing to listen. But just as her eyes had closed, they flew open again ¡ª what had he said? Living here after her death? Goosebumps ran down Feng Zhiwei¡¯s arms as the rumors about Ning Yi¡¯s past ran through her mind. His Mother-Concubine had been the Princess of a small tribe of Da Yue and had been captured in battle. On that year, when the Tian Sheng Dynasty had yet to be established, this legendary, peerless beauty died of metrorrhagia a few months after giving birth to Ning Yi. Years later, when Ning Yi was seven, the Tian Sheng Emperor founded his dynasty. Feng Zhiwei had always wondered at the strange story of Ning Yi¡¯s birth, but had never put any thought to the matter, but now ¡ª how likely was it that the Princess would die from metrorrhagia months after childbirth? Metrorrhagia happened most often during the process of labor, and the probability of anything occurring after the save delivery drastically dropped. At the time of Ning Yi¡¯s birth, the Ning Family had been among the most famous of Da Cheng Military Family, possessing great power and wealth. What kind of rare medicines did they not have? How could they be like a poor family lacking in medicine and food and lose a mother months after her labor? And now the son had revealed the truth ¡ª the mother had not died and had lived on another ten years, but why did she need to hide away and live in seclusion?¡± ¡°In the Thirteenth Year of the rule of Da Cheng¡¯s last Emperor, Father Emperor rose in rebellion.¡± Ning Yi spoke calmly. ¡°Da Yue was a vassal of Da Cheng at the time and seized the opportunity to break away and found their own country. Father Emperor was focused on Da Cheng and set aside the Da Yue matter for three years, but when the situation had settled, Father Emperor warred against Da Yue in the North. Mother-Concubine was captured and became Father Emperor¡¯s concubine. ¡°She was daughter to the Setting Sun Royal Tribe¡¯s Patriarch. Da Yue pair of Sun and Moon tribes were famous for their mysteries hidden away in the mountains along the border. The Moon Tribe¡¯s women were famed for their enchanting arts, and the women of the Setting Sun were said to be favored by the Heavenly Emperor. The women of these two tribes were fought over by all strong powers, and for Father Emperor, the favored women of the Heavenly Emperor fit his ambition and dream. Yet, Mother-Concubine was captured in a peculiar manner. She appeared one day, singing as she descended from the sky to land on Father Emperor¡¯s horse.¡± Feng Zhiwei murmured in surprise ¡ª was this Princess a fairy saint? ¡°The snow fell heavily that day, and thick white covered over ten miles of forested pine as Father Emperor¡¯s army marched.¡± Ning Yi continued, staring out at the water streaming down the eaves of the building. His eyes lost focus, and he looked through the curtain of rain as if he could see that beautiful scene all those years ago as the massive army filled the border of Da Yue. ¡°Mother Concubine fell from a pine tree while the army marched through the forest, singing a strange tune to herself and the little squirrel she clutched to her white hemp garment. Everyone thought she was a fairy falling from the heavens.¡± Through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s lidded eyes, she could almost see the black, shining armor and brilliant spears filling the heavy snow and green pined land. On that hard a bitter day, a young girl fell from the skies clutching a squirrel to her chest, a sudden brilliance of tenderness flowering in their midst. ¡°Mother Concubine¡¯s appearance was too strange, and the generals were divided on the meaning of her appearance and almost came to a fight over the auspiciousness of the sign. Father Emperor made the final decision and insisted on keeping her. No one understood Mother Concubine¡¯s language, and no one recognized the song she sang; even when Mother Concubine began to learn to Central Plain¡¯s language, she never liked talking.¡± ¡°The next year, Mother Concubine was pregnant and Da Cheng¡¯s Emperor Li escaped to Da Yue, and so Father Emperor marched once again for the north. The battles were not going in our favor, and the combined forces of Da Yue and the remnants of Emperor Li¡¯s army had conquered seven counties and occupied most of the land east of the Hu Yan River. Fear and rumor ran through the armies.¡± ¡°Spies?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked, unable to resist speaking. Ning Yi glanced down at her, the corner of his lips curving up into a cold, bitter smile. ¡°Yes and no. The matter of the Heavenly Emperor¡¯s favor was brought up again, and a Minister from Da Yue explained that this title did not mean that those who possessed these women would become Emperor, but rather that the women themselves had natural prophetic abilities. They could see the future of themselves and their descendants as if blessed with the favor of god. Around this time, the song that Mother-Concubine sang as she fell onto Father Emperor¡¯s horse was finally deciphered.¡± ¡°What did she sing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ning Yi shook his head, ¡°Everyone who knew is dead. The only one left is Father Emperor.¡± ¡°It must have been inauspicious¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei murmured. ¡°Yes.¡± Ning Yi replied, looking up to the ceiling, his fingers curling and unknowingly brushing over Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face, the cold in his hand sending a shiver down Feng Zhiwei¡¯s spine. Ning Yi looked down as she quivered and unsealed her acupuncture point. Feng Zhiwei shifted a bit away from him, and after a moment¡¯s thought, dragged the fire pan closer. ¡°Are you worried that I¡¯m cold?¡± The man behind her whispered in a deep, gentle voice. ¡°No.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, refusing to admit her worry. ¡°My dress is still wet, I just want to dry it faster.¡± As she spoke, she tucked a pillow into the quilt and set up a barrier between Ning Yi and her. Ning Yi only smiled to himself, not pushing the matter any further. Finally, Feng Zhiwei could no longer stand the awkwardness of staring up at his smile so she returned the conversation to the story at hand: ¡°What happened next?¡± ¡°The rest is history.¡± Ning Yi explained calmly. ¡°The entire army demanded that Father Emperor rid them of the evil curse, and at that time, Father Emperor could not refuse. Two months later, Mother-Concubine gave birth to me, and then after wasting away for two months from metrorrhagia, she passed away. ¡°My wet-nurse told me the official tale, I never saw Mother-Concubine and always believed she had died. Father Emperor pitied me and put me in the care of the Empress, though of course the dynasty had not yet been founded and the royal line not yet established. A week or so later, I came down with grave illness and the doctors said it was unlikely I would survive. The Empress reported the matter to Father-Emperor, and Father-Emperor just sighed in acceptance.¡± Chapter 103 ¡°But on my final night, when I was at my final gasp and about to die, a ghost came to haunt the Empress¡¯ courtyard. Nobody thought I had hope, so only an old wet-nurse was assigned to stand watch, and as she dozed, she noticed a white shadow floating by. Terrified, she cried out, and the startled guards and waiting ladies came rushing in. They found me covered in sweat, but recovered from my sickness. ¡°Nobody could explain what had happened, but no one paid it any mind. I lived in the Empress¡¯ residence, but the servants did not take good care of me and I was often injured. The Crown Prince was naughty in his youth and often stuffed strange things in my mouth, but my wet-nurse did not dare stand in his way, so she could only bring me outside the residence walls, weeping in the open air.¡± Ning Yi spoke calmly as if he was speaking about another, as if it was just a story ¡ª the main character¡¯s misery and loneliness had already long frozen into a plain of crystal, crushed underneath by forward marching steps. ¡°One night, my wet-nurse cried herself asleep, and when she woke I was sleeping on the stairs next to her. She clearly remembered hugging me to her chest, and so she was very scared by this strange occurrence; afterwards, she no longer dared bring me outside and cry. That night, the Empress¡¯ residence was once again haunted by a ghost.¡± ¡°The ghosts that walk this earth often come from the hearts of people.¡± Feng Zhiwei quietly replied. Ning Yi looked at her, a small, gentle smile floating in the depths of his eyes. ¡°After these hauntings, the Empress grew uneasy and said that my Four Pillars of Destiny were not in harmony with hers, so she gave me to Imperial Noble Consort Chang. Consort Chang was a distant cousin of hers and only became Father Emperor¡¯s Concubine because she was born from a concubine. She did not have any daring back then, so I was able to grow stably until I was seven when the Tian Sheng Dynasty was founded.¡± The flames in the fire pan weakened and the dim room fell more and more into darkness. The faint aroma of ash drifted in the air, accompanying the rare, expensive, black and gold lacquered furniture as they faded into the boundless dark, as old and weighted as the story being told. ¡°You¡­ when did you see her again?¡± Feng Zhiwei finally asked. ¡°You are clever. You are just too clever¡­¡± Ning Yi replied, stroking her hair and sighing meaningfully. ¡°The Tian Sheng Country was founded, and because I was still young I still lived in the palace. The Tian Sheng Imperial Palaces were built on the old Da Cheng Palaces, its grounds magnificently large. I did not see much of anything else until I was nine, when I was holding a kite for Eldest Brother and fell, injured. Everyone took the kite and rushed away, saying they would call the Imperial Physician, but time passed without anyone coming back. In my pain, I rolled off the hill and stumbled upon a peaceful residence. I had heard that this palace was abandoned, locked, and off limits, but on that day the gates stood open.¡± A small smile quirked his lips and his eyes glittered with happiness: ¡°The door opened and a lady walked out.. that was the first time I ever saw her¡­¡± Ning Yi coughed twice and turned his face away, but not before Feng Zhiwei noticed the brightness glimmering in the corners of his eyes, glittering like diamonds. After a moment, Ning Yi regained his calm and continued: ¡°I didn¡¯t know who she was. I just she knew was incredibly beautiful, and that her eyes were filled with warmth and kindness like nothing I had ever seen before. I was too startled to be wary of a stranger, so I didn¡¯t struggle as she came near and picked me up. She brought me inside and bound my wound and made a special, delicious cake for me. Even though I was nine, she still tried to hand feed me, and thought I stayed for over two hours, she never said a word. Finally, when I was saying my goodbyes, tears fell from her face.¡± Feng Zhiwei had to turn away and hold back her sniffles as she choked back her emotions. Mothers! ¡°I returned home, but I could never forget her, so I sneaked back several times. I knew that her palace was off limits, so I was very careful every time. My studies were getting intense, and my brothers kept close watch over me, so I could only find a few opportunities to visit. Every time I visited, she would happily busy herself taking care of me; one time, I was so tired I fell asleep while visiting, and when I woke hours later, I saw her fanning me, her wrist swollen from fanning without rest.¡± Ning Yi paused, touching his wrist as if he could feel his mother¡¯s pain through that touch. His fingers brushed lightly against his skin, but his eyes grew gradually colder and colder. ¡°Seven times¡­ I visited seven times¡­ but on the eighth visit¡­ she was gone, and the palace was empty. When he was nine, he met his mother for the first time, and the next year he lost her forever. He remembered everything about her in vivid detail. He remembered every precious, stolen moment he had spent with her. Those seven visits were carved into his heart, relived countless times. Seven meetings, one life. Life before and life after seemed so cold and miserable. Only this one short stretch was filled with color, a vibrance that would never fade. Feng Zhiwei looked into his eyes, unable to ask about her final days. The saying that beautiful women often lived unfortunate lives spoke to these moments. Perhaps she had struggled and lived in seclusion those ten years, hoping everyday to meet her son, hoping that her motherly love could brighten his heart and relieve some of the burden of the cold-blooded Imperial politics. Perhaps she had hoped that in his doomed loneliness, she could bring some measure of warmth to his life. ¡°I later discovered that the day of her death was today.¡± Everyone gathered to celebrate the Noble Consort¡¯s happy and grand birthday, but her lonely, desolate death was remembered by no one. ¡°When I learned of this, I was filled with immeasurable regret. If I had known she was waiting for me, no matter how packed my schedule, no matter how much evil my brothers planned, even if I could not eat or sleep, I would have come as many times as I could¡­ but there is no medicine for regret, and I wasted the most precious moments of my life.¡± ¡°No, not wasted.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied sincerely. ¡°In the end, you two still met, and you spent many happy moments with her. She was happy, and so were you. That is enough.¡± ¡°Happy?¡± Ning Yi said, startled. ¡°Happy?¡± He burst out in unhappy laughter, his voice low and deep, flecked with blood. He wiped the scarlet drops from his lips and stared down at the smeared trails of red, his laughter cutting off as suddenly as it came, his voice sad and lonely. ¡°I had thought she was happy, and for these long years I had always believed that, but not I find out how wrong I was!¡± Feng Zhiwei stirred, thinking back to the alluring pose of the crystal statue. ¡°You also saw the tunnel!¡± Ning Yi exclaimed, jabbing his finger into the distance. ¡°Father Emperor, my father! In the end, he could not abandon her beauty, and so he ordered a secret tunnel built, and that statue¡­ that, that thing!¡± Chapter 104 Translator: Aristophaneso Pain cut his heart as red flooded into his eyes, and Ning Yi could not even finish his sentence. He coughed and spat out blood, only able to wordlessly clutch the bed¡¯s frame, his body bent over and wracked with dry heaves. After a moment of hesitation, Feng Zhiwei slowly reached forward, circulating a stream of Qi into Ning Yi¡¯s body to help him tame his wild state. She had seen the crystal statue¡¯s seductive pose and could understand Ning Yi¡¯s fury ¡ª the Tian Sheng Emperor had obviously built this tunnel for his personal use, and his obscene intentions were obvious in the statue¡¯s design, perverting the beauty of Ning Yi¡¯s mother. Could the Emperor truly leave such a beautiful and unaged woman forever trapped in seclusion? To think that Ning Yi¡¯s mother had suffered such misery and humiliation over the long years, waiting everyday for a glimpse of her little boy. Her slow and bitter days must have dragged on and on, but she refused to set herself free, staying for those short moments spent with her beautiful son. She never spoke, perhaps afraid that as soon as she opened her mouth, she would be no longer able to hold back the tears. ¡°She was a pious woman and did everything with full devotion¡­¡± Ning Yi continued saying, his hand still gripping the bed¡¯s edge. ¡°She had clearly decided to become a nun, but she still had to¡­ how pained she must have been¡­¡± He hung his head over the fire pan, his voice cutting off. After a long moment, the fire hissed as it burned away his tears. Feng Zhiwei shifted her hand from his back, half reaching for his shoulder before she caught herself. Her hand hung in the air for a long moment before she finally took it back and turned away. She was sitting up now, looking down at the bed, her eyelashes drooping and her eyes half closed; dark red flame flickered over her face, and her brows were knitted in commiserating pain. Ning Yi turned and quietly watched her, suddenly reaching out his hand and grabbing the tips of her fingers, saying her name for the first time: ¡°Zhiwei¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei shifted in surprise, her head shooting upwards. Her teared, glistening eyes were clarion clear, deep enough to encompass all the blue of the heavens and the soil of the earth, deep enough to devote a life to. Words that had lingered in his heart, always buried, could no longer be held back. ¡°Zhiwei, even if all the people on this earth turn against me, I will be fine as long as you do not.¡± Feng Zhiwei trembled under Ning Yi¡¯s gaze, his face pale from weakness, but his eyes deep and sincere. All the subtlety and meaning of his words raced through her heart and mind and she quivered under their weight. His eyes had never held such a gaze before, and she had never imagined that he would ever speak to her with such honesty. From their first meeting they had been trapped in each others maneuvering ¡ª fighting, probing, filled with suspicion, their clashes filled with every emotion under the sun ¡ª the only thing that had never existed was trust. Yet now he held her hand, calling to her from the same bed, speaking her name. Rain poured beyond the walls, and two people sat in the embrace of the bed; the warmth of the fire pan lent heat to bared skin as hearts beat with almost audible thuds. She stared at him, barely holding back the words: ¡°Impossible!¡± But then a crowd of footfalls broke the pregnant moment, piercing through the curtains of rain, and splattering through the puddled ground straight for their palace room. A loud voice cried out: ¡°Over here, check that building!¡± Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi stirred at once. The Hu Zhuo Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e and His Highness Prince Chu together in a dim room, half clothed! What an uproar such a sight would cause. Feng Zhiwei immediately turned to stand, grabbing her clothes and pulling them on as she peered out the window. A group of guards had already rushed into the front yard of the residence. As she hurriedly buttoned her dressed, her thoughts raced. The day the Tian Sheng Emperor had granted Ning Yi the Feng Yun Residence, Princess Shao Ning had stood in a small garden and looked out at a palace room while speaking of a good show to come. Now that she looked closely, was this not that same building hidden behind that small garden? She had been distracted by Ning Yi¡¯s angsty weeping in the rain and forgotten herself. Her thoughts were interrupted by Princess Shao Ning¡¯s smiling voice: ¡°Prince Hu Zhuo. I often came to this courtyard in my youth, but it¡¯s been abandoned for many years. Still, it¡¯ll be good to search it, perhaps the person you¡¯re searching for has accidentally lost her way here¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately turned, meeting Ning Yi¡¯s eyes as he dressed. The Princess had come to entangle Ning Yi ¡ª no matter what happened, the fact remained that he had come here during Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s birthday. While everyone else might not understand the meaning of this visit, the Tian Sheng Emperor would not be so blind. Such a move would surely pique his suspicion and greatly displease him, after all Ning Yi¡¯s mother had a very special identity and suffered greatly in her life, with even her death a strange affair. If the matter was not so delicate, Ning Yi would never have come here alone without a bodyguard. His visit was arranged in the utmost secrecy, and it was only under the cover of the birthday celebration with all attention centered on Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s palace, Ning Yi would never have dared to come here in the bright of day. As for Feng Zhiwei, no one actually thought that she was here, and no one cared enough to scheme about the Young Lady Feng. She was just unlucky. But if she was discovered together with Ning Yi, a simple damaging of her reputation was the least of her concern. If the matter grew serious, no one knew what might happen. Understanding flickered through their eyes, their calm hearts sobered by the crisis at hand. As one, the pair rushed back to the bedside, moving together in swift harmony. As one figure quickly shoved the fire pan under the bed, the other used their Qi to rip the quilt blanket and sheets before soundlessly scattering the chairs throughout the room. Feng Zhiwei had just finished dealing with the fire pan when she realized what Ning Yi had done, and before she could decipher his intentions, the man had turned for a final look at the backyard and darted out the back window. Feng Zhiwei paused in confusion ¡ª he was leaving her and running? But the residence was already surrounded, where could he go? She ran over to the window and peered outside. The garden was the same one she and Princess Shao Ning had met in on that day, and the strange plants she had seen were still here, some of them still clinging to life. Feng Zhiwei climbed out and jumped down into the garden, the clattering of guards entering the second courtyard and running straight for them clearly audible to her sharp ears. Ning Yi stood stooped in the garden, carefully searching through the herbs as he called out: ¡°Put your mask back on.¡± Feng Zhiwei obeyed without a fuss, quickly applying her backup disguise and restoring her yellow faced drooping browed mask. ¡°Found it!¡± Ning Yi cried out happily, plucking a vermeil fruit from a wilting plant and passing it to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Eat this!¡± Chapter 105 Feng Zhiwei took the offered herbs and immediately swallowed them. A warm flow swept into her body and her face flushed, but she smiled up at Ning Yi as if nothing had happened. Ning Yi paused at her display of trust, his gaze deepening, but time was of the essence. With no time to waste, he grabbed her wrist and took her pulse, frowning to himself: ¡°Too slow¡­¡± his fingers trembled as he pushed a trace of his Qi into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s meridians. Feng Zhiwei had caught on to the basic plan, so she let down her guard and allowed his Qi inside. Immediately, a slight twinge stung her inner organs and her Qi grew chaotic. Noise neared and the clatter of footsteps filled the room behind them as people pushed through the doors. A once called out: ¡°There were people here!¡± Ning Yi was already rustling through his robes looking for something, and Feng Zhiwei could only chuckle to herself as she grabbed a rusty flower hoe leaning against the garden wall. ¡°Die for me¡­¡± She cried out strangely, striking down at Ning Yi¡¯s head. Ning Yi floated to the side, dodging the hoe, a smile flickering through his eyes as the two burst out in sudden conflict. This woman always surprised him with her mind ¡ª how terrifyingly intelligent! The guards immediately noticed the outcry and quickly rushed over. ¡°In the garden!¡± Two waves of guards flooded over, lining up on either side of the path leading from the backyard to the garden, flanking Princess Shao Ning, the Fifth Prince, and Helian Zheng as the royals approached. The Fifth Prince called out pleasantly: ¡°Sixth Brother, are you here? The feast is about to begin, where are you? Father Emperor asked after you, quickly return with us.¡± Princess Shao Ning strode along, her eyebrows cocked over glittering eyes and an unsmiling quirk to her lips. Helian Zheng frowned with furrowed brows ¡ª he had heard about some ladies bullying Feng Zhiwei at the Imperial Consort¡¯s side palace and had gone to find her. The servants had said she¡¯d been led away by the Princess¡¯ wet nurse, but when he found Princess Shao Ning, instead of leading him to Feng Zhiwei, she dragged him on a wild and rather upsetting hunt. Thoughts occupied every mind as the trio stepped forward rapidly past the waiting guards. Princess Shao Ning smiled with satisfaction as she called out: ¡°What are you all standing around for, quickly¡­¡± But the Princess¡¯ words cut off. Before her, a fight was raging in the ruined garden. A tousled, yellow-faced woman was chopping here and slashing there with a rusty flower hoe, her eyebrows flying wildly as she ran around after Ning Yi, wild yells coming from her mouth: ¡°Die! You maniac¡­¡± The woman¡¯s face was tinged a faint green and contorted into murderous ferocity; her attacks were wild and without art, a textbook example of an unreasonable shrew¡¯s rage. On the other hand, Ning Yi stepped gracefully, frowning as he dodged Feng Zhiwei¡¯s flailing. It was immediately clear that he had no intention of actually fighting, and the crushed flowers and plants and chaotically scattered debris were all caused by the crazy yellow-faced woman, though despite it all she failed to touch even the corner of his robe. Ning Yi moved with furrowed brows as he called out: ¡°Enough! Stop! What is the matter with you! Why are you doing this!¡± ¡°What is going on?¡± Shao Ning managed to squeeze out, somewhat dazed in her surprise. ¡°Feng¡­¡± Helian Zheng began, quickly rushing forward. ¡°Feng Zhiwei! You¡¯re here! What are you doing!¡± Helian Zheng grabbed Feng Zhiwei, but as he shifted her, the flailing flower hoe shifted and bounced onto Helian Zheng¡¯s head, leaving a swollen, green and brown bump. Helian Zheng cried out in pain but refused to let Feng Zhiwei go. He gripped her tightly and spoke hurriedly: ¡°What happened to you? What happened?¡± ¡°Die! Die¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei called out as she energetically waved the hoe around. Fifth Prince¡¯s eyes grew bright as the surprise passed, and he quickly opined: ¡°This woman is Prince Hu Zhuo¡¯s Fianc¨¦e? Why would the Prince¡¯s Fianc¨¦e attack Sixth Brother? Unless¡­¡± His eyes turned meaningfully to the strewn furniture and ripped sheets inside the chaotic room. Helian Zheng¡¯s expression fell. Shao Ning looked to and fro, happiness growing on her face. ¡°Sixth Brother doesn¡¯t look so good.¡± She immediately added, ¡°Did something happen?¡± She had thought to catch Ning Yi at the compound and set him up so that she could later frame him for ¡°Holding Grudges against the Emperor,¡± but to her delight she had stumbled upon this other scene. If she could use this matter to separate Helian Zheng and Ning Yi, then she would be able to accomplish the task she had failed at previously. ¡°Monster! Wicked Monster!¡± Feng Zhiwei cried out, her eyes staring blankly as she looked around her. Her hoe still in hand, she struck down at Helian Zheng¡¯s head, crying: ¡°White Impermanence, get away!¡± Helian Zheng jumped backwards in his shock, but though he immediately left forward to grab her, Feng Zhiwei had already run off. Pointing at a random guard, she yelled wildly: ¡°Black Impermanence, you¡¯ve also come to trap me? Die¡­¡± She charged forward, her clumsy flower hoe waved around with enough fury to slay Gods and Buddhas, but it was clear to everyone that her clumsy moves used no inner Qi, and no one felt the need to do anything but dodge this inept woman. Princess Shao Ning and the Fifth Prince exchanged a wondering look, finally realizing the strangeness at hand. Now that Feng Zhiwei had finally turned her attention away from him, Ning Yi could rest, and he spoke coldly: ¡°Look at her! She¡¯s insane! I was taking cover in the Imperial Garden when this woman suddenly rushed over. I didn¡¯t want to fight, but she refused to leave me alone, chasing me all the way here¡­ She is accompanying Prince Hu Zhuo? Then please, take this thing away.¡± Feng Zhiwei jumped around smashing the air with her hoe, turning for a moment to glare at Ning Yi ¡ª you¡¯re a thing! Shao Ning¡¯s mouth opened and closed, disappointment dripping from her eyes. The Fifth Prince reached out his hand and firmly grabbed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s wrist, taking her pulse. He frowned: the woman¡¯s Qi was indeed chaotic, and her pulse was beating strangely ¡ª all the signs of a potential madness-inducing illness. The Fifth Prince turned and gazed questioningly at Helian Zheng. Naturally, the fianc¨¦e would be most clear on whether Feng Zhiwei was ill or not. But Helian Zheng had no time for the Fifth Prince¡¯s machinations, his eyes focused on his hand on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s wrists. Striding forward with raised brows, he called out: ¡°Your Highness, my fianc¨¦e has mistakenly placed her hand in your grasp.¡± The Fifth Prince paused a moment before awkwardly letting go, his face flushing green and red. The guards around them only barely managed to hold back their laughter. Helian Zheng paid no attention to the Fifth Prince¡¯s quandary as he pulled Feng Zhiwei to his side. Across the garden, Ning Yi¡¯s eyes flickered as he turned away. ¡°Does Prince Hu Zhuo¡¯s fianc¨¦e have this illness?¡± Shao Ning asked directly. ¡°Is this something she¡¯s done before?¡± Feng Zhiwei waved her hoe numbly, worry in her heart. She had no idea what Helian Zheng would say, and if he expressed his doubt, even if she and Ning Yi managed to escape today, the seeds to future danger would have been planted. Chapter 106 ¡°She ah¡­¡± Helian Zheng began, holding Feng Zhiwei in his embrace, absently combing through her hair as he stared deeply into her eyes. His voice stretched out even longer: ¡°She ah¡­¡± Goosebumps rose along her arms as the Prince stared ¡ª could this brat really guess at what had happened just from this? Was he that smart? ¡°She ah¡­¡± Helian Zheng dragged his feet as the other royals stared at him impatiently; even the seemingly aloof Ning Yi was beginning to frown. Feng Zhiwei could not bear the suspense any longer and quietly grabbed Helian Zheng and pinched down ferociously. Helian Zheng immediately smoothed out his expression and straightforwardly replied: ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Princess Shao Ning emoted, her face falling. ¡°You¡¯ve all heard as well.¡± Helian Zheng continued speaking, his hand still combing through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hair as he ignored the pain from her continual pinch, his diamond eyes glittering as he even feigned a shy and embarrassed face: ¡°When I was chased out of the Qiu Mansion for seeking a marriage alliance, *cough*¡­ well, the truth was, it was just like this¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Everyone replied in understanding, all of them suddenly enlightened. Everyone had heard about the Helian Prince and his failed visit to the Qiu Mansion, and all kinds of rumors were circulating about this drama. Some people had even said that the Young Lady Feng was an unreasonable shrew, but most people had paid no mind to the idle gossip ¡ª now the man himself had spoken out, and everyone present had seen the evidence. Young Lady Feng was mentally ill! No wonder the Helian Prince had been embarrassed to explain. ¡°Prince Hu Zhuo truly is devoted to Young Lady Feng.¡± The Fifth Prince forced a chuckle, ¡°unfaltering devotion¡­¡± Helian Zheng smiled in response: ¡°Of course, the men of the steppes like special women.¡± Across from him, Ning Yi suddenly spoke, smiling: ¡°Prince Hu Zhuo has such special taste ¡ª I truly admire that.¡± Helian Zheng cocked his brows as he turned to look at Ning Yi, a meaningful crease quirking the corner of his mouth: ¡°I am not as special as Prince Chu; it is I who admit you.¡± Feng Zhiwei could feel a problem brewing, but she had to keep feigning madness; she put all the drama aside as she waved her flower hoe, only concerned with getting rid of Helian Zheng¡¯s hairy, groping paw, but his grip was like metal. The man himself leaned down, brushing his forehead against hers to feel her temperature, covering his mouth as he whispered into her ear: ¡°Stop faking, aren¡¯t you tired.¡± A tremble shot through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart! So he knew! Helian Zheng looked into her eyes before glancing over at Ning Yi ¡ª the Imperial Prince was standing calmly to the side, secretly paying close attention to everything. Helian Zheng¡¯s perennial bright and clear demeanor fell somewhat, his lips curling in displeasure as he clutched Feng Zhiwei close, placing his hand possessively on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s waist as he pulled the flower hoe out of her hand and casually tossed it at Ning Yi¡¯s feet, hitting the ground centimeters away from his toes. Ning Yi did not move, not even looking at the flower hoe or the offending thrower. Helian Zheng turned his smile towards Princess Shao Ning and the Fifth Prince, as if his actions had been idle and agenda-less. ¡°My woman is not feeling well, I will look for the Imperial Physician.¡± Without waiting for a reply, Helian Zheng steered Feng Zhiwei away, and the pair quickly disappeared. The Fifth Prince and Princess Shao Ning could only watch in dismay as Helian Zheng left with Young Lady Feng. They exchanged silent looks for a long while before they spoke again: ¡°What is this place?¡± The Fifth Prince asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never come here.¡± Shao Ning was still silently wallowing in her disappointment, so it was instead Ning Yi who smiled and replied: ¡°You¡¯ve never been here, yet you were able to find it so quickly. Fifth Brother¡¯s care for his younger brother is truly remarkable.¡± The Fifth Prince felt the uncomfortable atmosphere grow and could only change the subject again: ¡°Who would have thought that the Feng Family¡¯s miss is not only ugly, but also suffers from a mental illness. Only the steppe¡¯s wild men would find her attractive.¡± The Fifth Prince typically had a cold temperament and rarely expressed himself, and right now he was only spouting random words to cover his embarrassment, but his words just happened to provoke Ning Yi. The Sixth Prince¡¯s face grew more and more cold as he calmly replied: ¡°Such blindness fills the world!¡± Flicking his sleeves, he turned and left. Princess Shao Ning and the Fifth Prince exchanged a final glance, bitter smiles on their faces as they also took their leave. Helian Zheng had his iron grip on Feng Zhiwei as he marched her out of the courtyard, ignoring Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hard pinches as she called out: ¡°Put me down, put me down.¡± ¡°Pretend some more. Shouldn¡¯t you be pretending?¡± Helian Zheng replied in a complex voice, setting Feng Zhiwei down in an empty hall. Leaning against a pillar, he smiled down at her: ¡°Come, pinch me.¡± His smile did not reach his eyes. Feng Zhiwei smoothed out her clothes as she sat on the open railing, asking him: ¡°How did you figure it out?¡± ¡°You ate the Reviving Spring Fruit?¡± Helian Zheng answered, moving to sit beside her. ¡°Our Hu Zhuo Tribe is quite close to Da Yue, and I¡¯ve seen this northern plant before. Even though it has revival in its name, it cannot save a life ¡ª it only excites the Qi and blood, allowing a dying person to live a little longer. I¡¯ve seen it used to allow dying patients the fulfillment of a final wish; when healthy people eat it, it will only make the pulse beat unevenly and agitate the Qi. ¡°But¡­¡± He continued slowly, ¡°it is good for faking madness.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, stretching as she replied: ¡°Faking madness really is not something normal people can do, how exhausting.¡± ¡°Even if I did not recognize the Reviving Spring Fruit,¡± Helian Zheng said, his eyes locked onto hers, ¡°I would never have believed you would suddenly lose your mind.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°How could a person like you suddenly go insane?¡± Helian Zheng¡¯s lips quirked, ¡°Even after you drive everyone else under the sun insane, you would still be fine.¡± Feng Zhiwei chuckled and patted the prince¡¯s head: ¡°Nephew, thank you for helping me today.¡± ¡°This is the responsibility of a man.¡± Helian Zheng replied, smoothly grasping her hand and rubbing it against his face. ¡°Only bastards like Ning Yi cannot even be men!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, smiling as she gently poked her finger into Helian Zheng¡¯s eyelids, forcing him to let go of her hand. ¡°He made you eat the Reviving Spring Fruit? Does he not know that this fruit is bad for you? And he asked you to fake madness? It¡¯s fine for him now ¡ª he¡¯s not in trouble, but what about you? Isn¡¯t your reputation the most important thing for you Central Plains women?¡± ¡°If you know that Central Plains women care so much about our reputation, why did you say that I have a mental illness?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked instead of answering him. ¡°Because you needed me to.¡± Helian Zheng replied simply. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart stirred, but she kept her face calm as she replied: ¡°There is a saying in the Central Plains: choose the lesser of two evils. If there are two bad outcomes, choose the less bad one; in this world, things cannot always be perfect.¡± Chapter 107 She quietly circulated her Qi. Even though the Reviving Sprint Fruit had disturbed her Qi, Ning Yi¡¯s dense, powerful True Qi had smoothed away all the bad effects, allowing the beneficial side of the fruit to calm her burning meridian illness. She knew that Ning Yi had given his all in this situation, and not only was it an unusual situation to begin with, her involvement was her own choice. Indecision in times of action only begets chaos, and even paired with enough sympathy and pity to fill the whole world, lack of action will never change the big picture. Ning Yi believed this, and so did she. ¡°You¡¯re protecting!¡± Helian Zheng cried out in dissatisfaction, standing up and cursing: ¡°Adulterous!¡± Feng Zhiwei did not know whether to laugh or cry, so she could only change the subject: ¡°My dress is stained again, what should I do?¡± ¡°You should go back to the Princess¡¯ Residence.¡± Helian Zheng replied. ¡°Wet Nurse Chen has already cleaned the stain from your dress and dried it by the stove. You can change back into that dress, and we can go to the evening feast together.¡± His eyes brightened with happiness as he suddenly declared: ¡°A beautiful couple!¡± Feng Zhiwei stumbled as she walked away. By the time Feng Zhiwei was finished changing, the feast was about to begin. The celebration had originally been planned inside the Lang Ya Palace, but the skies had opened up after the rain. The square outside the Lang Ya Palace was a wide and open affair, stone-slabs open on all sides. In the pleasant draft of the clear after-storm wind, the lively square was much more pleasant than a boring palace room, so the Tian Sheng Emperor declared that the birthday feast would be held outside. The main table was set up in the beautiful Zhi Shuang Pavilion by the Wan Cui Pond. Melon shaped lanterns were hung high above all over the square, and bright candle light threw everything into a red, rosy shade. The main dining table felt like a boat looking out on the gentle blue waves of the pond, the white stone ground beneath them reflecting the gentle light of the heavens. The wonderful breeze and the tasteful expanse stretching out around them only added more delight to their liquor, and Feng Zhiwei was filled with contentment as she sat by Helian Zheng. Of course, if she were not being observed on all sides by curious eyes, she would be even more content. The Young Madam of the Feng Family has a mental illness! She acted up when Prince Hu Zhuo had gone to seek a marriage alliance, and it had acted up just now with Prince Chu. Although the matter had happened only a brief moment ago, the news had grown a pair of wings and flew into everyone¡¯s ears. All the nobility and titled women examined Feng Zhiwei curiously before turning confused, pitying looks to Prince Hu Zhuo. No one understood how he had fallen in love with a crazy, ugly woman, and were filled with pity at the stupidity and tastelessness of the steppe barbarian. The unmarried young ladies were not so gentle and tolerant ¡ª their eyes were like knives soaked in ice. Helian Zheng was very handsome and fit very well into a young girl¡¯s imagination of a hero, and even though none of them actually wanted to move to the steppes and become a face in a harem, they were still unhappy when this eligible bachelor was taken away by another, especially when this handsome steppe grass was planted on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s pile of cow shit. This was truly the greatest insult to Dijing¡¯s beautiful noble ladies! How could such shame be tolerated? The young ladies were sad and hurt, many of them frowning to themselves, surreptitiously bringing out little mirrors beneath their tables and examining themselves ¡ª such beautiful, blooming faces and imperial eyebrows losing to that yellow faced droopy browed woman? Feng Zhiwei admired all the different expressions shot at her, calmly drinking her liquor and wondering at the great ability and speed of this rumor. If this kind of thing could be used to fight wars or maneuverer in politics, how wonderful that would be. The stars of the party had not arrived yet and the head seats were still empty. Below the empty chairs were the Second Prince and his wife, then the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Tenth Prince. Only Ning Yi and the young Tenth Prince were unmarried. In the years before his power, Ning Yi had claimed that his physical condition was not great and that he could not bear wasting a good young lady¡¯s time. It was also well known that he enjoyed brothels, so the parents of the prospective ladies were afraid that his body was not too healthy in that aspect either. Time passed, and with the Crown Prince¡¯s death and Ning Yi¡¯s growth in power, the topic of marriage alliances was brought up more and more frequently. The current most eligible pairings were with Vice Minister Hu Shengshan¡¯s granddaughter, Nobel Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s niece ¡ª a Marquis¡¯ daughter, or the daughter of the Minister of Personnel, Hua Gongmei. The unmarried daughters of the high officials were all seated on the west side of the square, each of them surrounded by symbolic, low hanging gauze screens; but quite peculiarly, there were no screens hiding them from the princes, which meant that if Ning Yi was interested, he could easily see any of the young ladies. This was not in line with the rites, and the meaning behind this arrangement was amusing to contemplate. Feng Zhiwei eyed the useless gauze screens and smiled faintly, wondering which one was Young Lady Hu and which one was Young Lady Chang. Ning Yi felt Feng Zhiwei¡¯s gaze and looked up to meet her eyes, his gaze glittering like flowing water, and all the young ladies thought he was looking at them, puffing up their breasts. Brother Ning, your eyes are really the-rivers-that-run-into-the-sea-sweeping-anything-and-everything-so-seductive-and-beautiful-and-coquettish¡­ Feng Zhiwei smiled quietly to herself, turning away and pouring more liquor. Mmm, no wonder the Ancient Mellow Moon was an Imperial only liquor, gentle and clear with a sweet aftertaste. Helian Zheng saw that Feng Zhiwei enjoyed the drink and actually drank so naturally and unrestrained and he liked her even more, hurriedly pouring more liquor for her as he eagerly served her: ¡°Have some more, have some more, this liquor is rare even in the Imperial Palace.¡± The liquor brought out for the Imperial Feast was fixed at a bottle per table in case some of the guests lost control of themselves and drank too much. Helian Zheng poured one cup after another for Feng Zhiwei, his own cup always empty as he served the young lady. As he poured, he swallowed to himself and ground his teeth. Over half the bottle was gone as Helian Zheng poured another cup, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes just as sober as when she drank her first cup. The prince could only look down helplessly at the empty cup, his face tragic. Why was she not drunk? How was she not drunk? He had sacrificed this beautiful, delicious liquor to make her drunk, but why was she not drunk!!!! ¡°Prince.¡± Feng Zhiwei said as she threw back another cup, smiling quietly. ¡°I forgot to tell you a secret.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Helian Zheng replied, leaning over. ¡°This kind of liquor.¡± Feng Zhiwei announced warmly, pointing to the bottle, ¡°I can normally drink two bottles.¡± Helian Zheng, ¡°¡­¡± Ning Yi¡¯s eyes swept over the pair again ¡ª the young couple sat together, laughing with heads together, so intimate¡­ All the noble young ladies immediately shrank back at his cold, dark glare. These noble young ladies were all hurt by Ning Yi¡¯s gaze, and when they looked over at Feng Zhiwei so happily enjoying the Hu Zhuo Prince¡¯s liquor it was like oil had been poured on a burning fire ¡ª this ugly woman! This pile of cow shit forcefully occupying the fragrant grass, even daring to enjoy herself rather than feeling shame! And she even luxuriated in the Hu Zhuo Prince¡¯s service, not at all nervous at receiving such favor from a prince! Chapter 108 Injured people naturally tried to balance their pain with revenge ¡ª the true nobles and powerful officials were out of their reach, but this crazy, ugly woman from with an unclear backgrounds was a suitable victim. ¡°Eunuch Wang!¡± A woman suddenly called out, standing from behind the gauze screen separating her from Feng Zhiwei. ¡°This place stinks, please arrange another table.¡± Feng Zhiwei toyed with her cup, tilting a polite smile up at the proud faced woman. The woman was quite beautiful, and she had the arrogance of a talent ¡ª only talented woman wore this perpetual sneer. As soon as this woman called out, another immediately stood as well, flicking her sleeve as she declared: ¡°Honored Eunuch, please find another table for me as well this crazy woman¡¯s smell is choking me!¡± Feng Zhiwei turned and immediately laughed; what a familiar face! The Qiu Mansion¡¯s 3rd Young Miss Qiu Yuluo! How impressive, even from such a distance she could still be choked by the smell! And really, these women were angry at her, why are their eyes all glancing at the upper seats? With pioneers leading the way, others soon followed, and pretty much all the young ladies were calling out to the eunuch in charge. They all variously expressed that their noble bearing and honorable characters could not be sullied by sitting near this crazed woman, and the stampede was so spirited that even their family elders could not restrain them. Qiu Yuluo led the way in intensity, going so far as to say this mad woman¡¯s presence and participation in the event was an irreversible insult to the Tian Sheng Dynasty. The young lady¡¯s anger roared through her, not even casting a glance at Feng Zhiwei as she declaimed, flushed with anger, her chest rising dramatically with her huffs. Her peach colored face made such a scene that several of the married Imperial Highnesses were unable to resist looking over, though they were all quickly caught and pinched by their smiling wives. Only Ning Yi paid no attention to the myriad performances by the assembled young ladies, instead talking to the Seventh Prince, carefully retrieving a delicate, beautifully drawn erotic art piece from his sleeves and sharing it with his ogling brother. Unfortunately, the two brothers were unable to hide it successfully behind their liquor bottle, and Seventh Prince¡¯s wife soon discovered their secret and was now fighting with her husband under their table. Qiu Yuluo was incredibly disappointed by her target¡¯s apathy, and with her disappointment came agitation and loss of self-control. Young Madam Qiu pushed the eunuch aside and brushed aside Madam Qiu, declaring: ¡°If you won¡¯t switch my seat, I¡¯ll find one myself.¡± But where could she go? Everyone¡¯s seat was already arranged, and despite her little tantrum, Qiu Yuluo knew this as well. Nevertheless, she bent down and lifted her seat a little, planning to move it a little to demonstrate her determination and show off her unique character to Prince Chu. She had just bent over while ignoring the eunuch trying to stop her when another man walked over, bottle in hand. Calling out smilingly, he said: ¡°Don¡¯t stop her, don¡¯t stop her, I also think it smells here. Everyone here is wearing pounds of powder, it¡¯s indeed choking me to death.¡± He turned to the eunuch and called out: ¡°Go, help this seventy Jin powder, thirty Jin jewelry, forty Jin body, totaling 150 Jin young lady move her seat¡­ hmm, over there is pretty good. It¡¯s windy and up high, with a wide and pleasant view, a good place to appreciate the scenery and be appreciated by the people¡­ it¡¯s decided.¡± The gathered people looked where he pointed ¡ª The Zhi Shuang Pavilion peak¡­ Feng Zhiwei smirked from her seat, lifting her cup as she poured oil on the flame: ¡°Hu Zhuo Prince, you¡¯re terrible at counting, clearly it is 140 Jin.¡± ¡°There is also ten Jin of acne.¡± Helian Zheng replied, pointing his bottle at a tiny spot of acne covered by Qiu Yuluo¡¯s powder. Smiling, he toasted her: ¡°To your acne.¡± Silence filled the square after his words; every one of the gathered guests shocked silent by the prince¡¯s harsh rebuke. Qiu Yuluo felt so embarrassed she wished she could die ¡ª her plot had been exposed, and ten Jin of weight had been so casually added to her body by the Hu Zhuo Prince. Her face was pale beyond belief and her fingers twitching involuntarily as she stood completely at a loss. Helian Zheng was already striding back to his table, smirking at Feng Zhiwei as he wobbled tipsily. Feng Zhiwei could only sigh: why had he stolen her opportunity? But it was undeniable that brother Helian¡¯s eloquence was quite remarkable¡­ In the awkward silence that followed, Qiu Yuluo¡¯s bewilderment was made even more obvious. The Seventh Prince eyed the embarrassed girl and did not have the heart to watch anymore, so he turned and cast a questioning look at Ning Yi. Ning Yi indifferently replied: ¡°This woman has no propriety, what is this occasion? Who is she insulting? Dijing¡¯s young madams have often mocked the Hu Zhuo people, and now she dares to embarrass the Hu Zhuo Prince? If Father Emperor hears of this, he will definitely send down punishment.¡± Seventh Prince stirred; he was in charge of almost half of the inner and outer Imperial Palace affairs and could not just watch idly; he immediately exchanged a glance with his wife, and his wife quickly waved to Feng Zhiwei, calling her forward. The Seventh Prince¡¯s wife would express her kindness and concern for the Hu Zhuo Prince¡¯s date, thereby expressing the Imperial Family¡¯s respect to the prince himself. Feng Zhiwei could not refuse this gesture, and as she stood by the Prince¡¯s wife, the kind lady praised her hands, praised her hair, praised her dress and her fingers, but just could not praise her face. Feng Zhiwei waited gently, listening politely, all the while wishing to herself: praise my face, praise my face, please praise my face, if you can praise my face then I will truly admire you ¡ª¡ª And then she heard the Prince¡¯s wife say: ¡°You¡¯re complexion is quite good, and even though you¡¯re not very white, you¡¯ve yellowed quite evenly.¡± Feng Zhiwei trembled. Liquor leaked from the Seventh Prince¡¯s mouth. Ning Yi coughed, half choking. Feng Zhiwei blinked to herself, waiting half a moment as she brought herself under control, struggling to maintain her composure as she replied: ¡°Not as evenly white as you.¡± The Seventh Prince¡¯s wife trembled. The Seventh Prince sprayed liquor like a waterfall. Ning Yi choked. After a moment, the Seventh Prince managed a chuckle: ¡°What an interesting person.¡± His wife grabbed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand again: ¡°I do quite like you, how about you sit by me?¡± This favor gave too much face, and just as Feng Zhiwei was about to politely refuse, Ning Yi suddenly called over from his table: ¡°Seventh Brother, your table is filled already, how can you squeeze in another person? Let her sit by my, I have space a plenty.¡± All the intently listening young ladies were stunned with disbelief, and Qiu Yuluo fell soullessly from her chair, her almost recovered complexion paling once more. They all stared at Feng Zhiwei with wolfish eyes, none of them understanding how this crazy, ugly woman could have won not only Prince Hu Zhuo¡¯s favor, but also manage to attract the attention of the lofty and arrogant Prince Chu! They had all worked so hard and had been ignored, and Feng Zhiwei dared to have a downcast face when Prince Chu invited her to join him! Chapter 109 Translator: Aristophaneso Feng Zhiwei was clearly displeased, and she made no effort to hide her thoughts as she glared at Ning Yi. ¡°How could you request such a shameless ¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei heard herself say in a trance, and for a moment she was not sure whether she had actually spoken or not. Flicking her hair and turning away from the insufferable man, she bumped into Helian Zheng. The Hu Zhuo Prince smiled as he grabbed her hand, calmly declaring: ¡°She is my fianc¨¦e, why would she sit with you? After provoking half the women of Dijing, you now want to lay your hands on my woman? Your skills are better spent on those pink dolls of yours.¡± Helian Zheng pointed at Qiu Yuluo with his chin, laughing as he pulled Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand and turned. This prince¡¯s background was unshakable, and the men of the steppes were known to have unrestrained spirits to begin with ¡ª even the Emperor dealt modestly with this young man, so what could these princes do to him? The princes all laughed at Helian Zheng¡¯s mockery, poking fun at Ning Yi, and the offended man himself only smiled silently. As Helian Zheng made his way through the crowd, he turned back and met the Sixth Prince¡¯s gaze. At that moment, Feng Zhiwei felt as if sparks were flying beside her¡­ After this kerfuffle, the young ladies no longer dared speak; the pale faced Qiu Yuluo finally regained her seat, and the infuriated Madam Qiu could only sigh and whisper into her daughter¡¯s ear: ¡°Yuluo, trust me, never provoke your older sister Feng.¡± Qiu Yuluo silently bit her lips, filling her mother with worry. Madam Qiu knew that her little girl had never suffered, so how could she know what was at stake? The Feng Family¡¯s young miss was terrifyingly talented ¡ª without money or background, securing a place as a favored minister of the Emperor. Even the newly minted Imperial Merchant Yan Family and the powerful Chunyu Family courted her favor, and her control even extended to the Qiu Young Master, plucking him from the Hu Wei Camp and placing him under Chunyu Meng in the Chang Ying Guard. Even if she was not willing to harm the Qiu Mansion, she still had the Qiu Young Master in her hands. Her return to the mansion on the heels of the Qiu Master¡¯s expedition was surely not coincidental as well, and the more Madam Qiu thought about Feng Zhiwei¡¯s influence, the more cold sweat dripped down her spine. The experienced matron patted her daughter¡¯s hand, already thinking of how to talk some sense into her when they returned home when a young lady beside them suddenly turned to Qiu Yuluo and whispered: ¡°You are Little Sister Yuluo? Don¡¯t feel bad, that mad woman will not be looking good for long.¡± Qiu Yuluo¡¯s eyes flashed as she turned hopefully to the young lady: ¡°Does Older Sister Hua have a plan?¡± This young lady was the Ministry of Personnel¡¯s daughter, Hua Gongmei, the first eager soul who had leapt ahead of the pack to attack Feng Zhiwei. She was much more sly than Qiu Yuluo and had shut up as soon as she felt something off, but she had not given up; now, Dijing¡¯s famed, talented beauty whispered into Qiu Yuluo¡¯s ears, passing on her devious plan to her accomplice¡¯s delight: ¡°Noble Imperial Consort Chang excels at literature and hates ignorant people¡­ If little sister can come up with a way to trap Feng Zhiwei in this regard, she will bring on her own destruction.¡± Hua Gongmei smiled quietly, an arrogant expression filling her face. If she called herself the most talented young lady in the whole world, who would be able to contest her? She would make sure that this ugly woman would fall from the clouds to be trampled in the dust! As the two plotted, the Emperor arrived with Imperial consort Chang. Everyone stood and bowed, and after a toast to the honored birthday star, the music and dancing began. Noble Imperial Consort Chang was greatly contented and in an excellent mood, and quickly sent the Fifth Prince and his wife off to offer toasts to the guests. None of the well-dressed wives could refuse this Imperial Grace and were forced to drink until flushed and tipsy. A pleasant breeze blew through the square carrying the fragrance of alcohol past the more and more unrestrained guests, a truly boisterous and happy occasion. After a few rounds of drinks, several of the princes exchanged glances and began offering their birthday gifts. The Fifth Prince had already presented his pair of precious Pen Monkeys, and the Noble Imperial Consort had brought her adored gift with her to the feast. Clearly, no one could compete with the mother¡¯s natural son. The Second Prince presented a pair of exquisitely sculpted green jade peaches, clearly rare and difficult to procure, but ultimately not too valuable. The Seventh Prince presented a rare set of ancient books, fitting both his ¡°Poetry Prince¡± nickname and the Noble Imperial Consort¡¯s hobby. Princess Shao Ning presented a famous named Chinese Zither, and the Tenth Prince brought a Jiang Huai style Screen. The Imperial Consort praised each gift, happiness covering her face. But when Ning Yi presented his gift, Imperial Noble Consort Chang¡¯s smile slipped for a brief moment. His gift was a root carving beautifully crafted in a foreign style, its bold and unrestrained angles meshing with its fine and delicate details. The root was a clear portrayal of the South Sea¡¯s famous Mount Wu Yang, the masterful strokes of the knife beautifully depicting the green mountains and cloudy skies, evoking the bright sun and the fragrant pine, capturing mother nature and all her beauty. The Tian Sheng Emperor was deeply impressed with the gift, and after looking it over this way and that finally joked with Consort Change: ¡°You have so many good things already, how about you gift this to me?¡± Noble Imperial Consort Chang eyed the root carving with an unnatural expression before turning to smile at the Emperor: ¡°Your Majesty always teases this Consort. Doesn¡¯t everything that I possess already belong to your?¡± Ning Yi smiled up at the Imperial couple, saying: ¡°Father Emperor never lets go of any good thing, look at Mother Consort¡¯s unwilling expression, are you still willing to take it from her?¡± The Emperor laughed loudly as he put down the carving, saying: ¡°You monkey, look at your slippery tongue!¡± The Imperial Consort gracefully retrieved the root carving and placed it by her other gifts before casting Ning Yi a meaningful gaze. Ning Yi smiled normally. Feng Zhiwei looked away from the carving, already planning to check on South Sea¡¯s Chang Family in her free time the next day. Once the Imperial Children were done presenting their gifts, it was now the time for the young ladies from the noble families to demonstrate their talents ¡ª this was an unwritten practice of the Imperial Palace, and most of the Princely Wives had been chosen from just such occasions. Ning Yi and Ning Ji were not yet paired, so today was also a matchmaking feast. Feng Zhiwei had been unwillingly dragged into this feast, and only now did she understand why all these girls had dressed so alluringly. Feng Zhiwei could not help but think back to her time as a servant boy in the brothel; she felt as if these tables of young ladies hidden behind their gauze screens were not too different from the Lan Xian Brothel¡¯s girls waiting for their customers. The status was different, but the circumstances were quite similar, and all the girls looked up at the brilliant, rich men with glowing eyes. Feng Zhiwei could not help laughing to herself at the comparison. She hid her laugh, but Ning Yi immediately turned to look at her, a frown crossing his face. What was the matter with this woman? She clearly knew that this was a matchmaking feast, why was she so happy? Suddenly, he felt somewhat unhappy. ¡°It¡¯s always good to have a prize.¡± Noble Imperial Consort Chang said to the Emperor, and her husband smiled and ordered some people to bring over some gold thread pouches and gold coins. ¡°Let¡¯s have the kids show their hands and give us a show.¡± Chapter 110 Noble Imperial Consort Change turned to the Imperial Children: ¡°Now don¡¯t be miserly or else others will laugh at you.¡± The Princes chuckled and began reaching into their pockets, but everyone¡¯s focus was locked onto Ning Yi and Ning Ji. Of course everyone cared most about Ning Yi ¡ª all the other princes were just a foil for the party, and the only thing that mattered was what Ning Yi brought. But Ning Yi only smiled silently. Shao Ning covered her mouth and chuckled, saying: ¡°I am so poor, I¡¯m still waiting for the Imperial Consort to gift me some things, so I won¡¯t join this game, but I know that Sixth Brother is very rich. Can anyone control the Ministry of Revenue without becoming a God of Wealth? The way I see it, Sixth Brother should bring out his Luan[1] Jade Pendant, and we can all see who is lucky enough to win it.¡± Shao Ning¡¯s words sent a stir through the gathered young ladies; every Tian Sheng Prince was granted a Luan Jade Pendant by the Emperor, a keepsake at their birth prepared for choosing a future wife. How could a Prince use their pendant as a prize for a casual competition? After all, this occasion might be the first opportunity for the winning young lady to meet the Prince, and ultimately talent did not represent everything ¡ª betting this prize was too reckless. As the perceptive young ladies thought quickly, their excitement faded and they calmly sat back. ¡°Managing the Ministry of Revenue is a task given by Father Emperor; this Elder Brother uses the same salary that you are given, not a single coin more.¡± Ning Yi calmly replied, turning a small smile towards Princess Shao Ning. It was rather Shao Ning¡¯s turn to freeze ¡ª she was only a first rank Princess, and her monthly allowance was way too high; when the Crown Prince had been in power, nobody complained, but now that her backing was gone, appeals were beginning in the Imperial Court. Some of the Imperial Censors had even submitted a joint statement, citing the Yi Cheng Princess¡¯s rebellion under the Da Cheng Dynasty to indicate the inauspiciousness of a Princess receiving more Imperial Allowance that a Prince, therefore requesting a demotion in Shao Ning¡¯s Imperial Privileges and her allowed number of bodyguards. After Ning Yi subtly called up this matter, the Princess no longer dared speak. ¡°But¡­¡± Ning Yi continued, his smile widening, ¡°Young Sister¡¯s last words have finally spoken some truth.¡± Flashing his earth-shattering smile, he smoothly retrieved a stunning jade pendant from his robes and gently placed it on a tray beside him. The clear clang of the Luan Jade Pendant¡¯s contact with the tray filled the silent square. Countless hearts began to pound. Prince Chu¡¯s philandering was infamous, but his amorousness seemed only surface deep. Every commoner could hear about how Ning Yi had recklessly splurged on a beautiful lady in some random brothel, but he never went out searching for concubines or sealed marriage alliances. Even now, his mansion only held two or three concubines, one gifted by the Emperor, another by the Crown Prince, and perhaps another from one of the other Princes. It was said that Ning Yi¡¯s harem used to be much larger, but once in a while one of his concubines would meet some fatal accident, so now all those who survived lived like relics buried deep underground ¡ª if Prince Chu did not go and dig them up, they would never emerge on their own. Many people had thought that Ning Yi had accidentally lost his Luan Jade Pendant and that no one would see it in this lifetime. But today, the talisman was brought out into the open. ¡°Son, you¡¯re truly in a good mood today.¡± The Emperor spoke, surprise flashing through his eyes as he looked over the gathered young ladies. He understood his son well enough to know that if no one at the feast interested him, he would never have taken out his Luan Jade Pendant. Of course, he looked at every single young lady except Feng Zhiwei. How could this affair have anything to do with an ugly and insane ¡°married woman¡±? ¡°We usually do some poetry and literature,¡± Noble Imperial Consort Change began, chatting with the Emperor, ¡°Should we try something new today?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ask the children and see what ideas they have?¡± The Emperor replied, smiling. ¡°Your Majesty, Your Highness.¡± A yellow clad young lady stood, bowing to all four sides in accordance with the rites, her posture elegant and tasteful, deserving of praise. Her face was gentle and soft, beautiful and enchanting ¡ª she was the most famous maiden talent in Dijing, Minister of Personnel¡¯s daughter, Hua Gongmei. Everyone thought she was the most suitable speaker; there was no one else who could take this responsibility. Hua Gongmei swept her eyes over the gathered people, eminently satisfied with their reactions. Her expressions grew solemn and noble, her voice gentle as she smiled: ¡°Your Majesty, Your Highness, Princes and Princess, this Young Lady has a humble idea.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± Noble Imperial Consort Chang commanded in an indifferent voice, somewhat upset that Hua Gongmei had stolen her niece¡¯s thunder. ¡°Our Dynasty is at war and tens of thousands of soldiers fight bravely at the battle front, their heroic minds firm as steel, our Tian Sheng banners filling the sky like forests. We young noble women cannot fight on the battlefield, but our hearts still beat for the challenge.¡± Hua Gongmei smiled, continuing. ¡°This Young Lady proposes that we imitate the battlefield¡¯s challenge. The challenger can offer duel to anyone, with time set by the war drum. Under three beats of the drum, both sides must finish a literary essay. Whoever fails to complete the essay automatically loses. In this way, we can pay homage to our fearless Tian Sheng Soldiers fighting for our dynasty and increase morale for our Tian Sheng Army¡¯s perfect victory against Da Yue. What do the Honored Lords and Ladies think?¡± This challenge demanded both literary talent and quick thinking, much more difficult than the normal competition that allowed the young ladies their time to leisurely write. Noble Imperial Consort Chang lightly furrowed her brows; her niece definitely possessed literary talent, but she was not great at thinking fast. Just as the Consort was pondering how to phrase her refusal, the Tian Sheng Emperor nodded, his eyebrows raised in a smile as he announced: ¡°Good, this is a good idea. The Young Ladies will challenge under the time limit of three drums. A novel and interesting idea, let us proceed.¡± Noble Imperial Consort Change sighed silently. She knew that the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s mind was focused on the war and that Hua Gongmei¡¯s idea catered exactly to his wishes, so she could only call for a drum. Soon, the drum was prepared by the bottom of the palace stairs. ¡°Will Prince Chu do us ladies the honor of beating the drum himself?¡± Hua Gongmei asked, smiling up at Ning Yi. Ning Yi gently placed his cup to his lips before setting it down and smiling back at Hua Gongmei. Huo Gongmei¡¯s heart cheered. ¡°No.¡± The Seventh Prince gracefully came to the rescue of the embarrassed young lady: ¡°How could Sixth Brother beat the drum? What if he showed favor to some of the young ladies and beat a different time? What would we do then?¡± Laughter rang through the square, rescuing Hua Gongmei. The young lady quickly seized the way out and replied: ¡°Yes, many thanks for Your Highness¡¯s reminder, it was this little lady¡¯s mistake.¡± After making her calm apologies, she bowed to the main seat: ¡°May we trouble Your Majesty to pick the drummer?¡± ¡°We will have to trouble the Hu Zhuo Prince then.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor announced after a moment of thought. Helian Zheng was a guest from a foreign nation and had less at stake for these matters, so he was the best choice. But Helian Zheng was very unhappy and muttered: ¡°If I beat the drum that means I am heading to battle, why do I need to beat the drum to entertain a group of girls?¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced over and reminded him: ¡°Prince, a girl is sitting beside you.¡± ¡°You are my Little Aunt,¡± Helian Zheng replied without any embarrassment, ¡°My Little Aunt is my elder.¡± [1] ð½ Chapter 111 ¡°Go.¡± Feng Zhiwei pushed the prince. ¡°Defying an Imperial Order on this small matter is not worth it. Helian Zheng threw back his liquor before rolling up his sleeves and striding over to the drum; as he moved, he turned his head and called back: ¡°You can¡¯t join. Ning Yi is looking for a wife; it¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°How could I.¡± Feng Zhiwei called back, shooing him forward, ¡°Nobody¡¯s wife selection has anything to do with me. She turned back to her liquor ¡ª how was this a good game? The Tian Sheng Emperor clearly wanted Hua Gongmei to win; setting such difficult rules was basically giving Hua Gongmei the win. The Hua Family was noble and high ranking but held very little power, and clearly the Tian Sheng Emperor did not want Ning Yi to marry a wife from a powerful line and give wings to the tiger. Helian Zheng sat by the drums, gold-handled drumsticks in hand as he obediently tattooed the beat. Hua Gongmei smiled, still standing as she looked out over the crowd. None of the girls who met her eyes were confident, and most of them seemed to hunch back a little as if afraid that Hua Gongmei would challenge them, and the smile on the young lady¡¯s face only grew. But finally a voice called out, unwilling to accept the slaughter. ¡°Your Majesty, this young lady has an objection!¡± A purpled young woman stood up and announced, her physique tiny and cute, thin and weak, but her voice ringing out melodiously. ¡°Literary talent can be graded higher or lower, but swift thinking does not demonstrate talent. This rule is unfair!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor paused before replying and Imperial Noble Consort Chang immediately seized the opportunity, recognizing Vice Minister Hu Shengshan¡¯s granddaughter, she replied: ¡°Young Madam Hu, if you have a better idea, speak.¡± Young Madam Hu Jingshui bowed ceremonially before replying in her clear voice: ¡°Since we are cheering on the frontline soldiers, everyone should be involved. This Young Lady thinks that after the Hu Zhuo Prince beats the drum three times, everyone can write a challenging subject on a slip of paper. Your Majesty and Your Highness can then choose and rank the three most difficult subjects. At first, only the name of the person who submits the challenge is announced. If your challenge is chosen, you must provide an answer. Everyone else can choose freely from the ranking of three challenges, from most difficult to easiest. What do you think of my proposal, Your Majesty?¡± Hu Jingshui clearly understood that allowed Hua Gongmei to randomly challenge anyone would definitely destroy the conviviality of the celebration ¡ª rather than allowing the other woman to steal the show, dragging everyone into this more balanced game was better, especially if someone else could steal the spot for most difficult question from Hua Gongmei. Even if this did not happen, having a top three spread would ensure that the proud young lady could not make this game all about her, at least allowing different candidates for Prince Chu¡¯s pendant. This manner of choosing talented women was just an unwritten practice and only ever gave a casual direction ¡ª there were no rites saying that this was how a Prince¡¯s wife must be chosen, after such a marriage alliance was a major affair with many many aspects to consider. Hu Jingshui was confident of making it into the top three, and if Hua Gongmei was too arrogant, she might even able to beat her in one of the topics. Feng Zhiwei calmly drank her liquor, silently praising Young Lady Hu for her schemes. As long as the girl could get her topic into the top three, she would have face even if she failed to answer well, and ultimately anything was better than being completely crushed by Hua Gongmei. Hua Gongmei was fine either way ¡ª however much they changed the rules of the game, could they change the fact that she was the most talented young lady in Dijing? The Emperor thought for a moment. Even if he wanted Hua Gongmei to win, he could not be too obvious, so he had to agree; soon, the servants were passing out paper and brushes to all the young ladies. Ning Yi smiled and declared: ¡°What an interesting game. The Young Ladies will have to work hard; this small Prince toasts you all.¡± The beautiful prince floated down the stairs and toasted the crowd before finishing off his cup, his gorgeous eyes sweeping over the young ladies, sending a flush through the crowd as the young ladies emptied their cups as well. Feng Zhiwei lifted her cup and noticed a wax ball floating in her liquor. Just as everyone had been throwing back their drinks, Ning Yi had flicked a wax ball into her cup. Feng Zhiwei quietly removed the wax ball and opened in below the table. The small piece of paper said: ¡°How to weaken a vassal.¡± Cheating? Feng Zhiwei crumbled the note and thought for a moment. The Tian Sheng Dynasty¡¯s only vassal outside the Ning Family is the Yong Ning Prince, Governor of Xi Ping Province. The Old Yong Ning Prince helped the Emperor conquer almost half of the dynasty¡¯s territory, and was even in a position to challenge for emperorship when he yielded the crown to the Tian Sheng Emperor. As such, the old minister was rewarded greatly when the Dynasty was founded, but the Emperor would always eventually take back what he granted. The young Yong Ning Prince proudly led his own armies and covertly opposed Imperial Orders, selecting his own officials for his autonomous cities and refusing the involvement of the Imperial Court. These years, even though the Emperor still showed his grace to the Yong Ning Princes, he secretly wished their downfall. Ning Yi wanted her to use this to enter the top three? With this topic? Feng Zhiwei smirked as she looked up and caught sight of the nearby Hua Gongmei; happiness was filling her eyes and her face was flushed with excitement, and her eyes seemed to be wet with tears. What? Had she drunk too much? At that moment, the long since bored Helian Zheng shouted: ¡°Begin!¡± All the young ladies quickly smoothed out their paper and inked their brush. ¡°Dong ¨C Dong ¨C Dong ¨C¡­¡± The drum was beat out slowly, but eventually it still had to come to a stop. Feng Zhiwei never stopped drinking, only scribbling some words down after the second drumbeat tapered off. The ink was sanded, the papers rolled and sealed, and the Tian Sheng Emperor went through each submission one by one. The light from the red lanterns shone down on his face and silence reigned over the square as he flipped through the papers. Everyone held their breath and nervously waited on the Emperor¡¯s reactions. Only two people had calm expressions. One of them was Ning Yi, looking down at his erotic drawings as if this matter of wife choosing had nothing to do with him. The other was Feng Zhiwei, who had sneakily stolen a full bottle of Mellow Ancient Moon wine from the nervous guests next door. She was not just a glutton for liquor, honest! It was just that the poor Helian Prince had barely tasted any yet. The bright lantern light clearly presented the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s face to all the onlookers. Suddenly, his calm expression changed and he let out a noise of surprise. Some people grasped their handkerchiefs. Others straightened their spines. The Tian Sheng Emperor examined the paper carefully before placing it aside, letting out a long, indecipherable breath. The Tian Sheng Emperor began to flip more quickly, and the waiting crowd felt as if their hearts were beating to the rhythm of the paper when the Emperor¡¯s hand suddenly stopped. He took out a piece of paper and looked at it one more time before suddenly bursting out into laughter. Chapter 112 Noble Imperial Consort Chang leaned over to investigate and then had to take out her handkerchief to cover her mouth. Everyone shared curious glances as Princess Shao Ning ran up the stairs to investigate, only to return holding her stomach as she shook with laughter. Ning Yi¡¯s calm focus on his erotic drawings wavered as he finally looked over to his father. The Seventh Prince was walking back to his table and shot Ning Yi a glance before looking away, a look of stifled laughter on his face. Ning Yi stared at his brother but the Seventh Prince refused to speak, only casting looks at him here and there without stop. Finally, Ning Yi banged his cup down, spilling liquor in every direction. The Seventh Prince jolted and knew that his brother was no longer playing around, so he quickly leaned over to whisper in his ear. Ning Yi paled with anger. The gold cup in his hand slightly changed shape. Feng Zhiwei eyed the cup sympathetically, feeling that everything around Prince Chu was so pitiful. After laughing for a long while, the Tian Sheng Emperor eventually placed the paper on top of his side pile. Noble Imperial Consort Change covered her mouth again as Shao Ning doubled over once more; when the Seventh Prince whispered into his wife¡¯s ear, she also had to search for something to cover her mouth, and after the curious Princes wandered over to look at the paper, they all returned and burst out in laughter. Ning Yi¡¯s cup was already a thin plate of gold. He looked over and turned to Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei met his eyes with a perfect face of adorable ignorance, mastered under the guidance of Young Master Gu. Ning Yi paused for a moment, eyeing her suspiciously. The Tian Sheng Emperor took a moment to look over his choices one more time, his expression growing complicated before he smiled and announced: ¡°Today¡¯s topics are quite good. My Tian Sheng Dynasty¡¯s noble young ladies have many talents.¡± Hua Gongmei smiled in pleasure, already smoothing out her dress and preparing to stand to receive her reward. ¡°These three.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor tied the respective scrolls with a Gold, Silver, and White silk ribbon before gesturing to a servant. Everyone straightened, their eyes burning with excitement. The servant opened the third place scroll and announced the winner¡¯s name. ¡°Ministry of Personnel¡¯s daughter, Hua Gongmei. A stir swept through the crowd as Hua Gongmei¡¯s face paled. How was she third!? Everyone was surprised by the outcome, and after the people recovered from their daze, joy and happiness filled the young ladies. People like Qiu Yuluo knew that they were not well read and could not make it into the top three placing, but watching a star like Hua Gongmei be shaken was pleasurable in and of itself. Qiu Yuluo looked over at Hua Gongmei¡¯s devastated and worried face and could not resist asking her: ¡°What now? Will my crazy sister win first place?¡± Hua Gongmei was no longer thinking about Feng Zhiwei ¡ª the Hu Zhuo Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e was not her competition, she had just been upset earlier that Feng Zhiwei had been showing off. At Qiu Yuluo¡¯s words, she snapped back with a sneer: ¡°Even if everyone else dies, it will still not be your older sister¡¯s turn!¡± ¡°Second Place,¡± the servant continued, ¡°Qian Yuan Library, Grand Scholar Hu Shengshan¡¯s Granddaughter, Hu Jingshui.¡± Hu Jingshui smiled gently, a hint of disappointment and surprise on her face. She had come prepared, having already consulted with experts, but someone still beat her? ¡°First Place.¡± The servant called out, his voice filling the square. Everyone stared, holding their breath ¡ª the two stars of Dijing had only gotten second and third, who had surpassed them? All the young ladies looked around and everyone seemed like a possible candidate. But no one spared Feng Zhiwei a glance. Ning Yi had regained his natural calm and was pouring himself another cup of liquor, schadenfreude peeking out from the corner of his lips. Helian Zheng flipped the drumstick around waiting for everything to end. This first place would never be Feng Zhiwei ¡ª she would never try to become Ning Yi¡¯s wife, her heart was too big for that. Feng Zhiwei was also cheerfully pouring out her own liquor ¡ª this no longer had anything to do with her. As long as her answer did not anger people to death, it would be fine. The eunuch¡¯s high pitched voice called out, cutting through the silence. ¡°Feng Zhiwei!¡± Gasps and exclamations. A bustling outcry. Countless guests shot up in surprise before realizing their lack of manners. The recovered guests sat back down, but two young ladies remained motionlessly standing. Qiu Yuluo and Hua Gongmei stood staring blankly into the distance as their panicked mothers hurriedly pulled them into their chairs. Ning Yi happily tossed back his liquor, coughing in his hurry, a faint flush filling his cheeks as his face grew bright like the moon. His beauty was elegant and ethereal like the floating clouds, and all the young ladies who had been ignored wanted to die. The drumstick fell from Helian Zheng¡¯s hand and almost landed on his foot. Feng Zhiwei accidentally squished her cup into a plate. What? Her question? First Place? The Tian Sheng Emperor smiled as he explained: ¡°Ignorance is a virtue for women. It is never a good sign in a nation when women interfere in politics; a topic may be good, but it may not be appropriate. Women only need to manage the thing¡¯s in their sphere. Although teasing and worldly, this First Place topic is in fact novel and brave, and deeply entertaining.¡± When the Emperor spoke about women¡¯s interference, Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s face paled, and she hurriedly added: ¡°Yes, this Consort agrees, this First Place Scroll truly deserves the prize. These words only roused the people¡¯s curiosity to higher heights. Everyone wanted to know how this insane woman from the Feng Family could earn such respect in the eyes of His Majesty and Her Highness. Such high praise clearly knocked aside the prestige of even the Hu Family and Hu Family¡¯s round madams, not to mention the Consort¡¯s unlisted niece. Feng Zhiwei was filled with such regret that she just wanted to hide and bang her head against a wall. She was wrong! In order to demonstrate their talents, all the young ladies had chosen subjects based on grand and important political events, causing the Tian Sheng Emperor unhappiness and dissatisfaction. In this atmosphere, her silly words had been lifted up by the Tian Sheng Emperor as a foil and warning to the Imperial Consorts and Concubines who meddled in politics. One false step would bring her a thousand years of grief! ¡°The Young Ladies can now choose one of the topics.¡± The eunuch announced. Helian Zheng could only angrily beat the drum as if trying to smash it into pieces. ¡°This young miss wishes to try the Third Place Scroll.¡± A pink clad woman stood and announced shyly. The Noble Imperial Consort¡¯s niece was a steady figure without notable merit or demerit and accordingly asked for the easiest scroll. The servant unfolded Hua Gongmei¡¯s question. ¡°Based on the Three Vassal Rebellion in the 22nd year of the reign of Chang Xing, Da Cheng Dynasty, come up with a plan that will not harm the country.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused. Was this not just a rephrasing of how to quell a vassal? The Three Vassal Rebellion was a rebellion mounted by members of the past Emperor¡¯s extended family. Why was Hua Gongmei¡¯s topic identical to the one Ning Yi had proposed to Feng Zhiwei? Chapter 113 Hua Gongmei¡¯s face fell, growing uglier and uglier as the eunuch announced her placing once more. When Prince Chu had given his toast, he had tossed a wax ball into her cup. She had been filled with joy as she unfolded the note: How to weaken a vassal. She immediately understood that His Highness was giving her a hint. Surely no one understood His Majesty¡¯s mind better than the princes who spent day and night by his side. She had been so excited that her heart felt like it would explode! His Highness was giving her a hint, and this was surely his way of saying that she was the woman he had in mind! Her dream was finally coming true, and she felt like she could cry. But! But! She only got third place! And based on what the Tian Sheng Emperor had just said, she finally understood what Ning Yi had intended, and her face paled. Feng Zhiwei watched Hua Gongmei¡¯s face fall and could guess at what happened. Her mouth quirked upwards ¡ª this Hua Gongmei was indeed clever: she understood the meaning of Ning Yi¡¯s line, but even in her extreme joy she hid the obvious meaning and used a historical case in a different dynasty. If she had directly copied down the message about quelling vassals, she would have very likely been punished immediately for her overreaching. The Yong Ning Prince showed no outward signs of rebellion, and the Imperial Court and this powerful Vassal still maintained cordial appearances. Taking down this Prince was the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s biggest secret ¡ª how could it be casually brought out into the open at an occasion like this? If someone dared slander the Yong Ning Prince, the Tian Sheng Emperor would need to immediately hand out justice and punish the offender for ¡°Provocation and Sabotage intended to damage the bond between the Emperor and a National Pillar.¡± But since she had hidden the meaning of the topic, His Majesty could play dumb and give her a second chance. Feng Zhiwei picked at her nails, realizing that she had also fallen into Ning Yi¡¯s trap. This man was really too good at controlling other people. He had thrown the same wax ball trap to two women, but his plan for each was different. He wanted to drag Hua Gongmei down from the first place and make her fall, and he wanted to force Feng Zhiwei to climb up. Hua Gongmei was obsessed with him and incredibly confident, so she would definitely write whatever he told her to write. But Feng Zhiwei would definitely not listen to what he said, and she would know enough to not use this topic anyway. Not only would she be wary of this particular subject, she would also wonder whether he was setting her up, so she would be more likely to swerve in the opposite direction, and if she could mock him a little, she definitely would. And the truth was, she could not resist mocking him. But this attracted the Emperor¡¯s attention. Just as Ning Yi had planned and hoped. Feng Zhiwei quietly grit her teeth, complaining to herself about this stupid Prince Chu and that stupid Gu boy back home! Why were they always so difficult! After preparing during the three drumbeats, Young Lady Chang began to speak. She was well learned and quickly analyzed the situation. She spoke of using a capable general and well-equipped army to slowly and steadily push forward while using other means to break down the vassal¡¯s sphere of influence. She spoke of ways to weaken them, how to use military force to contain them, and how to eventually taper off the military occupation while keeping the ministers and commoners calm. In short, she said to prepare early while dealing courteously on the surface, striking quickly and fiercely when the time was right. The Tian Sheng Emperor made no comment. He silently read Hua Gongmei¡¯s and then nodded at Young Lady Chang. With that sign of approval, the young niece let out a breath of relief and sat. Young Lady Chang might not understand what had just happened, but it was immediately clear to Feng Zhiwei that the girl was no longer in the running. The Chang Family was not a vassal family, but it was still the most powerful family related to the Noble Imperial Consort and very similar to a semi-autonomous vassal. How could the Emperor be pleased when the Chang Family¡¯s young lady declared such a detailed plan in public? And lo and behold, the Noble Imperial Consort shot a discontented look at her niece. Soon, it was time for the second place scroll, and the eunuch once again read out: ¡°What is the solution to the Lotus Hook Arrow conundrum?¡± The Lotus Hook Arrow was a new arrow invented by Da Yue. A hidden hook in the tip of the arrow would pop out upon contacting flesh and enlarge the room, causing devastating hemorrhaging. Many Tian Sheng Generals and soldiers had died to this weapon. Not only was this topic closely related to the subject at hand, it also demonstrated concern for the soldiers, directly addressing a matter close to the Emperor¡¯s heart. This was why this question was so highly placed. Silence followed the eunuch¡¯s words ¡ª this topic was not something that could be lightly answered, so no matter how much people desired to show off, they could not speak without care. If their methods were applied and failed to work, their words could cost tens of thousands of lives. Feng Zhiwei looked down into her cup as she thought back to a conversation she had had some days ago with Yan Huaishi about this very topic. Yan Huaishi had proposed a type of silk from beyond the sea to supplement the heavy armor Tian Sheng currently used. An extra layer a silk garment armor could prevent this arrow head from piercing deeply and therefore stop the hook from widening a wound. This was however not a new idea and would cost too much money to implement ¡ª the Imperial Court could not afford this. There was a way to solve this issue, but the theory had not been put to the test yet, and Feng Zhiwei was not yet willing to reveal to Yan Huaishi what this method was. She did not think it was the proper time to bring out this method. No one dared answer the question, and the Tian Sheng Emperor could not hide his disappointment as he gestured to the eunuch. Energy filled the square again. ¡°The First Place question¡­¡± ¡°I will try!¡± Hua Gongmei announced proudly, standing and casting a glance at Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei smiled back innocently. Try! I hope you can answer correctly. The eunuch opened the scroll and accidentally let out a chuckle. Quickly realizing his mistake, he immediately kowtowed and begged for punishment, and the crowd could only watch, tortured by the wait. Helian Zheng could bear it no longer and immediately stored over and grabbed the scroll, saying: ¡°Let me see what all this fuss is about¡­¡± His voice tapered off and his face twisted strangely before he let out a magnificent laugh: ¡°Yes! Exactly! Too true!¡± Everyone exchanged glances, wondering if this foreign prince would forget to read out the topic. Fortunately, Helian Zheng cast a glance at Ning Yi before laughing and calling out: ¡°As a woman, what do we hate most?¡± Hua Gongmei stared stupefied. Everyone was dazed. How did this silly question manage to win first place? What does a woman hate most? A humble birth? Ugly and talentless? Fading beauty? Adultery? A concubine becoming more favored? The children of a concubine showing more talent than her own? When someone you like comes and you cannot find a dress pretty enough to wear? Someone else wearing the same clothes you had custom ordered? Someone wearing the exact same makeup that you had just learned? Chapter 114 Translator: Aristophaneso Or meeting a rival in love thirty years after a life or death fight over a man only to find out that her dress was more expensive and her husband a higher ranking official? In that moment, everyone felt like they knew the answer, but in that same moment all of them felt that their answer was not good enough. There were too many answers ¡ª the nature of the creature woman was to never be satisfied. To have a woman know how to be content was harder than asking Helian Zheng not to have stinky feet. Hua Gongmei was stupefied. She had prepared for politics, history, astronomy, geography, and even arts like gardening, needlework, and tailoring. She was sure that with her talent and learnedness she could answer well no matter the topic, but for all her preparation, she had not been ready for this topic that asked about everything and nothing at the same time. This simple question was also the most difficult, for everything could be an answer, and no answer could be good enough. She paused, stunned, her heart sinking. She thought about Prince Chu¡¯s wax ball and this eccentric topic, and then she looked at the elegantly posed Feng Zhiwei and her unending supply of liquor. The mad woman¡¯s blue sleeves were wide and lofty like the ocean, and in that moment she seemed profound and indecipherable. Perhaps¡­ she had misjudged this woman¡­ ¡°What a woman hates the most is¡­¡± She finally began, slowly forcing out a sad answer, ¡°is her soul mate¡¯s lies.¡± Ning Yi smiled, pouring himself another cup of wine. Feng Zhiwei smiled, gesturing ever so slightly with her cup to salute this brave, unfortunate woman. Wrong. If he is willing to deceive you then he was never your soul mate. Helian Zheng shook his head, flamboyantly reading out the answer. ¡°What does a woman hate the most?¡± ¡°That Prince Chu is more beautiful than her!¡± When he finished reading the answer, Helian Zheng tossed the scroll aside and burst out in laughter. The hall was silent for a moment as everyone struggled with their laughter, turning from the yellow-faced, droopy-eyed Feng Zhiwei to the gorgeous and elegant Ning Yi. Tortured expressions filled every face as decorum overruled every outburst of hilarity. After finally subduing their laughter, the guests began to ponder the question. This worldly and mundane topic demonstrated a casual bravery and a teasing, natural wit willing to target both the lofty prince and herself; truly signs of an extraordinary woman. Ning Yi¡¯s fury had burned itself away and he paid no mind to the smiling gazes of the crowds as they compared him with Feng Zhiwei. He accepted it ¡ª for better or for worse, she had acknowledged his excellence; no matter what, it was better to be prettier than her than to be stupider than her. He knew that Feng Zhiwei could be quite spiteful, and if it was not for this setting, heavens only knew what kind of question she would have written. Up above them all, the Tian Sheng Emperor sat happily enjoying the show. The time came and he was about to hand out the awards when Hua Gongmei stepped forward once more, her eyebrows cocked high and her voice resentful as she spoke: ¡°Your Majesty, this question is talentless and meaningless. If this topic wins the first place in a solemn Imperial Feast, does that not mean that our Tian Sheng Dynasty has no talents?¡± ¡°It was always just a game.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor smiled and replied: ¡°Just a momentary amusement for the you young ladies, why be so serious?¡± Everyone¡¯s expressions deepened as Noble Imperial Consort Change let out a breath. None of the guests knew why the Emperor had changed his mind about the seriousness of the game. Feng Zhiwei tapped her fingers against her table, a half smile on her face. The Emperor had originally set his heart on Hua Gongmei for Ning Yi, but the girl had fallen into Ning Yi¡¯s trap and submitted a topic that utterly disqualified her. The Young Lady Hu could not be allowed to bind Hu Shengshan any closer to Prince Chu, so she could not be chosen either. Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s niece was definitely impossible as well, so instead of getting bogged down in unnecessary complications, the Emperor seized the opportunity presented by Feng Zhiwei¡¯s whimsy. Feng Zhiwei was already the Hu Zhuo Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e so she could be granted the first prize without any complex meaning and the whole competition could be written off as a simple game. After all, no one had ever outright said that the purpose of this game was to choose a bride, so if the Tian Sheng Emperor chose to muddle the waters, everyone else could only follow suit. In the end, today¡¯s game had been a battle of wits between father and son; Ning Yi had used Feng Zhiwei to escape the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s marriage trap. ¡°Yes.¡± Ning Yi smiled, casually retrieving his Luan Jade Pendant and replacing it with a regular jade piece, ¡°just a game for everyone to enjoy.¡± The dice had landed and the truth was chosen. When Young Lady Hu had proposed that all ladies, including those already married, propose a topic, the nature of the game had already changed. After Ning Yi¡¯s words, everyone gradually settled down, casting sympathetic glances at Hua Gongmei. ¡°But the reward must still be given.¡± Ning Yi spoke once more, gesturing to Feng Zhiwei with the white jade pendant. Feng Zhiwei could only walk over and fake her gratitude as she reached for the pendant. Ning Yi handed the pendant over, surreptitiously grabbing her finger as he smiled and whispered: ¡°Do you really hate that I¡¯m prettier than you?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled fakely. ¡°How could that be possible?¡± She replied, pulling fiercely on the unmoving pendant. But the jade pendant in Ning Yi¡¯s hand did not budge. ¡°I can become ugly for you, to match you.¡± He answered, smiling as he held tightly onto the pendant. His smile glistened like a reflection off of river water, twisting his voice insincerely, and she could not figure out if he was joking or serious. Feng Zhiwei could only continue her fake smile as she pulled harder: ¡°How could that be possible?¡± ¡°You never trust me.¡± Ning Yi smiled, refusing to let go. ¡°How could that be possible?¡± Feng Zhiwei snapped, impatiently pulling with all her strength. Ning Yi suddenly let go. Poor Feng Zhiwei suddenly lurched backwards. Helian Zheng rushed forward to catch her. But he was not as fast as Ning Yi who reached out and grasped Feng Zhiwei¡¯s wrist, helping her find her balance as he said: ¡°Young Madam Feng should not get too excited and throw a fit again.¡± His fingers brushed over Feng Zhiwei¡¯s vein before he let her go, a small smile dancing over his face. Feng Zhiwei paused, immediately deciphering his actions. He was afraid that the Reviving Spring Fruit might have hurt her body and so come up with this scheme to feel her pulse. She blushed faintly, quickly turning away. Their exchange was hidden from everyone except the standing Hua Gongmei. Resentment filled her eyes as she stepped forward once more, a devious smile on her face: ¡°Since it is just for fun, this young lady wants to challenge the Feng Family¡¯s Young Miss to another round. Older Sister Feng, do you dare accept?¡± Truly a woman who did not understand when to retreat. Fine. Since Ning Yi had already set her up and thrust her into the spotlight, she no longer needed to hide away. Chapter 115 Feng Zhiwei smiled coldly as she slowly turned. When she finally made eye contact, Hua Gongmei¡¯s smile turned stiff. ¡°I don¡¯t dare.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly replied. Hua Gongmei paused, having thought Feng Zhiwei¡¯s impatient and cold eyes were signs of an explosion. Her sneer deepened and she opened her mouth to speak. But Feng Zhiwei was already returning to her table, smiling as she called back: ¡°I am afraid that when you lose again, you¡¯ll be too furious and ashamed.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Hua Gongmei stuttered, blanking for a moment before barking an angry laugh, ¡°Less talk, since you agree, let us try the simplest Poetry Couplet Contest. To the time of one incense stick, forty lines. Whoever cannot reply loses. I¡¯d like to see how Elder Sister Feng plans to makes me furious and ashamed.¡± Couplet contests were not difficult, but a stick of incense burned very quickly. Forty lines in such a short span of time would demand the quickest of reactions and the swiftest of thinking. Everyone knew that the Hua Family¡¯s young lady was famous throughout Dijing for her quick thinking, and they were all eager to watch this game unfold. ¡°Alright.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor agreed, extremely pleased: ¡°The stakes will be decided later, let¡¯s first have a good luck at both of these young lady¡¯s talent.¡± ¡°A quick mind is the quality I respect the most in a woman,¡± Ning Yi announced, smiling. ¡°The gates to the Chu Mansion will always be open to the winner.¡± What did that promise mean? Hua Gongmei¡¯s eyes flashed, her hope kindling anew as Feng Zhiwei pouted disdainfully ¡ª this man was playing his tricks again! ¡°Please.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, not bothering with any more words. The incense was lit; cyan smoke curling upwards into the sky. Hua Gongmei called out quickly. ¡°Without poetry, one should not have guests to the plum blossoming!¡±[1] ¡°A delightful melody will always called down immortals from the clouds!¡±[2] ¡°A splashing oar raises misted vapor to a fisherman¡¯s song!¡±[3] ¡°The moon blankets a long river as a soft sound calls!¡±[4] ¡°Spring cries out to greet the aged peach blossom¡¯s flowering!¡± [5] ¡°Autumn wind blows anew to beckon the lotus¡¯s renewal!¡± [6] ¡°Poem done, brush is cast aside as laughter faces the heavens!¡±[7] ¡°Drink and sword in hand, trampling down the snow!¡±[8] ¡°When tea intoxicates, what need is there for alcohol!¡±[9] ¡°With the fragrance of books, I have no need for flowers!¡±[10] Over ten lines were exchanged in a flash as Feng Zhiwei ignored Hua Gongmei, smiling calmly as she poured out one cup after another. ¡°Fated are meetings and partings; futile is beauty¡¯s spring before the misted rain!¡±[11] ¡°All suffering, right or wrong, stems from love; vain are the eyes frosted by the storm!¡±[12] If short couplets could not stop her, then longer ones would have to do. Hua Gongmei grit her teeth. ¡°I watched you fall, as a sword flying to the west and a dragon dancing to welcome spring. Now I sit, listening to the rain pour beyond the eaves of the pavilion; thick curtains shield against the clarion moon; who left cares for these white hairs that fall like lonely snow!¡± ¡°I linger, bidding farewell to the dust. A boat heads east as the phoenix lute softly sounds. Alone, I pour out wine to the moon, forgetting, pretending that the peach blossoms wilted in but a dream. This small pavilion stands lonely in the vast wind.¡± ¡°Wonderful!¡± A voice called out as applause rang out. The skill demanded for the responding composition vastly outstripped the difficulty of the caller; after all, the challenger could have prepared their lines in advance. Hua Gongmei trembled, but she refused to give up. She turned and stared dazedly at Ning Yi, remembering the moment many years ago when she¡¯d first met Ning Yi. His elegance and temperament had lodged itself in her heart, and from that day all her poems and essays were composed for him ¡ª how deep was her affection, yet how cold was reality. Today, with His Majesty¡¯s secret support, she had thought that her dream might come true, but every step seemed awry, and every choice a mistake; everything lead up to this moment when she would lose against this ugly, no name woman! A deep sadness filled her heart. ¡°Who knows heaven¡¯s plans or what fate the voyagers meet? The Prince that year ¡ª golden belted and violet robed, white jade cup in hand, sharp sword by hip ¡ª amidst the red Tree Peony he admired the night¡¯s moon and laughed at fame that comes and goes with the breeze. Who could have known how inevitable the fall of love; but in vain have the bamboo shoots grown, in vain have the zither¡¯s been played.¡± This lass, was she finally losing hope? Feng Zhiwei turned and regarded her opponent. Hua Gongmei perked up when no line was given in reply, but Feng Zhiwei was only pausing to throw back and finish her cup. The liquor was finished, and the line produced. ¡°God sighs at creation and ponders the warrants of an afterlife? When we first met you wore a blue jade armlet, a green bamboo flute in hand; glittering eyes met as orioles and swallows sang, but our meeting was forbidden, cursed by the Palace¡¯s cruelty. Lament the gathering of dust; lament the bonds torn asunder like chaff before the wind; if I had known what pain and despair would come, loyal would I have stayed to a life of frost and snow; but let cry the Guzheng¡¯s sorrow!¡± When her words were finished, applause and acclamation called forth like the pounding waves of the ocean; and Hua Gongmei tottered backwards a step, her face pale as death. Feng Zhiwei calmly refilled her cup ¡ª she had warned her; the waters of the Imperial Palace were deep, and life was easier if one knew when to back down. But sometimes people refused to take the easy route; Hua Gongmei¡¯s face flashed a dozen expressions before she finally lost control and ranted. ¡°Your face is as a yellow rotted flower!¡± ¡°Your expression is resentful as a cleaver.¡± ¡°Your decorum is imbecilic as a child¡¯s!¡± ¡°Your expression is resentful as a cleaver.¡± ¡°Your language is as coarse as an old shrew¡¯s!¡± ¡°Your expression is resentful as a cleaver.¡± The square filled with laughter, and Feng Zhiwei tossed her cup accurately at the ground before Hua Gongmei¡¯s feet. ¡°Young Lady Hua, the incense is extinguished, you can stop now. This sister will now offer you a poem that warns of the dangers of romance; hopefully it will entertain you.¡± Feng Zhiwei stood and clasped her hands behind her back; the evening breeze fluttering through her sleeves and robe. Under the lantern¡¯s dim light her expression and grace seemed like that of an immortal goddess, and in that moment all the onlookers forgot her poor features and madness, and they only saw a woman standing off in the distance, a great scholar drinking below the branches of a great tree, humming and reciting as they strolled nature¡¯s roads.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled upwards at the prince, and Ning Yi leaned against his hand, gazing quietly, his eyes glistening like water under the faint red lantern light. ¡°To seek perfection in all ten aspects is to die nine times for every life; it seems at first as awe and glory in all eight directions, but in truth it is a closing of all seven apertures; you will lose all six relations, and your five organs will be tortured until death; your four limbs will fall powerless, and your days will upend your nights as you forget your three meals; in the end, you stand on two lands sharing a gaze. How is it not better to throw away this one heart filled with love!¡± The unrestrained number poem shocked the entire square. Hua Gongmei fell backwards, her hands clutching a table to save her fall. She remained stooped, stunned, until she finally burst into tears. Ning Yi toyed with his cup, the smile curving his lips as thin as a falling flower. How is it not better to throw away this one heart filled with love, how is it not better to throw away this one heart filled with love. This incredibly clever woman had used such a strange way to turn him down. But this refusal showed him a part of her hidden heart that he did not think she wanted him to see. This kind of woman was like the Penglai Immortal Island hidden beyond the mountains, seas, and Heavens. Every route hidden behind layers of heavy mist. A riot of flowers bedazzled the eyes and guarded the approach[13], but as long as he stood high, not even the passing clouds could block his gaze[14]? [1] ÎÞʫĪÑû÷Ï¿Í! Chapter 116 He smiled, lifted his cup, and saluted Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei raised an eyebrow as she bowed to the Emperor before returning to her seat, smiling wordlessly to herself. The surprised and admiring eyes of the gathered guests followed her ¡ª who would have imagined the strange Feng Family girl was a bright pearl covered buried in dust, but now the chaff had been blown away and the brilliance emerged. Compared to the noble daughters who frequently participated in all manner of poetry competition, she was more talented and well read by many factors! As people pondered her background, they thought back to what they knew of her mother, the famous firebrand Qiu Mingying. Many years ago, she had also been a famous and talented young lady in Dijing, excellent at both literature and Kung Fu, good at composition, calligraphy, Guqin, and chess. It was only because she later joined the war and won too many glories as a female general that her later fame overcame her early reputation and everyone forgot that she also once wore beautiful dresses and composed poetry under pavilions. The people began to understand ¡ª the Young Lady Feng had been with her mother all these years, and of course her outstanding talent was nurtured by her mother¡¯s attention, day and night. ¡°Truly a worthy daughter of the Fire Phoenix General,¡± the Tian Sheng Emperor began slowly, examining Feng Zhiwei, ¡°Erudite through paternal education and care; these words were no sham.¡± Of course, once the saying passed the Emperor¡¯s mouth it was no longer a mocking slight meant to attack both Feng Zhiwei and her mother; now, it was praise. The astute guests quickly understood his deeper meaning. ¡°The Fire Phoenix General is talented in both pen and sword. That year, her name rang through Dijing, and Young Lady Feng is truly her mother¡¯s daughter¡­¡± ¡°When I think back to the Female General¡¯s heroic bearing, I still feel deeply enchanted¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s been many years since I¡¯ve seen the general. Surely she is even more graceful now¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hands rested lightly on her table and a modest smile crossed her lips as she quietly listened to the chatter; half her face was shadowed by the red lanterns and no one could quite make out her expression. No one could see her eyes glittering with unshed tears. Mother. On Spring Feasts many years ago, you too composed poems in the palace and astonished the people with your words. You too wore beautiful dresses and crossed from palace to palace, your gorgeous smile the subject of ten thousand admiring sighs. You too faced a challenge in the golden palace, and after finishing off a cup of wine, called out your words. Today, I revive your yesteryear grace and fame, composing hundreds of lines while tasting wine, proudly laughing before the Emperor¡¯s eyes. And finally, I have won the Emperor¡¯s reminiscing sigh for past deeds. With these words, no one will dare abuse you anymore; no one will dare humiliate you. Her eyes glittered brightly, and suddenly she thirsted for another glass of wine, thirsted for that gentle spice to wash away the surging excitement in her heart, but she could not find her cup ¡ª she had tossed it aside for the flair. But then, a full cup of liquor was pass over to her and Helian Zheng chuckled in her ear, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s just a cup of wine, don¡¯t be moved to tears.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned, the crystalline droplets in her eyes gone, her gaze warm and smiling as she looked up at Helian Zheng, ¡°Thank you.¡± Helian Zheng was struck dumb by her smile, but then he recovered his normal, unrestrained temperament and struck his chest: ¡°Young Aunt, you are my heart, my live, and my lifeblood. Let alone this cup of wine, even if you ask me not to worry nine more wives, I will agree!¡± What nine wives? Feng Zhiwei paused, unable to react for a moment as she processed his words. As she thought back to their old conversation, Feng Zhiwei rolled her eyes and smiled, replying: ¡°Relax, since this Small Aunt is your heart and your liver, I will definitely take care of my precious nephew¡¯s ten wives, not forgetting any one of them. Helian Zheng smiled in reply, pouring a cup of liquor for himself and placing the wine at his lips for a long while without drinking. Since no one had been selected as a wife candidate, the young ladies were all quite disappointed. The Noble Imperial Consort noticed this and whispered into the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s ear, causing the Emperor¡¯s eyes to light up brightly as he smiled and murmured, ¡°You are the most considerate.¡± ¡°Your Majesty praises this consort, but this consort does not dare accept.¡± Imperial Consort Chang smiled as she replied, ¡°This is Prince Wei¡¯s filial piety, and this consort also has not seen this before.¡± With these words, she clapped her hands, and a melodious voice suddenly filled the square. Music rang out suddenly in a elegant but foreign tune, calling lightly as if from afar, with unexpected turns here and there mixed with the strange beats of a drum. The tune stirred the heart and seemed to slip past one¡¯s guard, and every pulse began to beat faster. No musicians could be seen, and yet all the guests felt as if the rhythm flowed around them, sometimes nearby, sometimes farther away, at all times free. The counterpoint and pauses seemed to call for a pause in the audience¡¯s beating heart, and emotions were already rising, with a few of the weaker young ladies already red in the face. The music had already stolen into the mind, and even the Tian Sheng Emperor could no longer keep up his casual demeanor, straightening his spine as he placed down his cup. The lantern light dimmed, and a red flash filled the square. The evening breeze followed the red flash, and suddenly a dancing figure emerged from a huge lotus blossom in the pond. Cloaked in red and gold silk, ribbons twirling in the wind, her hair tied back in a spirit snake bun* over her lotus makeup and the golden utpala flower drawn between her brows, she was like a fire to the eyes and heart. She held a small Pipa instrument that sang with crisp, clear notes as she danced, calling out here and answering there among the lotus blossoms. As she danced, the pond trembled and the lotus leaves tremored along with the flight of her silk sleeves and hem, an accompaniment to the tune called by her supple waist and gentle fingers. The woman had a gentleness to her vigorous moves that could not fail to enchant, and though her dance was a clearly recognizable Flying Apsaras Dance, the woman could still dance it with seduction. The woman flushed red as they watched, and the men began breathing heavily. The Tian Sheng Emperor tried to control himself, but even his breath grew hurried. Even though the woman was so far away and her featured blurred by the distance, he felt as if her frown and her smile were gorgeous, and that she danced as if utterly alone. The Second Prince climbed the stairs as his present danced, and he smiled as he spoke: ¡°Father Emperor, this dancing girl is from Xi Liang. Since her youth, she has bathed in a special herb found only in the wild forests, and she has only ever eaten food found in the wild without ever touching smoke or fire. Her physique is gentle and her breath clear, and she¡¯s also gifted at dancing on flowers, her style very different from our Central Plain¡¯s. What are your thoughts?¡± ¡°Good!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor called out in praise, but he also felt as if his reaction was inappropriate. Calming himself, he continued: ¡°We are at war and should be reducing our expenses, not wasting money on song and dance. If the soldiers on the front lines heard of this, it would not be appropriate.¡± ¡°Father Emperor, today is mother consort¡¯s fiftieth birthday, how could we celebrate her without song and dance?¡± The Second Prince replied, ¡°And this woman is also dancing our Dynasty¡¯s Yang Guan Lie[1].¡± ¡°This is Yang Guan Lie?¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor echoed in surprise, leaning forward to examine the dance once more. ¡°A war dance can be danced like this? How strange¡­¡± Chapter 117 Happiness crossed the Second Prince¡¯s face. Imperial Noble Consort Chang¡¯s face grew complicated, with a degree of happiness and a degree of helplessness. An aged and unattractive consort could only maintain her position in the Imperial Palace by gifting young and beautiful women to the Emperor. After the dance, the woman moved off of the lotus, slowly approaching the stairs. Her dress floated in the wind, the alluring red and golden silk drifting in her wake. All the noble young ladies could only feel shame before the beauty. She bowed before the stairs, her voice alto and hoarse and all the more attractive for its uniqueness. When she spoke, people could not help but think of scarlet bed curtains and lover quits and pinkness and softness. When she bowed, her neck and cleavage were like the yawning dream that all men yearned for. The woman¡¯s charm was one of steadiness and seduction, and her exquisite charm lent her enchantment all the more power. The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s eyes gleamed with pleasure, and the astute Imperial Noble Consort Chang quickly arranged a reward for the dancer and a room in the palace for her to rest. As the woman turned to leave, she glanced back at the Emperor with such flirtatiousness that the lofty ruler of the Tian Sheng Dynasty could barely resist rushing forward to chase her. All the princes watched the woman walk away, their gazes complex. Only Ning Yi was calm as the dancer left, for though he had shown great interest in the beauty¡¯s dance at first, he had gradually turned away and was now casually drinking under the red lantern light. Feng Zhiwei examined the man. He had just suffered an attack from his old wound and he still drank so much? Was he in the mood¡­ or was his heart unsettled? Her mind turned back to the dancing girl. Why had the Second Prince taken charge of this gift? This celebration was for the Fifth Prince¡¯s mother. Her heart was uneasy, and she stopped Helian Zheng from drinking any more wine. Up on his seat overseeing everything, the Tian Sheng Emperor gleamed with happiness. The Noble Consort by his side seemed more and more pleasing to his eyes as he looked over, and finally he announced, smiling: ¡°Last time I wanted to write a Longevity calligraphy for you, but in the end I forgot. How about I write one to compensate you for that time?¡± Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s eyes gleamed. This was a great honor, for this act held great meaning in the Imperial Harem. The Tian Sheng Emperor had only ever written Longevity for a single woman ¡ª the dearly departed Empress Chang. On her thirtieth birthday, the Tian Sheng Emperor had written longevity on a square scroll. And today, the Emperor would write it for her. The meaning behind this act was extraordinary. She had hinted at this gift many times on her birthdays before, but the Tian Sheng Emperor had never agreed or refused, but today the dancer had pleased him and he finally opened his golden mouth. The consort was pleased beyond measure and hurriedly called for a servant to bring brush and ink. Much of the preparation for the games still remained, so the servants quickly brought them forward. The Emperor wet his brush and put ink to paper, his bold, dignified strokes carving out longevity on the page. The broad ink shone magnificent under the red lantern light. ¡°Heroic and unrestrained! Lively and vigorous!¡± Noble Imperial Consort Chang praised. The two mischievous pen monkeys by the Imperial Consort¡¯s side emerged from their pen container, investigating the fragrant ink and squeaking happily as they grabbed the square scroll. The Tian Sheng Emperor laughed, taking back his hand. Then a golden light flashed! When the pen monkeys touched the scroll, they suddenly exploded into furious action, screaming and pouncing at the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s face! The Emperor had just been happily retrieving his hand when the little monkeys attacked. They were less than a handspan away and moved with great speed; all the guards stood far away, and the Imperial Consort was too terrified to react. Who could save him? ¡°Xiu!¡± Another golden light flashed from beneath the stairs, darting forward with such speed that it cut down the two monkeys before they could reach the Emperor. The two tiny animals fell to the ground, rolling beneath the legs of the lunging guards. Ning Yi stood at the bottom of the stairs, his face pale, the golden cup missing from his hand. The Tian Sheng Emperor recovered from the shock and turned to Ning Yi, calling out in a forced, hoarse voice: ¡°Yi er, investigate¡­¡± Before the Emperor could finish his words, he trembled and collapsed. Two black scratches marred the back of his hand. The glorious Imperial Feast ended with an assassination attempt on the Emperor. No one had prepared for such a scene; no one had thought the two cute pen monkeys serving daily at the Imperial Consort¡¯s side would suddenly fly into a rage. The star of the celebration instantly transformed into a calamitous star. Noble Imperial Consort Chang tore away her hairpins and cried bitterly, kneeling before the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s room the entire day pleading her innocence, but no one had any time for her ¡ª the Tian Sheng Emperor had been poisoned and was comatose. How could anyone believe her innocence? The two pen monkeys followed her day and night, but carried poison in their paws? How could she not be suspected? But right now, the most important thought on every mind was not about the culprit. Every soul in the palace wondered what would happen if the poison could not be cured. Who would sit on the supreme throne? This was truly a question that set the blood boiling. A quake swept through the city, its epicenter the palace. The news of the matter was sealed immediately, but the Chang Ning Prince had already had a group of people in Dijing. His men were greeting the Emperor and the princes while purportedly preparing for the Emperor¡¯s journey to the south the next year, and of course the prince¡¯s men soon discovered the truth. The Chang Ning Prince came to the capital to investigate, and as soon as the Emperor¡¯s demise was certain, his desire for the throne would reach its peak. The powerful prince would then find it difficult to resist bringing armies and weapons to Dijing to chase his ambition. The Second Prince was in charge of a portion of the Hu Wei Camp¡¯s military matters and had already received news that the generals were meeting together in many meetings. The Cabinet Ministers in the Seventh Prince¡¯s party recommended that experienced ministers from the cabinet appoint a prince as temporary ruler of the Dynasty. Of course, any prince would do, but at this special moment of great unrest, the Dynasty desperately needed a virtuous prince to calm the people. And clearly, the Seventh Prince¡¯s virtue rings out wherever wind blows. As all this drama was unfolding, several Imperial Consorts died under mysterious circumstances. In the chaos that followed, the powerfully posed Ning Yi did nothing. He single-mindedly dedicated himself to his given task ¡ª the Emperor had ordered him to investigate, so he investigated with all sincerity. None of the wind and rain nor rumors and ill wishers could affect him. ¡°This is the great question.¡± Feng Zhiwei said to her Yiyi as she rested in her Wei Mansion. ¡°There are two possibilities; either Ning Yi planned this, or the Emperor planned it.¡± Young Master Gu listened as Feng Zhiwei analyzed the political uproar, his eyes full of meaning as he slowly retrieved a small bag of walnuts and took out a large nut and a small one. Chapter 118 Feng Zhiwei very naturally picked up the walnuts and began shelling, starting with the smaller one. ¡°Do you remember when the princes came to my mansion to drink? When the Fifth Prince showed off his pen monkeys, those monkeys had golden fur. At the celebration, their fur had become dull. The Imperial Palace has enough food, so it¡¯s unlikely to be a lack of nutrition, and I suspect that there was never anything wrong with the brush or ink. At the time, the brush and ink were used by everyone and nothing happened; and so the problem has to be with the monkeys, but too many people came into contact with them.¡± ¡°Ning Yi.¡± Young Master Gu took the shelled, peeled walnut and ate it. One could not tell from his words if he was saying that Ning Yi was the man behind everything or if he wanted to eat the walnut named Ning Yi. ¡°Or it could be the Emperor himself.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued, grabbing the big walnut. ¡°He may have planned this to understand the true heart of his sons. If we judge simply from Ning Yi¡¯s reaction, this seems more likely. Everyone else is already planning their moves, but he is still playing the dutiful son. Why is he acting? For whom? Only the Tian Sheng Emperor. But I cannot believe that the Tian Sheng Emperor would be willing to sacrifice himself to test his sons. He has many better ways to test them, why bring suffering on himself? Then why is Ning Yi acting?¡± ¡°If Ning Yi planned this, it was definitely with great cost and effort. Would he waste this opportunity? Why?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked herself, unconsciously putting the walnut in her mouth. But a hand immediately reached over and pinched her jaw, while fingers came forward to grab the walnut meat. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s calculations and deductions flew out of her mind and she could only watch in stunned amazement as the saliva covered walnut flew into Young Master Gu¡¯s mouth. ¡°Mine.¡± Young Master Gu announced with great satisfaction. No one could tell what he was referring. Feng Zhiwei: ¡°¡­¡± After finally conquering her flush, she patted Young Master Gu and earnestly said: ¡°Young Master, listen to me, you cannot do this, that is not clean.¡± ¡°You are not clean?¡± Young Master Gu asked. Feng Zhiwei: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am not clean?¡± Young Master Gu asked again. There is no one under heaven cleaner than you! I know! I wash your underwear every day! Feng Zhiwei silently lamented, tears in her eyes: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Walnuts not clean?¡± Young Master Gu asked, his voice becoming serious as the gravity of the question deepened. Feng Zhiwei took a deep breath ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is not clean?¡± Young Master Gu asked, his straightforward mind confused. ¡°It¡¯s like this,¡± Feng Zhiwei began to explain, ¡°taking things out of the mouth is not clean¡­¡± Young Master Gu suddenly moved forward. He always kept a three feet distance from other and never initiated close contact, and Feng Zhiwei was so shocked by his first, sudden move that she could not react. She only saw his snow-white veil drifting in the wind and his half-hidden face nearing. A brightness filled her gaze and Feng Zhiwei shut her eyes. A slightly cool finger carrying the fragrance of walnuts gently touched her lips. The finger gently brushed against her skin, moving lightly at first, and then investigating more deeply as if surprised by the smoothness.] Feng Zhiwei quivered and hurriedly turned away. When she opened her eyes, Young Master Gu was in his original spot, his head cocked as he examined the finger that had touched her lips as if looking for dust. Feng Zhiwei did not know whether to laugh or cry, but just as she was about to change the subject, this man managed an even more terrifying move. After he had made sure there was no dust on his finger, he brought it to his lips. His snow-white finger gently touched his red, fiery lips, balanced over his jade jaw. He touched his finger to his lips, his head cocked and tilted with mild confusion, his entire person gleaming with a sweet, innocent radiance in a natural seduction. Feng Zhiwei immediately shot to her feet, unable to take another look at that finger as she fled. She had decided! She would never eat walnuts ever again! After Feng Zhiwei had returned to the Qiu Mansion from the Imperial Banquet, Madam Qiu had given Madam Feng and Feng Hao a new residence. Feng Zhiwei had dazzled the nobility and many invitations were already flying into her door ¡ª if it were not for the turmoil of the moment quenching any mood for tea and poetry, the invitations would have filled her whole house. Dijing¡¯s Most Talented Young Lady was no longer Hua Gongmei, but the newly minted champion still had not attended any other social gatherings ¡ª Feng Zhiwei was sick. Not just sick; Feng Zhiwei was even considering having Feng Zhiwei die from illness. If she wanted to keep the Wei Zhi identity then Feng Zhiwei could not keep attracting attention. She had been set up by Ning Yi and accidentally stepped into fame, but she did not want this. If she did not keep a low profile, trouble would come to her door. And so she planned on faking sickness for a while and refuse all visitors before finally using the excuse of recuperation to leave Dijing, gradually fading away the Feng Zhiwei persona. But before she had closed her doors, she had gone to Madam Feng¡¯s residence to pass on Wet Nurse Chen¡¯s words. ¡°I understand.¡± Madam Feng said, nodding from the shadows, her expression indistinct in the dusty light. Feng Zhiwei heard weariness and disappointment in her voice. ¡°You did well.¡± Madam Feng lifted her eyes and smiled at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°I heard what happened at the feast. Feng Zhiwei cleared her through, suddenly wordless. Her mother rarely praised her. Ever since she could remember, Madam Feng had strictly forced her to learn and study, teaching her Confucian Classics, history, philosophy, music, and literature, but also astronomy, geography, military strategy, and all sorts of other useful studies. Her mother had even brought out thick history books from previous dynasties to hold up history as a mirror to the present, to teach her how to not go astray by understanding the past. Her mother had never taught her embroidery or needle-craft, and once upon a time Feng Zhiwei had thought that her mother did not know these arts, but before she had taken up her armor and rode out to battle, she had been the Qiu Mansion¡¯s only Young Madam. How could a Young Madam from a lofty noble family not have learned these things? Now, at her mother¡¯s praise, Feng Zhiwei flushed with happiness. ¡°But¡­ you should not have done this.¡± Madam Feng¡¯s voice dropped. Feng Zhiwei looked at her mother with stunned eyes as Madam Feng stood and peered sadly in the direction of the palace. ¡°I¡¯ve always told you not to be too ambitious, not to show off, not to fight for honor ¡­ but then you went and forgot it all¡­¡± Chapter 119 Feng Zhiwei stepped back in stunned disbelief ¡ª how could she say that? When had she ever been too ambitious? When had she ever shown off? When did she fight for honor? When? When had she ever been so frivolous? All she had was a tiny wish hidden in her heart, a wish that had been planted all those years ago when Feng Zhiwei had first heard the heroic stories of the Fire Phoenix General. Feng Zhiwei had always hoped that she could be the one to lift that phoenix from the ashes so that it could hold its head up high, and perhaps through the daughter¡¯s excellence and fame, return glory to the shamed hero. She wanted to regain her mother¡¯s lost honor and glory, and even if they could not take a seat on high, at least people would treat her mother with ordinary respect. But¡­ her mother had never understood? So everything she had done was nothing in her mother¡¯s eyes? Her heart fell as if sinking into a mire¡­ it was always like this. Always. Feng Zhiwei offered up her hot blood to her mother, only to be rejected time and time again like trash. She looked down, not able to bear her mother¡¯s sight, and her eyes fell on a handkerchief hung on the back of a chair. A rosin colored handkerchief embroidered with a flying roc, clearly a work in progress made for Feng Hao. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei laughed quietly, mocking herself. Why the sadness? In the end, it was her own foolishness. There was no one else to blame. ¡°I understand.¡± She said, gathering up her sleeves as she continued, meeting Madam Feng¡¯s gaze. ¡°Rest assured, it will not happen again.¡± She turned and did not look back. Feng Zhiwei marched away with no hesitation in her steps, missing the sigh as quiet as the light dimly shining within the room. The news soon spread that Feng Zhiwei had smallpox, and the Cui Fang Residence let go of its servants and refused all visitors. Wei Zhi put on his robes and returned to active service in the Imperial Court. Turmoil ruled. Ministers and officials gathered here and there to plot, and every Prince¡¯s manor was crowded with carriages. The Fifth Prince extended his temporary stay, excusing himself under the guise of serving medicine to the Emperor. Though he was a suspect in the assassination attempt, he did not stay closed in his mansion awaiting inspection ¡ª at this point, there was no one to inspect him. The Crown Prince was dead, the Emperor poisoned, and the Empress passed; Noble Imperial Consort Chang awaited punishment, while Prince Chu refused to take charge. No one could take charge, and no one was willing to support others who made a bid. The Cabinet was busy stamping out troubles every day, and the National Scholars cloistered themselves in the Emperor¡¯s resting palace. The Ministry of Works used to be managed by the Fifth Prince, and their offices continually sent requests to the Cabinet, accusing the Ministry of Revenue of deliberately delaying money for the repair of the city gates. The Ministry of Revenue immediately shot back, accusing the Ministry of Works of failure to properly finish the Dijing-Hangzhou Canal, leaving the Southern Embankment vulnerable to damage from a tidal surge. The officials ships carrying the taxation money could not sail and the collection was delayed. This inter ministry clash dug out a shady case regarding the nephew of the Minister of Works and the rich southern family in charge of grain transportation. The nephew of the Minister had reportedly killed a person and gotten away unpunished, and once the news spread the Ministry of Justice was dragged into the fight. The Ministry of Justice brooked no slander and immediately brought out an old case from the Northern Border. The group involved had sent out old, ruined grain instead of fresh grain, leading to a battlefield defeat, and the Ministry of Justice had recently uncovered new evidence. Soon, all six Ministries were fighting. ¡°If His Majesty does not wake soon, the troubles will grow large.¡± Grand Scholar Hu sighed to Feng Zhiwei on a visit to the Imperial Palace. ¡°Experienced ministers always have fine trees to perch on, but who knows which family¡¯s tree is more sturdy?¡± Feng Zhiwei joked. ¡°All land under the heavens belong to the Emperor, and all people are the Emperor¡¯s servants.¡± Grand Scholar Hu replied, stroking his mustache as he examined Feng Zhiwei before turning and walking away. Feng Zhiwei smiled as she watched the scholar leave. Prince Chu¡¯s followers had been restless lately, and even Great Minister Yao seemed upset. Yet Xin Ziyan and Hu Shengshan were calm and relaxed, with Xin Ziyan even moving over to his Compendium Office and acting as if he had no care or worries outside of his duties, leaving the entirety of Qing Ming Academy in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hands. And so, Feng Zhiwei would wait and see, bringing Master Gu with her everyday as she went to work. Qing Ming Academy was not yet involved, and naturally people from all sides were trying to drag them in. The Ministry of Works, for instance, had sent many precious works to Feng Zhiwei for her to inspect. Every time, Feng Zhiwei would skim through the works and then politely return them, and after a few times the Ministry finally gave up. Feng Zhiwei did not understand everything that was happening. She had positions in the Cabinet and in the Academy, but had no interactions with any of the Six Ministries. The Minister of Work¡¯s overture surprised Feng Zhiwei and gave her much to think about, but everyone knew that the Six Ministries were muddy waters at the moment ¡ª best not to get involved. Rather than waste time pondering the matter, it was far more pleasant to shell wants for Gu Nanyi or drink with the Helian Prince. Helian Zheng had given up wall climbing, instead directly visiting the Vice Headmaster with expensive liquors in hand. He had finally figured out his Young Aunt¡¯s only weakness ¡ª her fondness of spirits. On day one, the Great Desert Wine; on the second, Thousand Valley Mellow; on the third, Jiang Huai Spring. Everything he brought was a top tier liquor that Feng Zhiwei could not bear turning away, so everyday his youngest aunt and her servant Yiyi happily drank. Helian Zheng was also quite happy at first, but his face soon grew bitter ¡ª his youngest aunt had lied again! Her liquor capacity was not just two bottles ¡ª she did not get drunk even after a thousand cups! And so Prince Helian¡¯s plans to commit incest with his youngest aunt after she got drunk excitedly visited each time only to leave in miserable disappointment¡­ In his misery, he naturally had to find someone to vent to, and the best option just happened to be his Small Aunt¡¯s younger brother, his dear brother-in-law. And so pitiful Feng Hao became the slave boy to Helian Zheng and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s drinking, constantly yelled at to: ¡°Warm the liquor!¡± and ¡°Grab me a towel!¡± or ¡°Carry me back!¡± Feng Hao was not a rich young master, but he had been incredibly spoiled and loved to put on airs; how could he bear this kind of suffering? But oddly enough, even though his expression stank more than a latrine, he returned every day to suffer some more. Feng Zhiwei watched with a cold curiosity. The question was lodged in her mind, and one day while drinking with others she asked Yao Yangyu how he had first met Feng Hao. The group of young masters had been so tamed by Feng Zhiwei and Gu Nanyi that if she demanded they bark like a dog they would only ask how loudly. Yao Yangyu smiled at the Vice Headmaster¡¯s question and drunkenly patted her shoulder, ¡°How could he be good enough for us? We first met when we were having fun with Prince Chu and spotted the boy sneaking around. We wanted to kick him out, but Prince Chu was in a good mood and let him stay. The Prince felt that he was a pitiful boy so decided to bring him with us to explore Dijing¡¯s luxuries, but the boy had no money. We were planning on spotting him the cash, but Prince Chu wouldn¡¯t allow us to. He said that people only borrowed money to gamble, who had heard of anyone borrowing money to whore, and since the Qiu Mansion is large and rich, the boy could bring out any small thing and it would be enough to pay for things¡­ then the boy disappeared, and suddenly he¡¯s here again¡­ I don¡¯t like the look of the kid, and I never understood why His Highness liked him¡­¡± Chapter 120 Ning Yi once again! Feng Zhiwei thought back to her first encounter with him in the Qiu Mansion. She thought about the golden locket under Fifth Aunt¡¯s bed and how Feng Hao had always begged for money while bragging about the Young Master brothers he¡¯d met¡­ everything was touched by Ning Yi¡¯s shadow, and the prince was somehow part of every scene. What did he want? What kind of secret could Ning Yi have found in Feng Hao? These past days, even though Feng Hao was being bossed around by Helian Zheng, his face held an unconcealed excitement. What had he done? Feng Zhiwei brought her cup to her lips but did not drink. Although she seemed outwardly high spirited and unfettered, her worries floated near her at all times like the gently stirring liquor in her cup. Before she could drink away her worries, the nasty guests had arrived. ¡°Master!¡± One of her lieutenants called out, rushing in with a large group, ¡°The Ministry of Punishment and the Nine Yamen have sent people. They claim the Academy is harboring serious criminals and that they need to bring us to the Ministry of Punishment. ¡°They dare!¡± Yao Yangyu cried out, jumping to his feet. The young man had been constantly ignoring Helian Zheng¡¯s ugly expression, coming to drink the free booze. At the attendant¡¯s words, Young Master Yao burst out like a firecracker, rolling up his sleeves: ¡°They dare arrest Qing Ming Academy¡¯s people? Since Tian Sheng was founded, nothing this ridiculous has ever happened! I¡¯ll go kick them out!¡± All bustle and threat, he led the group and turned to leave. ¡°Hold!¡± The words came from a person Yao Yangyu did not dare ignore, and he could only turn and protest: ¡°Vice Headmaster, I know we are forbidden from making trouble, but if others come to bully us wantonly, how can we not fight back?¡± ¡°We still don¡¯t understand the matter at hand, why rush?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, standing casually in the gentle breeze. Her liquor in hand, she smiled as she continued: ¡°At least give them an opportunity to explain.¡± Pointing to the main gates, she called out: ¡°Open the gates, don¡¯t let them wait outside. Call them in and have them state their intentions.¡± ¡°Vice Headmaster!¡± Yao Yangyu hurriedly replied: ¡°The Ministry of Punishment and the Nine Yamen¡¯s lackeys are the worst¡­¡± ¡°Let them in.¡± Feng Zhiwei repeated, cutting off Yao Yangyu with a look. The Young Master trembled and shut his mouth, and Feng Zhiwei was already sweeping by him, her calm voice floating in the breeze. ¡°Since nothing this ridiculous has ever happened to Qing Ming Academy since Tian Sheng was founded, then it won¡¯t happen while under my command.¡± Feng Zhiwei left, leaving Yao Yangyu staring dazedly after her. He turned to Helian Zheng and asked him: ¡°Why do I feel that every word the Vice Headmaster speaks will undoubtedly prove true?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Helian Zheng replied, spreading his arms proudly to embrace the sky. ¡°My Small Aunt¡­ oh, rather, My Vice Headmaster is the fiercest! Like the Scarlet Eyed Eagles perched in the wooded forests, insidious malice and tender ferocity!¡± His words finished, he set off in a happy run, chasing after Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Was that a compliment?¡± ¡°Jiang Xiao, born in the Jiang Huai Province. On the 14th year of Chang Xing, he escaped after assassinating the witness of the Hangzhou Grain Fraud Case. He changed his name to Jiang Tao and has been hiding in Qing Ming Academy. We have come to arrest him.¡± The Ministry of Punishment¡¯s people explained their intentions in a few terse words, and while Feng Zhiwei¡¯s outward smile remained unchanged, her mind was contorted into a frown. The Qing Ming Academy had been dragged into the muddy waters. The fight between the Six Ministries had finally reached Qing Ming. The rumor went that the Minister of Work¡¯s nephew had been embezzling money from the grain business and had murdered a witness when he had been discovered. After the murder, he had mysteriously disappeared and had never been found. Unexpectedly, he was hiding in Dijing, in Qing Ming Academy! No wonder the Minister of Works had tried to befriend Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei mentally patted herself on the back for her wisdom, smiling as she replied: ¡°Oh, is that so? The masters must know that the Academy allows students to join under aliases. If someone had helped him arrange a clean identity, it is difficult for our Academy to investigate.¡± ¡°Master Vice President has a silver tongue.¡± The leading officer from the Ministry of Punishment replied, the curve of his smile not reaching his eyes. ¡°But no matter what you say, you must hand the man over to me.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Feng Zhiwei answered, immediately calling for people to guide the officers to Jiang Xiao, especially reminding them not to alert the suspect. But the group unexpectedly returned, the head officer furious. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart fell. ¡°He¡¯s gone!¡± The head officer fumed, staring coldly at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°We only caught an informant!¡± The agents pushed a person forward and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes turned cold. Feng Hao! ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! I didn¡¯t do it!¡± Feng Hao cried out, flailing in terror against the Yamen officer¡¯s steel grip, struggling to escape. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it!¡± A bag was tossed before his feet, opening and revealing gold coins and silver bills. ¡°If it was not you, why were you in Jiang Xiao¡¯s room? Why does a poor student like you have these gold coins? How did you come into possession of Huifeng Bank¡¯s silver bills? The Huifeng Bank belongs to a company owned by Jiang Xiao¡¯s grandfather! The questions stunned Feng Hao, and finally he managed quietly: ¡°He gave them to me¡­ he¡¯s a good friend I met recently¡­¡± ¡°Jiao Xiao does have a good friend in Dijing, and we know that this friend also took part in the fraud.¡± The head officer smiled coldly as he replied. ¡°He must be you!¡± Beside him, the Vice Commander from the Nine Yamen gestured angrily and called out: ¡°Investigate! Jiang Xiao still has partners! See if they are hiding in Qing Ming!¡± ¡°Hold!¡± ¡°Master Vice President wishes to speak?¡± The chief officer turned to Feng Zhiwei, his face expectant. ¡°My department is investigating Qing Ming under Prince Chu¡¯s orders.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled coldly. As expected, Ning Yi did not wish her to have any power. As soon as she was beginning to thrive in Qing Ming, he was here to kick her out. Otherwise, with the Ministry of Punishment and Qing Ming both in his camp, how could the Ministry of Punishment come to make trouble in her academy? Otherwise, why would Xin Ziyan so coincidentally step back from his Qing Ming duties? If she let the Ministry of Punishment search Qing Ming, she would not be able to stay any longer. But there was no way she could stop them from searching. ¡°Is Master Vice President stopping us from searching?¡± The head officer pressed again. Feng Zhiwei gestured silently, stopping the angry Helian Zheng and the combative Gu Nanyi as she took a moment to think. Chapter 121 Her expression was calm, but loneliness and clarity filled her eyes. The contrast was like the peak of a dark mountain buried under arctic snow. The Chief Officer of the Ministry of Punishment and the Vice Commander of the Nine Yamen looked into those eyes and trembled, a tiny spark of guilt entering their hearts. They had both heard that despite his youth, Master Wei was not to be trifled with, but they had come here today in the service of the law and by Prince Chu¡¯s command. No matter how impressive this young man was, could he defy Prince Chu? The intensity of the situation deepened with Feng Zhiwei¡¯s silence. The Yamen Bailiffs put their hands to their blades as the Qing Ming guards nervously stepped forward. The students gathered beyond the ring of blocking Yamen Bailiffs called out: ¡°Piss off! Tell them to piss off!¡± Finally, Feng Zhiwei smiled. She nodded calmly and spoke: ¡°Then search.¡± The officers and bailiffs let out a long sigh of relief. The students all exchanged glances, their disappointment evident. Yao Yangyu led a group in curses. Helian Zheng immediately turned and peered into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes. Her eyes glimmered with indecipherable thought. Helian Zheng frowned, but he decided in that moment to keep his peace. He stepped back and leaned against a tree, watching the scene unfold. The arrogance of the officers and bailiffs soared as they scattered to perform their duties. ¡°Piss off! This is this Young Master¡¯s place. Do you dare search it?¡± Yao Yangyu blocked his home¡¯s door, kicking out a Yamen Bailiff. The bailiff rolled on the floor and quickly rose to his knee, drawing his blade but hesitating, afraid of Young Master Yao¡¯s status. ¡°Whoever hinders the officers will be expelled from the Academy!¡± Feng Zhiwei called out harshly, her hands clasped behind her back. ¡°Puh! Coward! I was wrong about you!¡± A Young Master who had admired Feng Zhiwei and taken her for an elder brother spat at his feet. Feng Zhiwei glanced over before turning away, her eyes calm. Leaning over to Gu Nanyi, she whispered into his ear. Young Master Gu nodded and disappeared. Everyone was busy searching the houses and no one paid attention to the bodyguard. As she had expected, the search was simply symbolic and soon the Yamen Bailiffs and officers returned. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± ¡°Nothing. Sorry for the trouble, Master Wei, please continue with your business.¡± The Chief Officer replied, nodding and bidding his farewell. His goal had never been to destroy Qingming, only to search, and now their goal had been achieved. ¡°No problem at all?¡± Feng Zhiwei said with the utmost politeness. The officer cast a sympathetic look at Feng Zhiwei ¡ª this young man was too naive. No matter how polite he was, it would never change the fate of his position in the Academy¡­ ¡°None.¡± He replied somewhat impatiently, turning again. ¡°Hold.¡± Feng Zhiwei called to his back. The officer stopped. ¡°You don¡¯t have a problem, but I do.¡± The officer whirled around, his eyes glinting sharply. ¡°Did your officers search every single building?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked calmly, a small smile on her face as she ignored his glare. ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Bi Ling[1] Courtyard as well?¡± Bi Ling Courtyard was the residence of Headmaster Xin and many of the other important Academy officials. The officer hesitated. He wanted to say that he had not, but he had just said they had searched every building so he could only reply: ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I have a problem.¡± Feng Zhiwei spread her hands. ¡°I do not mind if you search the students¡¯ homes, but none of the people who live in Bi Ling Courtyard are here. I am in charge of the Academy right now and am responsible for everything. You searched their houses, so if something has been moved or is missing ¡­ I am worried.¡± If you were worried why did you not come with us? The officer cursed silently, but his words were gentle: ¡°We did not touch anything inside¡­¡± ¡°Only what can be seen is truth, everything else is illusion.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, cutting him off and gesturing commandingly: ¡°If you will follow me.¡± The officer hesitated, and Feng Zhiwei warned coldly: ¡°I will need to explain to Headmaster Xin¡­¡± The officer exchanged a look with the Yamen Vice Commander. Prince Chu¡¯s orders had been very specific: Search, but do not be rude to Vice Headmaster Wei. If Vice President Wei refused them, do not force the matter. They both knew that His Highness dealt with Vice President Wei in a special manner, so they could only agree with this unoffending request. Somehow the situation had turned, and it was now the chief officer¡¯s time to wear a bitter expression as gleaming eyes followed his moves. Far in the distance, the Bi Ling Courtyard¡¯s gates were thrown wildly open. The officer grunted in surprise. They had not dealt so violently with the property, and his people had only peered inside the gate. ¡°Ai ya what happened?¡± Feng Zhiwei cried out as soon as the courtyard gate came in view, hurriedly running over. ¡°Ai ya, you¡­ you¡­¡± Her face was filled with pain as she stood in the courtyard quivering with ¡°anger¡±. Flowers were trampled and trees uprooted within, with everything tossed around in chaos in a huge mess. The chief officer and Vice Commander immediately turned to each other, their eyes questioning the other: ¡°You did this?¡± ¡°Ai ya you¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei called out thunderously from the second floor. Unsettled, the crowd rushed in only to find Headmaster Xin¡¯s door thrown open, books tossed everywhere. The chief officer relaxed, after all, what crime was there in tossing books around? But the expressions on the gathered spectators told a different story, and the Vice Commander¡¯s face paled as he examined the books. Beneath Thirty-Three Bedroom Arts was Da Cheng¡¯s Prosperity. The trampled Conquering Beauty lay next to a foot-printed Letters on Quelling Treacherous Ministers and Traitors. A random assortment of envelopes was used as bookmarks for a book called Flying Side by Side 180 Postures, and one of the envelopes clearly read: ¡°Only for the eyes of Prince Chu¡­¡± Erotic illustrations side by side with forbidden books and hand-scribed secret letters. The officer could only stare in stunned disbelief. All copies of Da Cheng¡¯s Prosperity had been consigned to fire by Imperial Order with the author and all his kin sentenced to death. Why did Headmaster Xin have it hidden inside a box in his room? Letters on Quelling Treacherous Ministers and Traitors was a treatise on warfare written by the surviving supporters of Da Cheng to rally a rebellion against the Tian Sheng Dynasty. The book¡¯s name could not even be mentioned. As for the letters¡­ Headmaster Xin¡¯s close friendship with Prince Chu was a secret only a few people were privy to, and now that secret had been revealed to everyone¡­ [1] ±Ìôá Green plume Chapter 122 The Chief Officer and the Vice Commander exchanged a quick glance before moving to block the door, warding off the eyes of the other officers and bailiffs. As they moved, Feng Zhiwei darted forward and stepped on the letters. Her move relieved some of the pressure in the Chief Officer and Vice Commander¡¯s hearts; they were encouraged by Feng Zhiwei¡¯s understanding and her defense of the secret relationship, but Feng Zhiwei only had two feet. She stepped on the letters, but the secret methods of lovemaking and the various forbidden books were still out in the open, and as students forced their heads through the door, exclamations rang out: ¡°Ah! Woooo! Oh!¡± Headmaster Xin¡¯s reputation plummeted, and that was without even mentioning the possession of banned books. ¡°Ai ya, you all¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei cried out again. The Chief Officer and Vice Commander followed her gaze to a broken golden enamel bottle placed on the antique-and-curio shelves. Feng Zhiwei gasped in wide-eyed fury: ¡°It¡¯s worth ten thousand gold!¡± The Chief Officer and Vice Commander¡¯s brains exploded. Feng Zhiwei shuffled off again, hurrying over to the neighboring yard. A moment later, her cry could be heard again: ¡°Ai ya, you all¡­¡± At these words, night seemed to fall over the Chief Officer and Vice Commander¡¯s eyes. Feng Zhiwei carried out a broken sword rack and placed it on the ground before straightening and bowing towards the Imperial Palace, her face filled with the utmost solemnity. ¡°This is the Tenth Prince¡¯s Academy Residence and holds many things bestowed by the Emperor, and this was his favorite padauk sword rack¡­¡± The two figures who had just caught up to Feng Zhiwei stared at the sword rack and began stepping backwards. While Feng Zhiwei rushed over to another residence, the Chief Officer and Vice Commander exchanged a glance before moving quietly to the entrance, planning their escape. But two men stood in their way, and the Helian Prince smiled brightly as he whispered to them: ¡°You have not seen my room yet. I also have many things bestowed by the Emperor!¡± Young Master Gu calmly regarded the two men, the sharp edges of the broken enamel bottle glittering coldly in his hand. ¡°Ai ya, you all¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei cried out again. The blade had struck and there was nowhere to run, so the two could only head for the source of the voice, their hearts filled with resentment. Feng Zhiwei held up a broken Octagonal, Pear Blossom, Glazed Diamond Mirror and called out: ¡°The Princess¡¯s favorite!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Master Wei.¡± The Chief Officer of the Ministry of Punishment began, his back covered in sweat. He knew that even if Feng Zhiwei was framing them, he could do nothing ¡ª he could only blame himself for underestimating his opponent. ¡°This was this minor agent¡¯s fault. I will report to my superior when I return and we will make a formal apology to the Prince and Princess and compensate them for their loss.¡± After he finished speaking, he gestured for the Yamen Bailiffs to bring Feng Hao away. ¡°Wait!¡± The group of stiff backed and bitter men slowly and unwillingly turned. ¡°You wanted to search so I let you search.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled coldly, pacing slowly with her hands held behind her back. ¡°But did I allow you to break into residences and destroy precious belongings or desecrate the Emperor¡¯s gifts?¡± ¡°Did I allow you to enter the Bi Ling Yard?¡± ¡°Did I allow you to break into the Prince¡¯s Residence?¡± ¡°Did I allow you to rummage through our unmarried Princess¡¯s private belongings?¡± ¡°Entering the gates is easy! Capturing the criminal is acceptable! You wanted to search the academy, fine!¡± Feng Zhiwei snapped out from the center of the gathered crowd, her voice sharp like a fine blade, her sleeve whipping the air as she flicked her hand. ¡°But though I allowed you to search, I do not allow you to leave.¡± ¡°Close the gates!¡± She called out loudly. The students rushed forward excitedly, laughing crazily as they slammed the Academy¡¯s heavy gates shut. ¡°For the crime of destroying Imperial Articles, the Prince and Princess will deal with you.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued in her cold voice. ¡°I will honestly lay the facts of the matter at their feet, but the destroyed objects were their personal belongings and under the guard of our Academy, so I will have to demand compensation from you.¡± ¡°If you want compensation you must let us go to fetch money!¡± The Vice Commander sneered, his unhappiness rising up. ¡°Are you still going to hold us here?¡± Feng Zhiwei turned to look at the man, her sharp eyes forcing the fierce man back a step. Calmly, she replied: ¡°Yes.¡± Her lips curved as she spoke: ¡°The Yamen people are slippery. We honest academics are not your opponents. If I let you leave today, what will happen when you refuse to acknowledge your crimes in the future? How will I demand justice? Will it be left for me to pay this compensation? Naturally I must hold you here.¡± ¡°You dare!¡± ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, ¡°You will find out what I dare.¡± ¡°Come. Strip these great masters. We will hold their belongings as collateral!¡± Feng Zhiwei called out, and the honest academics went nuts, yelping and roaring as they rushed forward led by Helian Zheng. This pile of savage tigers and wolves from powerful backgrounds instantly stripped this group of white-skinned swine. Feng Zhiwei turned and looked in the direction of the Imperial Palace. ¡°Failing to educate the slave is the fault of the master. When a child causes trouble, it is naturally the adult who must come to make amends.¡± ¡°You.¡± She called out, pointing to a Yamen Bailiff with his pants still on. ¡°Go call your Great Master to come and make amends.¡± The Yamen Bailiff stared blankly at Feng Zhiwei wondering if this Vice Headmaster was insane. A Bailiff like him to demand anything from Prince Chu? Feng Zhiwei turned away, ignoring the man¡¯s reaction, her back proud and straight. ¡°Call His Highness Prince Chu and have him come to me.¡± Call His Highness Prince Chu and have him come to me. This was probably the most badass sentence ever spoken by a subordinate to a superior since the founding of the dynasty. ¡°Still here?¡± Feng Zhiwei turned to eye the frozen Yamen Bailiff. ¡°If I must ask a second time, I am afraid you might not be able to keep your trousers.¡± And so the Yamen Bailiff immediately leapt into action, flashing through a small crack in the briefly opened gates. Everyone exchanged stunned glances. The Chief Officer and the Vice Commander hid behind their subordinates as they yelled out resentfully: ¡°Wei Zhi! You insult the Imperial Court¡¯s Officials and trample on our dignity! Instead of restraining yourself before His Highness, you dare demand that His Highness come to you? When His Highness comes you will be judged and stripped of your office before being cast into prison!¡± ¡°Oh? Really?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied uncaringly. ¡°Let us see what His Highness says.¡± ¡°You think His Highness will come see you?¡± The Nine Yamen Vice Commander snorted. ¡°After such reckless deeds you still think His Highness will pay any attention to you? Are you thinking you will be rewarded?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and turned away. Ignoring the stripped men, she spoke into the air, ¡°Ai, my waist.¡± Someone immediately rushed over with a rattan chair. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty.¡± Several students began fighting over who would make the Master Vice President tea. Chapter 123 Large, straight, and leafy banyan trees shadowed the sizable area in which Feng Zhiwei casually rested. Her green porcelain cup was misted with the fragrance of tea, and she smiled happily as she sipped and admired the white pigs in her courtyard. Young Master Gu sat beside her eating walnuts while Helian Zheng sat crosslegged under the trees playing finger-guessing games with the other students. Behind the tree, a group of Imperial Court officers and bailiffs were stripped naked, shivering in their circle squat as the early autumn wind cheerfully swept by. This was how Ning Yi was greeted as he stepped down from his large palanquin. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Voices whispered, and the Chief Officer of the Ministry of Punishment and the Vice Commander of the Nine Yamen had a sudden change in expression as they saw Ning Yi step down from his Golden Topped Palanquin wearing his golden crown and Formal Courtly Dress. Ning Yi had come directly from the Imperial Court. Stunned and caught between in indecision, the two powerful men waffled between running forward to salute their superior and hiding their shame. The beleaguered group hid in the shadows, covering their privates as best as they could as they saluted Ning Yi. Quickly, the poor victims turned hateful glares towards Wei Zhi ¡ª this daring young man had courted death! Now that the lofty prince was here, what could she do but suffer! Feng Zhiwei gestured and the students discreetly scattered, many of them shooting worried glances at Feng Zhiwei as they retreated, though the person in question remained calmly smiling. ¡°Your Highness graces and honors our humble Qing Ming with his presence.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and swept her arms in welcome. ¡°We have fragrant tea and a clear breeze, and interesting, elegant guests charm our walls. The greenery shades us from the heat, and we can enjoy the perfect cool of the day.¡± Ning Yi examined the view. His Golden Crown was adorned with purple crystals and his Formal Court Robes was embroidered with a Purple-Gold Python ¡ª the noble and solemn son of the dragon. He stood three feet away from Feng Zhiwei, his eyes moving over her rattan chair and tea before lingering for a moment on the naked men so delicately arranged beside them, and a half smile crossed his face, never reaching his eyes. Truly a scene that fit Feng Zhiwei¡¯s style. Modesty followed by extreme daring. Under all the heavens there was only this one woman who could hide the punch in the cotton, concealing the prickliness behind her calm words. She certainly appeared to be retreating and compromising, but in truth she stood firmly in place, steady and unmoving. ¡°Since we are sitting together and conversing over fragrant tea, there is no need to have so many interesting and elegant guests.¡± Ning Yi replied, his smile clearly showing his dubious intentions. ¡°These are not the ways of hospitality.¡± The unlucky officials and unfortunate bailiffs were stunned and felt as if struck by lightning ¡ª why was the lofty Prince not immediately ordering their release and punishing Wei Zhi? Why was Wei Zhi not immediately releasing them and falling to his knees to apologize and beg for forgiveness? Why was His Highness acting as if nothing was wrong and chatting so calmly with this boy? And how could this boy face His Highness so calmly and even dare invite the prince to tea? Their faces twisted into ugly expressions. Feng Zhiwei cast a glance at the disturbing view before eyeing Ning Yi. Slowly, she turned her head and said: ¡°Might I trouble the Hu Zhuo Prince and Brother Gu to escort this group of interesting guests over to another yard?¡± ¡°No.¡± Helian Zheng immediately responded. ¡°I will not leave you to dance alone with this wolf.¡± ¡°Yet I feel as if I am the one dancing with a wolf.¡± Ning Yi responded, casually sitting and grabbing Feng Zhiwei¡¯s tea. Wild steppe horses seemed to stampede forth from Helian Zheng¡¯s eyes as he glared at Ning Yi and said: ¡°Does His Highness dare to dance with me?¡± ¡°Prince Hu Zhuo, let me remind you.¡± Ning Yi responded, ignoring Helian Zheng¡¯s glare.¡± You are not here with the identity of prince, but are rather just an ordinary student of Qing Ming Academy. If your Vice President cannot even manage her own students as she sits down to discuss important business with a Dynasty Prince, how will she maintain her prestige in the eyes of the students?¡± Helian Zheng smiled coldly and shot back: ¡°Then I¡¯ll quit being a student!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Ning Yi responded, waving his hand. ¡°Please find an administrator to cancel your enrollment and then return with me to the Imperial Palace later to greet the Emperor. And I¡¯ll have you know, students who voluntarily cancel their enrollment will never be allowed back onto academy grounds.¡± ¡°This is a rule?¡± Helian Zheng replied without any trepidation, his brows cocked. ¡°There will be.¡± Ning Yi smiled and turned to regard his opponent. ¡°Headmaster Xin is going to immediately add this rule to the Academy¡¯s book. Helian Zheng glared at Ning Yi. If a gaze could become flesh, Helian Zheng¡¯s stare would transform into his favorite Red Eyed Eagle¡¯s long, piercing beak and crush Ning Yi¡¯s bones. Ning Yi¡¯s faint smile never changed ¡ª you might be hard as steel, but I do not care; the punches hit only air, and the long beak pierced into empty cotton. After a moment, Helian Zheng swirled angrily and strode away, grabbing the two unlucky officials as he passed. Gu Nanyi slapped a walnut back on the table and smashed it open before floating away and herded the bailiffs as if they were a bunch of sheep. Ning Yi naturally could not understand the meaning of this move and simply assumed Young Master Gu was offering him food, so he happily grabbed the walnut meat and placed it in his mouth, chewing appreciatively and declaring: ¡°This walnut is delicious.¡± Feng Zhiwei cocked her head in amusement as Ning Yi ate the walnut. Ning Yi chewed as the woman before him examined him and goosebumps ran down his arms. Finally, he found himself placing the walnut back on the table as he said: ¡°It¡¯s just a single walnut, why are you looking at me like that?¡± Feng Zhiwei slowly made her tea and calmly replied: ¡°Watching you chew that walnut into tiny pieces felt very cathartic¡­¡± Before the baffled Ning Yi could speak, Feng Zhiwei straightened her face and continued: ¡°Prince Chu truly impressed this humble minister. To think that His Highness has begun caring whether I can maintain my prestige in the Academy.¡± ¡°Are you punishing me?¡± Ning Yi said, glancing at her. ¡°I do not dare.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled fakely. ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± Ning Yi replied calmly, but for some reason Feng Zhiwei felt that his words were filled with happiness. ¡°Does Your Highness wish for me to be mad?¡± She replied, countering the crafty prince with her constant mask. ¡°Anger is better than apathy.¡± Ning Yi replied, stretching, his eyes curving gorgeously as he examined her. Feng Zhiwei remained silent ¡ª only deafness and dumbness would answer his flirting. ¡°You don¡¯t even care if I am mad.¡± Ning Yi continued, unfazed by her lacking reaction. ¡°Does that mean I also do not need to care about your feelings?¡± ¡°Is the Prince bringing up old scores?¡± Feng Zhiwei creased her eyes as she smiled sincerely. ¡°I invited Your Highness here today also to explain myself ¡ª when I saved Princess Shao Ning that day, it was unintentionally.¡± ¡°But you also never planned to help me kill her.¡± Ning Yi replied, striking to the heart of the matter. ¡°You were deceiving me from the very beginning.¡± Chapter 124 Feng Zhiwei paused before finally responding: ¡°I could not let that face die before my eyes.¡± They both understood her words, and it was now Ning Yi¡¯s turn for silence. After a moment, Feng Zhiwei looked up at Ning Yi and said: ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you about this; do you have an answer?¡± Ning Yi paused, a surprising lost look flashing through his eyes before he shook his head and replied: ¡°When I saw you, I was also very surprised.¡± He was saying he did not know the reason. Feng Zhiwei peered into his eyes, and although she felt that he was keeping something back, his words were not a lie. ¡°I am sorry that Shao Ning did not die and cause you so much trouble.¡± She said quietly after a moment, ¡°But this was the only thing I could do.¡± ¡°And so what is this between us?¡± Ning Yi asked, his smile growing bitter. ¡°We do not want to oppose each other, but somehow we are both pushed to become each other¡¯s enemy.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t see why we must be enemies?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, standing up and leaning down towards Ning Yi. ¡°Tell me, why do you keep obstructing me in Qing Ming? Why have you placed me under Yao Ying¡¯s hindering command? Why have you concluded that I am your enemy? And, why do you care about Feng Hao so much?¡± Her masked face hovered right in front of him, her pair of misted eyes glowing with a gorgeous fervor, her long lashes like the ends of a soft brush. Ning Yi idly reached out to touch her, but Feng Zhiwei pulled out of reach. ¡°We are talking business.¡± She said, calming her face. ¡°Focus.¡± Ning Yi stared a little while longer at her adorable, shy, anger before finally responding: ¡°You have saved Shao Ning twice. Somehow you are closely tied to her, and even your appearances are stunningly similar. You know too many of my secrets, and you are not on my side. What can I do as your superior? Isn¡¯t my only course of action to hinder you or even kill you?¡± ¡°The Prince never thought to recruit this National Scholar?¡± Feng Zhiwei frowned, unsatisfied with Ning Yi¡¯s reply. Ning Yi silently raised his tea to his lips, pausing without drinking, the hot vapors softly shading his eyes and brows. Feng Zhiwei did not ask anymore, her fingers clutching her cup, the warmth of her tea unable to reach the spreading cold in her heart. Finally, Ning Yi quietly replied: ¡°Zhiwei, listen to me. Resign from office and return to the Qiu Mansion. I have ways to get Helian Zheng to take his leave, and in the future, you will be mine¡­¡± He reached into his robes to take out his pendant. But his hand was stopped by another. He looked down at the snowy white fingers holding his hand: ¡°Are you saying no?¡± Feng Zhiwei removed her hand and calmly replied: ¡°Let us first sort out today, then we can talk about the future.¡± Ning Yi slowly pulled his hand out of his robes. After a moment, he spoke: ¡°Alright, then answer this question first. You are a woman, why do you reject the life of marriage and children and instead risk service, accepting duties, boldly moving your way up the steps?¡± Feng Zhiwei clasped her hands behind her back and looked up at the vast skies and white clouds, her long hair rustling in the wind, her eyes deepening. ¡°There is perhaps no one in Dijing who has ever seen my father.¡± Feng Zhiwei finally began. ¡°I remember before I turned four, he was still around.¡± He was a busy, indifferent man always on the move, a dragon who never fully came into view.¡± Ning Yi listened calmly. This figure was the famous man who had eloped with the great heroine of the capital, only for her to later return in disgrace. ¡°My family was very wealthy at that time. We lived deep in the mountains, far from Dijing, but even there we lacked nothing. My father was rarely home, only coming back once in a blue moon. When he was near, he rarely paid attention to my brother and I; and when he was with my mother, she was never happy, and I could sometimes see sadness and despair on her face.¡± Ning Yi frowned, confused. If Madam Feng had chosen to recklessly elope and given birth to a daughter and a son, then should she not be deeply in love with her man? Were they not supposed to be an affectionate couple together day and night? ¡°So as I began to grow, I no longer anticipated my father¡¯s return. Whenever he was home, spirits were low and emotions subdued. We were far happier just the three of us. In my eyes, life was better without a man like him ¡ª a man who could abandon his wife at home and paid no attention to his children, bringing no joy or happiness to his family.¡± ¡°I always remember my mother frequently telling me that, although most women are parasitic flowers, some never have the fortune to marry a reliable man. Rather than waiting to suffer at the hands of fate, it is better to learn to rely on yourself and to learn to love yourself.¡± ¡°Mother taught me many things, and she tried to teach brother as well, but my little brother was not gifted. Mother said that I was the older sister, and since my little brother was good for nothing, in the future he and mother would depend on me. This is my responsibility, and I have never forgotten it.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Ning Yi exclaimed. ¡°How could anyone ask a fragile woman like you to support an entire family?¡± ¡°The Feng Family has no fragile women.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, calmly turning her bright, clear eyes towards him. ¡°If the Feng Family¡¯s women were fragile, we would have been crushed into dust long ago.¡± Ning Yi stared into her eyes and grabbed her hands; her skin was cool, smooth, and soft, but thin calluses marred her palm and stung Ning Yi¡¯s heart. Feng Zhiwei looked down at their hands and smiled, pulling her hands out of his. ¡°When I turned four, he no longer returned.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued. ¡°Without his support, we could only scrape by, and finally mother had no choice but to take us back to Dijing.¡± ¡°And so my life in Dijing began.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled at Ning Yi. ¡°My mother knelt before the closed gates in the depths of winter and was drenched with a basin of freezing water, and thus began the struggles. Me against Dijing, against Qiu Mansion, against the bullying and humiliation. I never looked back.¡± ¡°When you need them most, there will be no one by your side to guard you from the wind and rain. The hostility, humiliation, crisis, and slander can only be carried by you alone, and you must protect your family. Every step is exhausting, but no matter how difficult, there can be no retreat. As soon as you step back, your entire life will fall into the hands of others.¡± ¡°We are Qiu Mansion¡¯s shame and everyone hoped we would disappear. Since we refused to disappear, we needed to pay the price.¡± Feng Zhiwei lowered her eyes. ¡°And so passed the next ten years. Every New Year¡¯s Eve in that small residence, eating our miserable eve dinner while listening to the joy in the main house, I would swear that I would never rely on anyone, never depend on anyone. One day through my own effort I would stand above all those who had looked down on me, and then they would have to look up out of the dust to see me.¡± Chapter 125 Translator: Aristophaneso Feng Zhiwei turned and smiled at Ning Yi, the curve of her lips never reaching her eyes. ¡°Tell me, what is affection? How will death do us part? The Fire Phoenix General threw away glory, wealth, and family for a man, and what did she gain in return? Men are heartless ¡ª are they truly worth a woman¡¯s burning devotion?¡± Ning Yi opened his mouth but all his words remained lodged in his throat. He had known Feng Zhiwei had had a difficult life, but he had never imagined how she had supported her family on her small shoulders all these years. Her constant mask and her ruthless determination, her ruthlessness to self and others ¡ª had she cultivated all this in the crucible of misfortune? Those who had crawled out of the mud would never stop striving. ¡°Who is a good man, and who is reliable?¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s smile burned brightly, her eyes gleaming like a blade. ¡°Are you the right man? Your Highness?¡± Her words were frank and bitter, and the surprised Ning Yi had no response. ¡°Do you think you are reliable?¡± Feng Zhiwei continued, her voice quiet but her words cutting. ¡°You have learned how to become a dragon, and your life is about trapping dragons, and you plan on killing dragons. In your hand you hold the dragon slaying blade, and if you succeed you will mount the supreme throne to reign over the earth, but if you lose your entire family will be executed and the ground stained with your blood. You walk the thin wire, and if you lose I will die with you. If you win, I will be nothing but one of the three thousand women in your harem. How can you promise me a complete and happy life?¡± ¡°Do you think you can compromise and sacrifice for others?¡± She continued, her smile gentle. ¡°Your heart is hard as iron and your hands ruthless. You have never stepped aside for another. Even at the distant, unimportant Qing Ming, you must stand in my way. Even a minor official like me has you cautious and uneasy, and you must test me and guard against me at all times. In the future, when I become one of three thousand, what freedom will you allow me?¡± ¡°In the end, if I must grade you like I would our Academy¡¯s students.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, straightening her sleeves and refilling Ning Yi¡¯s tea. ¡°Prince Chu Ning Yi does not pass!¡± Ning Yi held his tea and was silent. Finally, he burst out into loud laughter. ¡°I was wrong.¡± He set down his cup, his eyes burning as he stared at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°I wanted to hold you in my arms, but beautiful women do not easily succumb to kindness. I understand. I woman like you cannot be trapped, and anyone who wants you must first subdue you!¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled silently. ¡°You must willingly accept.¡± Ning Yi sighed. ¡°But¡­¡± He paused, an unhappy and uncomfortable look crossing his face. Feng Zhiwei examined this rare expression as Ning Yi changed the subject. ¡°I do not pass, but what about them?¡± He said, glancing over at the backyard. ¡°Good? Excellent?¡± Feng Zhiwei blinked, having long mastered the art of playing dumb: ¡°Who?¡± Ning Yi¡¯s face darkened further and he silently reached for his tea. Feng Zhiwei eyed his gloomy face and happily chuckled to herself. ¡°Prince Hu Zhuo lives magnificently in the steppes, but he is not completely safe. The Twelve Tribes are not united, and the arguments over resources has never stopped. The Helian Prince is the Lawful Wife¡¯s son, but the Hu Zhuo King has many concubines and consorts, and nothing has stopped him from taking any woman he fancies. The relations between the tribes are incredibly complex. ¡°There are over ten people in the running for the crown, and even by his side are many contenders just biding their time. Even if he could secure his place, I would be but one of ten wives. After the decades pass, when he kicks the bucket, it is customary for the steppe people to marry their step mothers and their brother¡¯s wives¡­ so he does not pass either!¡± Ning Yi peered up at the branches up above, his eyes caught by a branch dancing in the still air, shaking and trembling. His spirits soared, and he laughed as he asked: ¡°Gu Nanyi?¡± Feng Zhiwei fell silent, and in her silence Ning Yi¡¯s face changed and the branch stilled. After a long moment, Feng Zhiwei finally replied: ¡°You asked the wrong question.¡± Ning Yi tapped the table and replied, smiling once more: ¡°I hope I asked wrong. The best is if they are all wrong.¡± He poured some tea for Feng Zhiwei, having already mastered himself: ¡°Zhiwei, you are always clever, but affection cannot be analyzed like politics. If affection was nothing but adding here and subtracting there, where would the excitement lie?¡± ¡°Does the prince wish to educate me?¡± Feng Zhiwei cocked her brows, eyeing the heartless man before her. ¡°No talk of advantage or disadvantage, no discussion of the future. Speak just of the heart.¡± Ning Yi said, closing his hand around hers. ¡°Your heart.¡± Feng Zhiwei lowered her eyes and examined his hands. His fingers were pressed down lightly, holding hers tight. This man never liked giving others a way out. He valued her. He had compromised for her. She understood this ¡ª but how much did this appreciation and willingness go? Once things came down to his most fundamental desires, how far would he be willing to bend? To give one¡¯s heart could be happiness for the ordinary person; but for them, it meant risk. And¡­ Her face was incredibly similar to someone else¡¯s. Until she understood why, she would never be at ease. ¡°My heart is where it ought to be.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, somehow managing to free her hand. Her smile was quiet as she continued: ¡°Perhaps one day when the rivers and seas are overturned, my heart will be overturned as well.¡± ¡°I do not want to overturn it, I just want to possess it.¡± Ning Yi smiled proudly. ¡°Just wait and see. Not every man under the heavens is as heartless as your father.¡± Feng Zhiwei lowered her eyes and laughed. How could he say that? His Eldest Brother must be crying out in the underworld. ¡°This case must still be settled.¡± Ning Yi said, returning to business. ¡°Old Five has made too much trouble. The Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Revenue can no longer suffer his abuse. Since you have put on this show, you have forced yourself into a dead end. Tomorrow when Old Five reaches out to you, what will you do?¡± ¡°Since I dare offend you, I naturally have my ways of making it up to you.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°You have put a lot of effort into the pen monkeys, and now you only need a fire. I can be your arsonist.¡± Ning Yi curved his lips as he examined her. ¡°I am the National Scholar. Everyone under the heavens knows this, and since Da Cheng prophesied that whoever wins the National Scholar will win the world, the Fifth Prince needs me at his side if he wishes to pave his own road. Before this happens, I must declare a stance¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei rolled her eyes and leaned over to whisper into Ning Yi¡¯s ear, giggling. ¡°Let us first put on a show!¡± Chapter 126 Then Feng Zhiwei bit Ning Yi¡¯s ear! Ning Yi felt as if he had been struck by lightning. This man who would not lose composure even if Mount Tai collapsed before him suddenly froze by the table. Feng Zhiwei roared, flipping the table! ¡°Your Highness actually insults scholars!¡± The table fell to the ground as chairs and tea flew through the air. Feng Zhiwei ripped her sleeve, tore the buttons from her collar, and splashed in the tea puddle, drenching her robes and splattering Ning Yi¡¯s. She grabbed a piece of porcelain and ran out of the courtyard, holding the porcelain to her neck as she cried out: ¡°The horror! A scholar prefers death over humiliation!¡± Everything happened in a flash, and while Ning Yi was trying to relive that pained, happy moment and memorize the feel of her soft lips on her ear and her smell in his lungs, Feng Zhiwei had already smashed everything and ran off. From start to finish, he had had no time to react. If Ning Yi¡¯s clever brain was not schooled in political machinations, how could he keep up? The outcry prompted investigation from every direction and many people rushed over. They were greeted by their mussed Vice President crying out, loudly threatening suicide. The gathered crowd could only exchange stunned looks, completely baffled by the sudden turn in events. Then they moved onto Prince Chu, his face blushed, his expression unsettled, tea splashed here and there. And the sharp eyes noticed the faint bite mark on Prince Chu¡¯s ear lobe! Right by the bite was a tiny tea leaf, loudly out of place. Hearts pumped as the burning beat of gossip ran through every mind, and sparks flew as shocked eyes met. A bite mark! Ripped collars! Scandalous! An affair! The brains of academics were very well developed and were exceedingly good at filling in the blanks. Everyone immediately understood what had happened. Prince Chu had been so polite today because he was ruled by his gayness. Today, he had come to take advantage of Vice President Wei¡¯s offense, but of course the honorable Vice President immediately turned him down. Unfortunately, the rapacious wolf of a Prince could not resist this rare opportunity and clearly lost control, obviously ripping Vice President Wei¡¯s sleeve as he pulled the beleaguered scholar. down into a forceful kissed, and in order to defend his honor, the angered Vice President could only bit down on Prince Chu¡¯s earlobe. After escaping the demonic Prince, Vice President Wei could not bear the humiliation and was contemplating suicide. Yes. This was exactly what happened. The experts of gossip were already beginning to worry! Princess Shao Ning was also interested in Vice President Wei! Were this brother and sister pair planning on serving the same husband, or were they going to quarrel over him? ¡°A handsome boy is the root of all troubles¡­¡± A white-haired scholar shook his head as he worriedly examined the heavens. These psychopaths with nothing better to do than gossip were the minority, and most people were rushing forward to stop the indignant Vice President Wei from doing anything rash. Some of them grabbed at the porcelain shard while others comforted him. ¡°Master, it is better to live a coward than die a hero¡­¡± An optimistic voice called out. ¡°Your honor, truly this was nothing¡­¡± An honest voice said. ¡°Your Honor, you did not suffer here¡­¡± A bold voice announced¡­ ¡°Great one, you will always be as clean as ice and as pure as jade in my mind¡­¡± An opportunistic confession called out¡­ Feng Zhiwei let go of the shard and silently accused with her blank stare and tears, all the while surreptitiously signaling to Prince Chu. Go! Run! Leave! What are you still sitting there for? Why are you touching your ear so yearningly! I know you want to draw attention to the bite, do you really need to touch it so longingly? Look at that sultry face, people would even believe that you are a pimp! Feng Zhiwei cried ¡ª what a misfortune this Prince Chu was. Either she needed to fake madness or act the shrew¡­ her reputation in this life¡­ ¡°Wanton!¡± Ning Yi roared, glancing at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s red lips as he wondered when they could put on another show like today¡¯s. He angrily flicked his sleeves: ¡°The audacity! What nonsense! Just wait for this Prince to get the officials to reprimand you in the Imperial Court!¡± ¡°This Minor Minister will accompany you in punishment! After all its just a life!¡± Feng Zhiwei hopped up and down and yelled back, perfectly displaying the death before dishonor stereotype. ¡°Just wait to be impeached and jailed!¡± His Highness roared as he turned to leave! ¡°Come any time!¡± Feng Zhiwei cried out, rolling up her remaining sleeve as she rushed forward, only held back by the crowd. The students were deeply moved by their Vice President¡¯s willingness to offend the most powerful prince and even risk his chastity, and their eyes become even more sappy as they admired their leader. Ning Yi huffed as he left with his Chief Officer and Vice Commander. The unfortunate officials were saved, but their anger was not relieved ¡ª so Prince Chu was interested in having this boy toy. After being bitten, he was all thunder but no rain, and it looked like there was little nope for revenge. Feng Hao was also dragged away. Feng Zhiwei had clearly demonstrated her intentions ¡ª was Feng Hao not suspicious? Well even if he was innocent, you had to make him a suspect. The best is if you could lock him away in the Ministry of Punishment¡¯s jail for a year or two. The Academy regained its peace. Feng Zhiwei had Young Master Gu retrieve the forbidden books from Xin Ziyan¡¯s room ¡ª these books were here only for the sake of the Records of Tian Sheng compilation, stored for the moment in the basement before their eventual destruction. The secret letters were all forgeries Feng Zhiwei had had Young Master Gu prepare. People as cautious as Ning Yi and Xin Ziyan would never leave evidence of their relationship. The unfortunate Chief Officer was not in the inner circle and was not qualified for any true understanding of the situation, which was why he had panicked. Young Master Gu carried on with his day, only somewhat upset that the walnut he had left behind was gone. Helian Zheng pulled a face as long as a coffin and refused to speak with Feng Zhiwei for the rest of the day. The next day, their conversation began. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± ¡°Nothing, my ear is itchy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wondering when my dad dies whether I should marry my step mother or my brother¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gossip spread faster than any Imperial Order, and the day after the new scandal between Prince Chu and Qing Ming Academy¡¯s Vice President had already passed through the entire Imperial Court. With the help of the ever attentive gossipers, many versions of the event were soon tossed around, whether the event was one in a long standing affair, etc. etc. etc. Chapter 127 Translator: Aristophaneso Apparently, Prince Chu claimed that he was occupied with His Majesty¡¯s Health and did not have any time to deal with this arrogant minister, but after His Majesty wakes that minister better watch out! And it was said that Master Wei claimed that neither riches nor glory could corrupt him, and neither poverty nor degradation could pressure him from principle. No threat nor force could subdue him! If anyone dared to threaten and oppress him, he was willing to spill blood in the Imperial Court to prove his innocence! Whenever the two passed each other in the Imperial Court they would both click their tongues and harumph, ignoring the other. That very night, Feng Zhiwei received the Fifth Prince¡¯s gold stamped invitation to a feast at the Lan Yue1 Pavilion, a request for the honorable Cabinet Minister, Right Zhong Yun, Qing Ming Vice President, Master Wei. Four hours after the feast began, the flushed and drunk Vice President was accompanied to the doors by the Fifth Prince himself. ¡°Little Wei.¡± Fifth Prince said, holding Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand and comforting his new bosom friend, his eyes earnest and sincere. ¡°Bet at ease, as long as I am here, Old Six will not touch you.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, her eyes wet as she clutched the Fifth Prince¡¯s hand, her face bereaved. ¡°Thank you for your justice¡­¡± ¡°Old Six is stepping outside the bounds of reason!¡± Fifth Prince said, his expression angry. ¡°Turning his back on the times! How dare he treat the National Scholar like this!¡± Feng Zhiwei sobbed with sadness, her heart touched as she shed tears of gratitude, ¡°Your Highness is truly a virtuous prince!¡± The Fifth Prince¡¯s face was covered with sympathy and he placed his hand on her shoulder, his voice quiet: ¡°Then my matter, if it pleases¡­¡± ¡°A small matter.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied immediately. ¡°If Your Highness simply wants to read one of the books in His Majesty¡¯s Imperial Study, it is an easy matter for this minister. Your Highness need only return it promptly.¡± ¡°You can rest easy.¡± The Fifth Prince smiled, his voice filled with sincerity. ¡°The Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet1 is part of His Majesty¡¯s personal collection. His Majesty once agreed to lend it to me, but the matter was forgotten as he busied himself with national affairs. Now that Mother Consort is ill and His Majesty¡¯s rest is disturbed, I really need this book. I can only beseech you with this matter, and after I have read it and copied the prescriptions I need, I will immediately return it.¡± ¡°How could this minor minister be worried about Your Highness¡¯s request.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, managing a smile through her tears. ¡°Be careful¡­¡± Fifth Prince said, warning Feng Zhiwei with great care and honesty. ¡°Even though this matter is not extraordinary, it will still tie you into the politics, so the fewer people in the know the better. You understand.¡± ¡°This minor minister understands. Your Highness can rest assured.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, her face serious. The two exchanged more earnest and friendly words before unwillingly bidding each other farewell. The carriage drove slowly down the long, quiet streets under the clear and cold gaze of the moon. Feng Zhiwei sat in the dim light of the carriage, slowly wiping her hands again and again with a snowy-white handkerchief. Her face was hidden in the darkness with only her misty eyes lit by the searching moonlight. A cold smile creased her face. The Imperial Bell rang out, calling the second watch of the night. The lamplights were extinguished, the Imperial Palace was locked, and the inner city was closed. Today was Feng Zhiwei¡¯s turn to watch the Cabinet. The quiet corridor stretched forward like a long, green canal floating in the moonlight. The palace eaves shadowed the ground like giant rocks, silent in the water bed. Two teams of night guards patrolled, and for a moment they disappeared around the bend, their shadows slowly fading from view. Soft soled shoes tread soundlessly, dashing swiftly out of the corridor and towards an artificial mountain perched behind flowers and trees. A figure waited quietly to receive her. ¡°Did you get it?¡± Lantern light from afar dimly lit the rendezvous where the Fifth Prince waited, his eyes immediately latching onto the box in her hand. ¡°Why is Your Highness here in person?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, gazing around in surprise. The Fifth Prince did not reply, taking the time to examine the surroundings before asking: ¡°Where is Master Gu? Is he not here?¡± ¡°How could he be?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled in amusement. ¡°The Night Watch cannot be changed and he is not a Cabinet Official. He is not allowed to spend the night in the Imperial Palace.¡± The Fifth Prince nodded, his eyes glittering. Feng Zhiwei smiled again: ¡°I could have sent this to Your Highness¡¯s Residence tomorrow. Your Highness did not need to wait here, why the rush?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± The Fifth Prince began, taking the box into hand. After checking the contents, a smile slowly covered his face as a strange light filled his eyes. ¡°It is more convenient to kill you here.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes flicked upwards from the box. ¡°Chi¡­¡± A faint sound like flame snipping at hair faded and Feng Zhiwei gasped quietly, slowly falling back and slumping against the railing. She looked up at the Fifth Prince with stunned pain and despair. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°I am very grateful.¡± The Fifth Prince smiled warmly, his usual calm and cool expression twisted ferociously under the moonlight. ¡°Grateful that you have sacrificed yourself for my great plan for the throne.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei managed, pointing a trembling, bloodied finger at the Fifth Prince. ¡°When I leave, I will make noise and you will die at the hands of the Imperial Guards for stealing secrets from the Imperial Study.¡± The quiet Fifth Prince could no longer contain his excitement and whispered loudly, explaining his plans. ¡°I will let you go to your grave knowing the truth. This box does not contain the Essential Prescriptions from the Golden.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei forced out with her last strength, close to death but unwilling to die before the right time. ¡°I know you are clever and would definitely check the box. Of course, this box does contain a medical book, but the book has a secret compartment that hides the greatest secret of the Imperial Family.¡± The Fifth Prince opened the box and took out the book. After turning a few of the pages, the Fifth Prince removed a part of the book¡¯s spine. A page slowly detached from the rest of the book, revealing a groove. The page was not paper, but rather jade. The Fifth Prince took out a yellow handkerchief and unfolded it, smiling triumphantly. ¡°As expected, it still has Eldest Brother¡¯s name on it.¡± The Fifth Prince smirked. ¡°He did not have time to change it.¡± ¡°This is His Majesty¡¯s Will, the lawful edict for the inheritance of the throne.¡± The Fifth Prince gestured with the yellow handkerchief. ¡°This seemingly simple fabric is actually made from a special material, a peculiar mineral stretched into threats. Only a single stone has ever been found, and every character is embroidered with a unique art that only allows them to be read when held at a particular angle. A single, unreplicable, unforgeable document. ¡°Many years ago, when His Majesty appointed the Eldest Brother the Crown Prince, Mother Consort accidentally stumbled upon this secret and told me this secret. After many many years, I discovered the embroidering technique, and then after more searching, I finally found a woman who had mastered the technique. Since then, everything had been prepared and I only needed the opportunity to set everything in motion. And now¡­¡± Chapter 128 The Fifth Prince smiled and gestured with the yellow handkerchief. ¡°This name should have changed already, so I will not be polite!¡± ¡°So that was the plan¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed. ¡°You really are not polite at all, so we will not be polite either.¡± The Fifth Prince paused, turning to eye the suddenly recovered Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Cha.¡± Light shone in from every direction, throwing everything into the open. ¡°Pa.¡± Countless crossbows were steadied along the artificial mountain, their quarrels gleaming coldly in the moonlight, surrounding the Fifth Prince. A man walked down the long corridor, his figure adorned with an elegant robe, a gentle smile on his face; the light gold mandala flower bloomed gorgeously under the starry sky. ¡°Fifth Brother had a brilliant plot.¡± The man praised, clapping quietly, his smile cutting through the early autumn breeze. A man stood by the railing, lightly dressed and quivering, supported by the Chief Imperial Guard. ¡°Sinful son!¡± He called out furiously. ¡°First poisoning me then stealing the edict, and even planning to murder the National Scholar to hide your evil plan to usurp the throne. You have lost all heart and all mind! Such gross extremes!¡± Another figure sat lazily against the railing, hugging a platter to herself, idly grabbing a bedecked steamed bun and taking a satisfying bite. Sauce dripped down the corner of her mouth, and she idly rescued the sauce and lapped it off her finger. The Fifth Prince stepped back, his face turning deathly pale as he turned from one witness to the other. ¡°Good! Good!¡± He finally barked out, laughing despairingly. ¡°What a great show! Crossing the sea to deceive the heavens, all the while removing the tinder from under the pot!¡± He turned and stared venomously at Feng Zhiwei, ¡°Wei Zhi, a brilliant plot!¡± Feng Zhiwei met the prince¡¯s gaze, her heart suddenly on high alert ¡ª in this desperate moment, the prince should be fleeing or begging for forgiveness ¡ª why was he still so hostile? Thoughts flashed through her mind as she thought back over what the prince had said. You will die at the hands of the Imperial Guards for stealing secrets from the Imperial Study. Since the prince had already attacked her, all the Imperial Guards would discover was her body. How could he be sure that the Imperial Guards would cover his tracks and claim responsibility for her death? And which Imperial Guard would have been first at the scene? Unless the Chief Imperial Guard¡­ Feng Zhiwei leapt to her feet and raced towards Ning Yi. But it was already too late. A great force pushed her from behind and into the embrace of the Fifth Prince. The Fifth Prince grabbed her hair and pulled it back, tearing at her scalp as he held a dagger against her back. At the same time, a sword was drawn and the Tian Sheng Emperor called out in fury. The Fifth Prince laughed. ¡°Ning Yi!¡± He called out, ¡°Father Emperor or this brat, you can only save one!¡± ¡°Whom will you save?¡± Whom would he save? The Chief Imperial Guard held his sword to the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s neck, while outside the corridor, the Fifth Prince pressed his dagger against Feng Zhiwei¡¯s waist. The answer needed no consideration. All the crossbows on the mountain were still aimed at the Fifth Prince. No one had lowered their weapons because Feng Zhiwei was in the Fifth Prince¡¯s grasp. Half of the Imperial Guard was from the Chang Ying Guard, and half was from the Yu Lin Guard, and Ning Yi¡¯s Chang Ying Guard had all been assembled. ¡°Wei Yong!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor scolded with fury. ¡°Have you lost your mind?! You dare hold me hostage! Do you think you will leave the Palace with your life?¡± ¡°This Minor Guard never planned on leaving here alive.¡± Chief Imperial Guard Wei Yong announced calmly. He was the one who had pushed Feng Zhiwei and then held the Son of Heaven hostage, his voice calm but his eyes dim. ¡°The Chang Family has given this Minor Minister a new life, and they have watched over this Minor Minister¡¯s old mother. This life belongs to the Chang Family.¡± ¡°The Chang Family.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor sneered, ¡°Chang Family!¡± ¡°Wei Yong, put down your sword.¡± Ning Yi finally spoke, not even glancing at the Fifth Prince or Ning Yi, his eyes only on the two men inside the corridor. ¡°It is better late than never. If you turn back now, I promise that your mother will be fine.¡± Wei Yong shook his head, smiling in miserable silence. ¡°What do you want?¡± Ning Yi frowned, turning to the Fifth Prince. ¡°Fifth Brother, why are you doing this? Why struggle to the death? How can you do this to your father? Why force our Ning Imperial Family to fratricide?¡± ¡°What do you know!¡± The Fifth Prince sneered. ¡°Do you still not understand the cruelty and decisiveness of Father Emperor? Have you forgotten how Third Brother died? At Wang Chuan Bridge, Father Emperor once said that the past could be forgotten and forgiven and the harmonious bond of father and son could be renewed, but when Third Brother knelt and surrendered his sword, what awaited him?¡± Ning Yi¡¯s face flashed and his eyes dimmed. The Tian Sheng Emperor snorted angrily, and at that noise Ning His recovered, his face straightening as he calmly replied: ¡°You refuse to turn from your foolishness.¡± Ning Yi stepped back, turning his eyes into the shadows. The Fifth Prince instantly stiffened, instinctively feeling danger, but when he turned and saw the Imperial Study¡¯s door thrown open and the study lit and empty, his eyes brightened. ¡°We will not speak out here any longer.¡± He announced, tightening his grip on his knife and forcing Feng Zhiwei forward. ¡°We will speak inside the Imperial Study. Summon all the Cabinet Ministers!¡± ¡°Fifth Brother, spare yourself this effort.¡± Ning Yi smiled coldly. ¡°No matter where you go, the end will be the same. Stop wasting your energy.¡± Ning Yi loomed in the shadows, his face completely hidden. The longer he stayed still, the more upset the Fifth Prince became; the prince was sure that he was surrounded, so it was clearly better to barricade himself in the Imperial Study and hide from the hidden enemies around him. ¡°Hey, listen to me Fifth Prince.¡± Feng Zhiwei whispered into his ear. ¡°You definitely should not go into the Imperial Study. Look at that screen and that desk, there are definitely people hidden there. If you want to seek misfortune, don¡¯t drag me into it.¡± What nonsense! The Fifth Prince sneered. The Imperial Study screen was milky-white silk and could not even hide an ant. The desk had been intentionally designed to never hide an assailant. These two were trying to bamboozle him again. He listened carefully and heard the quiet tensing of bow strings, and he nervously remembered Sixth Brother¡¯s talented artisans, each of them specialized in a particular weapons construction. Was this tensing string the centerpiece of a powerful crossbow that could cut him down from a great distance? ¡°Into the Imperial Study!¡± The Fifth Prince called out, gesturing for the Imperial Guard to bring the Emperor as well. As he pushed forward, the prince spotted the map facing the door. The Chang Ning Vassal State in the Xiping Province was clearly labeled in blue, and the Minnan Province was marked with red. The large characters of: Imperial Ning Forever Stood boldly inscribed along the top of the Imperial Study. A plan emerged in his mind, and the more he thought the more he latched on to this final chance to leave this mess alive. Hurriedly, he pushed Feng Zhiwei forward. Chapter 129 ¡°Ouch, stop.¡± Feng Zhiwei complained, dragging her feet. ¡°Fifth Prince, you¡¯re pressing too hard, I can¡¯t walk.¡± ¡°Stop your tricks!¡± The Fifth Prince snapped, not trusting Feng Zhiwei a whit. He pressed the tip of his dagger into her flesh, ¡°Into the study! Ning Yi, summon the cabinet!¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed, looking down at the blood slowly seeping into her green robes. Ning Yi glanced over, his face expressionless. ¡°Fifth Brother, stop wasting so much time on this minor minister.¡± He said, ¡°Compared to His Majesty, he¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Sixth Brother, don¡¯t waste your words.¡± The Fifth Prince sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t care who he is, as long as I have someone to accompany me on my pyre!¡± He retreated into the study, his dagger gleaming coldly. ¡°Summon the Cabinet Ministers. Father Emperor will write in the Golden Book before all the ministers that: ¡®Everything today will be forgiven. If I go back on my words, let the Heavens and Earth punish me, and let the Ning Family fall in this generation!¡¯ After that, you will give me an honor guard escort out of Dijing and title me lord of Ximin Province. Father and son will live in peace and never meet again!¡± The Fifth Prince spat out decisive orders. ¡°You go in first!¡± He called out to Ning Yi. ¡°Don¡¯t lag behind!¡± ¡°Everybody else back!¡± He shouted, pausing afterwards to listen to the breathing in the darkness. He nervously eyed the Tian Sheng Emperor and Ning Yi, and the Emperor could only sullenly gesture the crossbowmen back. Silence fell upon the clearing and only wind rustled an accompaniment to the nervous breathing. Ning Yi sneered and slowly backed into the study, keeping his eyes locked onto the Tian Sheng Emperor. He was so focused on the Emperor¡¯s safety that he missed the threshold at his feet and tripped, falling by the basin stand beside the door. Ning Yi quickly caught himself, lifting the stand as he passed. ¡°Old Six, it¡¯s not the time to have weak knees!¡± Fifth Prince snared at Ning Yi, shaking his head in disdain as Wei Yong approached the door with the Emperor. Ning Yi had moved the basin stand slightly, blocking the right side of the door, forcing Wei Yong to hold the Tian Sheng Emperor on his left as he edged forward. ¡°Peng!¡± A light cold as snow flashed! The snowy light pierced forward from the bottom-right of the threshold, instantly shattering and swarming upwards at Wei Yong. The machine¡¯s spring was powerful enough that no one could react in time, and the snowy lights pierced into Wei Yong¡¯s lower body, spilling blood! Wei Yong screamed in pain but quickly reached forward to grab the freed Tian Sheng Emperor. Ning Yi flashed forward like lightning, grabbing the Tian Sheng Emperor as he swept past Wei Yong to pounce towards the Fifth Prince. Ning Yi rushed forward faster than he¡¯d ever moved and paid no wind to Wei Yong¡¯s cold snort or the piercing wind behind him. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. The Fifth Prince could barely react to the flash of snowy light before Ning Yi was upon him. In all the chaos, he was stunned still with no time to think or act. ¡°Don¡¯t kill him!¡± A harsh voice commanded and a white shadow rushed towards the Fifth Prince. Suddenly, the long corridor¡¯s ceiling broke open and a light cyan sleeve reached out through the dust, aiming for the Fifth Prince¡¯s head. The hand moved with such strength that it looked like a single touch would remove the Fifth Prince¡¯s head from his body forever. As the harsh call filled the air, the Fifth Prince stirred out of his astonishment. He could make out nothing in the chaos as lights and shadows raged around him and fierce wind roared. The Fifth Prince did not know who was attacking him, but he knew he would not survive; a vicious gleam filled his eyes and he pressed down with his dagger! Everything happened all at once ¡ª Ning Yi had arrived. Princess Shao Ning had also appeared by the Fifth Prince¡¯s side, pushing forward with her whole body to push aside the Fifth Prince¡¯s dagger. Above the Fifth Prince, Gu Nanyi reached out to pull the Fifth Prince into the air. And in the chaos ¡ª Princess Shao Ning missed the Fifth Prince¡¯s hand and collided with Gu Nanyi¡¯s, knocking his aim awry. Gu Nanyi¡¯s hand slammed into the Fifth Prince¡¯s chest, pushing him back a step and knocking Feng Zhiwei out of Ning Yi¡¯s reach. This time, Ning Yi and Gu Nanyi tangled together, blocking each other from reaching Feng Zhiwei. The three had come forward to save Feng Zhiwei, but had instead ruined everything and left the Fifth Prince unattended. The dagger was already at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s waist and a light pressure would be enough to endanger her life. And the dagger had already been pressed. Her green robe ran with red. Instantly, Ning Yi¡¯s eyes filled with red as well. Ning Yi struck forward with his sword, grabbing at Feng Zhiwei with his other hand and pressing down on her wound. Before his strike could land, the Fifth Prince collapsed; and when Ning Yi pressed down on the wound, he noticed something strange. He looked down and his hand was covered in a stickily sweet and fragrant red sauce. Fresh crabapples sauce. The woman in front of him breathed out the gentle fragrance of the crabapple, quirking her lips into a half-smile as she said: ¡°I have more than one slice of crabapple pancake.¡± Ning Yi immediately understood. Feng Zhiwei had already been prepared when she handed over the book, and since she had not known which part of her the Fifth Prince would stab, she had probably prepared these pancake shields over her vitals. Clearly, there was one at her waist. The reason she had been stumbling and feigning weakness was because she needed a distraction to adjust the pancake¡¯s positioning without alerting the Fifth Prince. And the Fifth Prince had been so nervous that he had been tricked two times by her crabapple pancakes. As he breathed in the fragrance and looked into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s tranquil eyes, he was moved by her imperturbable calm and felt himself relaxing. His face flushed as he gazed at her, his voice somewhat hoarse as he replied: ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± The Fifth Prince lay on the floor surrounded by swords and blades. He had been hit by Feng Zhiwei and had his acupoint sealed, but he was still alive and alert. He got a clear look at Ning Yi¡¯s expression and a sudden flash of understanding filled him. His mind raced as a frigid smile emerged on his lips. He smiled as he coughed, sneering at Feng Zhiwei as he called out: ¡°Look, you did not guess wrongly. He saved whom he needed to save.¡± Words aimed to cut the heart. Ning Yi¡¯s expression fell and he had almost began speaking when his face flushed again and he quietly closed his mouth. Feng Zhiwei was not looking at Ning Yi, and she turned to examined the Fifth Prince, her smile disappearing: ¡°Don¡¯t mock your Sixth Brother. You would have made the same choice.¡± Her tone was calm and without complaint, but Ning Yi felt as if coarse sand had been ground against his heart. Pain filled him as he opened his mouth once more to speak. But then a hand reached over and pulled Feng Zhiwei away. Chapter 130 Gu Nanyi wrapped Feng Zhiwei into his embrace and said coldly: ¡°Move, impediment.¡± Ning Yi stepped back and leaned against a pillar. He looked into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face and suddenly felt that any explanation was unnecessary. His words would not change her mind and what she thought of him whether good or ill. He waited for Feng Zhiwei to speak. A smart person like her would definitely understand that his calculation had been without flaw; if the accidents in the end had not occurred, he would definitely have been able to save her. But Feng Zhiwei did not meet Ning Yi¡¯s gaze and rather turned obediently towards Gu Nanyi, lazily lying in his embrace. Ning Yi¡¯s face fell. The sun had set, and he could only smile bitterly, unmoving. He did not know ¡ª It was only after Feng Zhiwei turned towards Gu Nanyi that she allowed her pain to surface. Her hand pressed gently against her waist. Under the red crabapple, blood flowed quietly. After all, a pancake would not stop a dagger. The Fifth Prince had shown no mercy in his attack. She had moved around her padding and prepared for the Fifth Prince¡¯s moves, but she was still injured. She could have been saved, but unfortunately things did not work out. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face fell. The sun had set, and he could only smile bitterly. The conversation in the Academy seemed to ring through her ears, and sure enough, she had predicted correctly. She did not look back. And she did not know ¡ª Only the Tian Sheng Emperor saw the truth, his stunned gaze on his son¡¯s back. Wei Yong lay dead, satisfied in his final act, his sword thrown forward. Ning Yi stood straight backed, clutching the pillar beside him. A sword jutted out from his back, drenching his robes with blood. ¡­ The Thirteenth year of Chang Xi was an eventful year. The Crown Prince¡¯s Rebellion was followed by the Fifth Prince¡¯s Great Rebellion. The Imperial Edict was vague and ambiguous ¡ª officially, the Fifth Prince had held grudges and hatched a sinister plot, and as punishment he would be stripped of his rank, reduced to a commoner, and banished; but everyone knew that the last Chang Family Prince with any hope for the throne had fallen. Noble Imperial Consort Chang was naturally implicated as well. Even though the investigations concluded that she was not involved in her son¡¯s schemes, her position in the Imperial Harem could not be preserved. She was downgraded to Imperial Concubine and moved to the Sixth West Palace. Thought the Fifth Prince had not defended his mother while he was threatening the Tian Sheng Emperor, she paid the greatest price for his actions. While the matter of the Crown Prince¡¯s Rebellion had been swiftly concluded, the Tian Sheng Emperor was not so lenient this time around. He entrusted Prince Chu with a deep, unrelenting investigation into the matter and all its tangents. As the investigation into the Pen Monkey deepened, their origin was discovered. In order to fulfill Marquis Gao Yang¡¯s request, Minnan Commissioner Gao Shan had desecrated the Minnan Mountain Range, tracking down and massacring the famed Shou Wu[1] beast tamer clan. The precious Pen Monkeys had belonged the Shou Wu Clan Chief. As the Minnan Commissioner came under scrutiny, his crimes of corruption were brought to the light ¡ª bribery, injustice, tax evasion, and purchasing of official positions from Marquis Gao Yang. Gao Shan was stripped of his powers and sentenced according to his crimes, and Marquis Gao Yang was stripped of his title. ¡ª Two weeks ago, the Emperor had hosted a great show for Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s birthday, and two weeks later he began viciously attacking the Chang Family¡¯s power base. The Chang Family refused to fall over, and when the Tian Sheng Emperor sent out an Edict stripping the Chang Family¡¯s Minnan General of his power and commanding there surrender of their military forces, pirates immediately appeared in the South Sea and dealt great damage to the fishermen in the area. Marquis Gao Yang claimed that he could not surrender his power when pirates attacked his people and refused to accept the Imperial Court¡¯s Edict. The heavens were high above and the Emperor far away. This matter could not be forced, and the Edict was momentarily forgotten. While this drama unfolded, the Tian Sheng Emperor refused to be intimidated and still presided over the Imperial Court, dealing with all the restlessness and ambition that had fermented as he lay resting in bed. The Second Prince was not forgotten. After being seen frequently drinking in the Hu Wei Camp and constantly in talks with the generals there, the Second Prince was dispatched to Minnan to placate the native victims of Gao Shan¡¯s sins. There, the Second Prince would be forced to drink wine made by monkeys with the half-naked mud clan, only ever able to talk with the black-teethed, big hipped clan women. Some thought the Second Prince very unlucky, while others thought him rather fortunate. Apparently, the same night that the Fifth Prince headed out for business, the Second Prince was in the Hu Wei Camp. Half of the camp had been assembled and readied in the black of night, fully armed for a march, but after a short ten-mile stretch the army was blocked and turned back. If they had refused to turn, the Second Prince might not have had any wine left to drink. The ministers who had strived so hard to establish the Virtuous Prince as the Regent were all transferred or fired. Even Chief Minister Yao Ying had colluded with the Seventh Prince¡¯s brother-in-law to give out high interest loans in six different counties in He Dong Province. His Majesty published an Imperial Edict scolding the powerful minister and stripped him of a year¡¯s salary. The quarreling Ministries immediately quieted. Prince Chu was dispatched to personally handle the matter: the Revenue Minister was punished with a salary fine, and the Works Minister became Assistant Minister of Rites. His Highness Prince Chu said: since you have failed to manage the Ministry of Works, go manage singing. If you cannot manage singing, then you will be sent to manage aboriginals. Though both ministers were punished, it was clear to any bright eyed fellow that Prince Chu¡¯s Ministry of Revenue had not suffered, but that the Ministry of Works outside his command had been greatly abused. The Tian Sheng Emperor had decided to allow Ning Yi complete freedom in the matter ¡ª while the Emperor had maintained caution towards his son after the Crown Prince¡¯s Rebellion, it was clear that he now had great faith in Ning Yi. While His Majesty recovered, Ning Yi was stationed at the Imperial Palace every waking moment. The Tian Sheng Emperor seemed to trust only this single son, as if he could only sleep well in the faithful Prince¡¯s company. As a side note to the Imperial Harem, the Tian Sheng Emperor conferred the title Imperial Consort to the dancer who had performed during Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s birthday. The day only dawned on the smiles of the newcomers, never to see the weeping of the old. This matter could only create waves in the Imperial Harem, and nobody else seemed to pay any attention because it was none of their business. As the matter began to settle, some old, factionless ministers presented a written statement to the Tian Sheng Emperor, recommending that he appoint a new Crown Prince as soon as possible. These ministers argued that a period without a Crown Prince could only ever be an impermanent interim, and that for the sake of the Dynasty his Majesty needed to make a decision. The Tian Sheng Emperor did not voice an opinion, leaving the memorandum in his Palace but not issuing any directives. Rumors had it that His Majesty had offered Prince Chu the Crown Prince title, but that Prince Chu had firmly declined. No one was sure whether this rumor was accurate. Time did not stop, and Ning Yi swiftly and decisively settled all Imperial Court matters. The Tian Sheng Emperor was finally free to turn towards the Chang Family, but just as His Majesty was preparing to deploy the South Sea Troops to conquer the pirates and force Marquis Gao Yang to surrender his forces, Feng Zhiwei visited the Emperor in the middle of the night with her South Sea Yan Family in tow. [1] ÊÞÎè Beast Dance Chapter 131 The Imperial Study had already been renovated and repaired with not a scratch in view, though Feng Zhiwei did step incredibly carefully as she crossed the threshold, much to the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s amusement. Ning Yi sat in a high-backed seat to His Majesty¡¯s right, his expression and posture somewhat lax and his face pale. It was not cold, but he rested his back against a cotton pillow; and his hair draped loosely over his shoulders, framing his white face and dark eyes. Feng Zhiwei was surprised that Ning Yi was at the Imperial Palace so late, and when Ning Yi turned his gorgeous eyes he met her gaze for a moment before turning away. Servants brought in ginseng soup and the Tian Sheng Emperor carefully served Ning Yi, gesturing him to remain sitting: ¡°Rest, don¡¯t stand.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused ¡ª she had not heard that this guy was ill. ¡°Thank you Father Emperor.¡± Ning Yi replied, still bending his upper body in a half bow as he slowly sipped from his soup, not paying any mind to Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei still carried the pain of the dagger wound around with her, but others could only see her blooming smile as she presented a scroll. The Tian Sheng Emperor spread the scroll open and happily read: ¡°South Sea Pirate Locations!¡± Feng Zhiwei gestured to Yan Huaishi ¡ª brother, it¡¯s your turn now. ¡°Your Majesty, the South Sea Yan Family has devoted many years and much manpower and resources, and after our long experience in overseas business, we have completed this South Sea Pirate Locations Map.¡± Yan Huaishi explained confidently, ¡°All the South Sea Pirates are shown on this map.¡± At these words, even Ning Yi had to lean over and inspect the map. He turned an eye to Feng Zhiwei, and Feng Zhiwei smiled sincerely and guilelessly at him. ¡°Good!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor called out admiringly, slapping the table. ¡°Yi-er, head to Hao Yun Palace immediately. Dispatch the fastest horse and deliver this information to the South Sea General¡­ wait¡­ why are there so few?¡± His Majesty examined the map once more, frowning. A glow of understanding came over his eyes. ¡°Bastard!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor slapped his desk in anger, tossing the lamp and letters to the floor as the attending servant hurriedly knelt and begged for pardon. ¡°Chang Family¡¯s shamelessness knows no bounds!¡± Veins protruded from the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s face. ¡°To suppress these little pirates they¡¯ve spent how many years and still failed? They come every year begging money and grain and allotment for their military! And what are the numbers they present every year of the pirates they¡¯ve suppressed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid they are the heads of innocent South Sea civilians.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, adding fuel to the fire. The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s hand and lips trembled from his fury. He turned to Ning Yi, ¡°Yi-er, what do you think?¡± Ning Yi took the map into hand and calmly replied: ¡°The Chang Family have failed their duties, this is unquestionable. This is simply proof of their crimes¡­ but for Master Wei to present this map at so late an hour, he surely has a brilliant plan. Father Emperor may as well listen.¡± Ning Yi¡¯s eyes moved from the map and met Feng Zhiwei¡¯s once more, and once more they both turned away. Both of them understood the circumstance at hand. The supposed pirates had been running rampant throughout the South Sea for many years and every year the Imperial Court dispatched vast amounts of money and grain and gave generous allotments for the expansion of the army. At its peak, almost a third of the annual revenue was diverted to the South Sea, and the Chang Family and Minnan Commissioner had used this to grow rich and powerful. The Yan Family was now revealing that the pirate situation was not as serious as the Chang Family claimed, but this disclosure might be part of the Chang Family¡¯s scheme. In the future, if the Chang Family fell, whoever took their position would never grow to the same power as they had. Coincidentally, the one set to take over as Minnan General was Ning Yi¡¯s man. Feng Zhiwei knew that Ning Yi understood all this, but he did not make any trouble and generously left the opportunity for her. She had not expected this, and now the speech she had prepared was unnecessary. Ning Yi lowered his eyes and slowly brushed aside the tea leaves in his cup¡­ since you want to recklessly climb, there¡¯s no fun in stopping you. Since it is like this, I will conquer you in the realms of your expertise. Their eyes only met for a second, and then Feng Zhiwei smiled and turned to the Emperor once more, saying: ¡°Why dispatch our army or move the South Sea Troops from the far away Ling Shui Pass? This will only waste manpower and money, and once our troops have shifted, this will leave a vulnerability in the Chang Ning Vassal State. The South Sea region has many large local families founded on sea trade; they¡¯ve long since grown weary of the Chang Family pirate alliance and yearn for an opportunity to serve the country. Your Majesty need only give them a title and these rich family¡¯s will move their forces to easily suppress the isolated pirates now that the Chang Family has abandoned them. This way, the Imperial Court will save money and allow our troops to maintain their vigil, and the South Sea Families will get their long desired opportunity to rid themselves of this headache. Is this plan not perfect?¡± ¡°Good.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor praised, his eyes gleaming. He smiled at Feng Zhiwei and Yan Huaishi. ¡°We will call the Cabinet to come up with a decree tomorrow. Your effort is greatly appreciated.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and stood, praising His Majesty for his keen intelligence and excellent judgement before bidding farewell. Ning Yi stood as she moved to leave, saying: ¡°I will escort my house¡¯s meritorious minister.¡± Feng Zhiwei tilted her head as he said ¡®my house¡¯ in a quiet and smiling voice, but the Tian Sheng Emperor paid no mind to the exchange. The Emperor was in a great mood after saving money and manpower, so he gestured his acceptance, reminding Ning Yi once more: ¡°Your wound is not healed, be careful.¡± Feng Zhiwei pouted, thinking that this man was faking a show once more. As they headed out, Ning Yi walked extremely slowly, and Feng Zhiwei could only suppress her impatience and walk slowly by his side. Ning Yi examined the girl beside him, thinking that if this girl had any merit, it was that she was incredibly fake. A hundred percent fake, and because of her perpetual mask, she would never throw petulant tantrums. As Feng Zhiwei lowered her head and quietly walked beside her, a mild smile on her face as she clenched her hands impotently inside her sleeves, Ning Yi¡¯s mood suddenly improved. Yan Huaishi felt something off and hurriedly dragged a servant and excused himself. The other attendants were also very astute and quickly fled into the distance. With no one around them, Feng Zhiwei could finally stop pretending. She immediately left Ning Yi¡¯s side, smiling as she spoke: ¡°Hehe I do not dare let His Highness escort me so far. Hehe please stay, please stay, this minor minister can escort himself. Until we meet again, farewell.¡± Ning Yi grabbed her sleeve, but Feng Zhiwei was not surprised and jabbed her elbow backwards. She heard a cry of pain, but she paid it no mind as she moved away; however, Ning Yi refused to let go and pulled her back, forcing Feng Zhiwei to twist her waist, and now it was her time to cry out in pain. She gasped angrily and held her wound, turning to glare furiously at Ning Yi only to see him also gasping, leaning pale-faced against the wall. Their eyes met, and one asked: ¡°Are you really injured?¡± The other asked at the same time: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Chapter 132 Both of them fell silent. After a moment, Ning Yi gently reached for Feng Zhiwei, holding her warm, clammy hands. When his icy fingers touched her, Feng Zhiwei instinctively grasped them in her own, her heart longing to give them warmth, but she immediately conquered herself and pulled back her hand. Ning Yi was deep in thought and did not notice Feng Zhiwei¡¯s reaction. Finally, he spoke: ¡°Zhi Wei.¡± Feng Zhiwei murmured in reply. ¡°Are you truly going to walk this road?¡± Ning Yi asked in a heavy voice, his eye¡¯s unreadable in the dim moonlight. Feng Zhiwei slowly shifted her head, her heart a tangled mess. ¡°You must understand.¡± Ning Yi continued, his words slow. ¡°There are things I must achieve, and now that I have walked down this path, I cannot retreat. Sometimes, those in power cannot do what they wish, even if they want to step back, their subordinates and followers will not allow it. You¡­ do you understand?¡± Feng Zhiwei remained silent, only quirking her lips. ¡°The Imperial Family have secret guards called the Golden Key.¡± Ning Yi suddenly explained, going on a tangent. ¡°The Golden King is domineering and is charged with solving every major, unresolved case. They hunt down all manners of important criminals from the shadows. This key is only ever wielded by His Majesty, and none of the princes are involved. Feng Zhiwei looked into Ning Yi¡¯s eyes, confused. ¡°I am just informing you of their existence.¡± Ning Yi explained, staring in to her eyes, a faint smile on his face. ¡°All ministers should tread carefully.¡± ¡°It has always been the case that anyone who wants to keep their life must be very careful.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, smiling. Ning Yi gazed into her face, reaching out his hand to touch her hair. Feng Zhiwei moved out of the way, hurriedly saying: ¡°Careful, people are watching.¡± ¡°You blame me, I understand.¡± Ning Yi replied calmly, not giving way. ¡°Relax, no one will dare watch me.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart jumped as she understood the extent of Ning Yi¡¯s control over the palace guards, but she smiled and immediately replied: ¡°Blame you for what?¡± ¡°When will you stop playing the fool?¡± Ning Yi said quietly, his words a light breeze by her ears. Feng Zhiwei shifted her head, dodging away, but as she moved Ning Yi lips moved by her. Feng Zhiwei cried out quietly, reaching up to touch a droplet of blood blossoming from her earlobe. Feng Zhiwei glared furiously at the petty man before her. She had only bitten him to set the scene! Even if he wanted his revenge, why did he bite so hard? She looked up at the blood on his smile; and in the dark night his eyes shone brilliantly, his usual elegance fading away, leaving only his bewitching seductiveness. For a moment, he looked like a beautiful demon from the legends. Ning Yi looked down at the drop of blood on her clean, white ear and his gaze deepened. But then he pushed her gently aside, saying: ¡°Someone is coming. Go.¡± Feng Zhiwei stepped backwards, and before she had finished turning around her face was already covered in her classic smile. Ning Yi watched as she calmly thanked the attendant who had come to lead her away, surreptitiously wiping the blood from her ears as she left. When she was out of sight, Ning Yi slowly sat, leaning against the railing. ¡°I had to taste your blood.¡± He murmured, touching his lips and examining the blood on his fingers. His eyes sparkled as he smiled to himself: ¡°Even blood from such a black heart is still red.¡± A few days later, an Imperial Edict was dispatched rewarding Wei Zhi¡¯s great contribution with a promotion to Vice Minister of Rites. The same day, the Imperial Court founded a new General Department of Sea Vessels in the South Sea Province and named the Yan Family Head as the first Manager in charge of the South Sea maritime businesses, a new position that would report directly to the Ministry of Revenue. While the news about a business man getting an official position did not receive much attention, Minister Wei¡¯s promotion caused a great commotion of praise and envy. Although Minister Wei¡¯s position as assistant to the Emperor gave him access to the Imperial Cabinet, he was not officially a member. Typically, a new Minister would need to spend some time establishing a record in the six ministries before any hope of promotion ¡ª for Minister Wei¡¯s first posting to be that of Vice Minister demonstrated the Imperial intention for a future promotion to Cabinet. Vice Minister Wei was already a Third Rank Official at such a young age, surely his future was boundless. In the coming days, the Wei Mansion thronged with visitors and congratulations. But Master Wei had no time to welcome these well-wishers. On the first day of her new posting, she was given the task of sorting through all the young masters throughout the country, organizing them according to background, moral quality, and personality for the Tian Sheng Emperor. The Emperor had finally decided to find a son-in-law for Shao Ning. When Shao Ning heard of this, how could she remain calm? She cried, threw tantrums, and ran around chasing Wei Zhi. Feng Zhiwei could only rush here and dash there to hide from her, all the while bemoaning her fate ¡ª dear sister, why are you so foolish! Since His Majesty had charged Wei Zhi with this matter, clearly he had no intention of choosing this official as a candidate. Even if His Majesty wanted to select his new favored minister, her Sixth Brother would never allow the matter. The more trouble she created, the sooner she¡¯d be shuffled off into her marriage. Why did this silly child not understand? But Shao Ning paid no mind to any scheming. She believed that the road to love always took twists and turns, but the future was bright. This bright future was something that they both needed to fight for, so how could Wei Zhi abandon her? And so, the young Princess turned Feng Zhiwei¡¯s life upside down. On a particular morning, after the assembly in the Imperial Court, Shao Ning cornered Feng Zhiwei on her way out. Feng Zhiwei hurriedly bowed and mumbled quickly: ¡°Greetings Princess Good Morning Princess this Minor Minister wishes you the best please pardon me I have important business farewell farewell.¡± And before Shao Ning could open her mouth, Feng Zhiwei was already darting away. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Feng Zhiwei rushed away, a clueless and unhearing expression plastered on her face as all the surrounding ministers chuckled at her. ¡°You must not do that anymore!¡± Shao Ning called out, not giving up her chase, yelling as she ran: ¡°Don¡¯t do it! Don¡¯t do it!¡± The various ambiguous smiles on the minister¡¯s faces morphed into alarm ¡ª what was this matter? Do what? Don¡¯t do what? Feng Zhiwei felt sweat rolling down her face as she rushed away¡­ Princes, please speak more clearly¡­ speaking so vaguely will lead to my death¡­ ¡°Master Wei, stop!¡± A sweaty Imperial Servant called out, rushing to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s side. ¡°His Majesty requests your presence!¡± Shao Ning¡¯s eyes reddened. She knew that the Emperor was making his final decision about the Imperial Son-in-Law today and had summoned Wei Zhi to explain the matter. ¡°You will not get away!¡± Shao Ning ground her teeth, clapping her hands as she called out, ¡°Come!¡± Chapter 133 A group of Shao Ning¡¯s guards rushed over from around the corner, surrounding Feng Zhiwei and blocking her way. Feng Zhiwei frowned. Wei Zhi was a scholar who knew nothing about the martial arts; there was no way he could fight the guards, and he could only turn and run. ¡°Take him down!¡± Shao Ning shouted, and the guards rushed over and easily subdued Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Tie him up!¡± Feng Zhiwei was quickly tied up with a yellow ribbon and carried off. Shao Ning¡¯s face was a pale green and her eyes red. She trembled with an incoherent excitement, and punched up her dress in her fists as she ran with her guards to the Imperial Study. ¡°We will go see Father Emperor together!¡± ¡°We will say that you tricked my body and that we¡¯ve already pledged to marry in the Imperial Garden. If you ever marry, it will only be to me; and if not you, I will never marry!¡± Alright alright alright, Wei Zhi will marry no one except you, and without Wei Zhi you will never marry. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s fury bubbled forth as laughter, and she called down from her perch: ¡°Princess, has no one ever told you that forcing yourself on someone will only lead to emptiness?¡± ¡°This Princess only understands this,¡± Princess Shao Ning replied imposingly. ¡°When one does not do what they ought to, they are ultimately left with nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The eight strong guards carried Princess Shao Ning¡¯s trussed up trophy down the hall, and the Feng Zhiwei prisoner could only sigh to the heavens: ¡°In this age, a man¡¯s beauty is so dangerous¡­¡± At these words, a group of servants and spies quietly following them nearly tripped and sprained their backs¡­ They swept boisterously into the Imperial Study, but His Majesty was no present. An attending servant was waiting to take Wei Zhi to the Feng Yun Xuan. Shao Ning and her guards rushed over to the Feng Yun Xuan, but before they reached the door, a man leaned out of a second story window and yelled out: ¡°Ai yo, is that Master Wei? Ai ya, you left upright but came back horizontal?¡± Feng Zhiwei shifted her head and peered over at Helian Zheng, the prince¡¯s eyebrows dancing from his heaving laughter. What was this guy doing here? ¡°Morning, Prince Hu Zhuo.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled as she called out greetings, ¡°Forgive this minister for not bowing, but I cannot bend over in this armor.¡± Suddenly, another man appeared by Helian Zheng¡¯s side, a cup of tea in his hand as he carefully peered down at Feng Zhiwei. The man spoke: ¡°If you look one way, the mountain ranges are sweeping, but if you turn your perspective, they become steep peaks*. Master Wei, your bearing is very eye-catching.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyelids twitched, and she turned her gaze to carefully examine the second man before replying: ¡°Near or far, from heights or depths, the same scene will differ**. Your Highness¡¯s bearing and expression is also profound.¡± Helian Zhang laughed cheerfully, clearly in a great mood as he spoke: ¡°The true face of Mount Lu seem strange to you***, Your Highness. Master Wei is not some ordinary minister that you can bully!¡± ¡°Because you are on the wall****,¡± Ning Yi replied, calmly turning. ¡°And the walls of Qing Ming Academy¡¯s Tower are truly tall.¡± Helian Zheng, ¡°¡­¡± As the two men dueled with words, another window opened and the Tian Sheng Emperor glared down pale faced with anger. ¡°Shao Ning, what are you doing!¡± Shao Ning gazed up defiantly and loudly called forth: ¡°Father Emperor, I do not want to marry anyone else. Wei Zhi and I were in the Imperial Garden¡­¡± but before she could explain her lie, Feng Zhiwei interrupted her, calling out loudly from her supine position, her eyes closed. ¡°Your Majesty forgive this Minor Minister for not bowing in this ungiving armor! This Minor Minister was sleep walking through the Imperial Gardens and heard the plot of an opera about pledging to marry without the permission of parents but this foolish scholar did not understand the romance involved. This Minor Minister found the opera quite amusing and dramatic, but Her Highness did not like it. It is this Minor Minister¡¯s fault for failing to explain the opera well and win over the Princess. This Minor Minister was so ashamed that my organs began to burn so I tied myself up to apologize to Your Majesty¡­ Ah, I am very grateful that the Princess lent me her guards to carry this Minor Minister here; this Minor Minister accidentally tied myself too tightly.¡± Laughter echoed down from the second floor as the Cabinet Ministers working within exchanged amused glances. This Wei Zhi brat was truly as slippery as a mud fish, so calmly calling black white, easily taking all responsibility and explaining everything away. He interrupted Shao Ning¡¯s words and saved Imperial Face ¡ª no wonder His Majesty was also happy after his meetings with this young star. The Tian Sheng Emperor could barely hold back his laughter as he forced a scolding frown, calling out: ¡°Children! Why are you making such a scene about this small matter? All of you, leave! Shao Ning, you are growing more and more unreasonable! Do you truly want me to ground you?¡± Shao Ning looked up, her face pale from Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words. All the words she had wanted to pour from her heart and been blocked by Wei Zhi. This man¡¯s thoughts were like the sea, and his heart like stone. She could not defeat him and she could not have him; begging, slowly winning him over, forcefully commanding ¡ª nothing could move him a whit. She lifted her chin stubbornly, holding back the tears in her eyes, her watery gaze trembling like pearls in the sun. The Tian Sheng Emperor looked down at his beloved daughter¡¯s face and realized that his child had truly fallen in love. Just as his heart was hesitating, Ning Yi chuckled behind him: ¡°Little Sister, you are too mischievous. Wei Zhi is an honorable minister with a promising future; after messing him with like this, what will other people think?¡¯ The Tian Sheng Emperor paused and his heart calmed. Truly, there were many capable officials in the Imperial Court and many talents in the Han Lin Imperial Academy, but most scholars would only ever lead the country astray. Only very few scholars were truly learned and talented, but they were often proud and sneering and difficult to work with. Wei Zhi was a rare gem, talented and learned, young and wise, his actions and words filled with propriety. In time, he would be a powerful and wise Prime Minister. For a man like him to play second fiddle to the Imperial Princess and quit his career would be a great shame. And it was unclear whether Wei Zhi had any true affection for the Princess; just from a consideration for his beloved daughter, the Emperor could not force them together. ¡°Shao Ning!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor called out again, hardening his heart. ¡°Leave! This place is not for you!¡± He gestured for Feng Zhiwei to be untied, and the good minister rubbed some blood into his limbs before smiling and saluting the Emperor: ¡°Your Majesty is magnanimous for forgiving this Minor Minister¡¯s discourtesy. Please do not blame the Princess; her big day is coming and we should preserve the Princess¡¯s happiness. At these words, the Tian Sheng Emperor felt that he had to ground Shao Ning. Her arranged marriage was just on the horizon and she was still running around recklessly abducting people. What would happen if the future Imperial Son-in-Law was dissatisfied? He slapped the rail and called out: ¡°Bring the Princess home! No one is allowed to leave the Ming Yu[1] Palace!¡± This command would only ever end when the Emperor countermanded it. Princess Shao Ning did not cry or make a fuss, she only glared palely at her father before turning and leaving, a single tear tread into the dust as she turned. Feng Zhiwei stood straight-backed, calmly facing away from Shao Ning. If she did not cruelly push her away, she would only bring disaster onto Shao Ning. Today¡¯s rejection would show her that she had loved the wrong person. [1] ÓñÃ÷,Jade Bright Chapter 134 Feng Zhiwei lifted her eyes only to see Ning Yi leaning against a window smiling at her. As he met her gaze, he mouthed a few words at her. Feng Zhiwei frowned as she deciphered his message. Black hearted. The Tian Shen Emperor chose the son of Wang Family¡¯s Marquis Yong An as Shao Ning¡¯s husband, and the wedding would be held next year. Feng Zhiwei had successfully completed her first official task. After leaving the Imperial Palace, she made a trip to the Qiu Mansion. Madam Feng had repeatedly come to the Cui Fang Residence, and if it were not for Feng Zhiwei¡¯s 24/7 guards, Madam Feng would have already broken in. ¡°Hao er is missing.¡± Madam Feng began, not even greeting Feng Zhiwei after their long separation. ¡°Can you help me find him?¡± Feng Zhiwei peered at her, many questions filling her heart as she calmly replied: ¡°He¡¯s in the Ministry of Punishment¡¯s prison.¡± ¡°What?¡± Madam Feng cried out in shock. As Feng Zhiwei briefly explained the matter, Madam Feng¡¯s expression changed again and again. Finally, she said: ¡°Your younger brother only wanted money; you need to save him! How could he bear such suffering?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so sure that I can save him?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked, smiling. Madam Feng¡¯s expression changed once again, and she smiled at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°You are my daughter. I know what you can and cannot do, and as long as you beg Prince Hu Zhuo for his help, Feng Hao should be released.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart sank, and she curved her lips into a cold smile as she replied: ¡°Last time you chased him away, but now you want to beg him for help?¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t go, I will!¡± Madam Feng declared, turning and marching off. ¡°I was only thinking about the steppe man¡¯s righteous heart; I have no intention of gifting you to him.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused. She felt somehow that her mother had changed a little, and she softened her voice as she replied: ¡°Alright, I will get him out, but¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°After brother is free, can the three of us leave Dijing?¡± Feng Zhiwei said slowly, thinking about Ning Yi¡¯s words as she gazed into Madam Feng¡¯s eyes. ¡°Living in Dijing is very difficult; why don¡¯t we find a home with beautiful mountains and clear water?¡± Madam Feng froze in midstep. Feng Zhiwei saw her mother tangle her fingers together beneath her sleeves. Feng Zhiwei knew her mother only acted this way when she suffered great shock, and as she stared at those hands she spoke once more: ¡°I will not as brother¡¯s identity or why you raised me like this. If you wish me to protect him, for you I am willing, but if he is the apple of your eye, why did you bring him back to the chaotic land of Dijing? If you thought that he could hide here like a great hermit resting in a city, hiding in the Imperial Court, I must tell you that Feng Hao is not able to do this. The only way he can survive is if he lives in a place with high mountains and wide rivers far away from minds of men.¡± Madam Feng quivered, and though she did not turn, she loosened her fingers. Finally, she turned and gazed seriously into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face, asking: ¡°Are you speaking sincerely from your heart?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You are willing to leave Dijing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Madam Feng decided, and though her eyes flashed from disappointment to relief, no hesitation lay within. ¡°After you save your brother, our family of three will leave Dijing.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, ignoring the sourness and ache that suddenly welled up in her heart, speaking somewhat mechanically as she continued. ¡°When I bring Feng Hao back, we will leave. After that, it is to high mountains and wide rivers, never to set eyes on Dijing again.¡± After leaving the Qiu Mansion, just as Feng Zhiwei was about to write the letter to Ning Yi asking him to release Feng Hao, an unexpected Imperial Edict summoned her to the Imperial Palace. She could only rush back to Feng Yun Xuan where Helian Zheng was talking spiritedly over a map of the northern region. Qiu Shangqi had just defeated Da Yue in their first major battle, and since the Hu Zhuo Tribe was taking part in the war, the Tian Sheng Emperor had summoned the prince to share the good news. After Feng Zhiwei congratulated the Emperor, but his happiness was soon shadowed by displeasure. He slapped some letters onto the desk, explaining: ¡°I have just received the South Sea memorandum. The Chang Family truly has a firm control over the area, and those bastards have grown so bold. As soon as we proclaimed the new Maritime Department, they sent thousands of memorandums to the court contesting the decision, complaining about the waste of money and manpower. ¡°They even sent a petition from ten thousand commoners claiming that the powerful families have now taken control of the entirety of the region and are inflicting untold misery on the poor and powerless. They¡¯re saying that if the Imperial Court follows through with these new official positions, the commoners die. Look at this: ¡®Your Majesty, how can you bestow Imperial Authority on this giant, devouring worm! Why would you consign us commoners to a land of flood and fire!¡¯ They¡¯re even insulting me!¡± ¡°The commotion there is quite serious.¡± Hu Shengshan calmly replied: ¡°and we do not know who is behind this. Commoners have begun repeatedly attacking the clans in the region, robbing convoys and sinking ships, with many employees going on strike. The families have struck back, monopolizing many resources and hoarding grain, causing prices to spike. The local authorities are sitting by and demanding the Imperial Court to save them from the crisis. What a joke ¡ª the South Sea is a rich and fertile land, their prosperity unequaled in Tian Sheng. What disaster do they need relief from?¡± ¡°A disaster of men!¡± A Cabinet Minister cursed coldly. Feng Zhiwei smiled. This was surely the Chang Family¡¯s counterattack ¡ª they must have deduced the true purpose of the new South Sea Maritime Department and were now shoring up their defenses, protecting their secret alliance with the pirates while probing the level of the Imperial Court¡¯s determination. ¡°What is your Majesty thinking?¡± She smiled and asked. ¡°National Policy is not the plaything of thieves and bandits!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor replied coldly, ¡°We only need to beware of one matter. The South Sea families are already rich and powerful; if we give them too much support and they grow beyond the Imperial Court¡¯s control, will we not be seeding the rise of another Chang Family?¡± ¡°The Maritime Department is a temporary organization.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied. ¡°It has no connection with the local authorities, and once we station Court officials there, the reach of the rich families will naturally be curtailed. This Minor Minister is certain that the South Sea Families have suffered greatly at the hands of the local powers and will therefore spare no effort in supporting the Imperial Court¡¯s decision. When the Imperial Court has dealt with the Chang Family, the Maritime Department can be reformed into a more suitable organization, and at that time all the Imperial Court need do is bestow a title of nobility on the rich families. Your Majesty need not worry too much.¡± ¡°You speak truth.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor replied, his eyes burning as he turned to her. ¡°Founding the Maritime Department will be difficult; a talented man will be needed at the helm ¡ª a man who can not only deal with slippery officials and muster the resolve for decisive action, but also create new regulations to control the rich families. I need a loyal and capable minister familiar with the situation to take charge.¡± Feng Zhiwei stirred; so the old man had spoken so much because he had plans for her and was waiting for her to offer her service. Chapter 135 ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± She began hesitantly. ¡°This Minor Minister has little talent and cannot ask for this responsibility, but this Minor Minister stands by his recommendation. The South Sea is in chaos and this Minor Minister is duty-bound, but my responsibilities in the Academy and Compilation Office¡­¡± ¡°If not you, then whom?¡± I know you are loyal to the country!¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor happily replied, ¡°The Compilation Office will not suffer from your absence, and since the Academy needs you, why don¡¯t you bring some of those young masters along with you. That way they will be under your watchful eye and gain some experience in the field. Perhaps when they come back, there will be an official post waiting for them. You decide whom to bring.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused slightly. She had not expected the Emperor to be so generous ¡ª clearly, he was allowing her to cultivate her own power base; now that the Emperor had spoken, it would be disastrous to refuse, so Feng Zhiwei knelt and thankfully accepted the Imperial Grace. ¡°This Minister obeys.¡± ¡°I will send a portion of the Chang Ying Guard with you, and take that Yan Family child with you as well.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor concluded. ¡°The South Sea is unstable, so you best depart as quickly as possible ¡ª since you do not have family here, leave immediately.¡± Feng Zhiwei stirred again, but she could only accept the orders. She had no time to bid her mother farewell or save her younger brother, so she could only turn a meaningful gaze towards Ning Yi, but Ning Yi only smiled back at her like a happy, blooming flower. What are you smiling at! Are you an infatuated girl! Feng Zhiwei cursed in her heart, though she was not without happiness ¡ª she was traveling to distant lands and would finally be free from Prince Chu¡¯s soul piercing smiles. Excellent. When the Emperor commanded an immediate departure, delaying past a long hour would be considered defiance of Imperial Edict. Feng Zhiwei had no time to return to the Qiu Mansion and could only scratch down a hurried letter for Madam Feng: We will continue our conversation after settling business in the South Sea. I have already dispatched people to take care of the matter you mentioned, rest assured. She sent a servant for Gu Nanyi so that he could deliver the letter, and called for another servant to alert Yan Huaishi about their departure. Finally, she rushed off to Qing Ming Academy to pick the students ¡ª predictably, every student enthusiastically volunteered; everyone immediately understood that this was a juicy opportunity under Wei Zhi¡¯s full command. All they needed to do was follow and they would earn both fame and wealth, and full blown fights almost broke out as the students jostled. Feng Zhiwei picked Yao Yangyu and a few other active students. Yao Yangyu initially did not have much hope, thinking that his chances were shot after he had offended the Vice President so many times, but Feng Zhiwei had unexpectedly forgiven his past misdeeds. For this grace, Yao Yangyu wanted to fall to the floor and clean Master Vice President¡¯s shoes. While managing the eager students, Feng Zhiwei spotted a familiar face using his large stature to squeeze his way to the front of the crowd. Anyone who dared move in front of him was smoothly pulled aside¡­ Feng Zhiwei could not bear the sight any longer and angrily scolded: ¡°Helian Zheng, get lost! You have no part in this!¡± ¡°As the best student in the Academy bar none,¡± Helian Zheng replied seriously, ¡°I am duty bound.¡± ¡°As the current highest official in the Academy bar none,¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, her fake smile on her face, ¡°I refuse your request and sincerely disagree with the words you just said.¡± ¡°I will fetch my Young Aunt.¡± Helian Zheng replied, turning to leave. ¡°My Young Aunt taught me that I need to use virtue to win people over. I will not argue with you; I will call my Young Aunt to argue with you.¡± Feng Zhiwei did not know whether to laugh or cry and quickly dragged the brat to the side, almost yelling: ¡°How could you possible come? His Majesty will not allow it!¡± ¡°Father King ordered me to spend a year in Tian Sheng, formatting visiting the Son of Heaven and gaining knowledge and experience.¡± Helian Zheng smiled as he replied. ¡°As long as the war between Tian Sheng and Da Yue rages, I am not allowed to return. You know that I am half hostage.¡± Feng Zhiwei cocked her eyebrows, thinking that even if that were the case he did not act it. ¡°His Majesty has no objections to me following you.¡± Helian Zheng chuckled. ¡°I stay in Dijing, he will have headaches.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, ticking off her fingers, ¡°A few small requests.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± ¡°No peeking no wall climbing no mention your Young Aunt under any circumstances no approaching my carriage no privileges you need to follow Academy Regulations and any regulations can be added at any time for any reason.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Feng Zhiwei cocked her brows again and eyed the suspiciously agreeable Helian Prince. The Helian Prince turned and marched off, happily preparing for the journey, murmuring to himself: ¡°I must follow her no matter what, or else this half-cooked Young Aunt duck will fly into someone else¡¯s mouth¡­¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Feng Zhiwei turned to the arriving Young Master Gu. ¡°He, duck.¡± Young Master Gu muttered past his walnuts. The Imperial Envoy Carriages slowly passed through the Dijing City Gates as Feng Zhiwei bid farewell to courteous ministers from the Ministry of Rites. As she watched the flourishing Dijing pass by in the dust, a sentimental feeling welled in her heart ¡ª today, she was departing Dijing for the first time. An uncertain future awaited as she rushed forth to shoulder heavy responsibilities in a dangerous field. Where she went, her family did not know, and in that dazed moment she felt as if she were a lost kite floating farther and farther into the distance. She could almost see her mother leaning against the doorway, a worried frown on her face. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart fell ¡ª the twists and turns of fate were beyond her control, and her agreement with her mother would have to wait until she returned from the South Sea. Feng Zhiwei shook her head and composed herself, laughing at her own sudden sentimentality. She said some parting words with the officials, and vaguely heard an envious voice say: ¡°Everyone is envious at the change to listen to His Highness¡¯s teachings¡­¡± but the words went in one ear and out the other. Yan Huaishi strode excitedly by her side, eager for his triumphant return home. He felt that his choice to come to Dijing was truly masterful, and was even more sure in his decision to become Wei Zhi¡¯s servant boy. If he had not, he might still be wandering around the gates of the various noble families ¡ª how could he have ever become an Imperial Merchant or attained a true posting? The Chang Ying Guard posted to the mission was led by Chunyu Meng, and he and Yan Huaishi were two happy brothers whispering and chatting. The rest of the Qing Ming brats also beamed happily while Young Master Gu sat atop the carriage eating his walnuts. He preferred the lofty, open perch, and paid no mind to whether it was a proper seat ¡ª he liked it when people had to look up at him, and much preferred the tops of their heads to their faces. Everyone was happy, why should she not be as well? Feng Zhiwei smiled beautiful and slowly mounted her carriage, but as soon as she lifted aside the curtained door she froze. Someone had already occupied her bed and the prepared vintage wine. That man slept on her soft, gold silk mattress, leaning against her fluffy pillow, holding her crystal glass cup and drinking her deep, maroon wine. He gazed up at her with eyes richer than the wine and said: ¡°The color of this wine is truly marvelous.¡± Chapter 136 Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mouth twitched, and she wondered to herself whether she ought to salute him according to the ceremonial rites or if she could find a way to secretly kick him off the carriage. But then the man finished his perverted words: ¡°Marvelous like your blood.¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately came to a decision and lifted her chin and cried out: ¡°Dried peach!¡± A scarlet sword burst through the carriage roof like a bolt of lightning, stabbing towards the man¡¯s head. But that man casually sipped from his glass, not shifting a single muscle, the wine in his glass perfectly calm. The sharp sword howled through the air only to curve an inch away from the man¡¯s skull, sliding past and skimming the crystal glass in the man¡¯s hand. Biting cold fell around them in an irresistible blanket, but it did not disturb a single mote of dust. A droplet of maroon wine floated out of the glass and flew into a waiting mouth. Ning Yi smacked his lips, savoring the aftertaste before smiling and saying: ¡°Many thanks to Brother Gu for pouring the wine.¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed and called out: ¡°Peach Pit!¡± The Scarlet Sword flew back the way it came, leaving a tiny hole in the carriage roof that was quickly plugged with the ever adaptable walnut. Peach Meat ¡ª Kill! Peach Skin ¡ª Flee! Dried Peach ¡ª Scare! Peach Powder ¡ª Handle the matter yourself! Walnut ¡ª I want! This was the new secret code between Feng Zhiwei and Gu Nanyi. Young Master Gu liked using the fewest words to express the greatest depth of meaning. Feng Zhiwei sighed again and sat down across from her torturer. She grabbed another crystal glass and poured the entire bottle into the cup before lifting the vessel and calling out: ¡°Wine!¡± Young Master Gu reached down to grab the cup, and after the blink of an eye he returned the empty glass with a walnut inside it. I want! Feng Zhiwei mourned the glass: ¡°Only one bottle.¡± ¡°Brother Gu, I have half a glass here, do you want it?¡± Ning Yi said coldly, his face dark as Feng Zhiwei served the wine to another. Young Master Gu¡¯s answer a walnut marred by a worm. Ning Yi turned questioningly to Feng Zhiwei, and she examined the worm for a moment before replied wonderingly: ¡°Perhaps he means to say ¡ª faugh!¡± Ning Yi¡¯s mouth twitched and he flicked his hand, obliterating the walnut with his True Qi. ¡°Your Highness, a small South Sea Maritime Department is not worth your leaving Dijing.¡± Feng Zhiwei said as she put away the empty bottle of precious, foreign wine. ¡°Are you so confident in Dijing¡¯s affairs and so mistrusting of me?¡± ¡°You think so highly of yourself,¡± Ning Yi replied, chuckling. ¡°I am here for the same reason you are, as an Imperial Envoy dispatched by Father Emperor. I have an inspection tour of the land and maritime forces of the South Sea region and am accompanied by my Ceremonial Guard. ¡°The Chang Family has showed an intention to rebel?¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately asked. ¡°We are covering our bases.¡± Ning Yi replied calmly. ¡°The Chang Family has managed the South Sea for many years and has continuously expanded their military forces. Most of the high-ranking officers are their people, and no one knows the exact troop count under General Chang Minjiang¡¯s command. The new Minnan Province General is neither experienced enough nor qualified to suppress Chang Minjiang. Without a qualified Imperial Envoy, no one could stand in his way if things get out of control.¡± ¡°But what will happen in Dijing once you are gone?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked ¡ª now was clearly not a great time to leave the capital. ¡°Second Brother is leaving for the distant Ten Thousand Mountain Range; Seventh Brother is in the process of taking over Fifth Brother¡¯s affairs in Jiang Huai Province. Only Tenth Brother is left by His Majesty¡¯s side.¡± Ning Yi explained, clearly not very worried. ¡°There will be no trouble.¡± The Emperor had sent away all his adult sons, and under this circumstance it was unsurprising that Ning Yi had agreed to leave Dijing. With Hu Shengshan and Xin Ziyan manning the helm, Prince Chu¡¯s party was safe; and the only prince remaining in the Imperial Court was his Tenth Brother, a brother already close to him. Feng Zhiwei smiled, posing another question: ¡°It is good that His Majesty does not worry about his body; but has he not considered that with his advanced age and past illnesses, what he would need to do if something happened to him with his sons so far away from Dijing?¡± ¡°Perhaps he thinks that with his sons far away, he will live longer.¡± Ning Yi answered boldly, a faint coldness hovering around his brows. Feng Zhiwei smiled and a squeaking emerged from her robes as her sleeves rustled and two little golden creatures scampered out. ¡°The Pen Monkeys?¡± Ning Yi murmured, some surprise finally crossing his face. ¡°They are not dead? How did you find them?¡± ¡°The night that Fifth Prince came to kill me, I found them in a corridor outside the study.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, gently petting the little animals. ¡°These little guys were hiding in the gaps along the roof ¡ª these gluttons been sneaking into the Imperial Study to lick the desk ink. I¡¯ve always thought small animals were adorable, and the guard would only have killed them, so I hid them and brought them away.¡± The two Pen Monkeys clung to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s fingers, running around and playing, their golden fur brushing against her skin. Ning Yi¡¯s eyes flashed and he almost moved to pull them away from her, but he stopped himself before reaching out. His every move was under Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes, and she smiled faintly. When she had brought away the Pen Monkeys, Gu Nanyi had not allowed her to play with them and had taken them away, only bringing them back to her after some time had passed. When they were returned, their dimmed fur had become bright gold again. Something had clearly been done to the Pen Monkeys, and she had always wondered whether the perpetrator had been the Fifth Prince or His Highness Prince Chu? By his actions, it looked like it was probably the latter. Gu Nanyi had not explained, but she could guess what had happened. The desk ink and square scroll from the banquet must have contained some medicine that would trigger aggression in the Pen Monkeys, because those two things were the only ones introduced before the attack. But if Ning Yi had prepared everything, he would not have turned back after loosing the arrow. If he had made the move, he must have already been prepared to fight for the throne; why had he retreated after the Tian Sheng Emperor was poisoned? Why had he secluded himself away? ¡°Father Emperor was not poisoned.¡± Ning Yi replied, answering the questions in her eyes. After a moment, he continued explaining, his voice bitter: ¡°Anyone who dared make a fuss would have fallen upon evil. Feng Zhiwei stirred, her heart dropping as the truth came out ¡ª as she had suspected, the Emperor had never been poisoned! Yi-er, investigate. As she thought back to the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s words as he collapsed, Feng Zhiwei felt cold sweat cover her back ¡ª how likely was it that a poisoned victim could express himself so clearly in the short window of time before his collapse? His instructions to Ning Yi was so venomous! If Ning Yi had not seen through the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s subterfuge and instead used the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s instructions to cause a huge fuss and extend his power, what fate would have awaited him? Chapter 137 The schemes of the Imperial Family were subtle and byzantine, and the slightest mister could lead to a ghastly end. Feng Zhiwei stared dazedly for a moment, and a smiling Ning Yi grabbed her hand and whispered by her ear: ¡°Your hands are so cold; are you worrying for me?¡± Feng Zhiwei stirred and returned Ning Yi¡¯s smile, saying: ¡°Yes, I am worried that I won¡¯t get back my wine money.¡± ¡°Heartless woman¡­¡± Ning Yi chuckled, his breath warm and tingly on her ear. She moved away, but Ning Yi refused to let her escape, moving with her as he whispered: ¡°You are heartless, but I am not. My words before were a lie, I am truly very worried about you¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately covered herself with her fake smile and opened her mouth to argue, but the man kept whispering: ¡°I am worried that you¡¯re surrounded by a wolf and a tiger, and that you won¡¯t even notice when you are eaten¡­¡± You are the only one who eats people! Annoyance rose in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart, but she was afraid that if she pushed him away the man atop the coach would notice ¡ª it would not be good if such a fine carriage was covered in walnut holes¡­ But the carriage was too small and there was nowhere to hide away from the man sticking to her side. The infuriating man was finally leaving Dijing and its schemes, so he was relaxing ¡ª even the perpetual frown in his brows was loosening. The more relaxed he grew, the more Feng Zhiwei worried of how she would suffer His Highness¡¯s tyranny on the slow road to their destination. She could not beat him; insults were useless; he had a higher status; his actions were cruel; his ways more vicious; and his heart harder¡­ Feng Zhiwei blinked and then suddenly smiled, grabbing a bottle of wine as she said: ¡°Truly? Then I will use this bottle of famous ¡®Half River Spring¡¯ to show my appreciation for His Highness¡¯s care.¡± Ning Yi leaned on her lazily, very satisfied that the coach did not have enough room for her to run away. He gestured for Feng Zhiwei to serve the wine, and she smiled fakely as she reached for the cup, but before Ning Yi could react she reached out and pinched his nose and opened his mouth, pouring the entire bottle of alcohol down his throat. She moved extremely quickly, her viciousness surprising Ning Yi; before he could react, the entire bottle¡¯s worth of alcohol had slid down in throat into his stomach. His eyes watered as he coughed, and his lustrous, pale skin flushed. As he blinked, a lazy, tipsy aroma overcame him as his usual elegant beauty blushed seductively. Unfortunately, Feng Zhiwei was immune to his charms and shrugged off the daze and confusion; without a single glance at the drunk beauty, she threw away the ¡®Half River Spring¡¯ bottle that had actually been filled with the blazing desert¡¯s hard liquor ¡®Three Days Drunk.¡¯ Feng Zhiwei clapped her hands and called for her family¡¯s little fool. ¡°Peach powder!¡± Young Master Gu floated down from the roof and carried away the noble Prince Chu. As everyone watched in stunned amazement, he strode past the elegant carriages to the poorest cargo vehicle and stuffed His Highness within. Everyone was still astonished by Prince Chu¡¯s sudden appearance and stunned by his treatment when Feng Zhiwei leaned out of her carriage and yelled: ¡°Brother Gu, that¡¯s His Highness Prince Chu, don¡¯t be so rude¡­¡± She stamped her feet and protested loudly, her worried face obvious for all to see. Young Master Gu stood on the carriage¡¯s roof, slowly eating his walnuts. Finally, he felt that Feng Zhiwei¡¯s show was going too far and he shot a walnut at her. After the walnut bounced off her, Feng Zhiwei retreated back into her carriage and lay down with her wine. Everyone understood; Master Wei was not committing outrage. His expert powerhouse guard even dared beat the Crown Prince ¡ª who would dare stand in his way? All they could do was hurriedly rush over and save Ning Yi from the indignity of the carriage. Helian Zheng eagerly rushed over, his eyes gleaming as he pushed everyone else aside. ¡°I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ll do it!¡± He called out, picking up His Highness and giggling as he ran over to the second carriage, doing his best to stuff Ning Yi under the seats within. The dazed and drunk Ning Yi only managed to point a finger at Feng Zhiwei before passing out in the hands of the vicious Helian Zheng. In the days that followed the forced drinking, Feng Zhiwei was miserable ¡ª she was suffering the bitter consequences of her prank. Turns out, His Highness was a lightweight who could only drink a few cups. A single drop over the edge could knock him out for an entire night, much less the entire bottle that Feng Zhiwei had forced down his throat. Since he could not handle his drink, Ning Yi usually kept water in his liquor glass. Feng Zhiwei finally understood why Ning Yi dared toss back cup after cup right after his wound acted up. Imperial Sons could never show any weakness, for any vulnerability could be used against them. Feng Zhiwei sighed sadly as she kneeled by the riverside washing towels so that she could tend to the burning drunk guy. The man was truly outstanding ¡ª although he was clearly too drunk to be conscious, he could still recognize Feng Zhiwei. He lay drunkenly in his carriage waving away every attendant, only accepting Feng Zhiwei, laying silently as if to say: ¡°you can do anything you want to me.¡± Feng Zhiwei could only repeat her mantra ¡ª I am a righteous person I am a righteous person I am a righteous person ¡ª I do not see the young spring flesh I do not see the young spring flesh I do not see it I do not see it¡­ After repeating her mantra a dozen times, she lifted the basin of water and entered the carriage. Shutting her eyes, she began stripping away his robes, but just as she was undoing the buttons, Ning Yi opened his eyes and spoke, his voice droopy and slow: ¡°Don¡¯t be too violent¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand quivered and she almost ripped the button off his robes as the man slowly closed his eyes and said: ¡°Be gentle¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, her lips dripping with honey as she asked: ¡°Dizzy?¡± ¡°Dizzy¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei gently undid his clothes, her dexterous fingers like a gentle breeze as Ning Yi lidded his eyes, luxuriating. ¡°Comfortable?¡± ¡°Very¡­ massage my left shoulder.¡± The man rested lazily, his clothes thrown open and his skin flushed. The smooth, lustrous texture of his skins and the delicate, powerful lines of his muscles were clear as day, and the faint fragrance of liquor hung on his cool breath, shrouding the confines of the narrow carriage. Feng Zhiwei placed the cold handkerchief aside and rubbed her hands until they were warm, smiling as she massaged his left shoulder. She whispered gently into his ear. Chapter 138 ¡°How does it feel to be drunk?¡± ¡°Like stars are everywhere¡­ ¡°Next time I will drink with you¡­¡± ¡°Wu¡­¡± Ning Yi¡¯s eyelids drooped shut and his words slurred. Feng Zhiwei examined him, slowly, gently buttoning up his robes. Her voice was like the peaceful dusk, tranquil and calming, sidestepping any suspicion. ¡°Feng Zhiwei is very troublesome¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡­¡± Ning Yi¡¯s eyes shot open. His blurry eyes were instantly crystal clear, his pupils dark as night. He looked up at Feng Zhiwei with a burning gaze, causing her heart to miss a beat. The two occupied the small carriage, one lying and the other sitting, face to face. The air stilled around them as a bird cried up above and in the distance a crow cawed. Finally, Ning Yi turned away and said: ¡°Out.¡± Feng Zhiwei quietly retrieved her basin and left the carriage. Yan Huaishi was soon summoned by Ning Yi, and Feng Zhiwei watched as the young master bowed and listened to the orders. Finally, he walked over to Feng Zhiwei and explained: ¡°His Highness wishes to return to his men and has asked us to send people to escort him.¡± ¡°You can lead this.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, her hands clasped behind her back as she looked up at the distant, thick clouds. ¡°Find the best men and take two hundred of our three hundred Chang Ying Guards. His Highness is not well and is unable to protect himself, so tell the men to be careful.¡± ¡°If we send so many, what will we do if something happens to us?¡± Yan Huaishi asked with worry. ¡°We¡¯re only escorting him a short distance. Safely send him back and safely return, what is there to worry about.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°If something happens, all the guards together might not be enough.¡± A short while later, Chunyu Meng departed with two hundred guards to escort Ning Yi¡¯s carriage to his men. Ning Yi did not show his face a single time, and Feng Zhiwei could only stand under the setting sun and watch the coach depart. Ning Yi must have assumed she was intentionally plying him with alcohol to find out his secrets, but she truly had had no idea he could not handle his drink and has only spoken words off the top of her head¡­ She smiled with some bitterness. He could believe whatever he wanted; the trust between them was already pitifully small; it would have been lost sooner or later. The sunset¡¯s red glow filled the sky, casting gold on everyone¡¯s brows and lashes. Feng Zhiwei looked up at the fiery twilight and grew uneasy, and she called for her men to halt the convoy and find a place to rest. There were not post-houses in the area so they entered a small town called East Village and lodged in an inn. The inn was small but very clean, with new quilts and mattresses. The owner saw Feng Zhiwei¡¯s surprise and explained, smiling: ¡°A few days ago, many honored guests came and thought my old quilts and bedding too modest, so they paid to replace them.¡± Feng Zhiwei hummed in response, not paying close attention as she pondered her own matters. The owner showed off a silver ingot he had stored in his sleeve and said: ¡°Since the opening of this inn, I¡¯ve never seen such a large silver ingot!¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced down and grunted before turning to leave, gesturing for her men. The owner turned as well and headed for the door when a flash seemed to shoot through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind; she turned hurriedly and called out: ¡°Owner, will you show me that silver ingot again?¡± Reaching out to the agreeable owner, Feng Zhiwei grabbed the top quality fine silver and examined it. ¡°Xi Ping[1]¡± were carved into the bottom. She brought it to her nose and breathed in the faintly fishy smell. Minting of coins was restricted, and only Xi Ping Province Chang Ning Vassal State were allowed to mint their own ingots. Minnan Province¡¯s neighbor had their own silver mines and circulated their own silver money, and the close economic relationship between the two regions had led to widespread use of Xi Ping Province¡¯s silver. And the slightly fishy tang¡­ The Chang Family¡¯s people had arrived from Minnan, here on the only route from Dijing to Minnan. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand turned cold. Whom had the Chang Family come for? Her? The new head of the General Maritime Department that would be the end of their power? Or Ning Yi? The Prince moving to reclaim military power and threaten the Chang Family¡¯s might? Ning Yi! With only two hundred guards, alone on the road, drunk and powerless! A crisis was upon them! Feng Zhiwei shot forward, rushing from the room and jumping on a horse, galloping into the dark, misty night. The Guards and students were gathered in the front yard for dinner, and Feng Zhiwei had seen Gu Nanyi ordering water brought into his room, so he was probably showering. She did not enter, only knocking on the window frame as she passed, calling out: ¡°Brother Gu, come find me along our path today!¡± No voice called back in reply, but she had not time to waste. Rushing to the stable, she found a powerful horse and climbed atop it, but as she mounted the steed and looked back, she saw dark figures climbing over the courtyard wall and heard the clamor of overturning tables and chairs. Her heart skipped a beat ¡ª she finally understood the Chang Family¡¯s decisiveness; they had sent two groups to come kill both Ning Yi and her! Feng Zhiwei clutched her reins, two choices before her. Ning Yi¡¯s troops were still on the road and her guards had been divided; great danger had come to both parties. Her team was being attacked; how could she leave? But Ning Yi¡¯s great vulnerability was her fault; how could she abandon him? She hesitated for a moment and then her eyes firmed. She called into the night: ¡°The Qing Ming Students all have great backgrounds, please keep them safe or I will be gravely sentenced, please!¡± After calling out, she turned to leave, and the powerful horse neighed and charged out into the night, away from the fighting and clashing in the front yard. Feng Zhiwei had always been aware of the invisible guards around her, though she had never felt the need to investigate. An emergency was upon them and Helian Zheng, Yao Yangyu and the others were too important to lose, so she could only drag out her invisible guards. As for herself, Gu Nanyi would come for her. Feng Zhiwei disappeared through the yard gates, and she had no idea that just as she ran off, Gu Nanyi turned down the street corner a few hundred meters away, slowly strolling back towards the inn. The inn¡¯s outhouse was built on the other side of the street some distance away, and Gu Nanyi had had some stomach problems and needed the toilet for a while. He had not been in his room washing up. He soon heard the noise in the front yard and was just about to dash forward to investigate when two grey figures appeared beside him, falling to their knee as they called out: ¡°She has left and asked you to follow her to our path this morning, and she has asked us to protect her team here.¡± Gu Nanyi frowned, slowly repeating: ¡°Our path¡­¡± ¡°We sent two people to protect her, but her horse is the swiftest breed in the entire world. It¡¯ll be difficult to catch up to her.¡± The masked, grey robed man continued, his eyes bright. ¡°The team here is weak and the enemies strong. If we must protect everyone, we cannot spare any of our people¡­ Sect Leader, will you be able to find the way yourself?¡± [1] West Peace, Xi Ping Province Chapter 139 Gu Nanyi nodded, slowly saying: ¡°Rest assured, she can protect herself.¡± The grey robed man let out a relieved breath, but was still somewhat worried as he stood and carefully explained the route they had taken that morning. Gu Nanyi stood unmoving, listening carefully. They grey robed man laboriously explained, and Gu Nanyi accurately repeated back the instructions before floating away in the correct direction, but the grey robed man was still ill at ease as he thought about all of his master¡¯s strange habits and weird problems. He sighed to himself, lamenting the absence of their Commander, but unfortunately the Commander needed to stay in Dijing to handle the traitor and Golden Key Guards surrounding surname Xin. Would the leader, the number one directionless Sect Leader under the heavens, be able to find his way¡­ In this world, hopes are always beautiful, but reality always cruel¡­ Feng Zhiwei¡¯s horse was from the best Da Yue lineage and had cost the Yan Family a small fortune. It ran quickly and with great endurance, and after speeding off into the distance, Feng Zhiwei was already some ten Li away from town. Feng Zhiwei did not think that Ning Yi¡¯s group would have moved too quickly, and so they were at most thirty Li away. That stretch of road had a post house and the convoy would have likely chosen to spend the night there. The mid-autumn night wind swept briskly by, icing the sweat covering Feng Zhiwei¡¯s torso as she slowly retrieved a soft, black sword as from her robes. She had looped the long sword a couple times around her waist, bulking up her thin figure. Both edges of the sword were sharpened, and one side was even serrated; the sword tip was triple edged, and the pure black surface of the weapon reflected no light ¡ª it was by all appearances a vicious killer, fitting very well with her temperament. She had designed this weapon herself but had never used it before; perhaps today it would taste flesh. Past a copse of woods lay the nearest post house. The post house sank into the quiet darkness, moonlight gentle on its roof ¡ª peace reigned. Scattered trees loomed high on either side of the wide road, and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s powerful horse devoured the ground as they sped along. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes swept the ground. Suddenly, she reached out with her sword and struck. ¡°Clang!¡± There was nothing in there way, but then a black shadow appeared and metal clanged; something snapped and its two halves flew to either side. A muffled exclamation filled the quiet night and Feng Zhiwei sneered before striking out horizontally. A tree by the road fell, and a silhouette leapt forward through the air, but Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sword was already moving, snapping forward like a pouncing snake. The silhouette stumbled and Feng Zhiwei swept it by, the long mane of her horse brushing against the shadow as the powerful steed leapt over the fallen tree. In a single moment, Feng Zhiwei had lashed out and cut down her foes, not wasting a single moment as she passed the obstacles in her way. Feng Zhiwei left the figure convulsing in the dirt, the halved steel wire broken in twain, blood on the serrated edge of her blade. A cold grin curved her lips, more frigid even than the dark blood dripping from her sword. She had instantly been alerted by the dark post house ¡ª the well-trained Chang Ying Imperial Guard would never have left the way stop without fire and guard. If the post house had been attacked, then the killers likely set up an ambush in the nearby roads to kill any reinforcements. Since the main force had no way of reinforcing so quickly, the ambush was certainly a simple, hurried measure without much manpower. And in the area around the post house, the most suitable ambush location was in the woods. The hurried reinforcements would certainly be anxious and urging their horses at a fast gallop ¡ª was there any easier trap then steel wires along the road to trip and maim the horses? The ambushers had been waiting for Feng Zhiwei to crash into the black steel wire hidden by the night. Feng Zhiwei had been waiting with her hidden soft sword to cut down her enemies. Both had been prepared and the more vicious would be the victor. Feng Zhiwei wasted no time examining her fallen foe, not sparing her blade¡¯s first trophy¡¯s a single glance; since there were traps in the area, Ning Yi had surely chosen to spend the night at the post house. Danger was upon them! The web of her thumb had ripped from her horizontal slash, but she ignored the pain. Even though she had trained in martial arts, she still lacked true battle experience ¡ª the angle of her slash had been off, and so even though she had cut down the tree, she had injured herself. The injury was not unexpected, but the power of her strike not so much; she had only begun cultivating recently, but her improvements in True Qi were incredibly rapid; she had never compared herself with others, but even a child knew that people could not cut down a tree in a single strike with only a single year of cultivation. But now was not the time to wonder over her strength, and Feng Zhiwei clutched the reins to her horse in one hand, circulating her Qi in preparation for the battle ahead. In the blink of an eye, her horse was emerging from the woods. As soon as she broke past the woodline, Feng Zhiwei flipped, ducking downwards and hiding along her horse¡¯s belly. ¡°Cha!¡± A crossbow bolt pierced through the night, cutting through the space she had just occupied. Feng Zhiwei leapt from her horse, dashing towards her assailant. She almost immediately ran into an enemy, and without even glancing upwards, she shifted and whipped her elbow into the man¡¯s throat. The man¡¯s shattered trachea crunched in the night as a raging blow shot towards Feng Zhiwei from her left. She grabbed the dying man in front of her and pulled him to the side, pushing him into her next assailant. A muffled thud filled the night as blood and matter sprayed outward; Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart lurched at the powerful fist strike and the powerful internal force expert that had dealt the blow. Every one of her enemies had great kung fu, but Feng Zhiwei¡¯s cold smile never shifted. As soon as her enemy pulled his fist out from the corpse shields belly, her waiting sword struck through the bloody hole and cut forward. Her sword punctured the internal force expert¡¯s genitals, and the shocked man could only clutch his crotch as he stumbled backwards. Astonishment filled the injured man¡¯s mind ¡ª although his enemy¡¯s martial skill was not great, their attacks were extremely vicious and accurate! Forcing through the pain, he reached for the signal flare tied to his waist, but the soft sword flicked out again and cut off his hand. A slender hand reached forward to grab the flare. The man opened his mouth to cry out, but a rank something was smashed into his teeth and lodged into his mouth, stunning him and blocking his cry. In the last moments before his death, he saw a slender silhouette turning away with the flare in hand, but then the cold, thin sword flashed once more and he fell into eternal darkness. Chapter 140 In the brief moments since the post house had come into view, she had killed three men. Three cooling corpses lay staring into the night, never to know that they had died at the hands of a novice¡¯s first foray into battle. The novice in question covered her mouth with a sleeve, holding back her vomit and she stepped past the bodies and rushed forward. The post house was still trapped in darkness. Voices murmured unintelligibly in the distance and the thick tang of blood hung in the air. She quickly sidled up to the wall, perking up her ears as she listened intently. A vague, deep voice called out: ¡°Count them!¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart fell. Count what? Count the corpses? A strange shuffling sound followed the words until someone cried out in astonishment and called out: ¡°The Big Man!¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart fell again ¡ª Big Man? Ning Yi? Had something happened to Ning Yi? Her body seemed to plunge into ice, and her fist tightened over her sword¡¯s hilt. Feet pattered as someone ran through the courtyard, and then a quiet voice whispered: ¡°Two are missing. The Big Man is gone!¡± ¡°Search!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve searched everything three times!¡± The deep voiced man paused before speaking again: ¡°The longer the night the more dreams to come; we must still complete the escort mission and the Imperial troops will soon arrive. Everyone uninjured will change clothes and search the surrounding area; rendezvous back at Gua Ye Du. Burn everything down.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The man turned and left the yard while the others set up fuel for the fire. The rustling on the ground grew louder, flowing with an orderly rhythm like sand flowing into a bottle. The sound was so strange and creepy that Feng Zhiwei could not hold back a frown. But as she frowned and her breathing subtly changed, the footsteps on the other side of the wall stopped. When the footsteps paused, Feng Zhiwei immediately twirled, shifting along the wall. ¡°Chi.¡± A half second after she twisted away, a green blade pierced through the wall, nearly grazing Feng Zhiwei¡¯s waist! If she had hesitated a single moment, the blade would have pierced through her belly. As Feng Zhiwei turned and the blade pierced through the wall, she flicked her wrist and stabbed her long sword through the brick. You stab! I stab as well! The green blade had barely pierced the wall when Feng Zhiwei¡¯s black sword cut forward. The man on the other side grunted in surprise at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s rapid, ferocious reaction, but then he snorted and pinched Feng Zhiwei¡¯s blade with his bare hands. His hand carried the sheen of metal and the toughness of steel, and the single pinch not only locked the soft sword in place, but also knocked down the entire wall. Dust bloomed around them as the man sneered at Feng Zhiwei: ¡°Copying me? Courting death!¡± But then a voice above him laughed coldly, saying: ¡°Pinch my sword, courting death!¡± As the cold laughter rang out, a dark light flashed forward, piercing towards his skull. The shocked man finally realized he was pinching the broken end of a sword blade and that the long sword in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand was still completely intact and piercing down towards him with murderous Qi. This was another function of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s weapon ¡ª self breaking. She had gotten the idea after observing a gecko, and had been quite enamored with the gecko¡¯s ability to abandon its tail to survive, so she had designed her sword with three tips that she could break off at any time. The long sword stabbed forward from almost point blank range with the dust from the collapsed wall blocking her opponent¡¯s view, but the man she faced was a great expert and instantly stamped downwards, creating a large pit that he fell into, allowing him to barely dodge Feng Zhiwei¡¯s blow. Her stab had been dodged and her attack ended, but Feng Zhiwei was still airborne and her guard broken; the masked man jabbed forward with a finger, his eyes gleaming as he attacked Feng Zhiwei¡¯s chest with a Qi blow. Feng Zhiwei coughed out a mouthful of blood, her circulation disrupted, and she fell downwards into the man¡¯s reach. The man¡¯s twisted smile grew near. Death lurched closer and closer. Then Feng Zhiwei suddenly flicked out her hand. In her grasp was clutched a rough, faceted brick! ¡°Taste my Nine Steamed Nine Sun Dried Ten Thousand Esoteric Octagonal Stab!¡± ¡°Pa!¡± Her brick smashed into the man¡¯s ear, cutting a shallow wound across his head. Feng Zhiwei sighed in quiet disappointment ¡ª this man¡¯s reaction speed was too fast; even at such close range and so confident in his victory, he still managed to twist his head aside, or else the shallow wound would have been a smashed skull. She had smashed down with every bit of strength remaining, concussing the man and pressing multiple acupoints. Her dizzied opponent stumbled back a step and Feng Zhiwei landed safely, surreptitiously shattering her brick into yellow dust. As she coughed through the dust cloud, she smiled gently and lifted up her stolen flare, chuckling as she said: ¡°I cannot beat you, but wait until the others come.¡± The concussed, blurry-eyed man could not see through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s deception, and he had no idea what the ¡®Nine Steamed Nine Sun Dried Ten Thousand Esoteric Octagonal Stab¡¯ attack was, but his ear burned and he could not see the weapon Feng Zhiwei had used. In Minnan, ¡°Esoteric¡± arts and the various venom and poison practitioners were taboos wrapped in mystery. Erring on the side of caution, the man snorted and whistled a signal before flashing away and disappearing away from the dust. His scattered subordinates saw their injured leader retreat and instantly fled into the night. When they had all disappeared, Feng Zhiwei sighed in relief and stumbled against the remaining length of wall, leaning her powerless body against the brick. Cold sweat drenched her and pain roared in her chest. She was too weak to walk and soon began throwing up blood and water, finally dissipating some of the pain. As she thought back to the breath-stopping sequence of events, her spine prickled ¡ª she had only survived with fast reactions and luck; the three guards in the woods had been weaker men spared from the main attack, and the assailant¡¯s fear of detection played into her favor. If not, a novice like Feng Zhiwei would have been lucky if she could get an unmarked grave much less drive them off. The smoke from the smoldering fire pricked at her nose as Feng Zhiwei struggled to remain upright, using her sword as a crutch as she limped into the yard. The yellow sand in the outer yard was marked with trails of crawlers, and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart cooled as she remembered a Minnan legend. Blood and burnt hair fouled the air as Feng Zhiwei forced herself up and into the post house, tripping at the entrance. Below her, a Chang Ying Guard lay silently, his face a tortured rictus. Feng Zhiwei stooped to investigate. No noticeable wounds marred the guard¡¯s flesh, and his cooling body was a strange, earthy yellow. Feng Zhiwei thought back to the shuffling against the sand and her fingers tightened around her sword hilt. She walked into the post house; corpses sprawled everywhere, some with bowls still in their hands; terror filled every face. They had been attacked while at dinner. Chapter 141 She went from corpse to corpse, sometimes using her sword to turn a body over as she called out quietly: ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± The smoke scratched at her throat and her coughing continued, her voice growing more and more desperate as time went on ¡ª if Ning Yi was alive, why would the enemy leave? If Ning Yi was not dead, why did he not respond? Feng Zhiwei counted every single body, even finding the corpses of the post house officer and the building¡¯s guards. Two hundred and twelve bodies lay strewn haphazardly, and only a couple guards were missing alongside Chunyu Meng and Ning Yi. Only one last stretch of courtyard was left, but the blaze was growing; this last area had been lit first and was now surrounded by the inferno. Feng Zhiwei stood, leaning against her sword, hesitation flickering in her eyes with the reflection of the flame ¡ª no one could survive inside that fire, and if she dived in to investigate, she might lose her life as well. But the hesitation flickered and then disappeared; she limped over to a vat of rainwater and climbed in, soaking herself completely. She took her outer robes and wrapped them over her mouth and nose, muffling her coughing as she dove into the smoke and blaze. As soon as she stepped through she lamented her idiocy ¡ª no one could survive in such a huge fire! Her soaked clothes dried almost instantly and her eyes grew red and swollen with the heavy smoke; hot tears dripped from her eyes and sizzled in the air while the wooden beam above her crackled and groaned. Fragments of wood hailed down followed by angry sparks and crackles. Feng Zhiwei jumped from ruined furniture to ruined furniture, pulling out and examining corpses along her way. Every time she pulled out a corpse from the fallen wood her heart would tighten, and every time some modicum of relief would fill her when she saw that the body was not Ning Yi¡¯s. Soon, her clothes began to blacken with smoke and the beginnings of fire. Feng Zhiwei whipped her head around ¡ª Ning Yi, where are you? A tongue of flame shot out beside her, burning a slice of her hair and blistering her cheek; she jerked backwards and stepped onto something soft. She lowered her eyes ¡ª it was a Chang Ying Guard whom she had already checked, but not that she looked down at it she noticed something strange about its posture. She turned; a group of corpses lay nearby. This was not the main building as was more of a kitchen; in front of Feng Zhiwei was a stove and the adjoining room was used for storage; there was nothing special about this room ¡ª why were these bodies all grouped here? And the bodies faced outwards as if protecting something. Feng Zhiwei smothered a flame curling up on her clothes and scanned the room once more. That stove¡­ Strange. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes flashed and she dashed forward, squatting and grabbing the handle of the little fire-place¡¯s iron door. She yanked! ¡°Shua!¡± A brilliant, snowy light shot out from the dark alcove behind the door. Feng Zhiwei was a right beside the metal door and a sea of fire raged, sealing her retreat. ¡°Pa!¡± Feng Zhiwei could only viciously slam the door shut! Metal clanged and a spear tip punctured through the finger-thick metal door, stopping an inch away from Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes. If her reaction had been a moment too slow, the spear would have taken her life. If she had reacted incorrectly, the strike would have forced her back into the raging blaze. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart raced, but joy lifted her up as she recognized the spearhead. The spear of the Chang Ying Guard. ¡°Chunyu!¡± She called out hoarsely, ¡°It¡¯s Wei¡­¡± The metal door snapped open and a hand flashed forward like a bolt of lightning! The steady hand was not aggressive, so Feng Zhiwei kept her composure, allowing the arm to move her. As she was pulled through the opening, she felt as if something swept over her body, but there was no time to investigate and then the metal door was shut once more. The space was stifling, but it was incomparably preferable to the sea of fire outside; despite the heat, a dreadful cold seemed to hang in the air. Feng Zhiwei blinked rapidly in the darkness, vaguely deciphering Chunyu Meng beside her; a green light flashed nearby and she turned, finally seeing Ning Yi¡¯s back as he faced away from her. Happiness filled her heart and she began moving over when Chunyu Meng pulled her back; her foot pulled against the ground and she heard water sloshing. Pausing, she turned and said: ¡°This¡­¡± Before she could speak another word, Chunyu Meng clamped a hand over her mouth. She watched as he slowly extracted his spear from the metal door, clearly avoiding any sound. Her heart jumped, but she was still confused ¡ª why could they not make noise? And had Ning Yi not turned around? The green light flashed again and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes fell wide. She finally saw clearly ¡ª the green light had not been a flame, but something¡¯s eyes! She could not make out any details, but the thing seemed around the size of a young rabbit ¡ª it squatted before Ning Yi its appendages reaching out towards him. Despite its size, the small creature gave off the aura of a ruler. The pair of eyes blinked and every time they opened a green light would flash, a pure, beautiful green like a spring river or the most lustrous jade, inviting the eyes. Feng Zhiwei could not help but stare, but then Chunyu Meng covered her eyes. As her sight went dark, she felt tears pool in her suddenly aching eyes. Chunyu Meng used a single hand to cover her eyes and mouth, twisting around with his other hand to write in her palm: Prince forbids sound. Don¡¯t look at it. Feng Zhiwei shucked Chunyu Meng¡¯s hand away and examined Ning Yi; he was an unmoving stone across from the creature. Confusion filled Feng Zhiwei ¡ª clearly this creature was special, and it might even be the ¡®The Royal[1]¡¯ that the assailants had been referring to; why was Ning Yi just sitting in front of it, and why was it just pointing its claws at Ning Yi, neither of them moving? She watched the thing move, avoiding its eyes; its claws wandering slowly, aimlessly drifting in the air. At any sound, it would flick the appendage and shoot out a tiny, grey flash of something. The thing was blind and its beautiful eyes useless, but it had extremely keen hearing. Ning Yi could not move, and he commanded Chunyu Meng to be silent. Chunyu Meng continued writing in her palm: Minnan Poison Eye Insect[2]. Do not look at it. [1] In the recent chapter I translated ´óÍõ as Big Man. Now after knowing what it is, I changed it to The Royal. [2] ¹Æ Chapter 142 Feng Zhiwei etched into his hand: Okay. Minnan has many mountaineer forests, and many tribes live deep in the mountains. Masters of divination, witchcraft, beast and insect taming. There are not many of them and they rarely leave their mountain, but whenever they come down something strange happens. There are many legends from every dynasty. The Chang Family has been in Minnan for a long time, it is not strange that they have found talented tribes people. I don¡¯t recognize this Minnan Poison Eye Insect, what species is it? Chunyu Meng wrote back: We are in a cellar icehouse. There was a group of people sending ice to the Long Xi Commissioner at the post house yesterday. They stored their ice here, protecting the place. Feng Zhiwei nodded; the ice explained the water on the ground and the coldness in the air, but what could they do about the standoff? If that thing chose to stay here forever, then would they have to stay here forever as well? No wonder the group of assassins had so decisively retreated without finding their ¡°Royal¡± they had that much faith in their secret weapon. She wrote into Chunyu Meng¡¯s palm again: Have you looked at the Minnan Poison Eye Insect? Chunyu Meng replied: His Highness stopped me. I haven¡¯t seen it. Feng Zhiwei nodded and fell into thought. How could they drive this damn thing off? They could not look at it and did not know its exact location, and it was so small. If they attacked and missed, the thing would retaliate with the venom from its claws. How would they block that? These problems were probably why Ning Yi had chosen to remain still. Feng Zhiwei admired Ning Yi¡¯s willpower ¡ª the icy water¡¯s cold cut to the bone. She had just come in out of the sea of fire and she was already shivering, and Ning Yi had been completely drunk and powerless just the day before. Today, he had to sit here in the freezing water for who knows how long; where did he get the strength to stay still? As Feng Zhiwei ran over the problem in her head, her sleeves shifted and the two Pen Monkeys clambered out. They looked around the cellar, shivering slightly from the cold. Feng Zhiwei eyed them, suddenly thinking about how the two little creatures had quietly sat in her sleeve pocket even while fire burned all around her ¡ª clearly, they had been unafraid of the blaze. Beasts unafraid of fire were rare, and she had already known the Pen Monkeys had a fascinating background. They were children of the vast, mysterious mountains of Minnan and had been the beloved pets of the Shou Wu Chieftain. Were they just simple pets? Soundlessly, Feng Zhiwei turned her arm and aimed the little creatures at the Minnan Poison Eye Insect. The two Pen Monkeys followed her movement and looked up, spotting the pair of beautiful eyes. With a sudden cry, the two shot off her arm and flashed forward. The green eyes immediately turned towards the golden flash, and as the squeaking cries filled the cellar, the insect began to rapidly blink its eyes. The light of its eyes was like a sparkling ghost fire as it whistled a deep, threatening roar. The two Pen Monkeys ignored the things posturing, separating in midair and curving to the sides to flank the enemy. The green eyes began to blink crazily as the creature waves its claws, shooting off grey missiles. Feng Zhiwei listened intently and could hear the grey missiles emitting a ¡°Weng Weng¡± noise, as if they too were alive. But these living missiles all avoided the Golden Pen Monkeys, and then the Pen Monkeys were upon the insect, leaping forward and tearing into it with their claws. The Poison Eye Insect screamed, but it could only retreat; it moved like a frog, jumping off the table and leaping away. The two Pen Monkeys hounded it for a few steps, but when the thing had fled the icehouse, the monkeys turned and returned to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand. Clearly, the Pen Monkeys and the Poison Eye Insect were wary of each other ¡ª Feng Zhiwei was happily surprised; she had only wanted to test the Pen Monkeys to see if she could come up with a plan, never expecting things to work out so well. Chunyu Meng called out in happiness, his smile on his voice as he asked: ¡°Where did you find such wonders?¡± But before Feng Zhiwei could answer, the guard was already rushing over to the cellar door. Ning Yi slowly turned around: ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± The door opened and light came flooding in. Ning Yi¡¯s eyes wavered, and then his fluttering lids shut and he collapsed; Feng Zhiwei had no time to think and immediately rushed forward to catch him, the Prince¡¯s robes soaked icy wet and his sweat drenching through all the layers of his collar. ¡°Chunyu, come and carry His Highness.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned and called Chunyu Meng as Ning Yi stirred in her arms. The Prince grabbed her sleeve and brought it to his nose, chuckling quietly as he spoke: ¡°Such heavy stench, of blood and smoke.¡± Feng Zhiwei lowered her nose and sniffed, smiling back as she replied: ¡°Also sticky sweat and monkey stink.¡± Ning Yi smiled again, asking: ¡°Is it more your blood, or someone else¡¯s?¡± Feng Zhiwei helped maneuver Ning Yi onto Chunyu Meng¡¯s back and casually replied: ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡± Ning Yi smiled wanly, his deathly pale face setting off the dark brilliance of his iris, black like an abyss undisturbed for a thousand years. Water below and flame above were reflected in those eyes, unable to touch his calm. Feng Zhiwei turned away, focusing entirely on the other side of the door. ¡°Since the monster fled from injuries, the assassins will know that they failed. They might return, so we cannot stay even a minute longer. We must leave, now.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± Chunyu Meng replied. Feng Zhiwei thought for a moment ¡ª little Stupid Gu had probably gotten lost again. ¡°My side has been attacked as well, and I¡¯m afraid that the survivors won¡¯t be able to protect us. We must find His Highness¡¯s team; three thousand guards will be more than enough for our safety.¡± ¡°No.¡± Ning Yi interrupted, ¡°There are traitors.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused, thinking. Ning Yi had left her team because of a unplanned disagreement; he must have sent a messenger to notify his team of his decision and order a rendezvous; if there were no spies in their teams, how were the killers so certain that he was in this post house? If they returned to the main team now, they might very well be walking straight into a trap; if they returned to her team, they would only invite calamity upon the survivors. The targets were definitely her and Ning Yi, and without incentive they would not intentionally find trouble for the rich young masters of Qing Ming. Feng Zhiwei hesitated for a moment before saying: ¡°Then the local government? We can show the seal and ask for men to escort us.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡± Ning Yi immediately replied, ¡°Have you forgotten? We are in Long Xi, and the wife of the Long Xi Commissioner is cousin to Marquis Chang. Shen Xuru could only become commissioner of Long Xi because of his wife. If we went to the local government, we would definitely be walking into a trap ¡ª our faces might already be posted in the Yamen as ¡®Foreign Pirates¡¯.¡± Chapter 143 ¡°He dares!¡± Chunyu Meng exclaimed indignantly, his eyebrows flying, but Feng Zhiwei remained silent. Why would he not dare? When things concerned power and money, there would always be people willing to test the reach of law; if Shen Xuru¡¯s power was already dependent on the Chang Family and his future climb tied together with the Chang Family¡¯s fate, then for his own ambition and wellbeing, it was not unlikely that he would choose to quietly assassinate Ning Yi, Feng Zhiwei, and Chunyu Meng. If anything happened, he only needed to find a scapegoat before moving somewhere else and continuing with his life. Or else how could no one have come to investigate already? The post house was not remote, and the whole thing was a blazing signal in the night. ¡°Then what do we do?¡± ¡°Head to Mount Ji Yang and find the Ji Yang Magistrate. Magistrate Peng was Great Scholar Hu¡¯s student and is a righteous man, an honest and upright official. He would never be party to Shen Xuru¡¯s scheme.¡± Ning Yi replied, closing his eyes. ¡°We cannot leak our identities before we reach him.¡± Feng Zhiwei nodded; to think that a powerful man like Ning Yi would know the reputation and background of a remote county¡¯s magistrate, and it was probable that he knew the complicated relations between the different officials as well. Every time he returned from his partying, he had studied alone under the midnight oil. Everyone agreed to the plan, and the three miserable figures helped each other out into the dying flame. Tears dripped from Chunyu Meng¡¯s eyes as he look down at his brothers-in-arms. When they reached the metal door, he looked down at a charred body. ¡°I told Old Guo to protect His Highness, but he pushed me in instead and led a team of brothers to defend us. They used their backs to cover the door, to hide it from the enemy¡­¡± He wiped a tear, unable to continue. ¡°Rest assured, revenge will be had.¡± Ning Yi replied, his eyes still closed, the hundreds of corpses hidden from view. In the land of smoke and fire and cooked flesh, his face was calm and emotionless, his words firm and steadfast. Feng Zhiwei had not time to lament comrades or swear vengeance; she was too busy examining bodies, scavenging gold and silver. Chunyu Meng watched her scamper around, unable to laugh or cry. Feng Zhiwei noticed his gaze and announced defiantly: ¡°What are you looking at? Do you have money? Does His Highness have money? How will we travel with hidden identities if we do not have money? How will we hire coaches and buy food and medicine?¡± Chunyu Meng paused before shaking his head in reply: ¡°You look more noble than the greatest young master, but your actions are pettier than the poorest orphan.¡± Ning Yi turned his head as he clung to Chunyu Meng¡¯s back, examining Feng Zhiwei. Suddenly, words burst from his mouth: ¡°You¡¯re injured?¡± Feng Zhiwei frowned, thinking that the fire had damaged the Prince¡¯s brain. Had he only just seen the bruises and burns and blood covering her? ¡°No dawdling, we need to move.¡± Once they had climbed out of the destruction, they turned down a small path into the woods as Feng Zhiwei marked the trees they passed. She spoke again when they were a distance away from the ruins: ¡°Since we are heading for Mount Ji Yang, we need to prepare food. There is a small village on the hip of this mountain where we can rest for a while. Our enemies will not expect us there and it should be safe.¡± As the old adage went: the mountain may look close, but a horse will still run itself to death before reaching it. The village looked close and right before their eyes but it still took a long while before they reached it; at the darkest hour of the night, they finally reached a hunter¡¯s house. ¡°Elder, we are three brothers who have been traveling. Our big brother injured his leg; Elder, if it alright, can you lend us your roof for the night?¡± Mountain villagers were simple and honest, and the old man immediately smiled and opened his door: ¡°Anyone who leaves home will face troubles; come in, come in.¡± The little house was simple, but any dry dwelling was enough for the three weary travelers. All of them relaxed as the old man poured a blackish-yellow tea; Chunyu Meng gulped down his cup as Feng Zhiwei hurriedly procured a golden bean. She handed it to the old man, saying: ¡°Our big brother is soaked, could you please find some clothes for him?¡± ¡°A poor mountain village will not have good clothes, but I can find something clean for you.¡± The old man replied, happily accepting the gold bean before going off to find clothes. Feng Zhiwei poured a cup of water for Ning Yi, but the Prince quietly refused the liquid, his eyes still closed. ¡°Is the guest afraid that the water is not clean?¡± The old man chuckled when he returned, some cotton clothes in hand. ¡°This is our Ji Yang Mountain¡¯s speciality, the Red Vine Root. It¡¯s good for your blood and your mind, even if it looks ugly.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and replied: ¡°My big brother is not feeling well, I will drink it.¡± She put the bowl to her mouth when a thought came to her mind, and she set it down again and asked: ¡°Elder, do you know how to get to Gua Ye Du.¡± ¡°The guests want to go to Gua Ye Du? How did you lose your way and come here?¡± The old man replied with some surprise. ¡°It¡¯s in a completely different direction.¡± Feng Zhiwei relaxed, murmuring a response. Suddenly, pain crept over her and nausea attacked; in her exhaustion, her internal injury was acting up. She did not want to throw up in front of Ning Yi so she turned to the old man: ¡°Can I trouble the Elder to arrange a resting place for us? Anywhere is fine, we just need to lie down for a bit.¡± ¡°There is an empty room, can you all share?¡± Feng Zhiwei nodded and the old man went off to arrange the room. The small home they sat in was built against the mountain near a cliff, so Feng Zhiwei went outside to find a place to puke. She stumbled over to a stone and squatted behind it for a long while until she felt better, but when she pushed herself to her feet she stumbled and her eyes blurred. Stepping back, she reached out and steadied herself against the stone. Finally, she pulled herself together and turned to head back, but just as she turned she noticed the writing on the stone; she had puked her guts out besides the village plaque. Feng Zhiwei eyed the vine covered characters and reached forward. Pulling away the vines, she revealed the four large characters: Hua Yan Du Village. Beneath the name was a simple explanation: the village had three had three main family surnames: Hua, Yan, and Du, and so they called themselves the Hua Yan Du Village. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes swept over the words and then her heart skipped a beat. Hua Yan Du¡­ Hua, Yan, Du¡­ Gua Ye Du! The rendezvous for Gua Ye Du must have been for Hua Yan Du! Muffled by the wall and the man¡¯s accent, Feng Zhiwei had misheard! She froze. When she had taken out the golden bean, the old man had been much too calm and composed. It would be hard for a poor villager to see much silver, how could he act so naturally in the face of gold? A poor mountain villager would dare take gold in exchange for cotton clothes and a cup of tea? Feng Zhiwei leapt forward, running through the cold night air. Ten meters away from the door, she stopped and composed herself, calming her breathing and smoothing her clothes. Finally, she stepped forward and knocked. Chapter 144 The old man opened the door, the same smile on his face as he hospitably asked after her health; but when Feng Zhiwei looked into that smiling face, all she felt was coldness. She hid her worries behind a smile and made small talk with the old man before hurrying to the back room; her fingers trembled as she pushed open the door, afraid that she would only find two bloody corpses within. Chunyu Meng and Ning Yi were both alive, and Chunyu Meng was even snoring up a storm, saliva dripping from his lips. Ning Yi sat, his back and shoulders tensing for a moment when the door opened. Feng Zhiwei let out a sigh of relief; the enemies were still searching the foot of the mountain and had not returned yet. She sped forward to Chunyu Meng¡¯s bed and shook him: ¡°Wake up! Wake up!¡± But Chunyu Meng did not stir. For a Kungfu expert to sleep so soundly in this dangerous environment was impossible, so something was definitely wrong; Feng Zhiwei thought back to the tea, worry and self-admonishment in her heart. Ning Yi called out calmly: ¡°Leave him. We need to leave.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s head whipped around to stare at him. ¡°As soon as the old man opened his mouth I knew something was wrong.¡± Ning Yi explained, ¡°Mount Ji Yang¡¯s hunters are all Northerners that came her after the early wars. The old man¡¯s accent and generosity exposed him.¡± This man even knew about the hunters in the region¡­ Feng Zhiwei was quietly amazed as she hurried over to help Ning Yi to his feet, scurrying over and then back to Chunyu Meng¡¯s bedside. Chunyu Meng struggled to open his eyes, only managing a single: ¡°Go¡­¡± before passing out again. Feng Zhiwei turned to Ning Yi: ¡°If you knew something was wrong, why did you let him drink the tea?¡± ¡°Someone had to drink or else the old man would grow suspicious; that would be even more troublesome.¡± Ning Yi calmly replied, his expression unchanging as he looked off into the distance, not even sparing her a look. ¡°Should you have drank? Or I? Chunyu was the only choice.¡± Feng Zhiwei looked at the Prince, his face beautiful like a flower and figure elegant like spring bamboo, but his mind as cutting as winter wind and his heart cold as ice. ¡°Go¡­¡± Chunyu Meng said, stirring once more. He struggled to sit up, sweat covering his face as he fumbled his knife into his grip; with trembling fingers he cut himself, shocking himself with the pain. His voice grew clearer and he quietly repeated himself: ¡°Go ¡ª I¡¯ll hold him back¡­¡± Ning Yi turned and carefully examined Chunyu Meng before saying: ¡°Alright.¡± He turned back to Feng Zhiwei, his voice still unchangingly calm: ¡°We will take the back cliff. It is not too steep for us to climb. If we leave from the front, we will walk into the enemy.¡± Feng Zhiwei stared silently at Ning Yi for a long moment before taking out the Pen Monkeys and placing them in Chunyu Meng¡¯s arms. Without a word, she helped support Ning Yi and climbed out the back window. The wet cliff was slippery and the mountain wind strong; Feng Zhiwei clutched Ning Yi¡¯s hand and carefully crept forward; the coldness of his hand cut to her bones, and the warmth of hers burned its way to his heart. The moss was treacherous and neither of them dared let go of the others hand, clutching each other as they moved forward towards the cliff. Feng Zhiwei looked down at the drop off; it would have been an easy climb on any other day, but with her injuries¡­ Suddenly Chunyu Meng roared, his angry voice echoing out of the little back window and filling the air. His cry was like a sharp sword cutting the still night; and the earth trembled, sending loose rocks tumbling down the cliff. The mountain wind grew fiercer, blowing restlessly around them, and the robes of their sleeves whipped in the air, slapping painfully against face and skin; behind them, a life struggled and fought for survival; and outside on the rocks, two figures clutched wet, craggy stone, waiting in the cold. The wind sucked heat from their skin and was colder than the ice cellar; their ragged hair whipped around, cutting their frozen skin. The great roar echoed in their minds and hearts, and then there was nothing. The silence that followed was as sudden as the call. A modicum of quiet returned to the mountain, heavy and oppressive. The only sound was that of the callous wind, with even breath whipped away. Ning Yi closed his eyes, his face expressionless; Feng Zhiwei turned her face away, her eyes glittering. After a moment, Ning Yi nudged Feng Zhiwei, indicating that she should go first. Feng Zhiwei quietly obeyed, maneuvering over to a protrusion in the stone before carefully moving down. When she reached a steady spot, she turned back for Ning Yi; the Prince moved slowly, following her, but just as he was stepping down to her ledge his foot missed. Feng Zhiwei rushed forward, in her hurry only able to slam her knee against the cliff as a makeshift foothold for Ning Yi¡¯s foot, her knee crunching into the cliff with the force of her charge. Ning Yi trembled, his foot twitching back with regret. Feng Zhiwei quickly grabbed his robe and steadied him. ¡°Ning Yi, your eyes¡­¡± She looked up into his face, cold wind wailing in the night around them. ¡°Are they blinded?¡± Ning Yi trembled again. Feng Zhiwei clutched Ning Yi, her knee still against the cliff as she looked up at him. She still remembered his muddled gaze in the icehouse and his reaction to the smell of blood and smoke on her; he had not been able to tell that she was injured. Inside the cellar, he had sat face to face with the Poison Eye Insect, the thing that had made her eyes tear up just from an accidental glance through the corner of her eye. She had been too thoughtless; if Ning Yi had pulled Chunyu Meng away to protect him, who protected Ning Yi? Ning Yi had composed himself and calmly replied: ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know a little bit about that thing; my eyes are curable. The problem is only temporary.¡± Feng Zhiwei murmured her understanding, a wry smile quirking her lips as she looked up at him: ¡°For now, let me be your eyes.¡± Her voice was light and even touch relaxed, but her words were as fierce as the mountain wind. Ning Yi trembled again as he lowered his eyes to ¡°look¡± at Feng Zhiwei with the grey, white blur of his vision. He could not make out her face, and the face she wore was not her real face, but he could still picture the expression gracing her mien ¡ª her brows a touch lifted, her brilliant eyes sparkling in the moonlight. This woman only grew stronger the more danger that surrounded her; she might yield and admit defeat, but she would never cry or freeze. Feng Zhiwei looked up, confused by the long silence, but Ning Yi had already turned away. His voice was quiet as he replied: ¡°Okay.¡± Feng Zhiwei felt that the simple word held some special meaning, but she could not make out Ning Yi¡¯s expression from her angle below him. ¡°Careful.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, hesitating a moment before reaching forward and embracing Ning Yi¡¯s knee; she stood below him and this was the only way that the blind Ning Yi could safely move down the cliff; it was just that she was basically hugging his lower half and her face was almost touching his thigh ¡ª Feng Zhiwei could only turn her face outward and remind herself of the danger they were in, but her face still flushed. Chapter 145 As Feng Zhiwei wrapped her arm around Ning Yi, he trembled once more. He could feel her face through his autumn robes, and in his mind¡¯s eye he could see that warm face flushed to the tips of her ears, her skin radiant and smooth as fine porcelain. He could feel her warm breath on his knee¡­ and suddenly Ning Yi¡¯s legs grew weak and his breath heavy. As his knees grew soft, his fingers pulled painfully against the jagged rocks, the bone chilling cold of the hard stone shocking him alert. Ning Yi lifted his eyes to blindly face the night sky; he could not see anything, but he could feel the dark of the night giving way to the coming dawn. The Prince breathed deeply, calming himself before carefully moving his way down; if he lost his grip, two lives would be lost. Feng Zhiwei had to scour the dark cliff for foot holds while carefully guiding Ning Yi¡¯s legs; in the pitch darkness of night, her eyes were soon overwhelmed and dizziness overwhelmed her just a few steps later. She sucked in a deep involuntary breath as she wobbled, accidentally leaning forward and pressing her face into the back of Ning Yi¡¯s knee. Ning Yi¡¯s knee bent forward right into a sharp stone and blood stained his trousers, but Ning Yi paid no mind to his pain as he turned his face to Feng Zhiwei, calling out: ¡°Zhiwei, are you alright?¡± The woman did not respond, her face buried in the crook of his knee. As time lapsed, Ning Yi grew flustered ¡ª although he was a man who could calmly face the Poison Eye Insect with blind eyes, his heart began to pound; he reached down for Feng Zhiwei but only her head in his reach. Her hair was mussed, coarse, and uneven, nothing like her typical silky smoothness ¡ª so much of her hair had been burnt away as she searched the fire. Ning Yi¡¯s hand moved haltingly across her scalp and his fingers curled as panic grew in his heart; just as he was preparing to release his other hand¡¯s grip on the cliff, the woman beneath him finally began to speak. Her voice was muffled by the crook of his knee, and her tone carried the surprising hint of a smile: ¡°Mmm¡­ it still feels strange whenever you say my name¡­¡± Ning Yi sighed in relief before replying: ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, pulling her face back, her voice already back to normal, ¡°I¡¯m just tired.¡± Ning Yi could feel some wetness in the back of his knee and reached down to investigate, but Feng Zhiwei gently pulled his hand away and scolded him: ¡°Grab the stone, what are you doing?¡± If they were back in Dijing he would have surely taken to the opportunity to tease her, but somehow he did not feel like it, so Ning Yi silently retrieved his hand and continued climbing. Halfway down the cliff, voices called out from above them; a figure stuck a head over the side as Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei froze, leaning into the cliff. Finally, a commanding voice called out: ¡°Search! You two get down there and check!¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she quickly sped up, but the Minnan Assassins were used to traversing mountains and completely uninjured; the two shadows clambered down like swift apes and were already close to Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi. Feng Zhiwei grasped the soft sword around her waist, her mind racing as she wondered how to kill the two assailants without getting noticed; if even one person got away, Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi could only wait for their deaths. Above her, Ning Yi had stopped; his head was tilted up, his blind eyes facing upwards at the assassins moving down towards them. He spoke, breaking the silence: ¡°My waistband has the Imperial Envoy Seal and Prince Chu Seal. Take them before you head for Ji Yang.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused, confused by the command, but before she could speak an assassin was upon them. Feng Zhiwei moved to strike with her sword¡­ But Ning Yi suddenly pounded the rocky cliff. The darkness had hidden Ning Yi from view but the noise turned the assassin¡¯s head; when the killer turned and saw Ning Yi, he immediately reached out to grab the Prince, calling out gleefully: ¡°Over here¡­¡± But then Ning Yi pulled the assassin into an embrace! As soon as the assassin spoke, Ning Yi figured out his location and moved forward; grasping the joyful killer, he pressed his feet against the side of the cliff and pushed, propelling himself over Feng Zhiwei¡¯s head and into free fall. The two men tumbled through the air, plummeting down the cliff. Feng Zhiwei only had time to watch the long, flower embroidered sleeve flash by her eyes; a large shadow passed over her head, and then a muffled thump. The quiet sound froze her heart, but the second assassin was still above; turning her head from the shadows below, she caught sight of the second killer and coldness flashed through her eyes. The man had been a step behind his partner and was still stunned by his compatriot¡¯s sudden death. ¡°Cha¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sword shot forward, puncturing the killer¡¯s skull through his glabella. The corpse tumbled down and thumped below. Feng Zhiwei bit her lips and clambered downwards as fast as she possibly could; the foot of the cliff was dark and shadowed, and she could fumble through the night, quietly calling: ¡°Ning Yi¡­¡± A voice called down from above: ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Feng Zhiwei tried to mimic the first assassin¡¯s voice and called back: ¡°Still looking. This place is big¡­¡± Mountain wind swept loud curses into the night, the words indecipherable. Feng Zhiwei could spare no attention for the assassins above, still desperately searching the rocks. Her hands moved over a corpse, her hands trembling as she touched the hole in the man¡¯s glabella; thrusting the assassin aside, she moved over to another dark body. In her tired mind it was as if she was in the blaze all over again, moving from burnt corpse to burnt corpse, fear and guilty relief warring within her as she moved from body to body¡­ The feeling was terrible and she desperately wished for it to end, never to happen again. This next body was unmoving and cold and seemed to be lying atop another body; Feng Zhiwei thought back to the glimpse she had caught of Ning Yi¡¯s fall and her heart trembled as she imagined him crushed and mangled beyond recognition. Cold wetness leaked down her face and she numbly wiped it aside; tears covered her hand and reflected the dull light from above, like a tiny mirror reflecting the shadows in her heart. When was the last time she had cried? How long since she had shed tears? Seven year ago? When the Qiu Young Madam lost her hair pin and slandered Feng Zhiwei, forcing Madam Qiu, Feng Hao and her to starve for five days? Ten years ago? When her mother almost died from illness after kneeling before the Qiu Mansion for three days? Or eleven years ago? When her mother burnt down their mountain house before abandoning it and their absent father? Or twelve years ago, after her mother furiously scolded her when she had accidentally caught her mother burning joss paper for a nameless stranger? Chapter 146 The genuine tears that she had caught on her hand surprised her. The tear on her finger quietly glistened and slowly evaporated as she kneeled numbly for a long moment; finally, she gathered her last strength and shifted the assassin¡¯s corpse to check on Ning Yi; before she confirmed Ning Yi¡¯s death, she refused to waste time crying. If he was dead, she had no time to waste. Him, Chunyu, and the many hundreds of dead Chang Ying Guards were waiting ¡ª she had too many things she needed to do. As she was reaching out to touch him, a hoarse voice lazily spoke: ¡°How long are you going to wait until you come touch me?¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand froze in midair, and when she came to she clenched her hand and not ungently pounded Ning Yi¡¯s chest. Ning Yi called out with mildly amused pain before commenting: ¡°What a venomous girl.¡± He asked again: ¡°What were you doing all dazed and still?¡± Feng Zhiwei bit her lips and ignored his words, moving over Ning Yi¡¯s cold body with her hand. When she had finished examining him her heart relaxed a little; Ning Yi must have killed the assassin mid fall and used him to cushion the landing. ¡°You aren¡¯t hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ning Yi replied, ¡°My ankle feels sprained.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hit your head?¡± Ning Yi eyed her with some surprise, quietly thinking that she was the one who looked like she had suffered brain damage; for a moment, he was about to tease her, but then he remembered how her voice had trembled as she called his voice and his heart softened, so instead he obediently replied: ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, her head falling into his embrace. ¡°Then I can finally pass out¡­¡± ¡­ When Feng Zhiwei woke every part of her body ached like she had fought her way through a long march or battled ten thousand enemies in her dreams. She lay where she woke, dazed and absent-minded; she was warm, and when she looked down at her body she recognized Ning Yi¡¯s robe covering her. The sun had risen, but only faint light reached the shadowed foot of the cliff. Ning Yi sat across from her in his underclothes, meditating with closed eyes, surrounded by gorgeous white mist. Feng Zhiwei scanned the area; it felt completely different from the battlefield from the night before. She lay on soft grass and burbling water chuckled not far away; she had no idea how an injured Ning Yi could have brought a fully grown woman here. Did he grab her ankle and drag her? Feng Zhiwei quickly looked over her body, afraid that she would find countless scratches and bruises. The little noises she made shuffling around and checking herself woke Ning Yi; he opened his eyes and listened to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s nervous fidgets and he could not help smiling: woman! What strange beings; so strong and calm in the midst of danger, but still so concerned about the smallest and pettiest of things. He smiled quietly and his blind gaze carried a degree of unnoticed gentleness. He thought back to when she had finally found him, so clearly and calmly asking after his health before fainting in his arms; truly, he did not know whether to laugh or cry, and his heart ached ¡ª what a strong woman! She had lain in his arms, so soft and gentle, and her masks and walls of coldness were all thrown aside; she had been as quiet and fragile as a peach blossom petal. He had never seen this special side of her, and in that moment he could not resist¡­ Ning Yi blushed. Feng Zhiwei just happened to look up, and she called out: ¡°You¡¯re up? Yi, you¡¯re color seems a little off.¡± Ning Yi touched his face and his flush faded. He chuckled and replied: ¡°Really?¡± Feng Zhiwei gazed admiringly at Prince Chu¡¯s face: this man never needed a mask; if he wanted his face to be red it would flush, if he did not want it, then it would return to normal. ¡°Where are we?¡± She asked. ¡°In the stories, when the main character falls off a cliff he should awaken in a cave and make himself a fire.¡± ¡°Not all cliffs have caves, and not everyone who falls of cliffs have tinder and flint.¡± Ning Yi chuckled. ¡°And lighting a fire while enemies are searching for you? Did you hit your head?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and sat up. ¡°How bad is your ankle?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Feng Zhiwei got up and walked over, kneeling and pulling off his boot. ¡°It still needs to be looked at or else it¡¯ll just get worse as you walk.¡± She carefully massaged Ning Yi¡¯s swollen ankle, only ever using the exact strength needed. Ning Yi leaned against a large stone, his eyes lidding themselves as he enjoyed the treatment; suddenly, he spoke: ¡°Have you studied this? You are better than the few¡­ in my mansion.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and replied: ¡°Mother fought many times on the battlefield and has many wounds and scars that act up on rainy days, so I¡¯ve been studying this ever since I was young.¡± Ning Yi paused for a long, silent moment before finally saying: ¡°Madam Feng¡¯s life has not been easy.¡± He did not say anymore and just lazed beside Feng Zhiwei, luxuriating in her gentle touch; comfort came over him and it was like he was soaking in a warm bath, and then suddenly he heard her say: ¡°Finished.¡± His eyes cracked open and he replied, surprised: ¡°So quickly?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled prettily: ¡°This humble woman truly apologizes that she is not as thoughtful and gentle as the concubines in His Highness¡¯s mansion who have the time and patience to massage the Prince as long as he likes.¡± Ning Yi cocked his head at her, and then his blind gaze seemed to brighten as his expression bubbled with subdued laughter: ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Feng Zhiwei let out a small cry of shock, and she touched her face; thoughts exploded through her mind ¡ª she was being jealous? her? jealous? How? Impossible? Why ¡­. Finally, Feng Zhiwei replied, her voice filled with sadness as she reasoned to herself: ¡°Those born into wealth will never understand the natural enmity of the poor who have struggled in poverty.¡± Ning Yi eyed her fuzzy silhouette strangely, and after a moment he spoke again, his heart happy: ¡°I didn¡¯t finish speaking; the few ¡­ old servants ¡­ in my mansion.¡± After a second of silence, a flowery smile blossomed on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face as she replied: ¡°Aiya Your Highness it¡¯s gotten so bright, we need to plan our departure.¡± Ning Yi was in a great mood after this strange conversation and a small smile never left his lips; Feng Zhiwei could only glare gloomily at him, and she hurriedly changed the subject: ¡°Did the people above leave?¡± As she spoke, she handed Ning Yi his robe and noticed a few broken bands on the clothing, as if he had rather forcefully torn it off of himself. Chapter 147 ¡°Now that they know we¡¯re alive they¡¯ll never give up.¡± Ning Yi replied as he dressed, ¡°Leaving this Ji Yang Mountain will not be easy.¡± Feng Zhiwei murmured an affirmative, hugging her knees as Ning Yi got dressed. 10 minutes later¡­ Feng Zhiwei hugged her knees, watching Ning Yi dress. A quart of an hour later¡­ Feng Zhiwei hugged her knees, and she could no longer hold back her words. Blinking to herself, she asked: ¡°Your Highness, do you not know how to dress yourself?¡± Ning Yi stopped his fight with the bands of his clothes, taking an unashamed moment before nodding; he even began to complain: ¡°If you knew, why didn¡¯t you help?¡± Feng Zhiwei pouted: nobody alive was more shameless than His Highness Prince Chu. She slowly dragged her feet over and began helping His Highness dress, and all the while Ning Yi nitpicked: ¡°Your hands aren¡¯t even that much better than mine!¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re tying that band correctly?¡± ¡°Are you buttoning or trying to strangle me?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled as she helped him, occasionally tightening a band here or there as she said: ¡°At least I didn¡¯t take a quarter of an hour and still fail.¡± ¡°How is this wrong? If you¡¯re so brilliant, do it yourself!¡± ¡°If I truly wanted to strangle you, how could this be enough?¡± Both of them were pale faced, and Feng Zhiwei had to pause her buttoning to cough, but neither of them spoke about such matters, both smiling as if everything was normal. The crisis had not passed and danger was still upon them; one of them was blind; the other suffered internal injuries; and powerful enemies were around them, scheming and waiting. In this time of uncertainty, the two were even more calm than usual. Both of them held powerful positions and knew nerves would only slow them down; the night had been long and they had suffered many injuries; now was the time to relax their minds. Such words are easy to say but hard to follow, yet both of them were just this type of person, and they both trusted each other to understand. With Ning Yi finally dressed, Feng Zhiwei ripped a strip off his sleeve and bandaged Ning Yi¡¯s wound. Only then did she turn to her own injuries, and with that finished she helped Ning Yi to his feet. The two shared a glance and the smiles on their faces disappeared. Finally, Ning Yi calmly announced: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Feng Zhiwei cleaned the stains from her sword and wrapped it around her waist. ¡°This water is flowing; if we follow it, we should find a road.¡± Ning Yi continued saying, ¡°They will send people to check on the two assassins soon.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Feng Zhiwei agreed, grabbing Ning Yi¡¯s sleeve and leading the way. Her internal injuries had healed a little, and she guessed that Ning Yi had fed her medicine or circulated Qi for her while she slept. She did not fully understand Ning Yi¡¯s condition, and she did not understand the power of the Poison Eye Insect, but Ning Yi¡¯s color was poor. Of course, he had drunk too much liquor, but that had been days ago; his weakness now must be because of his wounds. After a while, Ning Yi spoke, asking: ¡°Can you take my hand? The sleeve is too easily ripped.¡± While Feng Zhiwei was hesitating, Ning Yi grabbed her hand; both of them quivered as cold met warmth. Ning Yi smiled: ¡°Our hands match.¡± Feng Zhiwei ignored him, but he continued speaking: ¡°When we are together in the Imperial Mausoleum, your hand will not be hot and mine will not be cold, and it¡¯ll be even better. Feng Zhiwei froze. For a moment, her mind could not wrap itself around what he was suggesting. His Highness was talking about marriage? And he had even planned their burial¡­ She wanted to reply: ¡°Who would want to be buried with you?¡± But as she thought the words, a dark gloom came over her heart; in her mind¡¯s eye she could see the lofty chambers and the great dragon coffins; but under the flicker of the eternal lamps, beside the dead stares of the white jade eyes, what would his face look like as he rested there? And when she grew old, where would she be buried? Who would remember all the deeds of her life? She thought back to her deal with her mother, and she could not stop herself from asking: ¡°If I left Dijing and never returned, what would you think?¡± Ning Yi paused silently before tightly grabbing her hand, his voice straightforward as he replied: ¡°I¡¯ll look for you.¡± ¡°What if you cannot find me?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked, wondering at her strange words today ¡ª when had she ever asked such meaningless questions? ¡°You cannot escape me.¡± Ning Yi turned his blind gaze towards her, his voice calm. ¡°All the lands under the heavens, all the wind, earth, water, and rain will be mine; even if you turn to ash, with nothing left but bone, you will still be mine.¡± Feng Zhiwei had no reply. She silently rubbed her arms before forcing a smile: ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t say such scary words.¡± Ning Yi smile in reply, but there was no amusement in his eyes. Feng Zhiwei returned his blind gaze; she knew that if she tried to smile, the smile would not reach her eyes either. Chunyu¡¯s last defiant cry still echoed in her ears, the clashes of his last stand aching in her heart; though neither of them brought up the matter, no one had forgotten. They walked, following the water, gradually passing into the mountain proper. As they moved, Feng Zhiwei relaxed; Mount Ji Yang was huge and the enemies restrained by the amount of attention they could attract, so entering the mountain was much safer than the alternative. After walking for a while both of their bellies began to rumble; the two exchanged forced smiles as Feng Zhiwei examined her surroundings. She did not dare go off hunting and leave Ning Yi alone, so she said: ¡°Let¡¯s talk to the neighbor above us and ask for something to eat.¡± ¡°What neighbor?¡± Feng Zhiwei pointed up at a pine tree¡¯s branches where a squirrel scurried by; Ning Yi listened carefully to the creature¡¯s movements before saying: ¡°I think the neighbor¡¯s meat might be better.¡± ¡°Then you go and barter with it; convince it to offer its meat to the Prince.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, a half-smile on her face. ¡°This Minor Minister has a clumsy tongue and cannot convince it.¡± ¡°You are such a strange woman.¡± Ning Yi teased, ¡°Killing men like chopping vegetables, but unwilling to kill a squirrel.¡± ¡°The evil of people is greater than that of animals.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly replied, ¡°Beasts will rarely attack you unprovoked, or betray you, or humiliate you, or mock you, but people will.¡± Ning Yi eyed her through the corner of his gaze, his dark irises smooth like mercury; He gently pushed her, smiling as he spoke: ¡°Eunuch Feng, are you not going to pick the pine cones? If I wait until you finish teaching, this Prince will be ready for the Imperial Mausoleum.¡± Feng Zhiwei rolled her eyes as she stepped forward and clambered up the pine tree; Ning Yi leaned against the tree¡¯s trunk as he waited, small, fine pine needles raining down sporadically, tickling his face. Ning Yi turns his head and ¡°looked¡± around; though he could make nothing out, he could imagine the beauty of the autumn mountain: the rolling green hills and green and yellow of the woods; fallen leaves a thick auburn brown carpet, and the afternoon sun gilding the tree tops. Chapter 148 The slender woman worked busily above him, sending slight tremors through the tree; branches and leaves shuffled and swayed as she quietly negotiated with the squirrel, emptying its nest; the both lucky and unfortunate squirrel had no defense against her glib tongue and fled, leavings its cache to the new king of the mountain. Feng Zhiwei grabbed the pine cones and began climbing down. As she shook the branches, playfulness grew in Ning Yi¡¯s heart. As he mapped out his position relative to the tree, he stepped forward and cried out in surprise before kicking the tree. But he had forgotten that he had sprained his ankle, so when his foot hit the tree the sudden agony shocked out a real cry of pain. Feng Zhiwei whipped her head downwards in shock and lost her balance on the thin branch; she cried out in surprise as a handful of her trophies tumbled out of her hands as she fell. Falling exactly towards Ning Yi. Falling right into his embrace. Ning Yi had long since positioned himself to catch her, and with her in his arms he casually commented: ¡°How could I resist a beauty throwing herself at me?¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately understood that she had been tricked and anger filled her; she pushed him aside and cried: ¡°A wasteful prince should be assassinated!¡± Ning Yi stumbled with the push but refused to let her go as he leaned against the tree; unhurriedly, he leaned forward and whispered into her ear: ¡°Then stab me, I¡¯m waiting.¡± Feng Zhiwei looked up at his face, so close to hers; his eyes were clear and his brows elegant, and despite all their troubles he still carried that strange power of enchantment. His quiet, playful voice was like the mist of the mountains, indecipherable, tangling her like floating silk. Her heart trembled and she hurriedly pulled herself away, grabbing a handful of pine needles and crying out: ¡°Take this!¡± Ning Yi cried out in faux pain and let her out of his embrace, quietly panting as he smiled and said: ¡°You really stabbed me, how vicious¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei ignored him, stooping to recover her pine cones and handing them to Ning Yi; but despite her hard work, the man refused to accept them, leaning against the tree lazily and saying: ¡°It¡¯s too hard.¡± Did he want her to crack them for him? Feng Zhiwei eyed the man coolly and reminded him: ¡°Your Highness, you injured your eyes, not your teeth.¡± ¡°Have you not heard of the Poison Eye Insect¡¯s poison?¡± Ning Yi replied, his face indecipherable. ¡°The creature is said to be descended from the Candle Dragon, a snake of the netherworld, its eyes directly linked to the hell. It feeds on poison and young maiden eyes, and when it reaches adulthood it becomes the Origin of Ten Thousand Poisons. With all the gathered resentment of the deceased, its victims are blinded and all organs in their head will gradually deteriorate until they die, so my weak teeth make sense.¡± Feng Zhiwei eyed Ning Yi suspiciously; he definitely did not look that miserable, but her heart still softened. The man did not even mention his blindness at first, so she sighed and began cracking the pine nuts with her teeth. As the boss casually waited to enjoy his pine nut meat, he called out to remind her: ¡°Don¡¯t leave any of your saliva on it.¡± Feng Zhiwei chomped furiously, grinding the pine nuts between her teeth. When she placed the small handful of warm, wet pine nuts into Ning Yi¡¯s hand, happiness filled Ning Yi¡¯s heart, comforting him for his blindness; at that moment, he finally realized that being blind had some use after all. When he could only see with his heart, the views were suddenly more beautiful, the sound of her breathing clearer, and this pine nut that he had never liked was now so fragrant and intoxicating. He slowly chewed the small handful of pine nut, a quiet smile on his face. ¡°These pine nuts can only ward off starvation, but they will never fill us. We need to find food.¡± Feng Zhiwei planned: ¡°When we are further into the mountain we can dig up Sealwort and Tuckahoe roots.¡± But Ning Yi did not reply, suddenly freezing, and Feng Zhiwei immediately fell silent. Footfalls crunched leaves behind them and a singing voice neared; suddenly, the song cut off and a surprised northern accent called out: ¡°Who are you?¡± Feng Zhiwei examined the new man, a simple woodsman carrying a hare and an assortment of mountain herbs on a shoulder pole. There was not a single thing suspicious about him. ¡°Big Brother,¡± Feng Zhiwei politely called back, ¡°We brothers are lost and injured. Where are we, and do you know of a way out of the mountain?¡± ¡°This is the south foot of Mount Ji Yang.¡± The woodsman replied, ¡°Do you see that abandoned temple over there? If you walk for a day southwards from that temple, you will leave the mountain. Your injuries look pretty serious, and it¡¯s probably going to rain soon. My home is not far away, you can come rest there.¡± But how could Feng Zhiwei dare take his offer, so she smiled and demurred: ¡°We wish to hurry in our journey. If it rains, we will take shelter in the temple.¡± Thanking the man, Feng Zhiwei asked if she could buy the hare and herbs he carried, patting herself all over for any silver. As she looked for money, the woodsman shook his head and replied: ¡°This? This is not worth much, take it. Here.¡± Feng Zhiwei thanked the man as he handed her the goods. Feng Zhiwei hesitated for a moment and then spoke again: ¡°Could I trouble Big Brother to tell no one you saw us.¡± ¡°Of course, of course!¡± The woodsman happily agreed, smiling as he glanced at the two. As he turned away, the woodsman muttered to himself loudly, ¡°A couple dressing like men to elope?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled deafly and played dumb as the woodsman hefted his pole and walked away, an ambiguous smile on his face. Ning Yi shrugged his shoulder. Feng Zhiwei immediately pressed down on his hand. Ning Yi lifted his eyes and looked Feng Zhiwei; Feng Zhiwei stared into his eyes, slowly and resolutely shaking her head. Ning Yi frowned, but he did not move. The woodsman was cheerfully oblivious, not at all aware that he had barely escaped death, his song already back on his lips as he walked off. ¡°Feng Zhiwei has the heart of the Bodhisattva.¡± Ning Yi finally said somewhat sarcastically. ¡°I only kill I must. Killing innocents only brings bad karma.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, not looking at the prince. ¡°When he points the way for the assassins, he will not be innocent, but then it will be too late for us to kill the man we should have killed.¡± ¡°How are you so sure he will betray us?¡± ¡°People die for money; birds die for food.¡± Ning Yi calmly replied, ¡°As long as he is promised a fortune, he will definitely speak. If you were clever, you would not have stopped me.¡± Chapter 149 Translator: Aristophaneso ¡°But he might never meet the people hunting us.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, sighing. ¡°You cannot take a life simply because of a possibility.¡± ¡°Feng Zhiwei, I never thought you were so merciful.¡± Ning Yi smiled coldly. ¡°Success relies on ten thousand corpses; these small trifles stand in the way of great works. Do you understand?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, standing and passing him Tuckahoe root that she had just washed. ¡°Eat, and then we will head for his home.¡± Ning Yi accepted the Tuckahoe wordlessly; his words splashing ineffectually against Feng Zhiwei¡¯s calm like blows into cotton. He finally understood her plan ¡ª Feng Zhiwei had indicated that they would be heading to the ancient temple so their enemies would be directed to that building by the woodsman; in this circumstance, the woodsman¡¯s house was the safest. They were both injured and slow, and rather than rush around like weary dogs, it would be better to hide and rest. In the silence that followed, Ning Yi felt that his tone may have been too harsh, but Feng Zhiwei had already moved on, nudging his hand as she bit into her Tuckahoe: ¡°Eat, there might not be time later.¡± She patted the hare hanging from her waist: ¡°If I¡¯m wrong, I¡¯ll barbecue this hare for you.¡± Ning Yi smiled and turned his face towards her: ¡°And if I am wrong, will you accept the jade pendant hanging from my waist?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, quickly finishing her Tuckahoe, ¡°this deal is not fair for you.¡± ¡°For you, I can suffer the loss.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to take advantage of you.¡± Feng Zhiwei quickly replied, quietly shushing the prince; the woodsman had entered a lonely yard halfway up the mountain. The two quietly sneaked forward; a cave punctured the side of the mountain beside the house, a subtle opening covered by vines. The place seemed good to Feng Zhiwei. Ning Yi was exhausted and his eyes fell shut as soon as they entered the cave, but he refused to let Feng Zhiwei take his pulse. She could only cross her legs and meditate, regulating her Qi as she listened to her surroundings. The small slip of sun on the cave wall gradually narrowed and dusk crept over the day; right before dark, rain began falling, rustling the vines around the cave entrance. Ning Yi¡¯s eyes flew open. Feng Zhiwei straightened upright. Footfalls splashed through water and the yard door creaked open; the woodsman called out a question and a strange accent replied: ¡°Two youths ¡­ about this tall¡­ injured ¡­ have you seen them?¡± The woodsman called back in his hoarse, loud voice: ¡°No, I just came back from foraging!¡± The people seemed disappointed and turned to leave; Feng Zhiwei let out a relieved breath and turned to smile at Ning Yi. Ning Yi understood her relief and smiled back. But then a voice called out: ¡°Since you just came back from foraging, you must have brought back a harvest. Show us.¡± It was the leader of the assailants who had attacked the post station, his strange accent unforgettable. The woodsman seemed stumped and must have finally brought something out; the assassin leader looked them over, silence filling the rain. Worry grew in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart. A miserable cry filled the yard. The assassin leader yelled harshly: ¡°This is not fresh! Who took your fresh harvest! Where did they go! Speak!¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart trembled; neither of them had foreseen this outcome, but this sort of ruthlessness was fitting for assassins. The miserable cry twisted and the woodsman cried out, begging: ¡°South Mountain Temple ¡­ the old temple¡­ don¡¯t kill me ¡ª don¡¯t kill me¡­¡± Then his voice cut off, and the leader yelled out: ¡°Depart!¡± The group quickly left, and after a moment, a heavy object thudded down the cliffside. Feng Zhiwei shut her eyes; was this sin hers? In the quiet that followed, Feng Zhiwei turned to the cave entrance and headed for the yard; but then Ning Yi pulled her back. A voice began speaking: ¡°We have eaten for an entire day. Let¡¯s roast some of this game and bring it to the boss; when we¡¯ve dealt with the target, we¡¯ll need to return. Roast some for the road; the boss said that we might not be able to buy food on the way back.¡± A voice replied and the two took down dried, hanging game and lit a fire. Feng Zhiwei glanced at Ning Yi; Ning Yi nodded and the two stood, the prince gripping her shoulder as they left the cave. The two calmly walked over to the yard entrance and pushed the door open. The two assassins turned at the noise as cold wind swept in through the open doorway; two men had walked in covered in soot and blood stains, the taller leaning wearily against the shorter, both of them altogether miserable. Yet they wore the most natural and calm expressions as if they were noble young masters on an inspection tour rather than poor refuges entering a petty mountain house; when a cloud passed and the moonlight revealed the taller man¡¯s face, the two assassins stared in disbelief. In their daze, they heard the taller man say: ¡°Left, three steps.¡± The two assassins stirred, and then a black sword was pouncing like a venomous snake; there was no time for thought as the two foreigners rolled out of the way, covering themselves with sparks from the fire. Before the assassins could pat out the sparks on their clothes, the tall man frowned and said: ¡°Right, nine.¡± The black sword flashed again and the assassins dodged once more, but as their shoulders and feet moved, the tall man¡¯s ears twitched and he quickly said: ¡°Back, three.¡± The assassins escape was blocked so they turned to rush forward, but before they could even move the voice sounded again: ¡°Front left, one.¡± The infuriating sword flashed again, opening up a wound. ¡°Left seven.¡± ¡°Back-right four.¡± ¡°Front five.¡± The long, soft sword twisted and turned, sealing off all retreat, blocking every direction at the command of the taller man. The two assassins slowly realized that their enemies were injured; the True Qi in the sword was weak, but their enemy¡¯s cooperation was perfect and they were trapped. The area drawn by the sword shrank around them and more and more blood soaked their clothes. They were like mice before a playful cat, their life blood harvested little by little, cut by cut. Chapter 150 The soft sword¡¯s death by a thousand cuts was a more terrifying torture than a sudden death and finally the two assassins dropped their swords and fell to their knees, begging: ¡°Don¡¯t kill me ¡ª don¡¯t kill me¡­¡± ¡°Cha.¡± The extraordinary long sword slice across their sinful throats, splashing their blood into the rain. ¡°I was waiting for those words.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied calmly, sheathing her sword around her waist. They passed the bodies and ate some of the roast meat, resting. Ning Yi kept time, and after a while he said: ¡°They should have reached the temple by now.¡± ¡°Do you think they will head down the mountain or come back?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked. ¡°They can¡¯t stay here for much longer. The post house must have already been discovered, and my three thousand Honor Guard is still there. Even if they put on a show, Shen Xuru still needs to explain the situation to the Imperial Court.¡± Ning Yi replied. ¡°Those two were preparing to leave as well, so they will leave the mountain.¡± ¡°Then we should go. They¡¯ll leave the temple safe; someone will come back for the food.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, helping Ning Yi to his feet. Rain poured outside as Feng Zhiwei rustled up a straw rain cape for Ning Yi, trembling heroically as she headed outside with no protection of her own; ignoring her foolishness, Ning Yi unceremoniously dragged Feng Zhiwei under the broad cape, not allowing her to refuse. Feng Zhiwei hesitated a moment, but then she reasoned that the situation was dangerous and that if she fell sick, Ning Yi would be blind and helpless, so she allowed Ning Yi to manhandle her. The two huddled underneath the rain cape like conjoined twins as they walked out into the rain. They were squeezed together so tightly that their limbs kept bumping together; the more they tried to avoid each other, the more their uncovered skin touched. Both of them were ill at ease, with Ning Yi staring emptily into the distance while Feng Zhiwei looked down at her feet, counting her steps. The rain splashed all around them, muddying the ground. Their steps squished into the slush, barely audible in the quiet world inside the straw rain cape. They could fell the other¡¯s breath and Qi, each mingling with each as they breathed in the quiet smell of straw; someone¡¯s heart pounded, or perhaps it was both their hearts. Whenever they turned to glance at the other¡¯s face, they felt as if that outline was the most beautiful part of the rainy night, and the more they glanced the more their feet stumbled¡­ Although the arrangement was rather inconvenient, the two still made speedy progress; it seemed like only a blink of an eye had passed when the ancient temple¡¯s overhanging eaves came into view. They stopped a distance away, carefully listening to the night; all they heard was the struggling cry of crickets in the autumn rain. After a lengthy wait, they were confident that the assassins had left after finding the temple empty. Feng Zhiwei let out a relieved sigh and pushed her way into the ancient temple. She turned to untie the straw cape as she spoke: ¡°They¡¯ve searched here; they must have thought we left the mountain. We¡¯ve finally ¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, an evil laughter filled the air! As soon as the laughter started Feng Zhiwei reached out to grab Ning Yi, but Ning Yi moved faster and pulled her behind him. They both moved as fast as they could, trapped and hindered by the rain cape, almost tripping. Feng Zhiwei pulled out her long sword and slashed away the cape; straw flew and her eyes were dazzled by gleaming light. Twelve bright swords pressed Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi down, each of them centimeters away from puncturing their bodies. Feng Zhiwei looked up and smiled: ¡°Nice sword.¡±?With her hidden hand, she etched words into Ning Yi¡¯s palm: ¡°Twelve men; all swords; Octagonal Formation; Zhen Three, Li Two, Dui Two, Kan One, Sun Two, Kun Two.¡± (ÕðÈý,Àë¶þ,¶Ò¶þ,¿²Ò»,Ùã¶þ,À¤¶þdirections & number of people) Ning Yi frowned and wrote back: ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless. They might not be together.¡± Feng Zhiwei agreed; if they were with the assassins they would have already struck, and the enemies did not use swords. ¡°What do you all mean by this?¡± She cocked her brows as she spoke coldly: ¡°We brothers lost our way while rising the mountain and came to this temple to take shelter from the rain. Even if we disturbed you all, do you really need to draw your swords?¡± She had already revealed her sword so she could not pretend to be a panicked commoner, so she imitated the Jianghu style, guessing at the group¡¯s identity. The twelve wore grey cotton robes with green edges, their eyes tough and their temples prominent; from their temperament and demeanor, they seemed like members of a Jianghu Sect. The group showed surprise at her words, and the man in the lead called back in a cold, harsh voice: ¡°Your cape is like the villager¡¯s. If you met them and borrowed their cape, why come here instead of resting in their home?¡± The question was incisive and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind raced as she tried to come up with a reason; Ning Yi smiled beside her and replied: ¡°The couple we met only had one room, but it smelled terrible and we could not stand it so we came searching for different shelter.¡± Although Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi wore common cotton clothes, their bearing was casually noble and fit with the excuse; as the leader hesitated, Feng Zhiwei pushed aside their swords and smiled: ¡°We are all fellow martial artists; meeting today is fate. Why bare our blades?¡± A flicker of disdain passed over the leader¡¯s face; these two young masters only learned some shallow Kungfu from their families and dared call themselves martial artists? He frowned as he examined Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei. The two were covered in mud and blood that they had intentionally not cleaned but their faces were still recognizable; the leader¡¯s gaze fell on Ning Yi¡¯s face and his eyes gleamed; he spoke: ¡°This brother has spoken correctly; we have been uncourteous. May I ask the brother¡¯s surnames? How did you come to be here?¡± Would normal people make small talk while holding someone at sword point? Feng Zhiwei silently complained as she slapped a kind smile on her face and replied: ¡°We are from Lingnan Province and are heading to Ji Yang to visit a friend. Our surname is Tian. We heard Mount Ji Yang is beautiful and came to visit but slipped and fell off a cliff. We¡¯ve separated from our servants and are now trying to find out way down the mountain as quickly as possible.¡± She sighed and touched Ning Yi¡¯s hand: ¡°You all must have noticed, but my brother¡­ his eyes are not very good; he was born with an illness in his eyes, and we came to Ji Yang to take time away from our troubles.¡± The suspicion on the leader¡¯s face finally faded a touch. Feng Zhiwei smiled calmly, but her fingers gripped her sword¡¯s handle; the gleaming swords were still pointed right at Ning Yi and if any of them moved forward even a little, not even an immortal saint could save his life. She had intentionally brought up Ning Yi¡¯s eyes ¡ª only she knew that Ning Yi had gone blind; no one searching for him would be looking for a blind man, and this discrepancy should put them off his trail. Chapter 151 Translator: Aristophaneso Finally, the leader of the group gestured for the others to pull back their swords. Feng Zhiwei let out a quiet sigh of relief. With the swords no longer hanging above them, at least they would have a fighting chance if it came to blows. ¡°Why are you brothers camping in this ancient temple? Where are you heading?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled as she made casual conversation, deliberately ignoring the way the other martial artists still surrounded her as they moved away and rested. ¡°To the mountain.¡± The leader replied shortly, clearly uninterested in chatting. The ancient temple was a shoddy shelter with thick dust and animal droppings littered across the ground; some wild animals trapped inside scurried around in terror as rain pounded outside, and a light mist gradually crept over the mountain. A burly man walked over and pushed Ning Yi out of his way, shouting: ¡°Good dogs don¡¯t block the way, move!¡± He squeezed down next to the leader and grabbed a sack of oily paper from his backpack. Feng Zhiwei had to hurriedly steady Ning Yi from his stumble, but Ning Yi only smiled quietly in response, not showing any signs of anger. His smile was clear and beautiful in the dancing fire light, his face flickering from brightness to darkness like a pretty, demonic flower blooming in the quiet night. No one noticed his smile, and the burly man noticed nothing except the food he was taking out of the paper wrap; his leader suddenly frowned and commented: ¡°Aren¡¯t those the letters our Sect Leader is looking for? Niu Qi, I can¡¯t believe it, how dare you use that to wrap food! The Sect Leader will definitely punish you with the Sect Rules!¡± ¡°What letter; what does it matter.¡± Niu Qi laughed in reply, flexing the paper loudly. ¡°We left in such a hurry there was nothing else to wrap the beef in. I could only grab some paper from the Sect Leader¡¯s desk; he¡¯d already read it anyway.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned to examine the paper and her heart trembled. The man held a red seal stamp between his fingers ¡ª a standard Nine Seal affixed with ¡°Official Longxi Document Officer.¡± This was a semi-official seal used by officers of the local government for official documents; because Official Document Officers were often the most trusted aides of the highest ranking official, they were in charge of both internal and external matters ¡ª for their convenience, these officers were given their own seals. This seal represented the highest-ranking official¡¯s personal will; and this Official Longxi Document Officer was aid and advisor to Shen Xuru. For Shen Xuru¡¯s aid to send a letter to the Jiang Hu Sect Leaders could only mean one thing ¡ª without a shred of reasonable doubt, Shen Xuru was afraid that Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei had survived so he had secretly paid a Jianghu sect to hunt them down. If they died at the hands of Jianghu people, the Imperial Court would have no way of investigating. Niu Qi put the papers to the side as he sliced the beef with his sword; Feng Zhiwei leaned surreptitiously, lifted up the corner of the papers and immediately noticed the drawings below. What drawings? Were they paintings of Ning Yi and her? Then why had these people not recognized them? Feng Zhiwei thought quickly: these portraits had been included in the letters to help the Sect to hunt them, but Niu Qi had stupidly stolen the letters to wrap his beef. The Sect Leader had not been able to give them the drawings so he could only describe how Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei looked, so the group leader had been suspicious but could not be sure. These Jianghu people were typically unscholarly and unlettered, so as soon as they saw the characters covering the first page of the stack they had lost interest. The drawings had been undiscovered until now. But Niu Qi was using the letters as plates to distribute the beef, and he would soon flip his way down to the portraits. Worry filled Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart and she suddenly grabbed her stomach and groaned in loud pain. Her groan immediately drew the attention of everyone, and they all stopped eating and looked over. Feng Zhiwei cried out, her face filled with pain: ¡°Why is my stomach hurting? Did I eat something bad?¡± Jianghu people were always careful and especially sensitive to the possibility of poison; at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words, they all dropped their beef and glanced around suspiciously. Niu Qi snorted, saying: ¡°He never even touched our beef, what are you all scared of!¡± But even though he complained about their caution, he still packed the rest of the beef away with the stack of papers. Feng Zhiwei cried out again and hobbled to her feet: ¡°I can¡¯t. I need to go to the latrines.¡± She walked away with shaking knees and suddenly stumbled, kicking the fire wood. Sparks flew in every direction sending all the martial artists dodging, with some of the sparks landing on the oily paper wrapping the beef, lighting it on fire. Happiness filled Feng Zhiwei, but then Niu Qi strode over and grabbed the pack, patting out the fire as he muttered to himself: ¡°Can¡¯t let it burn or else my bag will be filled with grease.¡± Feng Zhiwei watched helplessly as the man carefully stored the beef away; Ning Yi stood and grabbed her arm, saying: ¡°Careful, you might have taken ill from the rain, I¡¯ll help you to the latrines.¡± The Jiang Hu people watched them walk away, and the leader flicked his chin, gesturing for Niu Qi to follow. Feng Zhiwei clutched Ning Yi as they walked forward, her eyes tracking the clean, reflective post-rain wall; disappointment filled her eyes ¡ª Niu Qi had followed, but he had not brought his bag with him. She brought her finger to Ning Yi¡¯s palm and quickly explained what had happened; Ning Yi thought for a while and then whispered into her ear: ¡°One by one.¡± Feng Zhiwei fell silent; it was risky, but there was no other way. They had no way of leaving undetected and no way of grabbing the letters; if Niu Qi took out the beef, he would almost immediately find the portraits of their faces. No matter what happened next, Niu Qi could not be allowed to return. Since Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi had to kill Niu Qi, it would not be long until his death was exposed and the others attacked. Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi could not survive their simultaneous attack, so if they killed Niu Qi they would have to kill the rest; for their own survival, Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi needed to make the first move. How best to kill them all was now the most important question. And the first matter was killing off Niu Qi. Just as Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi reached the latrines, Niu Qi strode over to the pit, immediately loosening his pants and urinating. His black haired belly protruded outwards as he laughed: ¡°F***, I needed to piss!¡± Ning Yi frowned in disgust while Feng Zhiwei blushed to her ears; she turned away and climbed over to the other pit, holding her stomach as she groaned, untying her trousers. Niu Qi glanced at her and laughed again: ¡°So womanly, taking so long to untie your pants.¡± But then the tip of a black sword cut through the back of his head, emerging from his mouth. His eyes crossed as he looked down at the sword tip, confused; the brat was still untying his pants, how¡­ Chapter 152 Translator: Aristophaneso Pain ripped through Niu Qi¡¯s throat and he could only look down powerlessly at the black sword tip dripping with blood as it was slowly withdrawn by the tall, blind, pretty man. He kicked Niu Qi into the latrine pit, and the last words he ever heard were: ¡°Good dogs don¡¯t block the way, move!¡± Ning Yi returned the sword to Feng Zhiwei; reversing the switch that had happened in the brief moment she leaned on him right before. With the first obstacle removed, they began discussing their next moves. ¡°Do you have poison?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked, patting herself looking for something deadly she could use; unfortunately, she had left Dijing in such a hurry she had only brought medicine for wounds, nothing else. This group was also very vigilant and it would be incredibly difficult to poison them, but such a method was still the best chance they had. Ning Yi shook his head; that Ning Cheng fellow loved to play with poison, but he had run off after getting some news and had still not caught up to them. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face fell in disappointment, but then she was suddenly filled with whimsy and asked: ¡°Are your tears poisonous?¡± Ning Yi eyed her with a strange, blind gaze before replying: ¡°I¡¯d rather kill them one by one.¡± Feng Zhiwei grit her teeth as she wondered how to make this crocodile cry; did she need to suddenly attack his belly for tears to come out? But Ning Yi had already cleverly stepped back three steps. ¡°Fine,¡± Feng Zhiwei unhappily replied, walking over to support him. ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out.¡± Ning Yi murmured in agreement and reached out to grab onto her when Feng Zhiwei suddenly cried out and fell downwards, calling out in panic: ¡°Niu Qi, you¡­¡± Right as a shocked Ning Yi hurriedly bent to help her up, Feng Zhiwei whipped up her head and smashed her forehead right into his nose. Ning Yi cried out in pain and clutched his nose as tears sprang from his eyes; to the side, Feng Zhiwei unashamedly fished out a gold leaf to keep his tears. She sighed as she spoke: ¡°Using gold to hold your tears; truly I have honored His Highness¡¯s precious tear.¡± Ning Yi clutched his pained nose and once again confirmed to himself that Feng Zhiwei was as vicious as a wolf. The wolf eyed the nose clutching prince, his teary eyes glimmering like an autumn pond, so fragile and amusing, completely different from his normal profound, sharp gaze. In that moment he seemed a completely different person, and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s conscience had a rare relapse, so she smiled gently and rubbed his nose, saying: ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± Her fingers brushed against Ning Yi¡¯s face like soft spring wind, and her apologetic chuckle of a voice sounded like fine cotton. Ning Yi¡¯s hand trembled and he grabbed onto her hand. He tangled her fingers with his, and as Feng Zhiwei pulled back, he only grabbed on more tightly, refusing to let her go. His broad sleeve curtained down around the suddenly romantic moment and Ning Yi guided Feng Zhiwei back towards the Jiang Hu people. Feng Zhiwei carefully protected the tears so she did not dare struggle and could only let Ning Yi hold her; as she walked, she murmured: ¡°Unfortunately there¡¯s so little¡­¡± When they reached the well in the yard, they passed a man fetching water; Feng Zhiwei called out in greeting: ¡°Brother, can you give us some water as well and help us wash our hands?¡± ¡°Young masters are so troublesome!¡± The man complained to himself as he handed Feng Zhiwei the bucket. She drank directly from the water and poured some of it for her hands before thanking him; when the three returned to the main group, the leader noticed Niu Qi missing and asked: ¡°Where¡¯s Niu Qi?¡± ¡°That brother?¡± Feng Zhiwei covered her mouth and chuckled, ¡°He said he ate too much beef and has some diarrhea.¡± ¡°That gluttonous dog!¡± The leader complained, accepting the answer. He told the man with the bucket to place it in the middle of the temple for everyone to drink from; Jianghu people were not terribly decorous and they all came over and drank out of the bucket. Feng Zhiwei smiled from the side, attentively helping them fix their fire. After eating and drinking, they all found a place to sleep; the Jiang Hu people tacitly surrounding Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei, leaving a single man to guard the closed gate. Jianghu people would never let their guards down around anyone. The flame in the ancient temple gradually died and light mist crept forward. Feng Zhiwei lay quietly beside Ning Yi, waiting for the poison to do its work; she had no idea how potent the tear was, especially after it was diluted in the bucket of water. Ning Yi lay still, his eyes closed but his hand clutching hers the whole time. Feng Zhiwei could not force her way out of his grasp so she tickled his palm; Ning Yi¡¯s hand shifted a little, and Feng Zhiwei thought for an excited moment that she could get free, so she tickled him even more intently. Unfortunately, Ning Yi was used to being tickled and soon stopped shifting. Feng Zhiwei could only sigh in frustration while a calm Ning Yi lay beside her, smiling at her antics, happiness in his heart. The two of them fought with their fingers to ward off the weariness that besieged them; they had not had a chance to truly relax and rest their injured bodies since the previous night, and they were exhausted physically and mentally. As snores rose around them with the warmth of the fading fire, they had to be careful not to drift off into sleep. Time passed, and just as Feng Zhiwei was losing the battle against her eyelids, Ning Yi pinched her palm. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind instantly cleared; a man near them was moaning quietly. Had the poison worked? Happiness filled Feng Zhiwei, but the other sect members were still quiet; the level of everyone¡¯s kung fu was different, so it would take longer for the poison to work on some of them. As soon as the man moaned, the night watch rushed over and quietly called to him: Fei Zi, what happened?¡± But the only reply he got was a coldness in the center of his back. His heart cooled, and though he twitched and tried to turn his head, his head would never turn again. Feng Zhiwei gently set to man down and pulled him into a meditative pose under the shadows of a pillar. The poisoned man suddenly felt warmth on his face as a hot fluid dripped down on him; he opened his eyes to the heavy mist, and he could barely make out a gentle, smiling face nearing him, growing ferocious as it neared. Half dazed, he reached for his sword, but his arm was sore and weak, and his chest filled with pain. His last memory was of something soaring through the air and falling down on his face, the same warm and fishy liquid as before. The shuffle in the night woke a person sleeping nearby; they opened their eyes and grunted in surprise ¡ª why was the fire out? And the morning mist was so thick! Chapter 153 Translator: Aristophaneso The mist seemed to shiver as a blurry shadow moved through the room; the Jiang Hu man widened his eyes, but he could see nothing clearly. Something was wrong, so he rolled away from the shadow. But as he rolled, pain struck his waist and his body grew lighter as he rolled his way into a corner. In front of him, Ning Yi calmly gathered his sleeves as he distracted the man; in the corner where the man had rolled, Feng Zhiwei stood with sword in hand. As she gestured with her sword, Ning Yi¡¯s ears twitched and he pointed behind her; without looking, Feng Zhiwei slashed the sword backwards, under her arm. A man clutched his throat and fell to the ground; even in his moment of death, confusion filled him ¡ª how had that sword gone from Feng Zhiwei¡¯s armpit to his throat? With the sound that accompanied the four deaths, everyone woke. But when they woke, they all wondered whether they were still dreaming ¡ª why was it so dark? It was as if they hovered in clouds of mist where only general outlines could be seen. As they were dazed, Feng Zhiwei struck, piercing through the throat of a man who had sat up next to her. Feng Zhiwei flicked with her sword, pulling the corpse with her and tossing him towards a man pouncing towards her. With everything a blur, the man only saw a human shape rushing towards him, so he roared and struck out with his palm, smashing the poor corpse¡¯s head. Then a pain pierced his palm as a black sword cut forward and into his glabella. In a blink, two more had died. The corpses had been those closest to her, their moves slow and their Kung Fu clearly the worst of the group. Feng Zhiwei had chosen the soft persimmons to crush first. Obviously the leader¡¯s Kung Fu would be the strongest, but he slept on the inner altar far away; if Feng Zhiwei had rushed over to kill him first, she¡¯d have been noticed long before she made it. She could only settle for killing as many people as possible before the others reacted. Blood spilled as a person clutched their throat, falling to the ground; another person rushed through dying sparks, wind rushing around him as he moved precisely despite blurred vision. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat; she had known that the other experts would be tougher, and now it was clear that the higher their mastery of Kung Fu, the less the poison had affected them. The wind rushed so fiercely that Feng Zhiwei could barely breath; she lifted her sword, but before she could move it half way a pain filled her chest and her hand uncontrollably fell. Just as she thought her life was over, she was pushed out of the way; as she rolled to the side, Ning Yi slid forward like lightning, taking her place and moving towards the Jianghu person¡¯s lower body. Suddenly, he leaned back in an iron plate bridge maneuver and slid on his knees; his elbow turned as he moved past the Jianghu attacker and a brilliant white light flashed. The attacker¡¯s body ripped open from chest to belly, spilling organs and blood in a flood; they roared in pain, grabbing at their guts as they tilted backwards in a desperate attempt to save their organs, but Ning Yi rose to his feet beside them, his cold smile covered in blood as he slashed forward with his blade. The Jianghu expert crashed to the ground, spraying blood all around him. Angry roars filled the temple, and a short breathed Feng Zhiwei rushed forward to grab Ning Yi before running to a side room; as soon as they ducked into the room, Feng Zhiwei kicked the door shut. As soon as the door slammed close, all manners of hidden weapons punctured its wood, nailing into the half rotten shield, throwing chunks of wood all around them. Feng Zhiwei breathed out in relief as the weapons thudded against the door, and she relaxed for a breath against the door. But Ning Yi immediately reached forward and pulled her aside. ¡°Peng!¡± A triple edged thorn stabbed into the spot Feng Zhiwei had just leaned against, gleaming a terrifying blue. If Ning Yi had not moved in time, that triple edge would have punctured Feng Zhiwei¡¯s spine. Feng Zhiwei let out another breath, murmuring: ¡°You saved my life again¡­¡± ¡°This one doesn¡¯t count.¡± Ning Yi replied lightly, his face pale. ¡°You¡¯ve saved me many times.¡± Feng Zhiwei listened carefully to the noise coming from the other room and sighed: ¡°The poison is not strong enough. They¡¯ve only lost their sight, and their Kung Fu has not been greatly affected. We¡¯re in trouble¡­¡± But as she spoke, she remembered the way the first man had twisted and moaned. The poison in him had been taken from Ning Yi¡¯s tear and then thinned through a bucket of water and shared by so many people, and that poison was still strong enough to force groans of pain from a strong, fit Jianghu fighter. How strong must the original poison be? And how much pain had Ning Yi been suffering? Yet since the night of his poisoning until now, she had never heard him moan or complain. Feng Zhiwei looked up at Ning Yi¡¯s pale face, lost for words. Ning Yi held himself up by the walls, carefully listening. They had been unable to flee through the temple¡¯s main doors and were forced to hide in this side room, but there were no windows and the only door was guarded. The poison had not paralyzed their enemies, and they had only killed the seven weaker warriors, leaving the five strongest fighters alive. Their situation could not be worse. Soon, the bustle beyond the door calmed; their enemies knew they could not escape and were focusing on the poison first, meditating to force it out of their system. The pregnant, tense silence pressed down on Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei. After a moment, Ning Yi sat and waved Feng Zhiwei over: ¡°Come, sit.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and walked over, rustling up some of the tattered cotton curtains and making a pile. Igniting it, she turned and sat next to Ning Yi. They were both outstanding characters who could remain calm in the most desperate of times, and as they sat next to the flame and listened to the rain, their heated faces were calm. After a while, Feng Zhiwei spoke: ¡°Ning Yi.¡± ¡°En.¡± ¡°Our luck is not so good this time.¡± Feng Zhiwei began, coughing and hiding the blood before turning back to smile at Ning Yi. ¡°We might die here.¡± She smiled at Ning Yi, but she felt that her smile was stiffening; her heart beat unevenly and her fingers trembled; her vision blurred, and her bones ached. She felt as if she were falling apart. The two days and nights of exhausting fleeing had given her no time to recover from her internal injuries; she was a dying arrow at the end of its flight. Worst of all, the burning stream within her was stirring again, like a dormant volcano restless before its next eruption¡­ Chapter 154 Translator: Aristophaneso She was truly on the verge of death¡­ death by exhaustion. Ning Yi quietly agreed, and replied: ¡°There were no faults in our battle1.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Feng Zhiwei shut her tired eyes. Her eyelids seemed weighed down by a thousand catties and numberless iron weights. ¡°You infected me with your unluckiness.¡± ¡°But I feel that it¡¯s you who infected me.¡± Ning Yi replied. Feng Zhiwei had no more strength to bicker and lazily replied, ¡°Oh¡­¡± A small pain pricked her hand as Ning Yi pinched her. ¡°Zhiwei, don¡¯t sleep. Don¡¯t sleep. Feng Zhiwei smiled silently, and the Ning Yi asked: ¡°Why did you rush back to save me?¡± Feng Zhiwei was too tired to reply, but Ning Yi continued pinching her: ¡°Speak! You dare ignored this Prince? Were you really coming to save me, or did you have some other scheme? Why were you trying to trick me to speak that day? What do you know?¡± This man was so noisy¡­ Feng Zhiwei used her incredibly dull mind to ponder Ning Yi¡¯s words, but the more she thought the stupider she felt. Finally, she fell into Ning Yi¡¯s arms and murmured: ¡°You ask stupid questions¡­¡± Ning Yi held her and vertigo struck; at first he thought he was just tired, and then he wondered if it was because Feng Zhiwei hit him, then finally he caught a strange fragrance in the air. He stirred, finally understanding. The Jianghu people were burning poisonous incense! Feng Zhiwei had been exhausted and succumbed to the poison first, and he had been so worried about Feng Zhiwei and inconvenienced by his blindness that he had not noticed. All of a sudden, exhaustion filled every pore of his body and the organs felt ripped with pain; he gagged and coughed, the corner of his eyes turning light green. I¡¯m¡­ I can¡¯t hang on for much longer¡­ He hugged Feng Zhiwei. Her thin body was curled up in his arms like a child¡¯s; her soft and tender warmth rested against him, but Ning Yi was in no mood to think of charming or seductive thoughts. He just held her tight, waiting for the end. Perhaps he should be unwilling; all his ambition, all of his plans ending at an abandoned temple in a lonely mountain ¡ª how laughable. Yet, as he faced his death, he felt neither regret or unwillingness; finally, there would be peace and quiet; an ending like this was not unacceptable. His eyes gradually fell shut and he no longer tried to wake Feng Zhiwei; his slender fingers trembled as he brushed them against her lashes. Sweat beaded against her eyes As dew on morning blooms; Flames fell and slept While rain chuckled near and far. Quiet strands of mist and fog Floated through cracks in stone and wood. In that dying moment, a melody seemed to drift in with the night; a quiet bamboo flute¡¯s farewell. The clear melody, vast and cold, dreamy and distant, floated down from the high stars, a clarion bright thread that crossed ten thousand miles, traversing mountains of clouds and seas of water to pierce into man¡¯s heart. A Dream of Mountain and River. The mountain and water backdropped the dream, and the mountain and river were like a dream. How many care-laden years have passed? How long since lofty sentiments died? Shining spears and the angry breath of armored horses, silver bottles and gold plates ¡ª nothing but a life that still turned to dust. Grand plans for thrones fall and are forgotten as the lonely seas rest eternal in the evening wind. To Ning Yi¡¯s dying mind the bamboo flute seemed to near, growing even clearer, chasing away the mist as if with a god¡¯s hand. Feng Zhiwei began to stir. Ning Yi lowered his eyes and gently moved her shoulder: ¡°Zhiwei, wake up. Listen.¡± Feng Zhiwei stirred, her eyes closed as she shifted her head to listen to the bamboo flute melody; her shoulders were thin like butterfly wings, and she had clearly lost a lot of weight over the past two days. When her shoulders shifted over Ning Yi¡¯s palm, he could feel the hardness of her bone. The bamboo flute neared, and it was as if a great power was hidden in that melody as the people outside their door stopped their meditation and burst into panic. Feng Zhiwei opened her eyes and exchanged a look with Ning Yi, happiness in both of their eyes. They were still tired beyond belief and powerless, and so they quietly leaned against each other and listened to the flute. The night outside the temple was quiet, and the fire by them had nearly burnt itself out. Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei sat in the misty, fogged side room, the wetness of the night dewing on their robes. Suddenly, they felt peace come over them; ten thousand troubles could not touch their mind, and this dream of mountains and rivers could not disturb them. Everything in this world, all the bitterness and hatred, both proud ambition and great mystery ¡ª everything could be cast away, traded in that moment for a final laugh before their departure, parting ways with the red dust of mortality. In that moment, Feng Zhiwei did not notice how close she was, leaning against Ning Yi. In that moment, Ning Yi forgot his hand upon her shoulder. The most peaceful moment of their lives came over them and they finally let down their guard. After a while, Ning Yi spoke quietly: ¡°This melody is clear and nobly unfettered; domineering in desolation. This is not something an ordinary Jianghu character can play.¡± Feng Zhiwei murmured in agreement, replying: ¡°A truly fascinating soul.¡± They turned to the door, wondering what this person looked like. Suddenly, a long whistle sounded nearby and a voice roared, breaking through the mist and stone, shattering the void like lightning, filling the air around them. The bamboo melody cut off and no longer neared. Both of them stirred with shock, and when Ning Yi heard the whistle a deep happiness filled his eyes. The roar quickly neared and surprised shouts filled the temple. Feng Zhiwei could barely make out the leader¡¯s harsh voice filled with panic as he cried: ¡°Tian Zhan1¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, he cried out miserably and thudded heavily into the side room¡¯s door. The whole temple trembled, and sticky red blood slowly slithered its way underneath the door. Feng Zhiwei looked down at the snake of blood; the leader of this group was a Kung Fu expert ¡ª even at her peak, she was not his opponent, but the person who had just arrived killed him in one exchange. Tian Zhan? Feng Zhiwei wondered ¡ª the Tian Zhan Family? The acknowledged leader of Jianghu, whose family head firmly controlled all sects, both dark and light? This family was a god-like existence in Jiang Hu, and they could easily panic all these sect experts, but why were they coming to rescue Ning Yi and her? The family was said to be Imperial Kinsmen, but they had never had any connection with the Imperial Court. And judging by Ning Yi¡¯s reaction, he knew who had come. Who? Chapter 155 And why had that flute playing person stopped coming when he heard the Tian Zhan Family¡¯s whistle? Feng Zhiwei was just about to open the door to check who this Tian Zhan person was when she heard the sound of sleeves whistling through the air. The rustling robes neared, and then the person snorted quietly and fell silent. Immediately after, Feng Zhiwei heard a familiar voice. ¡°Over here? Go in and check!¡± Then she heard an annoyingly familiar voice chewing as he replied: ¡°Noisy! Smelly!¡± Feng Zhiwei slammed the door open. Helian Zheng, Gu Nanyi! Really! Either nobody shows up to help or you show up together! Feng Zhiwei turned toward Ning Yi with teary eyes, quietly chuckling. When Helian Zheng saw Feng Zhiwei, his mouth fell open and he choked on his words. Young Master Gu finally stopped munching on his walnuts, stuffing them into Helian Zheng¡¯s open mouth as he flashed forward, grabbing Feng Zhiwei and checking her wounds. He patted his robes and took out a handful of pills, stuffing them all into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mouth like so many beans, never giving her a chance to speak. His Highness Prince Chu was quite pitiful in comparison; no one checked on him, and he even needed to go save Helian Zheng from death by walnut. Helian Zheng was furious when he regained his breath: ¡°You directionless idiot! Without me you would have never found this place! Burning bridges after crossing! Shameless!¡± Young Master Gu completely ignored him; he had no concept of insults. ¡°Do you have medicine for the eyes?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked as soon as she swallowed the pills, pointing to Ning Yi, but Ning Yi calmly cut her off: ¡°There¡¯s no need. This is beyond his ability.¡± Young Master Gu reached into his sleeves for more walnuts, ignoring His Highness¡¯s provocation. Feng Zhiwei leaned down and examined a small porcelain bottle beside the leader¡¯s corpse; it was labeled ¡®Chang Xi Incense Antidote¡¯ and was probably the antidote for the poison that they had inhaled. The Tian Zhan fighter had probably searched the corpse already and placed the bottle neatly beside the dead body, but why had they left as soon as Gu Nanyi and Helian Zheng arrived? Something was strange. The bamboo flute player had hidden from the Tian Zhan Family, and the Tian Zhan Family had hidden from Gu Nanyi ¡ª was an amusing situation. She would not be able to figure out this puzzle any time soon because Little Gu would not explain. So she relaxed, resting and absorbing the pills. Young Master Gu circulated some of his True Qi through Feng Zhiwei, and after she sincerely begged aid multiple times, he reluctantly took Ning Yi¡¯s pulse and withdrew an extremely unpleasant and ugly pill. As he offered it to Ning Yi, his face was filled with such unwillingness that if Ning Yi showed even the slightest hesitation he would immediately take away the pill. But unfortunately His Highness did not show any hint of unwillingness, taking the pill and thanking Gu Nanyi, immediately swallowing. Young Master Gu could only reach back into his clothes for walnuts, taking out a large stack of eight! As they rested, Helian Zheng explained what happened after she left. As everyone had expected, Young Master Gu had gotten lost and wandered somewhere thirty Li away from the post house; a worried Helian Zheng set out later and picked up Gu Nanyi along the way. When the two arrived at the post house, they were met with a sea of burnt corpses; after much searching, they found Feng Zhiwei¡¯s marks along the foot of Ji Yang Mountain and followed her guide to the temple. They had to spend a lot of time finding the markings, so they only just arrived. When they explained how they went to Hua Yan Du Village, she had to ask: ¡°Did you see Chunyu Meng¡­¡± Helian Zheng¡¯s eyes fell and he shook his head. Feng Zhiwei silently lowered her eyes, and Helian Zheng spat hatefully: ¡°We lost dozens of guards and all the soldiers at the post house! These bastards have gone too far!¡± ¡°This debt will be repaid.¡± Ning Yi declared as he stood, turning to Feng Zhiwei and asking her to collect the stamped letters wrapping the beef. He spoke calmly: ¡°Let¡¯s depart. We¡¯ll follow the original plan and head for Ji Yang. Ji Yang is not far from Shen Xuru¡¯s capital city, Feng Zhou. It¡¯s time for us to have a heart to heart chat.¡± Young Master Gu slowly stood and grabbed Feng Zhiwei with one hand; an angry Feng Zhiwei twisted in his arm and cried angrily: ¡°I can walk by myself!¡± Unfortunately, Young Master Gu¡¯s tenderness and pity for weak women was not really piteous or tender, and he threw her over his back and dashed away like a bolt of lightning. The Ji Yang Magistrate¡¯s Mansion was ten Li from Mount Ji Yang. Feng Zhiwei had talked the matter over with Ning Yi, and since neither of them were familiar with Magistrate Peng Hexing, they decided to present themselves using the Chang Ying Guard Token rather than their higher Imperial Court identities. They did not wish to beat the grass and frighten away the snake before they could determine Magistrate Peng¡¯s character. The Chang Ying Guard was a branch of the Imperial Guard and demanded respect and care everywhere they went. Magistrate Peng was a mildly handsome, middle-aged man, refined and obedient to the law. He arranged for them houses in the Jing Yang Magistrate¡¯s inner yard and invited physicians to tend to them, wearing worry on his face all the while. When Feng Zhiwei attentively asked after his troubles, Magistrate Peng smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying: ¡°Thank you for your care, but a great dragon is not stronger than a local snake. You cannot help me in this matter¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and replied: ¡°For better or worse, we are still Imperial Guards.¡± ¡°Imperial Guards¡­¡± Magistrate Peng smiled bitterly again, shaking his head as he turned away. ¡°In Longxi, the Shen Family is the Imperial Family. A guard cannot change anything¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled politely before sending Helian Zheng off to discreetly gather information. Before Helian Zheng could return, however, a fuss rose up in the front yard. The front yard was Magistrate Peng¡¯s main hall and the place of his work; it was the most important government establishment in the entire county ¡ª who dared make trouble here? Magistrate Peng¡¯s indignant voice filled her ears: ¡°I passed the highest Imperial Examinations in the Tenth Year of Chang Ye and have obediently followed the Emperor¡¯s edicts since I was granted the duty of Ji Yang Magistrate. I have always been loyal to the Dynasty! For what offense does your honor wish to strip me of my title!¡± Quarrelling and noise followed, and a small, cold smile crossed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s as she listened. Helian Zheng soon returned, excited and angry as he spoke: ¡°Longxi Commissioner Shen Xuru has accused Magistrate Peng of suspected bribery and is stripping him of his office while he is investigated. Vice Magistrate Shen Junxin, a distant cousin to Shen Xuru, will temporarily take up the duties of Magistrate.¡± Chapter 156 As soon as Helian Zheng finished speaking, a group rushed into the inner yard. The man in the lead yelled: ¡°New Magistrate taking over. Ji Yang will be under curfew! No strange guests allowed in the Jing Yang Magistrate Mansion! Report your identity or piss off!¡± The group wore the local Yamen¡¯s uniform, their accents clearly foreign. Their arrogant leader wore a plain black gold gauze cap and Golden Lychee waist band around his round-collared red shirt embroidered with flowers. From his attire, he was a Fourth Rank Official. A pale faced Sub-Fifth Rank man stood beside him, smiling coldly. He frowned as he faced the inner yard, calling out: ¡°Our Mansion is sealed today. We are not entertaining guests. His Greatness Shen has sent Left Advisor Liu to handle the transition. All strangers must immediately leave!¡± Magistrate Peng ran over, his face covered in sweat. He yelled angrily: ¡°Even if I must resign, what does that have to do with my guests. You are too domineering!¡± ¡°Old Peng.¡± The pale faced Shen Junxin glanced sidelong at him, ¡°Shut up. Do you not understand the situation? The Mud Bodhisattva could not protect himself while crossing the river, and you still want to argue about these minor matters? You need to plan the words of your confession letter!¡± ¡°I am receiving Imperial Guards today!¡± Magistrate Peng replied furiously, stamping his foot. ¡°You are committing outrage!¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Fourth Rank Advisor Liu yelled. ¡°What Imperial Guards? Just some Sixth Rank guard, do you think they can protect you from your crime? With me here, no one will help you!¡± ¡°Preposterous!¡± Magistrate Peng spat. ¡°Imperial Guards guard His Majesty¡¯s family! Outside of Dijing they represent the dignity of the Imperial Family! Your arrogance knows no bounds! You even dare disrespect the bodyguards of the Son of Heaven?¡± Advisor Liu cocked his head and peered at Magistrate Peng for a long moment. Finally, he burst into laughter and whispered into the outraged magistrate¡¯s ear: ¡°You are right. In Longxi, the Commissioner¡¯s Yamen controls the three offices and seven counties. Lord Shen is your heaven!¡± Magistrate Peng stepped back in shock, and then he sighed heavily: ¡°I always knew the Shen Family was proud, but I never thought their arrogance was this great!¡± ¡°Take off your cap and your robes and go to your study. You cannot leave while we wait for Master Shen¡¯s orders.¡± Shen Junxin declared, arrogant in his confidence, pushing Magistrate Peng to the side and sending Yamen Bailiffs to take his cap. ¡°What is my crime!¡± ¡°Corruption and bribery!¡± ¡°Search my yard!¡± Magistrate Peng cried out, pointing to his personal yard. ¡°If you find more than ten tael of silver, send me to Dijing!¡± ¡°Dijing?¡± Advisor Liu glanced at him. ¡°Master Shen is not enough to sentence you? The Commissioner has the authority to punish any officials in his jurisdiction!¡± ¡°I am innocent!¡± ¡°Disrespecting Master Shen is a crime!¡± Shen Junxin yelled. He turned, jabbing a finger at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s house. ¡°You little Sixth Rank Guards, if you dare refuse Master Liu his due, you will be guilty as well!¡± ¡°Pa!¡± A boot flew out from the yard and smashed into Shen Junxin¡¯s face. Shen Junxin cried out in pain as white sparks flew before his eyes and an indescribable odor filled his nose. ¡°Guilty my ass! I¡¯ll give my courtesy to your dead body!¡± A man declared, climbing out of a window, a single boot on his feet. He rolled up his sleeves as he yelled out abuse: ¡°You Han people really are f***ing despicable! Disgusting!¡± Feng Zhiwei sat by a half closed window playing blindfolded chess with Ning Yi over a pot of tea. As Helian Zheng yelled, she sighed and shook her head. Helian Zheng immediately whipped his head back and smiled apologetically, saying: ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about you.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly replied: ¡°It¡¯s fine, truly disgusting.¡± ¡°If my Eight Valiants were here,¡± he cried out, the veins on his face bulging, ¡°I would have already let him taste their whips!¡± ¡°You can invite him yourself.¡± Feng Zhiwei reminded him. ¡°Daring!¡± Shen Junxin yelled furiously, finally recovering from the smell of that boot. ¡°You dare attack people in the Magistrate¡¯s Mansion! Courting death! Officers¡­¡± ¡°Pa!¡± Helian Zheng lashed out with his whip and sent him tumbling to the ground. ¡°How dare you!¡± Advisor Liu cried out, apparently somewhat trained in Kung Fu as he stepped on Helian Zheng¡¯s whip. ¡°Where did this arrogant brat come from? Take him down!¡± Helian Zheng shook his wrist and sent Advisor Liu tumbling as well. The Helian Prince was furious and amused, and he shook his head while he said: ¡°A thief cries out about thieves; a domineering man curses others for being domineering! This daddy thought I was domineering when I was in the steppes, but now I know I still have much to learn!¡± ¡°You dare hit a Fourth Rank Imperial Court Official!¡± Advisor Liu cried out indignantly, grabbing the whip and reaching for his blade. But before his blade left its sheath, his hand was crushed by a foot. A man stepped down on his right hand, looking down at him. Advisor Liu could not see the man¡¯s face, only the bright eyes behind his veil. The man slowly reached down and grabbed Advisor Liu¡¯s token, examining it and slowly reading out: ¡°Sub-Fourth Rank.¡± Then the man untied the token around his own waist and showed its blue gold characters ¡°Yong Chen Palace, Weapon Bearing Guard¡± before smashing it into Advisor Liu¡¯s face. ¡°Fourth Rank.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Then the Fourth Rank Weapon Bearing Imperial Guard walked over Advisor Liu. ¡°Daring! Outrageous!¡± Advisor Liu and Shen Junxin stuttered in their rage, clambering to their feet and yelling at the top of their longs. They kicked at the Yamen Bailiffs and yelled for them to take down Helian Zheng and the others, but none of the bailiffs could even near Helian Zheng before being bounced back like rubber balls. Magistrate Peng froze, his trembling fury suddenly doused by the unexpected scene. ¡°You are the outrageous ones!¡± A voice cut through the chaos. Feng Zhiwei tossed a chess piece out into the yard and flung the windows wide, calling out calmly from her seat: ¡°The Northern Hu Zhuo Tribe¡¯s Helian Prince has come to your Ji Yang Mansion with Longxi Province¡¯s Imperial Censor! How dare you cause an uproar!¡± The long title stunned all the bailiffs and their arrogance was instantly extinguished. They turned stunned eyes towards each other ¡ª weren¡¯t they just some Sixth Rank guards? Where did this Censor and Hu Zhuo Prince come from? With those words, Feng Zhiwei turned back to her tea. She had talked the matter over with Ning Yi: Shen Xuru had reacted too quickly. He had almost certainly received news about their escape and wanted to block them here in Ji Yang, framing Magistrate Peng so that he could control the region with his own man. They could no longer rely on Magistrate Peng and the Ji Yang soldiers to escort them. Ji Yang was already controlled by the Shen Family, and with the Imperial Envoy¡¯s troops still on the way, they could not reveal the full extent of their Imperial identities. If their names were discovered, the Shen Family might throw caution to the wind and throw all of the mansion¡¯s troops against them. Then, even with Gu Nanyi and Helian Zheng protecting them, they situation would be incredibly dangerous. Chapter 157 Translator: Aristophaneso Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei had been too careless; they had not expected the Chang Family to have already extended their power here. They had not known about the family¡¯s deep ties to this Imperial Official, and they had not thought the Shen Family would be so bold. They had not prepared well enough for this situation, and they and their men had suffered greatly. From now on, Feng Zhiwei would only err on the side of caution. When they left the mountain, Gu Nanyi¡¯s hidden guards had sent off messages through many different channels. Helian Zheng had called for his Eight Valiants, and Ning Yi had sent his bodyguard Ning Cheng to command the Longnan province soldiers and bring them to Ji Yang1. They would not wait idly for the Imperial Envoy Guards to arrive, calling for reinforcements from an old general in Prince Chu¡¯s camp. Now they only needed to wait. Since they could not reveal Ning Yi and Wei Zhi¡¯s identity, naturally Helian Zheng and Gu Nanyi had to step up. Only the Emperor knew that Prince Helian was following Feng Zhiwei, and Gu Nanyi was simply a mysterious guard. None of Shen Xuru¡¯s men would recognize the censor. And just in case portraits of them had circulated, Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi both wore masks disguising them as scholars. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words shocked everyone. Everyone knew that thought Special Censors often held lowish ranks, they supervised all manners of officials, inspecting counties and investigating the justice system, and even disciplining officials. They reported directly to the Emperor, and their power went far beyond their rank. Any Special Censor would be Master Shen¡¯s most honored guest and treated with the highest attentiveness, and that was without mentioning the incredibly important Hu Zhuo Prince. Inside the house, everyone could see the two men playing chess on the bamboo couch, casual and self-assured. Their temperament was obviously that of lofty Dijing, and it would be believable even if they claimed to be nobility, much less Special Censor. Helian Zheng smirked and pulled out a golden token engraved with a flying Gyrfalcon. The token glistened under the light, unmistakably displaying the Prince¡¯s rank ¡ª one deserving of a token commissioned by the Emperor himself for those who held a status of Duke or higher. Advisor Liu looked on in a stunned dazed while a pale-faced Shen Junxin stood numbly. Magistrate Peng watched everything with clear eyes, his face indecipherable. Helian Zheng picked up his boot and put it back on, sending a massive sigh of relief through the yard as everyone finally breathed freely. ¡°You are all so bold!¡± Feng Zhiwei called out, drinking her tea as she focused on her game. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the Prince¡¯s token and yet you refuse to salute?¡± The Hu Zhuo Tribe was King of the Steppes, recognized by the throne of Tian Sheng. ¡°Greetings to the Hu Zhuo Prince!¡± The domineering officials could only clasp their hands and call out courteously. Advisor Liu and Shen Junxin had been petrified by the bearing of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s group, and they knelt and performed the formal greetings. To the side the Yamen Bailiffs threw aside their weapons and kowtowed. Helian Zheng returned his token to his waist and turned away. Even though Feng Zhiwei had asked him to act a little as long as it was not inconvenient, the noble prince could not summon up the patience to talk to this group of bastards. For the tricky mission of pleasantries, he deferred to Feng Zhiwei. His hands were restless¡­ incredibly restless¡­ and he had to clench his fists until they cracked just to control himself. A helpless Feng Zhiwei had to finally leave the bamboo couch, dragging her feet as she brought her tea cup out into the yard. Finally, she quirked a smile and spoke: ¡°I am Longxi Province¡¯s Special Censor, Tao Yixi. Greetings to the honored men.¡± Though she spoke of greetings, she did not even bend her waist. Advisor Liu and the others calmly accepted her actions ¡ª all Special Censors were like this. Though they were low ranking officials, they all put on lofty airs, not even bowing to Master Shen. Advisor Liu and Shen Xuru hurriedly returned her salute, stammering: ¡°We dare not accept this grace. It is our failure for being such poor hosts¡­¡± As they spoke, guilt rose in their hearts and they hesitantly glanced at each other. Feng Zhiwei missed nothing, smiling into her tea as she replied: ¡°This was just a misunderstanding. I did not reveal my identity, so it was not your fault.¡± Advisor Liu and Shen Junxin sighed in relief and quirked their stiff lips into a hideous smile, saying: ¡°Many thanks for the Censor¡¯s generosity.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly continued: ¡°It is true that I was sent to supervise Longxi Province, but I am not authorized to interfere with local personnel change¡­¡± The two smiled even more happily. ¡°But since this has coincidentally happened before my eyes¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei continued, frowning intensely at the difficulty of the situation and the obvious demands of the subsequent coverup. ¡°I cannot simply ignore this matter¡­¡± Advisor Liu and Shen Junxin paused at her expression and exchanged a look before smiling and replying: ¡°This is just a temporary change. Mr. Peng¡¯s crime has not been confirmed. Since the honored Censor is here, we beg for the Censor to preside.¡± Then they quickly sent people to prepare a banquet for the ¡°Hu Zhuo Prince, Master Special Censor, and Honored Guard¡± to enjoy. They could no longer forcefully tear away Magistrate Peng¡¯s Official Cap, and the magistrate led the Yamen Bailiffs out front to continue with his duties, still in a daze from the series of events. ¡°Sour Confucian!¡± Shen Junxin spat venomously behind Magistrate Peng¡¯s back. ¡°Just wait!¡± Feng Zhiwei watched everything with a quiet smile that never reached her eyes, following Advisor Liu and Shen Junxin into the reception hall. Helian Zheng ignored everyone and strode to his seat, only glancing at Ning Yi. Ning Yi did not meet his gaze ¡ª after all, he was blind. When Young Master GU sat down, he pushed away the chairs on his left and right and claimed half of the table for himself, forcing everyone else to sit on the other side. Feng Zhiwei ignored the liquor ¡ª the past few days she had avoided alcohol as if it were a plague, and she could only smile awkwardly and claim that she was bad with alcohol, taking away the alcohol offered to Ning Yi as well. Ning Yi smiled quietly and drank his tea. Even though he could no longer sea, his expressions were still very natural and his gaze not at all stiff; as long as he looked down, no one would notice his eye troubles. Feng Zhiwei admired this side of him the most ¡ª His Highness was so good at acting; if he did not want to be blind, then no one would be able to tell. ¡°I offer the glass as a toast to¡­¡± Shen Junxin began. Advisor Liu had still not recovered from his beating and was sitting long faced beside him, but Shen Junxin was a slippery man and already trying to mediate the situation. But before he could truly begin his toast, Young Master Gu grabbed a dish of Dongpo Pork and dreamily walked over. ¡°A toast to¡­¡± Shen Junxin stuttered. Young Master Gu ignored him and began calmly counting the chunks of meat: ¡°One, two, three¡­¡± ¡°A toast to¡­¡± Shen Junxin said again, clutching his glass dumbly, his words completely forgotten. Chapter 158 ¡°Four, Five Six¡­¡± ¡°A toast to¡­¡± Shen Junxin stuttered again, his hand trembling. The guard was only calmly counting meat, but why did he feel a coldness surrounding him. ¡°Seven, eight, nine!¡± Helian Zheng grabbed a bottle of liquor and jumped onto the windowsill. Feng Zhiwei grabbed Ning Yi and pulled him back three steps, grabbing his tea for him. Advisor Liu and Shen Junxin opened their mouths to speak, confused by their retreat. ¡°Pa!¡± The dish of finely cooked Dongpo Pork was down into the table. A dish sized hole punctured the wood and nine pieces of innocent meat fell on the two hosts¡¯ boots. ¡°Eight pieces.¡± Young Master Gu slowly announced. ¡°¡­¡± Shen Junxin and Advisor Liu stared blankly. Their first reaction was fury, but when they looked at the hole through the table Young Master Gu had so easily made, they thought about the different in toughness between the wood and their skulls and they swallowed. Comforting themselves, they thought: Dijing people are all abnormal. ¡°Eight pieces.¡± Young Master Gu patiently repeated himself. He liked to eat Dongpo Pork, but nine pieces was unforgivable. Eight pieces¡­ eight pieces of what? Shen Junxin was a clever man, and he glanced at the ground and was enlightened. Tentatively, he asked: ¡°Too much meat?¡± Young Master Gu looked at him with a gaze that seemed to say: What took you so long you idiot. I only said this once to Feng Zhiwei and she immediately understood. Feng Zhiwei looked at Young Master Gu¡¯s gaze and smiled proudly. A single plate is nothing you fools. Whenever the Qing Ming Academy¡¯s dining hall gave more than eight pieces of Braised Pork Belly, I was stuffed everyday and gained eight catties of fat in a single month. What a disaster! And Young Master Gu¡¯s temperament is even growing gentler, hehe. The unforgivable nine pieces of meat were quickly cleaned away. Shen Junxin had learned his lessons, so eight Pigeon Eggs and eight Steamed Crabs and eight Steamed Taro with Beef were served. The Wang Ba turtle from the dish ¡®A Farewell to a Concubine¡¯ had four eggs cut from another Wang Ba and attached to it, and a miraculous eight-legged turtle was served to satisfy Young Master Gu¡¯s requirement. But Young Master Gu did not even glance at the marvelous creation, focusing entirely on his Dongpo Pork. Feng Zhiwei looked down at the one of a kind eight legged Wang Ba ¡ª this chef truly was brilliant, but unfortunately she had forgotten to warn them that Young Master Gu¡¯s requirement only applied to meat. A shocked Shen Junxin no longer dared finish his toast and simply welcomed his guests, inviting them to enjoy the meal. As they ate, he brought up the matter with Magistrate Peng ¡ª after all, although Shen Xuru had the power to remove the magistrate, if the Special Censor delivered the edict himself, it would be that much more official. ¡°I am just a seventh rank Special Censor, how could I punish a fifth rank Magistrate¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, yawning. Shen Junxin smiled ingratiatingly and a thick stack of paper bills were stuffed into her sleeve: ¡°Special Censors supervise all officials. You are surely able.¡± Feng Zhiwei reached into her sleeve and grabbed the stack of silver notes, her smile growing more gentle and happy: ¡°Really? Well said, well said.¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei took out the silver notes and slapped them against Shen Junxin¡¯s face, sincerely praising him: ¡°Master Shen is so clever and witty. You will surely have a bright future.¡± Shen Junxin¡¯s face turned purple from the love taps and he could only smile awkwardly and reply: ¡°I do not deserve your praise¡­¡± ¡°The way I see it, there is no need to rush.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and leaned over to whisper into Shen Junxin¡¯s ear. ¡°Old Peng is loved by the people. Why deal with him in such an ugly fashion? Shouldn¡¯t you turn the people against him first? Slowly, move slowly¡­¡± ¡°Your honor is correct.¡± Shen Junxin replied with a bitter expression, ¡°but the higher ups have an errand they need settled soon¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear this.¡± Feng Zhiwei casually waved her hand. ¡°Your Longxi¡¯s internal affairs may not be appropriate for the ears of Dijing officials. I do not dare listen. I do not dare.¡± Shen Junxin was unhappy to hear this, and after some thought he said: ¡°It¡¯s a small matter. My cousin summoned me a few days ago and said the Commissioner had issued some arrest warrants. Two pirates have recently fled to our city, and he asked me to take over for Magistrate Peng to search this area. If I find them, I am to report back immediately.¡± Shen Junxin leaned over and whispered into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s ear. ¡°My cousin said that the pirates did some earthshaking things in Dijing that touched on¡­ Imperial Family secrets, so no matter what we cannot let the matter spread and can only secretly capture them. Pirates? Imperial Family Secrets? What Secret? That Prince Chu could not handle alcohol? Feng Zhiwei smiled and glanced at Ning Yi; the prince had truly seen through Shen Xuru. She turned back and murmured into her tea, ¡°En. Ah. Pirates. This I can help with.¡± She tilted her chin at Young Master Gu. ¡°He is Master Yi, a Seventh Rank Weapon Bearing Imperial Guard. His Majesty has assigned him to accompany and protect the Hu Zhuo Prince as he tours the Tian Sheng Empire to understand our people. Before he accepted Imperial Office he was the pupil of Mount Wu Ji¡¯s Qing Zhuo Sect Patriarch. You have seen his Kung Fu. He smashed skulls as easily as he smashes plates. He has cultivated a head smashing Kung Fu since his youth and needs to smash eight shells everyday; there are no shells in this world he cannot smash¡­¡± Shen Junxin and Advisor Liu shivered at these words, and they could almost hear the cracking of their own skulls as they thought back to the plate. Helian Zheng turned a sympathetic gaze to Young Master Gu, impressed by the man¡¯s mental endurance and ability to ignore all of this woman¡¯s gibberish. No matter what, he had to admire this fortitude. At Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words, Ning Yi coughed and spat his tea back into his cup. He looked down speechlessly at his saliva ridden tea before pushing it away; after some thought, he reached over at took Feng Zhiwei¡¯s cup ¡ª she was too busy tricking people, she would not be able to finish it anyway. To the side, Young Master Gu calmly smashed today¡¯s eighth shell ¡ª the walnut¡¯s shell¡­ Even though he shivered at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s bloody words, Shen Juxin¡¯s eyes began to gleam. He had seen Gu Nanyi¡¯s token and knew it was authentic. The Weapon Bearing Imperial Patroller was usually a rare title normally granted only to a prince¡¯s or vassal¡¯s closest bodyguard. In the early days, the Chang Ning Vassal¡¯s most expert guard had carried this title, and since this Master Yi was accompanying and protecting the important Hu Zhuo Prince, he was most assuredly a great expert. Chapter 159 Translator: Aristophaneso Even though this expert had a strange temper, Shen Junxin and Advisor Liu still grew excited. With this powerful expert helping them, it would be that much easier to accomplish the task the Commissioner had given them. They glanced at each other ¡ª Master Shen was incredibly anxious about these pirates and a great desire for this merit burned in their hearts. Shen Junxin took out two slips of paper and passed them over to Feng Zhiwei: ¡°Your Honor, these are the targets. They are said to be capable of flying over eaves and running on walls, and are glib-tongued and full of subterfuge, and Commissioner Shen has told us to never give them an opportunity to speak; if Master Yi is willing¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei examined Ning Yi¡¯s portray and tsked to herself: ¡°What a vivid portrayal! Look at this shifting eyes and that sneaky face! Just by looking at him I can tell that he must be a vicious robber with a long list of evil crimes. Looking at him fills me with righteous indignation! Rest assured Honored Shen, capturing evil men is a civil servant¡¯s duty!¡± Ning Yi leaned over and grabbed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s portrait, pretending to examine it. He smiled and commented: ¡°You¡¯re right, what a portrait. Look at that small nose and those tiny eyes, and these °Ë curves of his falling brows. Just by looking at him I believe he is capable of flying over eaves and running on walls, and is glib-tongued and full of subterfuge. His face really makes me angry from the bottom of my heart.¡± Feng Zhiwei held his portrait and he held hers and the two smile gently and sweetly at each other. The woman who valued her looks stared at that shitty drawing and cursed the bastard who drew it! Clearly her nose was much higher and her eyes larger! The man¡¯s heart was filled with evil, and while the girl was still struggling over her portrait, he quietly pushed over the cup he had just spat into. The girl was furious, so she slapped down the portrait and threw back the cup of tea. When she finished drinking, she saw the man holding his cup and smiling joyfully, his eyes filled with ambiguity. Feng Zhiwei regarded him with confusion. Why had he switched so suddenly from anger to this weird expression? After a moment, she ignored him and passed the two portraits over to Young Master Gu, smiling at him and saying: ¡°Master Yi, if I may trouble you.¡± Young Master Gu looked down at the drawings; after a moment, he dipped a chicken drumstick into some sauce and edited the brows of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s portrait. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes glistened with tears, her heart touched by her Little Gu¡¯s sweetness! At least one person could appreciate her beauty, not like some people whose eyes were only decorations. Satisfied with his work, Young Master Gu turned to look at Ning Yi¡¯s portrait and immediately stabbed it with his drumstick. The paper tore and Ning Yi¡¯s face was loudly ripped into pieces¡­ Helian Zheng¡¯s struggled to maintain his composure and even felt like he had also been punched. Feng Zhiwei smiled in satisfaction as she eyed the clueless tea drinking Ning Yi. ¡°Master Shen, rest assured. Leave this matter to me. Since you are hosting us, it is our duty to make this small contribution.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied. When she yawned once more, Advisor Liu and Shen Junxi tactfully bid her farewell. But then Feng Zhiwei spoke as if just recalling the matter: ¡°By Imperial Edict, this Minor Official has come to supervise Long Xi Way.¡± She said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ve completed my investigation of Ji Yang. This place is doing very well; the lives of the people are stable; the granaries are full. The governing magistrate has achieved great things, and I will definitely submit his name for an award.¡± Shen Junxin¡¯s expression changed. It was unclear whether Feng Zhiwei was referring to Magistrate Peng or him, after all by all rights he had not actually governed Ji Yang. ¡°But the details of the Memorandum to the Throne will need to be discussed with Commissioner Shen.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued. ¡°Honored gentleman, since the Prince will be heading to Feng Zhou City after two days here and we will surely meet Master Shen, do you two wish to stay here or accompany us?¡± The two officials were delighted ¡ª if the censor wanted them present while writing the memorandum about their achievements, why would they refuse? Moreover, they could simultaneously curry favor with the Hu Zhuo Prince and the Special Censor and present them to the Commissioner. So of course, they hurriedly accepted: ¡°If the Hu Zhuo Prince wishes to visit Feng Zhuo, we minor officials must escort and attend him.¡± ¡°Good. Very good.¡± Feng Zhiwei quickly acknowledged their acceptance. ¡°Since you will be escorting the Prince to Feng Zhou, we are not in a rush to replace Magistrate Peng and can leave him temporarily in charge. When this brother confirms his crime, I will report the matter to the Imperial Court and we can for a Court Edict dismissing him from office. This way we can offer a proper explanation to the people of the land.¡± Shen Junxin paused ¡ª for some reason, he felt that the Censor¡¯s decision was rather problematic, but he could not pinpoint the cause. As he hesitated, Ning Yi calmly commented: ¡°Minister Shen should wait until he returns from Feng Zhou, or else you will be too busy to accompany us on our journey.¡± Ning Yi¡¯s words sent a jolt through Shen Junxin¡¯s heart. He thought once more about Magistrate Peng¡¯s reputation with the people of Ji Yang and finally nodded. As he agreed to their words, he glanced surreptitiously at Ning Yi, guessing at the man¡¯s identity. Helian Zheng had never introduced this person and simply acted as if he were just another hanger-on, but Shen Junxin¡¯s gut told him that this man constantly drinking tea and barely touching his food was just as powerful as the other members of the group, if not more. Perhaps he was a high-ranking official who did not wish to reveal his identity as he traveled. Regardless, Shen Junxin and Advisor Liu politely took their leave after arranging for servants to guide Feng Zhiwei and the others back to their houses. Magistrate Peng had assigned them a yard without fussing about individual rooms. There were four rooms, enough for everyone to sleep alone, but how could Feng Zhiwei dare leave the blind Ning Yi alone? She hesitated as she turned from Helian Zheng to Young Master Gu, and as she looked at Helian Zheng, the Hu Zhuo Prince smiled and began taking off his boots. Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei both immediately declared: ¡°Helian sleeps alone.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned to Young Master Gu; he lifted up the oily portrait that he had stabbed with the chicken. Feng Zhiwei decisively replied: ¡°Brother Gu sleeps alone as well.¡± Helian Zheng immediately began to protest: ¡°No. Either I sleep with my Young Aunt or I sleep with His Highness.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the first person in Tian Sheng Dynasty to die from smelly boots.¡± Ning Yi replied, not willing to budge. ¡°Do you know how many steppe women spend money just begging for my boots?¡± Helian Zheng replied haughtily. ¡°Your Young Aunt will never be one of your steppe women.¡± ¡°Even if she won¡¯t be my steppe woman, she won¡¯t be your wife either!¡± Helian Zheng retorted. ¡°You¡¯ve slept with countless women!¡± Chapter 160 ¡°And what of the steppe practice of men coming of age by practicing bedroom techniques with middle-aged women of their tribes? And you even call this your ¡®Coming-of-age Ceremony¡¯.¡± Ning Yi calmly replied, his eyes lowered as he smiled quietly. ¡°You¡¯re a man whose slept with a half crone.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Feng Zhiwei yelled, unable to bear it any longer. What is happening! How had assigning rooms turned into a volcanic eruption of personal insults? These two high nobility were better at swearing and insults that middle-aged women at the market! ¡°You and Gu Nanyi both take a room. We¡¯re neighbors. I will sleep in the outer room of the suite.¡± Feng Zhiwei declared, pushing Helian Zheng and Gu Nanyi out of the room and slamming the door in their face. Before she could even let out a relieved sigh, a cold voice commanded: ¡°Fetch water. I want a bath.¡± Feng Zhiwei called for some servants to bring the water and waited by the door. She could not imagine the venomous Prince wasting this opportunity to demand that she serve him, so she waited, but his room remained quiet and undisturbed by even the splash of water. Feng Zhiwei was astonished, and after standing dazedly for a while she sat on her bed to meditate, but she could not enter her meditation. How could he wash himself if he could not see? As she worried over these matters, she suddenly heard a loud clang. Jerking to her feet, she covered her eyes with a handkerchief and rushed into Ning Yi¡¯s room. Blinded, she called out quietly: ¡°Hey, Ning Yi, are you alright? Ning Yi?¡± No words came in reply and only the sound of breathing filled the room. Suddenly, the clang repeated and Feng Zhiwei panicked. After stumbling around the room blindly patting the ground with nothing to show for it, she tore off her blindfold. Light filled her eyes. A tub of steaming water stood under the oil lamp, and a perfectly fine Ning Yi stood beside it. He smiled in her direction, his fingers brushing the side of the tub. After a moment, he flicked it and set it clanging. Feng Zhiwei twirled furiously and headed for the door, but Ning Yi grabbed her sleeve before she could leave. Innocently, he said: ¡°I can¡¯t see. I only just managed to make my way to the tub, but I¡¯m having trouble taking off my clothes.¡± Feng Zhiwei remembered that His Highness knew nothing about how to wear clothes and that he truly could not see, so her heart softened and she turned. But when she turned, she stiffened, blushing as she finally took in Ning Yi¡¯s appearance. The man had taken off his mask and his outer robe, and his long hair flowed down his somewhat disheveled undergarments. His silky hair hung over his lustrous shoulders, and his delicate collarbones were like an artist¡¯s finest curves. The lamp light half revealed the contours of his strong chest, the skin so bright and smooth, firm and powerful. In the dim light, his skin was like a fine pearl, his long brows like feathers, and his lips an alluring vermilion. It was like he had been carved from the most beautiful of jade, and he exuded elegance from his every pore. The man had a thousand faces and a thousand sides to his beauty, but this one was rarely shown to the world. The rarity seemed to make the moment that much more fascinating, and Feng Zhiwei was stunned for a moment before she could pull her eyes away. She lowered her eyes and calmed her voice before she replied: ¡°Then this Minor Minister will attend His Highness.¡± The subordinate Wei Zhi would respectfully and indifferently tend to his superior. Ning Yi cocked his brows and his gaze flashed with some sharpness ¡ª this woman! As soon as they were out of danger, it was like nothing had passed between them! But Ning Yi could play games as well, so he smiled and spread his arms: ¡°Undress me.¡± With his arms spread and his chin proud, he was like an arrogant and noble phoenix. Feng Zhiwei slowly moved to his side and began unbuttoning his clothes, and little by little the pure, silk garments fell to the ground like little pieces of fallen cloud, gently covering their feet. Waistband. Trousers. Undergarments¡­ The layers of clothes fell one after another and silently piled up around them. Feng Zhiwei awkwardly stared at the floor as the man unhurriedly kicked the clothes aside with his long legs and walked towards her. This was not Feng Zhiwei¡¯s first time stripping Ning Yi. That time in the abandoned palace room she had also taken off his clothes, but everything had been covered with a blanket then. Today, they faced each other, and no matter how calm or bold she was usually, her face could not help blushing deeper and deeper as layer after layer fell aside. When Ning Yi walked towards her, she could only hurriedly retreat. But then the fine legs turned aside and the prince stepped into the tub. Water sloshed and some droplets splashed onto Feng Zhiwei¡¯s burning face, and she let out a deep breath before scurrying away, but before she made it to the door the man asked: ¡°Where¡¯s the soap?¡± Feng Zhiwei could only hand him the soap. ¡°Towel.¡± Feng Zhiwei handed him the towel. In the steaming tub, the lofty highness called out leisurely: ¡°Rub my back.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled faintly and replied: ¡°Your Highness. You have everything you need and your blindness will no longer bother you. I take my leave. Good night.¡± ¡°Cha!¡± A crack from the crossbeams above them whipped the air. Feng Zhiwei jerked in shock and immediately rushed back to the tub, sliding on the water. Blinded by the steam and unable to make out Ning Yi, she reached for her sword, but then a naked armed reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into the tub! The unprepared Feng Zhiwei was unceremoniously dumped into the water, accidentally swallowing some of Ning Yi¡¯s bath water. She stared furiously and broke free from the bath like a breaching whale. She cried out angrily: ¡°Ning Yi, what are you playing at¡­¡± But then a lazy voice interrupted her, floating down from the ceiling: ¡°Master, she¡¯s in.¡± Ning Yi looked up and smiled, saying: ¡°Many thanks.¡± From his balance up on the crossbeams, Ning Cheng seriously replied: ¡°You are welcome.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mouth foamed with anger; this master and servant pair and teamed together to tease her! Just as she was standing, Ning Cheng turned towards the ceiling and called out to someone on the rooftop: ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. Do you want to come in to check?¡± Ning Yi smiled and helped her stand. Thoughts raced through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind. If little dummy Gu came in and saw Ning Yi and her squeezing together in the tub, Helian Zheng would soon find out as well; after that, she would no longer have the courage to face anyone for the rest of her life, so she could only call out: ¡°Brother Gu, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m taking a bath.¡± An ¡°oh¡± came back in reply, and Helian Zheng¡¯s excited voice soon called out: ¡°Taking a bath? Taking a bath? Does Young Aunt need me to wash her back¡­¡± But before he could finish his words, a slap rang out and something tumbled off the roof. Ning Cheng perched attentively above them, and with him overhead the soaked Feng Zhiwei had no change of escaping, so she sat. Squeezed in the tub with Ning Yi, there was nowhere to hide and no room to move, and she could not even turn her eyes away or use her hands. Even her sword was trapped, and she could not even break the tub to escape. Chapter 161 Translator: Aristophaneso Somehow, the naked man was not a whit embarrassed and casually pulled her close while leisurely talking with Ning Cheng. ¡°Where have you been?¡± Ning Cheng was unapologetic as he replied: ¡°On my way to Your Highness, I received news that the Fifth Prince had gone missing.¡± Ning Yi stiffened as Feng Zhiwei¡¯s head jerked up ¡ª the Fifth Prince had escaped from his house arrest? No wonder the Chang Family was moving¡­ they were ready to rebel! No wonder Ning Cheng choose to abandon Ning Yi and personally dealt with this matter, but even so this bodyguard of Ning Yi¡¯s was so unfettered, leaving Ning Yi without a word. Ning Yi clearly ruled his subordinates with a strict hand, but he treated this bodyguard differently ¡ª what was so special about Ning Cheng? ¡°Where is he now?¡± Ning Yi replied without anger, his voice heavy and serious. ¡°After finally finding them, I followed their route. They just passed the southern border of Longxi.¡± Ning Cheng replied. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your message, I could have killed him.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyebrows flew ¡ª the group the Chang Family had sent to rescue the Fifth Prince was surely composed only of peak experts traveling with the utmost secrecy. How had Ning Cheng discovered them so easily, and why was he so confident that he could kill the Fifth Prince? Was he truly that extraordinary? She thought about Ning Yi¡¯s tolerance for the man¡¯s behavior and how Young Master Gu had not simply kicked Ning Cheng off the crossbeam, and Feng Zhiwei finally understood. When Ning Cheng finished speaking, he peered down teasingly and commented: ¡°Great Prince, the water is getting cold, you should hurry.¡± ¡°You can get lost.¡± Ning Chen disappeared, leaving only a hole in the roof. Feng Zhiwei sighed and asked: ¡°Have you played enough?¡± Ning Yi leaned over and breathed on her neck, leaning his elbow on her shoulder. His hot breath brushed against her ear as he whispered: ¡°Zhiwei¡­ do we really need to go back to how we were before the mountain? If so, let me be childish one last time¡­ after tonight, you can return to your endless climb as Wei Zhi, and I will return to my endless struggles¡­ Old Five has run; our trip to Minnan is destined to blood¡­ Zhiwei, Zhiwei¡­ this road, neither of us know whether we will walk closer or farther apart¡­ tonight¡­ can you¡­ will you¡­ will you be by my side one time¡­¡± Will you be by my side this once? Feng Zhiwei had never imagined that a cold, hard hearted man like Ning Yi would one day softly beg her. Had the poison weakened him? Or did he see something in the future that made him act this way? She froze, and the water slowly cooling around her, her body grew hotter and hotter. His body was so close and only her thin layer of clothes separated them; his smell was everywhere and soaking into her, and she felt as if little jolts of lightning were dancing insider her as her heart pounded. With his chin on her shoulder, they both felt the softness; the softness of the water, of their skin, of his breath¡­ in the fading steam, she was his and he was hers, all tangled up in body and emotion¡­ Feng Zhiwei turned her head aside, but all that achieved was his lips brushing her cheek, and like a hot wind over a rippling lake, everything only became more intense. She clung to her calm and collected mask as waves surged within her. She trembled uncontrollably, and though she wanted to speak, she felt soft and powerless. The body around her seemed to be sinking into her rational mind, lying down like a blanket over her will, shunting aside all clarity and perception. No words made their way through her lips as she breathed heavily, the sound sending an even deeper blush through her neck. She had no hope of speaking now, for his lips waited beside hers. His lips brushed gently against hers, and then he pressed forward like a powerful storm sweeping in and claiming its domain, his tongue plunging in and overturning every inch of her ground. In that instant, the unfamiliar intimacy merged with her pounding heart and she lapsed into a daze. She could not think; she could not speak; and he had never been waiting for her answer. His words had been a proclamation, and his arm looped down and around her waist. Her waist so so delicate and smooth, and he almost felt that a single hand could encircle it. Pausing for a moment, he dragged his fingers lovingly over her, worshiping the grace that the creator had bestowed on her, but then he shifted his body and his fingers slowly slipped aside. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind thundered and the daze over her dispelled. A heavy breathing Ning Yi stood, holding her as he sloshed through the water, turning to step out of the tub. ¡°Your Highness.¡± She breathed unsteadily, stumbling over the words as she slowly regained her composure. Bit by bit, her voice returned to that infernally lovable calmness: ¡°Don¡¯t you want to hear my reply?¡± The two of them stood in the tub facing each other, a long back sword held between them. Water rolled down Ning Yi¡¯s naked body, his skin shining like jade. As his deep, clean, masculine breath filled her nose, Feng Zhiwei stared determinedly at her sword. ¡°Your answer is this.¡± Ning Yi replied calmly, stepping into the sword. And as he expected, Feng Zhiwei pulled her blade back. ¡°See.¡± Ning Yi declared with a confident smile, ¡°You will not hurt me.¡± He reached out a hand and touched Feng Zhiwei¡¯s wet lashes, his face complicated and tender as he spoke: ¡°You are always hiding from yourself, controlling yourself, forcing yourself¡­ you also have passion, why do you not let it free one time?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you, that is all.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied before falling silent. She looked down and her lips quirked before she continued: ¡°And is it not said, Your Highness, that when a maiden has her first touch, as long as the man she is with is not one she hates, she will certainly have some reaction. I do not think Your Highness is as special as you believe.¡± Ning Yi fell silent for a moment and then snorted. ¡°Your eyes are not well right now so you did not notice,¡± Feng Zhiwei explained. ¡°But the tip of this sword does not face towards you¡­ it is pointed at me.¡± Ning Yi¡¯s face fell. ¡°When you step forward, the sword will press back and stab into me.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are thinking, but I know that I am not ready to give my body and my heart right now. I apologize, Your Highness, but this is my threat.¡± Chapter 162 Translator: Aristophaneso Silence reigned. Water dripped down like the sands of an hourglass running out the time of the tranquil night. Ning Yi stared blindly at Feng Zhiwei; his blurred, grey view could make out nothing, but he could imagine her face ¡ª the blush fading away, the cold determination between her dark brows, an expression like the one she wore when they first met last winter, by the icy lake of Qiu Mansion as she stepped down on grasping fingers. Calm, determined, and hints of hidden roguishness. Sometimes even when he knew he could not force a matter and understood that force would get him nowhere, he still moved forward. He did not even understand it himself, but after he had met her and gotten to know her, his plans went awry and he lost control of his heart. That rainy night in the temple when she had laid so softly and tenderly in his arms was a day Ning Yi would never forget, a moment when they were side by side without distance; but as soon as they left the mountain she had instantly returned to her resentful respect and cautious distance, and all he wanted was the Feng Zhiwei he had embraced in that temple. He did not want to push her and conquer her; he just wanted her to realize the truth of her emotions. He wanted to tear away her constant mask and let her see her true heart for once. Ning Yi rubbed his face ¡ª but in the end, she was still the same woman, so ruthless to herself, even when he had already changed. The sword hovered calmly between them, cold like the water in the tub. Finally, a small, feminine sneeze broke the silence, and Feng Zhiwei respectfully offered: ¡°Your Highness, be careful of catching cold. May I help you out?¡± Ning Yi looked down, his cold, sharp gaze already back on his face. He pushed her hand aside and stepped out of the tub, ignoring the faint, panicked gasp behind him as Feng Zhiwei clambered out as well. Clothes rustled above him and a soft sleeping gown was draped over him as the woman beside him calmly spoke: ¡°I¡¯ll help you dress.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Ning Yi replied, pushing her away and crossing over to his bed. Without turning his head, he pulled down the bed¡¯s curtains. ¡°You¡¯ve successfully threatened me.¡± He remarked from behind the curtains, his tone quiet and cool. ¡°But only because I care for you.¡± 1 Ning Yi fell silent after that. Feng Zhiwei stood there by the tub for a long moment before quietly taking the tub and leaving. Her internal injuries had not fully healed so it was with some difficulty that she shifted the basin, but as soon as she opened the door a pair of hands reached in and helped her. Pushing the complicated emotions aside, she smiled and said: ¡°Thank you.¡± Young Master Gu lay on the stairs outside the room and casually tossed the tub aside. The basin of water flew into the distance, landing soundlessly as Gu Nanyi lay silent. To her surprise, he was neither eating walnuts nor sleeping in bed or perched somewhere up above, but instead he was sleeping here in front of the hated Ning Yi¡¯s door. Feng Zhiwei glanced backwards and her face blushed ¡ª had he been here the whole time? Had¡­ had he heard everything? She was still trying to find the right way to ask when Gu Nanyi suddenly said: ¡°Sorry.¡± Feng Zhiwei was dazed for a long moment before she finally realized what he had said. Did he know how to express sorrow? She had assumed he did not know how to use this phrase. When she recovered from her daze she smiled and suddenly felt her heart brighten, and she took his sleeve and said: ¡°Don¡¯t sleep in front of other people¡¯s doors. Go back to your own room, and don¡¯t apologize when it isn¡¯t your fault.¡± Gu Nanyi let her drag him away from Ning Yi¡¯s door, but he stubbornly repeated: ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Alright alright, you¡¯re sorry, you¡¯re sorry.¡± Feng Zhiwei said agreeably. With his one track mind, if she did not accept his words he would just keep repeating it. As they moved, Gu Nanyi pointed to her and then to the tub before saying: ¡°Don¡¯t wash others.¡± 1 Feng Zhiwei paused at the sudden words and her face blushed. Gu Nanyi was not finished and pulled her to Helian Zheng¡¯s door before saying: ¡°Him too.¡± Feng Zhiwei did not know whether to laugh or cry, and she was afraid that Young Master Gu would take her to every room one by one and shame her to her next life, so she cut him off and dragged him to a small outdoor garden, agreeing with him: ¡°I won¡¯t. No washing. Let¡¯s take a walk.¡± The sky was clear on that fine autumn night; crickets sang and fragrant flowers blooms. Feng Zhiwei walked for a bit before finding a clean meadow to sit in, smiling up at Gu Nanyi as she patted the ground beside her. She looked up mischievously, knowing that the perennially distant Young Master Gu would never agree to sit beside her. But then Gu Nanyi looked down and actually sat, and though there was a person sized gap between them, it was enough to send into a wide eyed Feng Zhiwei gape. Tonight, Young Master Gu was acting strange¡­ She attentively plucked a blade of sweet grass and wiped it clean before Young Master Gu accepted the offering and stuck it in his mouth. The moon was beautiful and the stars bright, and the passing wind gently lifted his veil, revealing smooth red lips and a snowy chin. With a blade of green grass between his fingers, his hand was even more lustrous and white. When he tilted his head as he focused on the sweet grass, he seemed an otherworldly pure and naive, and beside him all mortals were covered in dust. In that moment, Feng Zhiwei felt as if she were spoiling the scene, sitting her dark and shadowed heart beside the bright and innocent Young Master Gu. Quietly, she shifted away. But Young Master Gu immediately shifted to follow her. Feng Zhiwei did not know whether to laugh or cry, so she stopped moving. Young Master Gu was acting so adorable tonight, and it seemed like a good time to chat. After spending so much time with him at her side, she knew of his eccentricities. He never answered questions, and she never pressed him ¡ª the only time she had asked for answers, she had been stunned by his powerful reply: ¡°I am yours.¡± Tonight, with such a beautiful moon overhead and such fragrant flowers around them, with the grass sweet and the Young Master so well-behaved, hope that there would be no more thunderous answers. ¡°Why did you get lost?¡± She asked, beginning simply. The simple question seemed to stump Young Master Gu and he stopped biting the sweet grass. He lifted his head and thought carefully before finally replying: ¡°Couldn¡¯t remember.¡± Couldn¡¯t remember? Then how do you remember Kung Fu? ¡°Roads are all the same.¡± Young Master Gu explained slowly. ¡°Roads are messy, faces are broken, cloth is coarse, and sounds are noisy.¡± Feng Zhiwei stared at him in astonishment ¡ª was he describing his world? Was it his first time explaining himself? All roads are messily contorted and he cannot distinguish them; all faces are a shattered mess and he needs to slowly piece them together to see them in full; no matter how fine the cloth, it would feel coarse against his skin; and when people talked around him, it was torture to his ears. Chapter 163 Translator: Aristophaneso How much pain was he in? For over a decade, he had been living in a world like that? Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart ached, and she felt it pinch. ¡°You¡­ how do you stand it?¡± Gu Nanyi tilted his head, confused. How did he stand? He just stood. ¡°I mean, who took care of you? How was your childhood?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, not meaning to pry, but she felt a need to know. ¡°Before three, dad. After five, uncle and others.¡± Feng Zhiwei noticed the gap in time. ¡°What about between three and five?¡± Gu Nanyi fell silent and his whole body trembled. Feng Zhiwei shuddered, her face paling ¡ª what kind of life could a three year old orphan like him have endured during those two years? She did not dare imagine, and her body seemed to cool, from the tips of her finger to the center of her heart. Perhaps Gu Nanyi also did not dare remember ¡ª for a calm and composed man like him to tremble at the memories, what kind of nightmarish childhood had he suffered? Feng Zhiwei reached out and touched the back of Gu Nanyi¡¯s hand. She had no thoughts other than a desire to give warmth and kindness to that three year old boy all those years ago, to give him a warmth on cold and lonely days. Her heart was filled with quiet grief and softness, and in that moment she forgot that men and women should keep their distance; she forgot that Gu Nanyi did not like to be touched, and that he might very likely toss her aside into the distance. But Gu Nanyi did not move. He looked down and carefully examined the hand on his; his first reaction was truly to fling it away and dodge aside, but the warmth of that smooth palm called to a strange feeling inside him, and something within him began to move. The feeling was so unfamiliar, like a castle frozen in time for a thousand years suddenly cracked open to the world by a bolt of lightning; hints of colorful treasures were revealed, and to those trapped within the fortress, a blue sea and vast sky dawned. Even though only a sliver had opened up in those frozen walls, the charm was enough to drown in. Gu Nanyi felt that this moment was unexplainably mysterious, and his impatient, irascible spirit suddenly wished to investigate. After a deep round of thought, he dug his fingers into the grass to hold down his own hand, fighting the urge to run away. He let that strange sensation linger on the back of his hand so that he could understand. Feng Zhiwei saw none of Young Master Gu¡¯s struggle and sacrifice, and she had no idea that the grass under his hand had been mutilated; her hand rested on Gu Nanyi¡¯s for a short while, and then she remembered his eccentricity and hurriedly pulled her fingers away. Young Master Gu held up his hand, touching its back. An embarrassed Feng Zhiwei assumed that he was complaining about her hand¡¯s dirtiness, and she hurriedly changed the subject. She reached out and plucked a thin, long leaf and rolled it, saying: ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a way to not get lost.¡± ¡°This tree grows in every part of Tian Sheng.¡± She explained, letting Gu Nanyi carefully examine the veins of the leaf. ¡°The veins of this leaf are special and look like a face; in the future, no matter where we are, if we lose each other, no matter how urgent or inconvenient, we cannot forget to leave this pattern on the roots of this tree, so that we will always be able to find each other.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a mark.¡± Gu Nanyi replied. Feng Zhiwei knew that he was saying they already had a different pattern, but she smiled and shook her head: ¡°That mark is yours and your people, and the way your people contact me. It is not a mark just for you and me. You won¡¯t need to look for me, you only need mark the trees. I won¡¯t get lost, and I will find you.¡± That day when she had rushed off to save Ning Yi, she had thought that the invisible guards would have easily lead Gu Nanyi that shortish distance, so she had not marked her route and her little dummy had gotten lost. Giving him this mark to find her was just an excuse; she was afraid that one day the little dummy would get lost and forget his old mark, or something would happen to his people and the mark became useless. How would she find him then? Although he was strong, he was also weak. When she thought of him walking alone in Jianghu, she saw a three year old orphan walking alone on a snowy road. ¡°It¡¯s a promise.¡± She announced, smiling and placing the rolled leaf to her lips and blowing gently into it. ¡°I will play this leaf flute while I follow the marks to find you.¡± Gu Nanyi watched her attentively, plucking a leaf and imitating her, blowing gamely into the small flute. The moon crossed the skies as they played a halting melody to accompany the stars. As their music slowly improved, Feng Zhiwei smiled and drifted off to sleep. Some time later, she faintly made out his words: ¡°Playing the flute, search the trees, to find you.¡± ¡­ The wind gently rustled alongside the fragrant flowers as cheerful birds sang above, and breathing¡­ rang heavily overhead. Feng Zhiwei cracked opened her eyes to the sight of a large, dark face. She jerked awake and scrambled backwards, rubbing her eyes before finally making out Helian Zheng¡¯s unfortunate features. He squatted above her, his face gloomy as he glared with a look somehow expressing ¡°you evil woman, you betrayed me, you hurt me, you destroyed me, you let me down.¡± What was he doing¡­ had someone stolen his breakfast? Feng Zhiwei lazily pushed herself upright, only then realizing what she was leaning against. She looked back at her pillow ¡ª little dummy Gu¡¯s thigh. She stared dazedly at the little dummy, and then her eyes drifted down to the little perky, tent a finger-length from where her head had lain and her whole body flushed. Little dummy Gu opened his eyes and calmly returned her stare, calmly brushing aside her hand and calmly pushing aside Helian Zheng¡¯s face. Finally, he looked down at his trousers and stood, slowly floating away to fix the morning problem. As he floated, he played his little leaf flute, the melody fluent and clear and cutting through the air. Helian Zheng pointed a furious, trembling finger as Gu Nanyi drifted away, but his anger went unnoticed. He could do nothing, so he turned and pointed accusingly at Feng Zhiwei, but she just swept his finger aside and said: ¡°Good morning, Prince. The latrine is over there.¡± Then she casually strode off. Chapter 164 As soon as Feng Zhiwei had taken two steps, a straight-faced man blocked her, glaring disapprovingly as he spoke: ¡°Once again, I wish I could take fifteen minutes to take deal with you and spare my master the future headache.¡± Feng Zhiwei had no idea what fifteen minutes he was referring to, but she understood Ning Cheng¡¯s threat. She pointed at her nose and replied: ¡°You could, but it is quite likely that while after those few minutes, you will have a headache for the rest of your life.¡± Little dummy Gu instantly appeared by her side and greeted Ning Cheng with a walnut, showing him exactly what kind of head ache would follow him ¡ª and so the serious morning conversation about death and murder smoothly ended. ¡°The Longnan Army is in position.¡± Ning Cheng said when he caught up to her. ¡°I¡¯m thinking we go through Longnan¡¯s Qu Shui River and take the direct route to Feng Zhou City. This way, we¡¯re less likely to give the Long Xi people any warning.¡± ¡°Since your Prince has given you this command, you do not need to ask my opinion.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and replied. ¡°It would be a waste to not use to people we have right now. Our group will be escorted to the Commissioner¡¯s Mansion by Shen Junxin and his people. You just need to lead the three thousand Longnan Army and wait for our call.¡± Feng Zhiwei returned to the courtyard. As she had expected, Shen Junxin was there to greet her, and Helian Zheng¡¯s Eight Valiants had also arrived. Feng Zhiwei smiled quietly ¡ª everyone was here. ¡°This brother still had some duties in Longnan Province.¡± Feng Zhiwei said to Shen Junxin. ¡°I am preparing to head to Feng Zhou City to pay Master Shen a visit. What are the two gentlemen¡¯s plans?¡± ¡°Good good good!¡± Shen Junxin immediately replied, eager and joyful. ¡°Master Liu and I will escort you both. I have already called for a thousand of Ji Yang¡¯s troops to follow us, guarding and protecting the Hu Zhuo Prince and the other great ones.¡± ¡°Many thanks for your hard work.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, smiling kindly. ¡°When I meet with Master Shen, I will definitely mention everyone¡¯s good work.¡± The two men smiled until their eyes were hidden. Helian Zheng whispered to his bodyguards: ¡°You all must never take a Han woman as your wife.¡± The Eight Valiants all nodded in sincere agreement, and they turned to Helian Zheng: ¡°What about the Prince?¡± Helian Zheng miserably replied: ¡°It might be too late for me¡­¡± Ning Cheng¡¯s big head popped up in their midst and he asked sincerely: ¡°Do you want me to solve your problem forever?¡± Group battle. Fifteen minutes later, Ning Cheng patted the dirt off his clothes and swaggered off¡­ Feng Zhiwei and the others climbed above the luxurious coach Shen Junxin had prepared, protected all the while by Ji Yang soldiers. Ning Yi followed along as usual, indifferent and calm; beside him, Feng Zhiwei acted as if nothing had happened, never looking at the blind prince. Young Master Gu lay on the roof of the carriage, playing the same flute melody over and over. Helian Zheng kept glancing over, unable to stifle the feeling that despite the apparent normalcy, everything had changed. Beside them, the oblivious Shen Junxin and Advisor Liu were joyfully flushed, already imagining their bright futures when in truth they were heading down a road of no return. Magistrate Peng stood quietly at the gates of the mansion, watching the mysterious people who had shown up and saved him from his troubles. He followed them with baffled eyes, and as they disappeared into the distance he turned his gaze upwards towards the sky. Finally, he murmured: ¡°The winds are changing¡­¡± The road from Ji Yang to Feng Zhou took a day on a fast horse and half a day more on a slow one. By nightfall on the second day, their team entered Feng Zhou City. Shen Junxin was immediately ready to send a messenger to the Commissioner¡¯s Yamen, but Feng Zhiwei cut him off. ¡°The Hu Zhuo Prince does not like unnecessary formality, and a minor seventh Rank Special Censor like me is not worthy of an Honored Commissioner coming to the gates. We will go to him.¡± She continued: ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, the Longnan Troops are unnecessary. Jing Yang is defenseless. It would be best to send the men back to guard against any bandit attacks.¡± Shen Junxin agreed with the Censor¡¯s logical words, ordering the company leader to head back. Advisor Liu frowned at the rather reckless act of sending the troops away before even entering the city gates, but though Shen Junxin was lower ranking, he shared a surname with the Commissioner. They were also counting on Feng Zhiwei to speak well of them, so despite his misgivings, Advisor Liu kept his peace. The Commissioner¡¯s Yamen was not at the heart of Feng Zhou City. The rumors about Shen Xunru said that he was an elegant man who enjoyed the mountains and waters, so his Yamen was built next to the Spirit Fountain Lake in the south of the city. When they reached the gates, Shen Junxin thought to go forward and reveal his status for a priority entrance, but Feng Zhiwei waved him aside and smiled: ¡°Why take out our tokens? It¡¯s nice to walk the leisurely path of the commoner and see the life of the people. This brother has traveled like this the entire way here.¡± Shen Junxin chuckled and easily agreed, standing in line and waiting with them. Beside them, Advisor Liu frowned again. After they entered the city, the carriages and horses sped up and the Eight Valiants calmly took formation around Shen Junxin and Advisor Liu. Even then, Shen Junxin did not suspect anything. As they crossed through the eastern district, Shen Junxin invited everyone to sit for a moment at his house, but Feng Zhiwei politely decline. Shen Junxin nodded agreeably, but mentioned that he wanted to stop for a moment to speak with his wife. This idea was also rejected by Helian Zheng. At this point, even the dreamy eyed Shen Junxin began to worry, and he exchanged a meaningful look with Advisor Liu. Advisor Liu turned and eyed one of his followers. The servant immediately turned and moved towards the Eight Valiants, smiling as he said: ¡°My master accidentally left opium paste in Master Shen¡¯s mansion back in Ji Yang. This paste is meant for the Commissioner, and my master has asked me to bring it.¡± The Eight Valiants exchanged a look and let the servant through, allowing the nervous Shen Junxin and Advisor Liu to relax a little. As soon as the servant was out of view, he began galloping down the streets, but just as he turned a quiet corner, a cold light flashed. The servant clutched at his bloody throat and fell from his horse; the last image before his eyes that of a grey-robed man flipping over a wall. In the main group, everyone chatted pleasantly. Feng Zhiwei rode a horse besides the two unfortunate man, pointing at the sights and admiring the city. With the Censor¡¯s calm and agreeable behavior, Shen Junxin and Advisor Liu slowly calmed down. After all, their servant had already left to notify the Commissioner¡¯s Yamen and the two thousand Yamen troops outside the city would soon be on standby. They had nothing to be worried about. Soon, they crossed over into the western portion of the city. Feng Zhiwei looked out over the beautiful lake at the Commissioner¡¯s magnificent mansion and chuckled quietly: ¡°A lake at its feet, the verdant mountain at its back, truly a Feng Shui treasure!¡± With that, she turned to her companion and nodded: ¡°We must trouble Master Shen to announce us.¡± Shen Junxin smiled and met the official approaching them. After a few exchanged words, the official¡¯s face grew formal and he rushed back into the mansion to deliver the message. Chapter 165 Very quickly, the gates were flung open and a green-robed, middle aged man walked out alongside a group of assistant officials. The man was white faced and clean shaven with a tiny tuft of beard, and he smiled as he called out: ¡°I had no idea the Hu Zhuo Prince was coming or else I would have welcomed you at the gates! Forgive my sin!¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled as she met the man, examining the comely face of the most powerful man in Longxi. Those soft hands were the ones that had commissioned their portraits? That ordinary mouth had hoped to devour two Imperial Envoys? The son of the reigning Emperor? As she looked up at the cause of her suffering, the instigator of Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi¡¯s near death, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s smile widened in happy friendliness. Helian Zheng stared into Shen Xu¡¯s face, reminding himself of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s request to act like a many faced Han person; but when he looked into that healthy, round face, he could not help but think back to his miserable Feng Zhiwei looked when he found her in that ancient temple ¡ª covered in blood and mud, her hair a burnt mess, and her usual calm eyes filled with joy at the sight of Gu Nanyi and him. So Helian Zheng just stared silently, his heart aching. He could not act as Feng Zhiwei had asked him to; he could barely keep his cracking fists under control. Feng Zhiwei stepped forward and quietly bumped Helian Zheng aside, taking his place to salute and exchange pleasantries with Shen Xuru. Fortunately, Helian Zheng was the highest ranking man and did not need to salute anyone; all he needed to do was keep his chin up and maintain the noble arrogance of the Hu Zhuo Prince ¡ª Helian Zheng had already been adept at such arrogance before he met Feng Zhiwei, and now he just needed to return to his old skills. As he chatted with Feng Zhiwei, Shen Xuru eyed the masked Ning Yi as he climbed out of the carriage. Feng Zhiwei calmly followed his gaze and introduced him: ¡°This is Prince Hu Zhuo¡¯s friend. He¡¯s from Longnan and accompanied us to visit his family.¡± Shen Xuru murmured understandingly and put it out of mind; he grasped Feng Zhiwei¡¯s arm and smiled: ¡°How fortuitous that the Hu Zhou Prince, Brother Tao, and Honored Yi should come to my place. You must stay with me; our Feng Zhou¡¯s sights are definitely worth the time.¡± ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, creasing her eyes.¡± Before I see what I came for, you won¡¯t be able to kick me out.¡± They shared a laugh as Shen Xuru politely deferred to Helian Zheng, walking behind the Prince and holding arms with Feng Zhiwei as Shen Junxin, Advisor Liu and the rest of the officials trailed behind them. The Yamen Mansion was heavily guarded with guards and patrols every three to five steps; clearly, Shen Xuru was on high alert after the failed assassination. When they reached a tea room in the inner yard, Feng Zhiwei looked up at an inscription and smiled: ¡°Halting Victory[1] Room ¡­ well written!¡± Shen Xuru smiled proudly, accepting the compliment for his calligraphy as he gestured to the entrance: ¡°Please!¡± ¡°Please!¡± Everyone stepped into the room, while a flattered Feng Zhiwei still clutched Shen Xuru¡¯s arm. The other officials smiled quietly about the Special Censor¡¯s strange lack of decorum, none of them noticing Shen Xuru¡¯s slightly unnatural smile. ¡°Master Shen, your mansion truly is a marvelous Feng Shui treasure! Surrounded by a lack and leaning against a mountain!¡± Feng Zhiwei called out in praise. Just as Shen Xuru began a polite reply, the Eight Valiants entered the pavilion. He stirred and was about to ask the guards to leave when Feng Zhiwei spoke again, still smiling: ¡°Your Honor will not be buried here in vain!¡± At those words, the quick-witted Advisor Liu immediately turned and ran, but the Eight Valiants were ready, their golden whips instantly trapping Advisor Liu and Shen Junxin. Behind them, Helian Zheng kicked the door shut. Gu Nanyi waved a sleeve and a charging military official flew backwards and smashed into the wall. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s cold sword was already poised behind Shen Xuru¡¯s heart, as Ning Yi approached, standing before the man, his hands clasped behind his back. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Everything had changed in a blink and most people were still reacting as Shen Junxin paled, stuttering. ¡°Thank you for your escort and your help in entering the Commissioner¡¯s Mansion unimpeded. Many thanks.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied kindly, turning to look at Shen Junxin. ¡°Allow me to once again introduce myself. I am Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites and Imperial Envoy to the Maritime Department of the South Sea Region, Wei Zhi.¡± A furious and terrified Shen Xuru began trembling. A confused official called out: ¡°Master Wei, what are you doing¡­¡± ¡°What we plan is something you must ask Master Shen.¡± Ning Yi replied, taking off his mask. ¡°This Prince¡¯s name is Ning Yi.¡± An absolute silence filled the shocked room and Shen Xuru¡¯s shivers grew violent. Stuttering, he forced out: ¡°This Minor Minister was unaware that His Highness was visiting; this Minor Minister has sinned and failed to welcome His Highness, but what does His Highness intend to do¡­¡± ¡°Pa!¡± Helian Zheng could not bear listening any longer and slapped him, shattering a dozen of his teeth. Ning Yi calmly spoke over Shen Xuru¡¯s miserable cries, his gaze disgusted as he replied: ¡°What will I do? ¡­ I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°You cannot kill me!¡± Shen Xuru cried out, pleading. ¡°I have over a thousand guards in the mansion! You will never escape! I am the Commissioner! Even if I am guilty, you must bring me before Dijing¡¯s Dali Court! Even if you are a Prince, if you just kill me then you¡¯re also¡­¡± ¡°Chi.¡± ¡°Guilty.¡± The blade cut so quickly that the man did not even know he was dead as he finished his sentence. The terrified silence was now one of death as breath caught and blood gurgled. All the officials stared, pale faced, none of them quite able to believe that the most powerful man in their province had just been ended. Helian Zheng began to laugh. ¡°Haha! Ting Shen[2] Room! More like Ting Shi[3]!¡± Shen Xuru crumpled bonelessly and a disgusted Feng Zhiwei let his body drop like a sack of potatoes. ¡°You are correct. No matter your crime, there is no way you¡¯ll be immediately executed. You¡¯ll put on the prisoner¡¯s clothes and be presented to Dijing¡¯s court. Your case will be dragged out, and all of your connections and your friends will be called on to aid you. Voluntarily or involuntarily, they will defend you and help you, and all your power and fortune will be turned to your case¡­ in the end, your death sentence might be commuted, and then you will have the opportunity for a pardon, and you will wait and wait until you find the chance to rise again¡­¡± Ning Yi monologued, slowly wiping his hand on a pure white cotton handkerchief before tossing the fabric onto Shen Xuru¡¯s astonished corpse. ¡°So you must die here.¡± [1] ͣʤ Ting2 Sheng4 [2] ͣʤ Halting Victory [3] ͦʬ Stiff Corpse Chapter 166 Chapter 166: Chapter 166 A mountain of oppression seemed to loom in the deepness of his calm voice. Ning Cheng and the Longnan Army Commander had measured the time since Feng Zhiwei¡¯s entrance into the mansion, and at just the right moment, they attacked with their three thousand troops. Although Shen Xuru¡¯s mansion was heavily guarded, his men could not compare to the drilled soldiers of Longnan, and soon the entire mansion fell under Ning Cheng¡¯s control. Ning Yi silently crossed the fragrant tea room, the smell from the untouched pot of tea mingling with the bite of scattered and pooling blood. Soon, an excited, blood splattered Ning Cheng flashed through the door. ¡°An hour and a quarter!¡± In this short span of time, he had conquered the mansion, wiping out all resistance and seizing control. ¡°Very good.¡± Ning Yi replied before lifting his chin and smelling the blood on the air. As the officials trembled around him, he smiled quietly, saying: ¡°The blood of others is always more pleasing than your own.¡± In the Autumn of the Thirteenth Year of Chang Xi, the astounding Attempted Assassination of Imperial Envoys was foiled. Longxi Commissioner Shen Xuru colluded with the Chang Family to orchestrate the assassination of Imperial Envoys Wei Zhi and Prince Chu as they crossed the border of Longxi. The audacity shocked the entire empire. All the necessary evidence had been gathered and delivered by urgent missive to the desk of the Tian Sheng Emperor ¡ª the secret letter from the Long secretary to the Jiang Hu Mount Chang Sword Sect Leader; the portraits of Ning Yi and Wei Zhi that Shen Xuru had sent to Shen Junxi; and the assorted evidence that Ning Yi had collected detailing the relationship between Shen Xuru and the Chang Family. It turned out that Commissioner Shen Xuru¡¯s predecessor had been framed by Shen Xuru and the Chang Family, and many public and private exchanges with each other accompanied his rise to power. Just recently, Shen Xuru had requested grain from the Imperial Court for his own deficit, but had then taken the extra food and sent it to Minnan. The Son of Heaven was furious, and immediately called for Shen Xuru¡¯s appearance in Dijing so that the capital could adjudicate and sentence the conspirators, but a few days later, Prince Chu sent a letter in reply. Shen Xuru and all conspirators had already been executed ¡ª all three hundred and thirty six of them. In the blink of an eye, over three hundred heads rolled. The world trembled! It was said that the Tian Sheng Emperor fell into a long silence after reading Prince Chu¡¯s Memorandum to the Throne. The Imperial Court gasped at Prince Chu¡¯s determined ruthlessness; he had ignored the need for an Imperial Edict and ordered summary executions of even a powerful Second Rank Provincial Commissioner! The most shocking matter was how short a time it had taken for Ning Yi to compile the evidence of all the crimes Shen Xuru and the others had committed; not even time could stand in the way of his will, and all the dark dealings came to light, and executions were immediately called for. This display of power and skill terrified more and more as people considered the implications. Prince Chu¡¯s aides wrote this in the Memorandum to the Throne: ¡°Shen Xuru was arrogant and unyielding. After receiving the Imperial Edict, he still rested and injured His Highness, therefore the Prince had no choice but to carry out the execution on the spot¡­¡± But everyone understood that the truth of Shen Xuru¡¯s death would only ever be known by heaven ¡ª none of them could be certain whether the blood had stained the earth before the Imperial Edict had even been delivered! Only Feng Zhou City knew how the blood flowed, and the chopping block was soaked through for days in a row until even the greenstone grout was filled to the brim. By the end of the matter, Ning Yi was impatient to leave and weary of executions only taking place at a certain time, so he ordered that bound criminals be placed every hundred meters along Feng Zhou City¡¯s lively, ten-mile-long main street. Then, he stood in the tallest building in the city, and when he struck his gong, blood flowed like a river through the street and a hundred heads fell together! Feng Zhou City would long remember that day, and for the weeks that followed, the busy and flourishing main street stood lonely and empty. Prince Chu¡¯s boldness was not punished, and though His Majesty did not make an official statements, he gave his tacit approval, ordering fast messengers to deliver the Imperial Court¡¯s best medicine for Ning Yi¡¯s wound. The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s reactions relieved all of anxious Prince Chu¡¯s side ministers, but Feng Zhiwei had known that everything would be fine ¡ª since the Fifth Prince had escaped to Minnan, the Chang Family was sure to raise the flag of rebellion. Ning Yi¡¯s task in Minnan was now one of war, and the aura of death he had established in Feng Zhou was exactly what he needed to check the restless folk of Minnan and the South Sea, and his reputation would precede him as he took control of his troops ¡ª right now, the Tian Sheng Dynasty did not need the gentle hand of reconciliation, but a blade dripping with blood. And so Ning Yi was impatient to leave ¡ª the more time he left for the Chang Family to prepare, the fewer opportunities he left for himself; so as soon as the Imperial Court began to take control of the Longxi situation, Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei took a ship to the South Sea Province. The South Sea neighbored the Minnan Province; and while the Chang Family Patriarch was General of Minnan, his family estate was in the South Sea, so the Chang Family had power and holdings in both provinces. After some discussion, Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei decided to combine their power and head to South Sea first. The ship cut swiftly through the water. On the seventh day, a perpetually sea sick Helian Zheng clung to the ship¡¯s railing bemoaning his inevitable death when a loud crash shook the vessel. Feng Zhiwei rushed to deck and beheld the large crowd gathered on shore ¡ª over ten thousand people lined the earth, their shouts and yells like a tidal wave flooding the ship! ¡°The hull is punctured!¡± Yan Huaishi yelled to Feng Zhiwei as he rushed over, pale faced. Young Master Yan had not been living well recently ¡ª though the journey had began with such exuberance and pride, the assassination had cut down his happiness. His guards had been wounded or killed, but that loss was nothing compared to the disappearance of Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi. In the days that followed, he had been so anxious he could barely think, but fortune smiled on them and they were all reunited. After the many days of insomnia and decreased appetite, he could finally set down his worries. Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei were too important ¡ª if anything happened to them, the South Sea¡¯s tenuous balance would fold like a house of cards, and the Chang Family would quickly annex all the families in the area, including his. After they had been reunited, Yan Huaishi acted with the greatest caution, wishing that he could sleep at the foot of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s door. With the South Sea province in view, he had just let out a sigh of relief when disaster struck again! ¡°Looks like the South Sea has a special welcome for the Imperial Envoy.¡± Ning Yi commented lightly as Ning Cheng helped him to the deck. He perked an ear, listening to the shouting and yelling coming from shore, and a small, cold smile climbed over his lips. Yan Huaishi turned to the crowd darkening the shore and gasped; his fingers whitened against the ship¡¯s railing ¡ª he had known the South Sea was in turmoil, but he had not known that it was this bad. Helian Zheng vomited into the water below, moaning weakly against the rail as he gaped: ¡°Whether thousands or ten thousands, I will advance¡­ 1¡± Just as everyone was surprised by Helian Zheng¡¯s sudden literary quote, he vomited again and continued: ¡°But we might as well call the army and kill them all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Footnotes:
Ch 166 Footnote 1
Mencius, Gong Sun Chou Chapter 167 Feng Zhiwei narrowed her eyes as she examined the sea of people on shore. The local government¡¯s welcoming committee and the representatives of the establish clans were all the way in the back, squeezed to the side like a tiny boat rocking miserably at sea. She took Yan Huiashi¡¯s Thousand-Mile Eye and used it to look into the crowd; using its reflected glass to scan the red robed, purple belted officials. Some chatted, others smiled, and some cast glances at the boat; a dark faced man surrounded by guards was sitting on an old fashioned wooden armchair as he read a book, shaded by a large umbrella ¡ª so leisurely even in the midst of ten thousand. Feng Zhiwei shifted the Thousand Mile Eye down to the man¡¯s rhinoceros belt ¡ª Second Rank South Sea Commissioner, Zhou Xizhong. Unlike the poor and infertile Longxi, the South Sea Region held sway over the sea, and it was here the country had founded its General Maritime Department. Five old, established families thrived within its borders while maritime commerce drove local business. Many people were wealthy, and the common folk were considered quite open-minded. In an uglier turn of phrase, they were untamed. Zhou Xizhong had managed the South Sea Region for many years and had suppressed all five of the powerful families while controlling the untamed commoners like they were his own arms ¡ª clearly, he was a talented man who far outstripped Shen Xuru in ability. Even back when these plans were just discussions in the Cabinet, Feng Zhiwei had known the South Sea affair would be difficult. This Commissioner had dared to resist the Imperial Court, inciting all the officials beneath him to unite, and had so easily gathered over a thousand commoners to petition the Imperial Court in his words. Such a brave, capable, and powerful man could not be taken lightly. Today, he showed Ning Yi his iron ¡ª Ning Yi had swept through Longxi Way with blood and ferocity, and in response, Zhou Xizhong had ten thousand commoners come to ¡®warmly welcome¡¯ him at the docks. The Commissioner showed no sign of fear and was taking the first meeting to demonstrate his might. A group of Yamen Bailiffs in red edged black were putting on a show as they valiantly chased the commoners away; they waved their hands as if shooing ducks, but all they achieved was pressing the clan representatives to the rear. Suddenly, a voice cried out! ¡°Drive away the confused, perverse officials!¡± The words were like tinder to dry wood and the crowd was set ablaze as thousands of voices yelled. ¡°Drive out the corrupt Imperial Court!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need a Maritime Department!¡± ¡°Anyone who backs the families can get out of South Sea!¡± ¡°Go back to Dijing!¡± ¡°Pa!¡± A leafy vegetable ball flew out from the crowd, cutting a dark green arc through the air before falling to the sea some meters away from the ship. The first throw was like a wakeup call, and then suddenly a numberless stream of vegetable balls and stinky eggs were flying through the air at the Imperial Envoy¡¯s ship. The majority of projectiles fell into the sea, but the few that hit the ship left it a mismatched array of color. ¡°Excessive!¡± The young, vigorous nobles from Qing Ming Academy trembled with righteous indignation ¡ª they had thought that they would be welcomed in South Sea with the highest of honors, but in truth they had almost died just to get here, and now they were being humiliated before they could even reach the shore. Yao Yangyu led the uppity grip, rolling up their sleeves as they called out: ¡°Great Prince, Master Wei, let down the sampan! We¡¯ll protect you and beat those f***ers!¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± Yan Huaishi cried out, hurriedly pulling Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei. ¡°The bow is dangerous! Assassins might shoot arrows! Let¡¯s return to the cabin!¡± Ning Yi did not budge, and neither did Feng Zhiwei. They stood shoulder to shoulder at the bow of the ship, hands clasped behind their backs as they calmly faced the anger of the ten thousand South Sea commoners, their long hair billowing up behind them like flags in the sea wind. A bundle of dried fish plopped by Ning Yi¡¯s feet, broken fragments splattering his boots; although guards tried to rush over and hold out umbrellas, all of them were waved aside by Ning Yi. ¡°South Sea Commoners are so rich.¡± Ning Yi smiled as he turned to Feng Zhiwei, saying: ¡°Look, they even throw dried fish. This bundle of dried fish is worth at least half a silver tail.¡± Feng Zhiwei nodded in agreement as she replied: ¡°Steam it, add some sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, green onion. Delicious.¡± Yan Huaishi paced behind them, rubbing his hands. He did not understand how they could be in such a good mood while they faced such hostility; whether or not it was an accident, their ship had struck a reef and was sinking. They could either wait for the local authorities to send a ship to save them, or they could put down their sampans and row to shore, exposing themselves to the vegetable and rotten eggs. How could Yan Huaishi let Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei suffer such treatment? If Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei took the sampan to shore first, the commoners would swarm forward and who would keep them cafe? If the guards took the sampan first to organize a shore defense while the ship sank, would Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi fall into the water right in front of the officials and people of South Sea? How could they command respect after that? With all the South Sea officials ¡®blocked¡¯ behind the commoners, they could not be counted not to send rescue; clearly they had been set up and the Commissioner was deliberately forcing them into a difficult situation. Zhou Xizhong¡¯s nickname was ¡®Iron Faced Zhou,¡¯ and the officials in South Sea called him ¡®Zhou the Conqueror.¡¯ He was unbridled and domineering, and he had suppressed the rich, famous families for years. If today was anything to judge by, he even dared oppose Imperial Envoys; hoping that he would yield on his own was a fool¡¯s dream. ¡°I¡¯ll tell my people to send a ship!¡± Yan Huaishi finally called out, gritting his teeth. ¡°No.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied. ¡°The Commissioner has incited the people, claiming that your families have colluded with Dijing officials. How can we confirm their suspicion by allowing your Yan Family to come pick us up? We would only add fuel to the fire and worsen the situation.¡± ¡°Then what do we do?¡± Ning Yi smiled and suddenly changed the subject: ¡°Wei Zhi, I¡¯m interested in the steamed fish you were talking about.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes gleamed, and she chuckled as she replied: ¡°But one dish by itself is too simple¡­ Brother Gu.¡± Young Master Gu floated over, walnuts in his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any food.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, pointing at the floating vegetables. ¡°Bring back whatever is still edible.¡± Young Master Gu nodded and tossed two dozen or so walnuts into the water. The walnuts spun through the air and dropped into the sea. Gu Nanyi followed, floating down over the rail and stepping down on the closest walnut. Chapter 168 Small walnuts floated gently in the water as Gu Nanyi¡¯s tall and slender figure moved steadily over the waves. His sky cyan robes fluttered in the breeze like a floating cloud, and the morning sun haloed faintly behind him; he reached out a hand and the rays of light danced off his fingers like they were diamond. The South Sea commoners had never seen such a sight and they all paused, fruits and vegetables still in hand. They gaped as this Immortal Saint descended from heaven. Ten thousand pairs of eyes latched onto him, and if he were anyone else he might have not known how to react, but he was Young Master Gu. He listened only to Feng Zhiwei and everyone else was smoke, so he calmly reached out and a basket appeared in his hand. A basket. The ten thousand commoners gaped even wider, and they did not even notice the saliva dripping from their lips ¡ª riding walnuts to cross the sea was shocking enough, but now the Immortal Saint was riding walnuts while wearing a basket backpack. Their minds were broken. But¡­ though they had never imagined an Immortal Saint crossing the sea while wearing a basket, the scene was quite beautiful. The Immortal Saint stepped casually on the walnuts, scooping up all the vegetables, eggs, dried fish, and crabs[1] that he crossed. The ten thousand commoners cried out in surprised understanding, their gasps a thunderstorm sweeping across the docks ¡ª the walnut riding, basket bearing Immortal Saint had come to collect the scraps! to collect all his walnuts ¨C Those were walnuts so he couldn¡¯t waste them. Young Master Gu stepped around, gathering food; before he returned to the ship, he flashed around to collect his walnuts ¡ª those could not be wasted¡­ they are walnuts. He cut incredibly elegant arcs through the air, flying like a glorious phoenix over the blue waves, dazzling the South Sea commoners and sending sighs of amazement running through the crowd. Young Master Gu had no idea that he had given these commoners a sight they would never forget; all he cared was the mission Feng Zhiwei had given him, and so he flew back on board and handed Feng Zhiwei the basket. Feng Zhiwei smiled and accepted the basket, but as she looked into it her mouth began to twitch. Young Master Gu had not differentiated good from bad and had just picked everything he had seen; there were rotten vegetables and broken shoes in the basket, and even an unlucky jellyfish was hanging around. She threw everything inedible back into the sea and smiled. ¡°Today you get to try my food.¡± She said to Gu Nanyi, and then she leaned over and whispered into his ear. Young Master Gu nodded and stepped up to the edge of the bow. All the commoners had already forgotten their fury and watched him attentively. ¡°His Highness says: it turns out that the people of South Sea were this wealthy.¡± Young Master Gu began, repeating Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words. His voice was not loud, but it clearly filled everyone¡¯s ears. Feng Zhiwei watched through the Thousand Mile Eyes as Commissioner Zhou finally put down his book and looked up. ¡°The South Sea Commissioner recently asked for the Imperial Court¡¯s help, claiming that natural calamity had struck and the South Sea people were suffering from food shortage, so he needed the Imperial Court¡¯s help to provide relief.¡± Gu Nanyi recited word for word. ¡°The Honored Imperial Envoys have come to find out the needs of this disaster struck area so that they can call for the Imperial Warehouse to open its stores and deliver its grain, and to see how long this area could use a tax break. But as soon as the Imperial Envoys arrived, they collected five catties of dried fish, ten crabs, and numerous dried vegetables and eggs. It is clear that the South Sea people do not suffer from food shortages, and therefore there is no disaster to relieve and no necessity for a tax break.¡± The commoners called out in surprise again, turning to glare angrily at the group of officials. The South Sea Officials exchanged glanced as Zhou Xizhong stood. ¡°His Highness says he does not understand why the people of South Sea waste and spoil food in this way.¡± Gu Nanyi continued. ¡°His Highness passed through Jiang Huai, Longxi, and Longnan provinces on his way from Dijing to South Sea, and only the blessed Jiang Huai had enough food and clothing for its people. ¡°Longxi suffers from drought and three cities of people suffer from food shortage. Longnan has suffered torrential floods, and all seven counties suffer from lack. Millions of people cry out piteously for food, and countless commoners have lost their homes. His Highness has opened the warehouses and delivered grain, but many lives have still been lost. In desperation, His Highness has cut the food supply for his guards in order to save more of the newly homeless, and His Highness has even forgone anything but the most basic dish so that he might save just one more life. Now that we¡¯ve arrived at South Sea, the people here welcomed us with dried fish! ¡°After witnessing the miserable circumstances of the people of Longnan and Longxi, His Highness does not dare let this grand reception go to waste, so he expresses his gratitude to the people of South Sea, and will cook and eat it all.¡± The South Sea commoners fell quiet, and they looked at their neighbors; no one had thought the Imperial Envoys had collected the food to eat, and they even spoke so movingly! Zhou Xizhong stood straight backed among them, his face gloomy. ¡°His Highness is grateful for the offering, but he challenges the people of South Sea ¡ª we are all people under the heavens, and while those who have lost their homes are forced to bear hunger and cold, you dare belittle this food and treat them like mud. Do you not know you are offending Heaven and reason? Do you not feel shame?¡± A susurration ran through the crowd; they had come here righteous and indignant, but now their righteousness had been overthrown and they saw themselves only as unreasonable troublemakers. They were all people of the earth, and when they heard of the suffering of the people in Longxi and Longnan, they remembered the years of hardship they themselves had faced. The Imperial Envoy¡¯s sincere words moved them, so different from the previous Envoy¡¯s bureaucratic clich¨¦s. The people fell silent, shame crossing their faces. Helian Zheng stared wide-eyed at Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei ¡ª true, Longxi and Longnan had suffered disaster, but one of you was drinking swiftlet nest soup the day before while the other ate soft-shelled turtle! Who had chosen to forgo food? Han people¡­ Han people¡­ truly terrifying. ¡°Now to the South Sea officials ¡ª You claimed disaster without reason and reported grain shortage while there is plenty, deceiving superiors and deluding your subordinates, treating the solemnity of heaven like nothing; do you not feel ashamed before the Imperial Envoys who have crossed long roads to bring relief? Do you not feel ashamed before His Majesty, who has devoted so much of his energy and mind on how to save South Sea from these disasters?¡± Young Master Gu raised his voice as Feng Zhiwei had requested, but his toneless voice could convey none of the terror and majesty. Fortunately, the language was powerful enough by itself to send stirs through the officials. ¡°Today, right here, we will finish all of the food the people have given us before we head ashore.¡± Young Master Gu drily finished, already bored of the long speech. ¡°We invite South Sea Commissioner Zhou aboard to enjoy this precious food with us; the official must lead by example, and since the people of South Sea do not understand the preciousness of food, then the Imperial Envoys and South Sea¡¯s Commissioner must use themselves as the example. His Highness will set the table, Master Wei will cook, and we invite Commissioner Zhou to tend the fire.¡± [1] I have some palm size dried fish and they do float, but my question is: can crabs float? Chapter 169 Yan Huaishi stumbled at those last words, and the groggy Helian Zheng collapsed beside him. South Sea¡¯s commoners exclaimed in surprise, and another whirlwind of noise passed through the docks. The South Sea officials stood shocked, turning to numbly stare at their ghastly pale Commissioner. Zhou Xizhong had come to display his power and embarrass the Imperial Envoys, but not only had he failed, the situation had been reversed. Now, with their ship sinking, they calmly sorted through food and invited Master Zhou to tend the fire! He could not refuse ¡ª His Highness was setting the table, so why could he not tend the fire? Moreover, the reasoning the Envoys had given was too righteous to be dismissed; ten thousand commoners were watching. The Envoys were saving food for the hungry! Why should Zhou Xizhong refused to tend the fire? If the Commissioner refused to board the sinking ship, the people would say the he did not love his people! If that happened, Master Zhou would lose the heart of his people, and with it the power that he had taken over a decade to build. Vicious! So vicious! Zhou Xizhong¡¯s face was pale; he had not anticipated any of this. He had planned so much, but in the end he was the one trapped; he had ordered people to damage the ship, but now he had to board it; if it sank, he would be embarrassed as well; and no matter what happened, he would be known as the fire tending Commissioner for the rest of his life. Every Commissioner collected information on the Princes, but Zhou Xizhong had only known that Prince Chu was a talented playboy. Ning Yi had hidden behind the scenes in all the recent turmoil, and a Commissioner out of the loop in a far away province had not known to be wary. In Zhou Xizhong¡¯s eyes, Wei Zhi had simply been a nobody minister who had somehow lucked his way into unearned reputation and favor. Because he belittled Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei, he had audaciously incited the people of South Sea, and now he reaped what he had sowed. Gu Nanyi left no time for Zhou Xizhong to think, and he pointed at him while saying: ¡°His Highness says, if Honored Zhou has finished reading Records of Oversea Countries, please immediately come abroad the ship and tend to the fire.¡± Zhou Xizhong tossed his book onto his chair and his servants hurriedly pulled his book, chair, and umbrella away. ¡°Get me the ship repair team.¡± Zhou Xizhong called coldly to his Left and Right Advisors. ¡°The ship will sink in fifteen minutes, so they need to get into the water and fix the hull before then. I don¡¯t care how. They must make sure the ship does not sink for two hours. Whoever lets me fall into the water, I will have his head fall.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Snorting coldly, Zhou Xizhong smoothed out his robes before loudly calling back: ¡°Zhou Xizhong, Commissioner of the South Sea, leads his South Sea Officials in paying our deepest respect to the Emperor and salute His Highness Prince Chu!¡± The commoners made way and Zhou Xizhong approached the edge of the water, leading the officials around him as they fell to their knees and kowtowed. Yan Huaishi hurriedly dodged away from the kowtow, sighing in relief. HIs eyes glistened with tears ¡ª he had really thought they would either suffer blow or water; he had never thought that Tyrant Zhou of the South Sea would finally kneel. Ning Yi stood at the bow, his face calm as he held the railing, his moon-white silk robe quiet and elegant, the golden mandala on his black cape loud and alluring. As his cape rustled in the wind, he swept his cold, heavy gaze over the crowd and everyone felt the weight of his attention. ¡°This Minor Minister receives His Highness¡¯s edification with fear and trembling.¡± Zhou Xizhong continued. ¡°I have sinned. Your Highness, please allow this Minor Minister to bring all the fourth Rank and higher officials of South Sea aboard to tend the fire.¡± Feng Zhiwei cocked a brow as she trimmed the vegetables. It would be awkward tending a fire all by himself as so many people watched, but that could be eased if the other officials joined as well, and this would show the people that the Officials of South Sea were of one heart; this way, Zhou Xizhong could transform the awkward embarrassment into a decent show ¡ª quite the brilliant idea. Did he hope to bring numbers to balance the playing field? Feng Zhiwei smiled. No one refused the Commissioner and Ning Yi turned calmly away. Only Young Master Gu remained by the rail, waving a piece of firewood at Zhou Xizhong ¡ª come quick! People set down a small fleet of sampans and the high ranking South Sea Officials rowed over. Aboard the ship, the Qing Ming students waited in two lines to welcome the officials on board, pride and derision in their eyes. Several of the commoners by the shore had left, but many also chose to stay, glancing around and unsure what they were waiting for. The officials boarded the ship, and each of them were handed a bundle of firewood by Ning Cheng. ¡°His Highness says you have already greeted him.¡± Ning Cheng informed them. ¡°The dried fish is being steamed, but the flame is not strong enough. We must trouble the honorable gentleman to hurry.¡± Zhou Xizhong grabbed a bundle of firewood, clearly understanding the deliberate humiliation but having no choice. His dark face swelled almost purple, and all his subordinates had to stifle their laughter as the solemn Commissioner got to work. Yan Huaishi brought them to the kitchen on board. The ship was an official issue that the Yan Family had remodeled; a string of large cooking stoves thickens with mud and bounded by metal lined the room. Yan Huaishi happily bowed to Zhou Xizhong, gesturing to a stove as he cheerfully requested: ¡°Please.¡± Zhou Xizhong looked at the bare room and suppressed his anger while he asked: ¡°Why are there no chairs.¡± ¡°Your Honor is misinformed.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, smiling as she walked in, crab in hand. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Honorable Commissioner is from humble origins as well, and though ¡®Gentleman stay far from the kitchen[1]¡¯ and Your Honor now enjoys wealth and power, you should know that people cannot sit while tending fires.¡± ¡°Master Wei.¡± An advisor said, bowing. ¡°Can you please find our Master a stool? The rest of us can squat.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied straight-faced: ¡°After the ship was damaged, all the stools were used to plug the hole, I really apologize.¡± The South Sea Officials could only swallow their humiliation and indignation. After a moment, Zhou Xizhong hiked up his robes and squatted by a stove; behind him, a string of officials hurriedly squatted around the room. They soon discovered that squatting while tending the fire was not the only annoyance as Zhou Xizhong labored over the tinder again and again without success. Young Master Gu had prepared half wet firewood, and even after the wood was lit, dense smoke filled the room, sending coughs through the officials and blackening their faces. Just as the fire was finally table, Ning Cheng came down to check on them again and again, ¡°The chopsticks are set¡­ is the fish ready?¡± ¡°The bowls are ready¡­ why aren¡¯t the crabs on the table?¡± ¡°¡­¡± [1] ¾ý×ÓÔ¶âÒ³ø: Mencius, King Hui of Liang: Part One Chapter 170 Translator: Aristophaneso Zhou Xizhong¡¯s face was covered in ash and his expression as cold as ice; of course he did not actually tend the fire, but he also could not leave; so the poor, powerful officials had to squat in front of him, laboring over something they had never done before, suffering the sharp eyes of their boss. In the main hall, Ning Yi drank tea with the South Sea Province¡¯s General Commander and Judicial Commissioner ¡ª as leaders of the local departments, the General Commander, Commissioner, and Judicial Commissioner were the provincial powers, but Zhou Xizhong dominated the region and had blocked news of the Imperial Envoys arrival. These two department heads had just been informed of Ning Yi¡¯s arrival and had rushed over. When the two heads arrived, they were just in time to see Zhou Xizhong try to light the fire. They were both delighted, and General Commander Lu Bo called out insincerely: ¡°We Minor Officials should also help.¡± Beside him, Judicial Commissioner Tao Shifeng laughed mockingly and yelled: ¡°Ai ya, Old Zhou. You¡¯re not doing that right! The wind is wrong! Watch out for the sparks!¡± Zhou Xizhong ignored their jeering as Ning Yi calmly replied: ¡°The Three Departments of South Sea work together in unity. You two should also tend the fire.¡± Lu Bo and Tao Shifeng stiffened, but Ning Yi continued: ¡°But since you arrived late, there is no more space to squat, so let¡¯s wait in the front hall.¡± Lu Bo and Tao Shifeng smiled, and they accompanied Ning Yi to drink tea in the front hall while Zhou Xizhong squatted by the stove, his fists clenched so tightly they crackled. An advisor moved over to him and whispered: ¡°Master, this matter¡­¡± ¡°The days ahead are long!¡± Zhou Xizhong bit back. ¡°Prince Chu must head to Minnan sooner or later. Without the Prince, I want to see what kind of wave Wei Zhi can cause in my South Sea.¡± ¡°Pa!¡± A piece of firewood slapped down next to Zhou Xizhong, shocking him from his thoughts. He looked up as Young Master Gu floated over and called out: ¡°Burned!¡± Feng Zhiwei looked over to check: ¡°Ai ya! Burned! Start over!¡± ¡°¡­¡± After almost two hours, a standard table of dishes was prepared: Steamed Crab, Steamed Dried Fish, Egg Drop Stew, Stir Fried Vegetables, Stir Fried Clams, and a dried Tiny Shrimp Soup with Seaweed and Kelp. Ning Yi sat in the seat of honor and calmly gestured to his guests: ¡°Please.¡± In order to hide his blindness, Feng Zhiwei had already arranged a small plate for him with all the food already prepared, masking his problem with eccentricity. As long as they played it off as Imperial habits while dining with strangers, no one would guess at other causes. Ning Yi picked up his chopsticks and every one else followed suit. After laboring so long, Zhou Xizhong was famished; he did not think the Prince would poison him in front of so many people, so he picked up a piece of dried fish. Just as he bit down, he noticed that Feng Zhiwei was ignoring her chopsticks, smiling as she slowly drank her tea. Her smile was peaceful and gentle, but Zhou Xizhong could not help but feel that it hid evil. The Commissioner eyed her with confusion and asked: ¡°Your Honor Wei is not going to eat?¡± ¡°This Minor Minsiter¡¯s stomach has not been well recently, so I cannot eat seafood.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, her smile radiant. ¡°Please enjoy. Please.¡± Zhou Xizhong murmured in understanding and bit down again. After chewing a few times, a crack filled his mouth. In such a tense setting, everyone had been silently eating with utmost caution, so this crack was heard by everyone. Zhou Xizhong sat quietly, his dark face turning purple, his hand on his pained cheek. Feng Zhiwei loudly stage whispered to Gu Nanyi: ¡°Hey, this dried fish, did you wash it?¡± Young Master Gu loudly replied: ¡°I scooped it out of the sea.¡± His meaning was: the sea was filled with water, why would he need to wash it again? ¡°¡­¡± The unfortunate Commissioner¡¯s sensitive teeth were hurt by the sand mixed in with the food, and none of the poor South Sea Officials could eat even after laboring over the food. Beside them, the hungry General Commander and Judicial Commissioner smiled joyfully, just happy to see the South Sea Tyrant suffer¡­ After rushing through the meal, the ship was barely saved from sinking and pulled to shore. When everyone disembarked, over half of the commoners had already left. Yan Huaishi eyed the still large crowd with worry, and he voiced his concern to Feng Zhiwei: ¡°Zhou Xizhong is not the only power here. The Chang Family is involved as well. This is not good; with so many people here, any sneak attack from within the crowd will be almost impossible to track.¡± ¡°We have to move through them.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied. ¡°Too many people are here, and if we have Zhou Xizhong disperse them, it will be too easy for saboteurs to inflame the crowd, and that will be even worse¡­ Just have the men guards His Highness no matter what.¡± She turned worried eyes to Ning Yi; she still had no idea how to fix his eyes. According to Ning Cheng, Ning Yi would most likely have to wait until Minnan to find a cure. She had no idea what Ning Yi was thinking or feeling; he always hid his emotions, but she knew what she felt. She was partly responsible for Ning Yi¡¯s injury, so no matter what happened, she would not allow anything to happen to him. As they left the ship, the guards took lead and formed around them. The three department heads stood before them while Ning Cheng and Feng Zhiwei guarded Ning Yi¡¯s left and right. The Qing Ming Academy students made a circle around them, and the guards an outer layer around them all; everyone surrounded Ning Yi like an iron wall. Feng Zhiwei had Helian Zheng and Gu Nanyi take the front and back of the student team, exhorting them time and again to protect the students ¡ª these were the Young Masters of Dijing¡¯s most powerful ministers; they all had great status and no accident could be allowed to befall them. Ning Yi listened to the bustle around him and he quietly squeezed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s finger, smiling as he whispered: ¡°How rare for you to worry so much about me.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly replied: ¡°Sharing His Highness¡¯s burdens is this Minor Minister¡¯s duty.¡± Ning Yi chuckled and leaned over, whispering: ¡°This Prince would rather hear you say ¡ª serving the Prince is this Minor Concubine¡¯s duty.¡± Feng Zhiwei was already quite anxious; not only did she have to watch the crowd, she also had to mind her team, and so when this man teased her, Feng Zhiwei reacted with anger, a smile blooming on her face as she replied: ¡°Really? Then this Minor Concubine hopes you will be satisfied in your next life.¡± With her words only half spoken, she suddenly snapper her mouth shut. An old woman in the crowd lost her footing and stumbled into her team; a guard in the outer circle hurriedly pushed her away, but the old woman fell to the ground and rolled back, the basket in her hand rolling past the guards¡¯ feet towards Ning Yi. Chapter 171 In that instant, Feng Zhiwei saw underneath the clothing and sundry covering the basket fall away, revealing numerous black balls. Bombs! The basket rolled towards Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi, and Feng Zhiwei cried out: ¡°Stop¡­¡± as a guard lifted his foot to kick it away. But her cry came too late. The basket exploded and smoke filled the protective circle. Blood and flesh splattered! Yells and weeping filled the air! Feng Zhiwei instantly turned and hugged Ning Yi as the smoke exploded, and she felt Ning Yi grabbing her back as someone else jumped over and grabbed both of them. The blast was so strong that all three of them fell to the ground, holding each other as they rolled away. Miserable cries and shouting threw everything into chaos as the thousands of commoners scattered to the winds. The vicinity of the bomb was filled with black smoke, and figures ran around, bumping into each other. Scattered bombs were unwittingly stepped on and set off, rocking them with explosion after explosion and more and more smoke. People ran and screamed and cried, and the peaceful dock became hell on earth. Feng Zhiwei did not know how long or how far she rolled as blood covered figures fell on top of her and feet trampled her. She had no time to think and no opportunity to clamber to her feet; all she could do was hug Ning Yi has tightly as she could. Ning Yi hugged her back, covering her body with his own; when they had fallen, she had been protecting him, but now he was protecting her. There were too many people in the docks and the explosion had caused enormous damage. Doomsday chaos reigned and everyone was terrified and confused like beasts trapped in cages. They ran and yelled, unable to care that people were being trampled underfoot. No one could stand straight, and no one could protect anyone else. Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei felt feet run over them, and the third person above them kept trying to help them up and was repeatedly foiled by blasts and panicked runners. In the end, the person with them covered them with his body, trying his best to find a way out of the running legs and stinging smoke as he protected Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei, limping and rolling and stumbling forward. Through the darkness and chaos, Feng Zhiwei could hear Gu Nanyi cry out: ¡°Wei!¡± This was how Feng Zhiwei had asked Gu Nanyi to call for her: Feng Zhiwei¡¯s Wei[1] and Wei Zhi¡¯s Wei[2] were both pronounced the same, so no matter the circumstance this call would not arouse suspicion. Feng Zhiwei spirits lifted! Young Master Gu was safe! She howled into the air: ¡°I am here!¡± But everyone else was shouting and yelling as well. A thousand miserable cries rose like a mad tide and drowned her voice, and Feng Zhiwei did not have a thick, powerful True Qi like Gu Nanyi. There was no way she could make herself heard. Trembling, they fell into a low-lying ditch and stopped rolling. There were fewer people in this area, and they finally managed to stand. Feng Zhiwei looked around, spotting a slop used to drag boats ashore; they were by the docks repair-yard, no longer in the docks proper. She finally felt the soreness and pain running throughout her body, and she looked over to Ning Yi and saw him equally miserable. A large purple swelling filled his hand and bruises marred his face, but he sat calmly as he reached out for her, trying to make sure she was safe. Feng Zhiwei sighed in relief and said: ¡°Thankfully Ning Cheng protected us. We need to find the others as soon as possible. We need to make sure that they¡¯re safe¡­¡± Ning Yi shook his head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Ning Cheng.¡± Feng Zhiwei jerked as a feeble voice whispered below her: ¡°Vice President, it¡¯s me¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei looked down and grunted. It was the number one Young Master, Yao Ying¡¯s spoiled son Yao Yangyu. ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± Feng Zhiwei called out as she helped him up; Yao Yangyu was more miserable than either of them, covered in blood and footprints. When the bomb had exploded, he had been right next to Feng Zhiwei. The young lad had fast reactions and instantly used his body to protect her and the Prince, staying by them and valiantly defending them all the way here. Just as Feng Zhiwei was wondering about Ning Cheng¡¯s absence, Ning Yi calmly explained: ¡°I pushed him over to the students when the bomb went off.¡± Feng Zhiwei understood. The bomb had exploded amidst the guards and the students were right beside the troops. Besides the soldiers, the students were in the most danger, so Ning Yi had sent Ning Cheng to save them. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart shook as she thought about the matter; she had lead the students to South Sea; only she was responsible for their safety; Ning Yi was not involved in anyway. The only reason the Prince would neglect his own safety and send away his most powerful bodyguard to save the students was because of his care for her. And for Ning Yi¡¯s bodyguard to willingly go and abandon his main charge could only be because Ning Cheng understood why saving the students was important to Ning Yi. The thoughts flashed through her mind, but she showed nothing on her face; instead, she looked away and climbed up the slope. The explosions had stopped and the smoke mostly scattered; countless bodies lay strewn on the ground, with severed limbs haphazardly thrown all around. Injured commoners lay groaning into their blood, their life a mixed blessing. A moment from hell had come onto earth. Feng Zhiwei paused in stunned disbelief, her eyes growing wet as she murmured: ¡°How many deaths¡­¡± Then her eyes narrowed; a figure dashed towards them through the smoke, clearly searching the chaos. Ning Yi cried out behind her: ¡°Name yourself!¡± She immediately turned and pushed Ning Yi aside, and as she moved she felt Ning Yi push her as well. They fell to either side as a bloody sword light flew between them, cutting forward. Feng Zhiwei heard a faint cry of pain as she pulled her sword from her waist; Ning Yi signed the assassin¡¯s location and she cut forward. She felt her sword hit and heard a muffled sound, and then the killer stumbled and rolled before jumping to their feet and fleeing. Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei could not chase and could only watch as the attacker escaped. Feng Zhiwei angrily bit her lips and cursed: ¡°Ruthless! Bombing five thousand commoners just to kill us! All those innocents! And still coming even now!¡± She looked back and saw Yao Yangyu clutching his arm, pressing down on a deep wound. Feng Zhiwei immediately rushed over to dress his wound, shame filling her ¡ª when the assassin had come, she had only thought of saving Ning Yi, completely neglecting this poor savior of hers. [1] ΢ Wei 1 [2] κ Wei 4 Chapter 172 Yao Yangyu, however, did not mind Feng Zhiwei¡¯s reaction and smiled as she helped him: ¡°For the Honored Vice President to personally dress my wounds, it would even be worth it to be injured again.¡± Ning Yi was originally feeling somewhat apologetic, but as soon as Yao Yangyu spoke his face fell; Feng Zhiwei eyed Ning Yi, not knowing whether to laugh or cry as she wondered at how narrow-minded Ning Yi could sometimes be. In the distance, a figure rose up out of the grey smoke carrying two people, turning his head as he scanned the docks; Feng Zhiwei recognized Gu Nanyi and happily waved her hands, yelling: ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Gu Nanyi heard her, and he dropped the two unfortunate students he had saved and floated over. As soon as he made it over, he pulled Feng Zhiwei out of Ning Yi¡¯s embrace and carefully checked her over; Feng Zhiwei had no choice in the matter, for this was one of the few things the aloof Young Master Gu insisted on ¡ª serious consequences would follow if Feng Zhiwei refused. After he made sure that Feng Zhiwei was general alright, Young Master Gu pulled his hands away and suddenly announced: ¡°No trees.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused for a moment before remembering their conversation; Gu Nanyi had taken her words to heart, and when he got separated from Feng Zhiwei he had looked for trees, but how could there be any trees in this empty yard. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± She smiled in reply: ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± They crossed the hell covered dock and passed the countless dead and injured, and Feng Zhiwei began the laborious and thankless task of sorting and counting the bodies. Yan Huaishi had been on the ship arranging matters and was the most fortunate; at least ten guards had died, and four students suffered injuries. Thanks to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s arrangement, as soon as the explosion went off, Helian Zheng, Gu Nanyi, and Ning Cheng all rushed to save the students in the epicenter of danger. The students were incredibly touched; in the chaos, when everyone else was running for their lives, Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi sent their experts away from themselves to protect the students. This was a rare kindness. The South Sea Officials had been close to the explosion as well, and they all sat or lay on the ground, shocked. One advisor had lost an arm and hugged himself, crying miserably. Zhou Xizhong sat, surrounded by guards, his face inhumanly pale. The smoke still lingered over the blood drenched ground; shoes were scattered everywhere, many of them never to be reunited with their owners. Scattered commoners gathered back to look for their family, and heart-rending cries would periodically cut their hearts. Sadness and tragedy filled the dock, and most everyone wore a desolate and despondent look; Zhou Xizhong sat blankly, staring around numbly as he shoved away a subordinate trying to help him stand. Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi both looked at him ¡ª the unruly and tough man was arrogant, but was also said to be honest and incorruptible, deeply devoted to his people. This was why the South Sea people loved and respected him so; but today, in his selfishness and desire to make trouble for the Imperial Envoys, he had arranged for ten thousand of his people to assemble at the docks, and now disaster had struck. The emotions in his heart must be indescribable. Ning Yi turned to Feng Zhiwei. She understood ¡ª now was the best moment to take him down. If she charged him with failure to maintain security and stability, causing major casualties, Feng Zhiwei could suspend him. His South Sea Officials would all suffer as well, and with the ground clear, Feng Zhiwei would have much smoother sailing even when Ning Yi left for Minnan. But Feng Zhiwei shook her head. She turned slowly, taking in all of the scarlet docks. She did not shy away from her guard¡¯s bodies or her blood covered students, and she stared directly at the mutilated remains of the tragic commoners, her soft eyes furious and cold. A blood-thirst burned like fire in her gaze and her misted eyes fell dark with red. Though she faced everything with a smile, she too had fury. If soft power could not break through this iron wall, she would tear it down and destroy it with unyielding force! ¡°Cha.¡± Her black sword cut through the air like a beam of piercing light, slashing a furious chasm into the greenstone tiles. The cut was like tightly pressed lips after an oath. ¡°Chang Family! Wait for me!¡± Whether the Chang Family waited no one here knew, but the Yan Family, leader of the South Sea Five Clans, had waited for a long time. The Five Families had all been squeezed to the back, intentionally blocked by South Sea¡¯s commoners and officials; good had come out of misfortune, and no one from the clans were injured. Now, a group of men of various ages rushed over to greet the, but before they could kneel Feng Zhiwei was already saying: ¡°No formalities; now is not the time for court manners. Bring your people and get the wounded to the doctors. Help move the bodies and notify family. There will be time for courtesy after we¡¯re done here.¡± Ning Yi was already among the South Sea Officials, whipping them into action. The Five Families were filled with understanding ¡ª was this not a great opportunity to win the hearts of the South Sea people? As they hurriedly passed down orders, Feng Zhiwei turned brought Gu Nanyi to search for the living and wounded. Gu Nanyi swept through the docks, sealing acupuncture points and saving the desperately wounded as Feng Zhiwei organized and triaged for the doctors brought by the families and the government. The Yan Family moved very quickly, setting up temporary medical tents in every corner of the dock, and a separate tent for Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei. But neither of them rested, and Feng Zhiwei never stepped foot in the tent; she was too busy helping. The commoners rushing over to help all quietly eyed the young, slender Imperial Envoy rush around moving burnt, mutilated bodies. From time to time, the Envoy would square down beside a bloody body and roll up his sleeves, baring his white, clean arms as he dressed a wound. With hands stained with blood and gore, he stopped sweat and ash from dropping into his eyes, and soon his clean, refreshing face was stained dark red. A young man had lost his arm in the explosion, and the doctor could not stop the bleeding no matter what he tried. The young man would soon die from blood loss, and his family¡¯s weeping drew Master Wei¡¯s attention. Master Wei rushed over and pressed down on an acupuncture point, slowing the bleeding enough for him to apply the herbal ointment and dress the wound. Neatly, efficiently, Master Wei saved this strong youth¡¯s life, and before the young man¡¯s family could kowtow in gratitude, he was already running off to another tent. An old man with heart problems lay moaning in pain, a raging swelling looming high on his temple. Just as people were about to move him into the tent, Master Wei rushed over and stopped them. As he rushed to get a doctor, he told them time and time again not to move the old man. There were too many wounded and not enough doctors, so Master Wei had to take charge. He knelt in the dirt and blood, grasping a fisherman¡¯s swelling leg as he gently pulled off the man¡¯s filthy boot. It was as if he did not smell the nastiness of the leather and the fish mingled shit and blood ¡ª always calm, always sympathetic. Chapter 173 Hostility faded and the earnest people were moved; many commoners who had originally shunned her came up to her, assisting her in moving the injured, washing wounds, bandaging and applying medicine¡­ The wailing and chaos of the docks slowly faded, and a tense, disciplined air filled the grounds. A single glance towards Feng Zhiwei was all the sign she needed to walk over and offer her help; after the unfriendly welcome, the local officials, commoners, and the Imperial Envoy¡¯s team all worked together to heal and save. Even the spoiled students from Qing Ming Academy could only stay onlookers for a moment, and then they were rolling up their sleeves and helping. Yao Yangyu lay on his stretcher besides the guards, groaning out advice and orders. Sometimes, tragedy was a time of greatness and love. As Feng Zhiwei washed her filthy hands, she looked out at the busy helpers and her heart was quietly moved. The moon climbed in the sky, and after a day of efficient labor the dock returned to peace, with only quiet, muffled moans lingering around the tents. But Feng Zhiwei did not rest. She wandered the docks, searching. Dozens of people had died and hundreds injured, but most people had not been harmed by the bombs, but by the chaotic stampede afterwards. Feng Zhiwei was worried that during the chaos, some people had been squished into hard to notice crevices. Shredded clothing and scattered shuffled in the wind, dancing over the docks like countless hands beckoning ghosts. The cold moon shone in pools of blood, a pale eye reflected again and again. Feng Zhiwei walked slowly, her eyes filled with grief; occasionally, she would bend down to grab a well loved trinket ¡ª a gold lock necklace, a pouch, a small embroidered bag¡­ significant and sentimental items carried with love, now abandoned with no one to cherish them. Gu Nanyi followed, unsure what was on her mind but able to see her sadness. As she walked, even the quiet moonlight seemed a weight on her thin shoulders. Suddenly, he stepped forward, draping his cloth over her shoulders. Feng Zhiwei turned in startlement, the cloth weighing so heavily on her that for a moment she even imagined it an assassin¡¯s weapon. She stared at Young Master Gu, not knowing whether to laugh or cry as he tried to drape a tent over her shoulders. What are you doing? Feng Zhiwei grabbed a corner of the tent and spoke with her eyes. Young Master Gu stood silently, motionless, but a stunned Feng Zhiwei noticed the eyes behind his veil moving ¡ª wasn¡¯t Young Master Gu supposed to either stare straight ahead or down at the ground three inches in front of him? But Young Master Gu remained silent, and Feng Zhiwei quietly sighed, guessing that Young Master Gu was telling her to set up the tent. But then he opened his mouth: ¡°Wear it. Not cold.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused, startled again. She could only react after a long moment had passed ¡ª he was worried she would get cold? He was trying to help her with these ¡®clothes¡¯? She froze in shock, clutching the heavy tent, unable to react. Her heart grew warm and pained, and she realized that this was the first time Gu Nanyi had ever showed concern for her comfort. He cared whether she lived, but it had always seemed like a mission forced upon him; a meaningless, reasonless task set for him, like eating walnuts or only allowing eight pieces of meat. When they had just met, he had kicked her off the bed and ordered her to sleep at his feet. When unsatisfied, he had thrown the clothes she had washed into the latrine pit, and even while protecting her, he was never gentle. When had his aloofness cracked and let in this beam of light? And which mysterious saint had wielded wisdom to cut open his chaotic, gloomy existence? The moon was cold and the dock quiet; a faint mist muffled distant moans, and the man and woman stood silently facing each other in the autumn wind. After a long while, she hugged the tent close like a cloak and smiled. ¡°En, it is very warm¡­¡± Young Master Gu nodded with satisfaction; he also thought that it was warm. He could tell just by looking at her. Meanwhile, Feng Zhiwei wondered how she would walk, dragging the tent cloak. After a few steps, Gu Nanyi¡¯s ears twitched, and then Feng Zhiwei heard something as well. Before them, beneath a haphazard pile of sundries of basins and nets and wooden boards, a quiet, weak voice cried out. Feng Zhiwei rushed forward and dug, gasping as she unearthed the voice. Below the basins and nets, a small infant lay in a basin, a dead young woman curled protectively around it, carrying the weight of the rubble on her shoulders. The young girl had been pressed here by the rushing crowds and trampled, but she had protected her child. Afraid that her body would crush the infant, she had placed the infant in the basin below her as she guarded her baby with her life. The basin was not small, and if she had been able to use it to shield herself she may have survived, but she must have been weakened and injured already, and the only one she could save was her child. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes grew wet as she stared down at that simple basin. Mothers. All mothers were just ordinary women like any other, but when hardship and danger came, the strength they showed reached across the barrier between life and death. Feng Zhiwei hugged the child. The infant was completely fine, crying and weak out of hunger. As soon as the baby felt the warmth of another, it reached out and grabbed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand. A small smile crossed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face and she rubbed her cheek against the baby¡¯s smooth smile, wrapping it in the tent cloth. As she swaddled the infant, Feng Zhiwei noticed that the child¡¯s clothing was exquisite, subtly luxurious. An un-inscribed gold lock necklace hung around his neck, an obsidian gem inlayed on the back. As Feng Zhiwei held it, the gem sparkled dark purple in the moonlight. She turned to the dead woman; the corpse wore normal commoner¡¯s clothes without any jewelry ¡ª was she not the mother of the child? If she was not the mother, why had she sacrificed herself? The necklace was clearly too valuable to leave on a defenseless baby, so after a moment of thought, Feng Zhiwei stored it away for safe keeping. With arms around it, the child had stopped crying and was happily suck its thumbs. Suddenly, a playful thought ran through Feng Zhiwei and she put the baby in Young Master Gu¡¯s arms. Chapter 174 ¡°Hold him.¡± When this thing was stuck in his arms, Young Master Gu jumped as if burnt by fire[1]. His first reaction was to throw the baby, and Feng Zhiwei watched him nervously, ready to dive to catch the infant, but before Young Master Gu could complete his throw, the startled infant began to cry. Young Master Gu was also startled, so he immediately pulled his hands back and hugged the infant tightly, still and motionless. ¡°That¡¯s right, don¡¯t throw, don¡¯t throw.¡± Feng Zhiwei said soothingly, sighing in relief. She smiled at Young Master Gu and said: ¡°Look, isn¡¯t it cute?¡± After a long moment, Young Master Gu turned to her: ¡°I don¡¯t want.¡± ¡°You do.¡± Feng Zhiwei insisted. ¡°I don¡¯t want¡­¡± ¡°You do¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want I don¡¯t want¡­¡± The curt Young Master Gu was actually stammering. Clearly, the shock he faced was immense. Feng Zhiwei smiled teasingly and brought Gu Nanyi¡¯s hand to the infant¡¯s smooth face, ¡°Touch that. This is a baby¡­ so sweet and gentle.¡± Before Young Master Gu had time to handle the first lightning bolt, a second lightning bolt had followed. His finger brushed against the baby¡¯s face, and Gu Nanyi shivered as he jerked his hand away. ¡°Isn¡¯t he so soft?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, staring up evilly at him. ¡°You were also this soft and sweet once, lying in your mother¡¯s arms. You must have heard your mother¡¯s hums, and your father touched your face just like this.¡± Gu Nanyi quivered again, and he seemed to fall into a trance, led by Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words and the strange, warm softness in his arms. He was transported to a distant world filled with color and music and smiles, everything he never had in this life. The small, soft human in his arms filled him with such discomfort that he felt like he was walking nude. He hated it and wanted to throw this thing away, but a soft, tender voice filled his ears and felt that there was something different in her voice. He did not understand, but somehow he knew that he could not refuse her, that he could not throw aside the baby. Expectation and hope filled her voice. She wanted his world to be more than three inches around him, and more than eight pieces of meat. She wanted more for him than emptiness rejection; she hoped that he could have a colorful life of wide heavens and deep earths, with emotion and complexity. She wanted him to understand that there were things worthy crying for, worth fighting for, worth joy. Young Master Gu stiffly hugged the baby; no one could tell whether he was hearing Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words. His only perceivable reaction was the quivering of his arm as he held the infant. Feng Zhiwei was greatly amused, and she thought Young Master Gu seemed very cute, but it did not seem too proper to force a powerhouse like him into this corner. His improvement would have to come slowly. Feng Zhiwei rescued him from the child, and Young Master Gu let out a long breath of relief and jumped away, immediately dashing into a tent in the distance. The imperturbable Young Master Gu had been forced to flee in panic by this vicious hearted woman, and the girl in question felt no shame. She giggled to herself before finding Yan Huaishi and having him find a wet nurse. Finally, she walked over to Ning Yi¡¯s tent. Ning Yi was still awake, meditating by an oil lamp. A quiet yellow halo hung around his brows, casting his face and long lashes in a tired shadow, adding to his composed tranquility. At the noise, Ning Yi looked up and spoke: ¡°What were you looking for so late into the night¡­¡± Then the baby murmured. Ning Yi¡¯s words froze in his mouth, and his lips fell open. After shocking two people, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heavy mood lightened a little, and she smiled as she replied: ¡°Ah? What was Your Highness saying? Will you continue?¡± ¡°Where did this child come from?¡± Ning Yi replied, pulling her close as Feng Zhiwei explained what had happened, not mentioning the necklace. Ning Yi reached out to the baby¡¯s cheek and the brave baby accepted his offering. Ning Yi chuckled as the baby sucked on his finger, and he smiled as he turned to Feng Zhiwei: ¡°I thought for a moment that I had traveled ten years into the future.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°I¡¯m working, and you bring in our child to accompany me.¡± Ning Yi explained, his eyes half serious. He chuckled and continued: ¡°Then I ignore you and you flip my desk.¡± Feng Zhiwei could not help but chuckle in response, even if the man was poking fun at her again. ¡°Your Highness has a very good imagination.¡± Ning Yi reached out and gently brushed his fingers against her face. ¡°Is it impossible?¡± His voice was deep and quiet, and the cold autumn night seemed to linger in the tent. A cold breeze swept in through the folds of the tent entrance, shifting an envelope on his table. Ning Yi shifted his elbow to pin the wayward paper down. Feng Zhiwei sat up straight. ¡°Who knows what will come in ten years?¡± She replied, her smile not reaching her eyes, her gaze shimmering with melancholy and uncertainty. ¡°Perhaps we will be strangers, or just passing acquaintances. Perhaps things will be like this, or perhaps I will kneel before your throne. And perhaps¡­ perhaps we will be enemies.¡± At her final words, both of them trembled. Feng Zhiwei turned her face away as Ning Yi fell silent; when he spoke, he asked: ¡°Why?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and replied: ¡°Am I not just listing possibilities?¡± She stood, hugging the baby as she continued saying: ¡°I¡¯ll go see if the wet nurse is here.¡± Ning Yi listened to her walk away, his face expressionless under the faint yellow light. After a long moment, he slowly shifted his elbow and picked up the envelope. The urgent missive was sealed by his own intelligence officers, marked with great urgency. He held the letter for a long while; he did not need to open it ¡ª the contents were already carved into his heart. Finally, he rose and touched the letter to the lamp¡¯s fire. Dark yellow flame curled up the edges of the envelope, licking up the paper and turning it to a pile of ash. The envelope burnt itself out as the lamp ran low; Ning Yi leaned his elbow against the desk, letting the lamp burn itself out, allowing darkness to consume the tent. A while later, a long, directionless sigh filled the air. After leaving Ning Yi¡¯s tent, Feng Zhiwei returned to Yan Huaishi, planning the Yan Family¡¯s charity for the new orphans. ¡°This is a good opportunity for your Yan Family to earn public support.¡± Feng Zhiwei said calmly, her expression peaceful as she watched the baby drink milk. ¡°It is true that your Yan Family opposed this gathering, but you should not flaunt this. Demonstrate the sturdy foundations of your wealth, and then allow reconciliation; show your strength, power, and dignity from start to finish, and you will make yourself a desirable ally.¡± [1] I though at the pagoda where the crown prince was killed, Gu¡¯s clothes was on fire and he didn¡¯t really care. Chapter 175 Although Yan Huaishi full-heartedly agreed, his expression was conflicted. Feng Zhiwei turned to him: ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There are two difficulties.¡± Yan Huaishi replied. ¡°The people of South Sea are tough; it will not be so easy to wipe away their hostility towards us. No one has ever shown interest in the Charitable Halls any of us run; they¡¯d rather wait in line in front of the Government Yamen for the public fund.¡± ¡°This is simple.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied. ¡°Take this child and the other orphans to your Charitable Hall. The commoners will be unhappy with the government because of today, and you must act while they are angry. Plan together with the other families and find a way to calm the commoners; if the government dares to hinder you, I will deal with them.¡± Yan Huaishi stared at Feng Zhiwei, filled with gratitude. Finally, he replied: ¡°I don¡¯t know how to show my gratitude¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei waved her hand, smiling as she cut him off: ¡°You are wrong. You have been helping me from the beginning ¡ª if it weren¡¯t for you, I would have never made it into Qing Ming Academy and everything that has happened would have been impossible. You arranged all the mansion matters in Dijing and handled all the fees, and after I entered politics, if I did not have your financial support, how could I have been so generous in all those required official exchanges. We¡¯re friends; there¡¯s no need to count all this so carefully. What¡¯s the second difficulty?¡± Yan Huaishi sighed as he answered: ¡°The second difficulty is that I am afraid you value me too highly.¡± Feng Zhiwei showed her confusion as Yan Huaishi continued: ¡°It is difficult to explain. You will understand¡­ my Yan Family¡¯s Elders wish to meet with you. May I arrange the meeting?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, eyeing him as she smiled and nodded. Feng Zhiwei frowned into her tea as Yan Huaishi hurried off. What was on his mind? He was so clever and capable and had achieved so much for his family, what could be troubling him so? Yan Huaishi quickly returned, holding the tent¡¯s curtain door open as an assorted group of men and women, youths and elders entered. Only after everyone else was inside did Yan Huaishi follow. Everyone was completely comfortable with Yan Huaishi¡¯s deference, even the young men and women his age. Feng Zhiwei raised a brow, a faint smile dancing across her eyes. The Yan Family Elders had already greeted Feng Zhiwei in the daytime, but the others had only just arrived, here accompanying their Elders to pay a formal visit to the Honored Imperial Envoy. None of them seemed prepared for the fact that the Honored Imperial Envoy was just a teen youth. Young eyes examined Feng Zhiwei, and she evenly returned their gazes, her brows cocked questioningly. A girl at the back of the group stared right into her eyes, even lifting her chin and smiling. They really¡­ were too lacking in propriety. Feng Zhiwei calmly eyed that smile, no change in her indifferent expression; the girl¡¯s expression seemed to stiffen and her face twitched, as if she was struggling with anger. ¡°South Sea Yan Family greets the Honored Imperial Envoy, good fortune to the Honorable Master!¡± The old man in the lead called out, trembling laboriously as he kneeled before her. The other Elders followed suit, and the youths in the back exchanged unwilling glances before reluctantly kneeling as well. Feng Zhiwei stepped forward to help the Elders up: ¡°Seniors, Elders, I cannot accept such great courtesy.¡± As Feng Zhiwei tried to help the Elders to their feet and the Elders clung to the ground in gratitude and deference, the youths in the back had already hopped to their feet and were patting dirt from their robes. Yan Huaishi lowered his head and gently helped the Elders to their feet, saying to the leader: ¡°Great Grandfather, please sit. The Honored Imperial Envoy is respectful of seniors¡­¡± As he held the man¡¯s arms, Feng Zhiwei saw the old man twitch as if to restrain himself from shaking aside Yan Huaishi¡¯s hand. The old man smiled in gratitude to Feng Zhiwei and then turned to Yan Huaishi: ¡°You¡¯ll only get in the way here, don¡¯t trouble the Honorable Imperial Envoy.¡± The old man¡¯s words were calm, and under different lighting she may have assumed it a kindly elder¡¯s gentle reminder, but Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes gleamed as she heard the hidden disgust and resentment in the old man¡¯s voice. The Yan Family youths exchanged glances as half smiles crossed their lips. Yan Huaishi quietly replied: ¡°Yes,¡± and then bowed and retreated. Just as he was lifting the curtain to exit, Feng Zhiwei called out: ¡°Huaishi, where are you going?¡± All the Yan Family people stirred, and Yan Huaishi slowly turned and explained: ¡°I will prepare tea for everyone. The tent is too temporary and there are no servants¡­¡± ¡°The task of serving tea will not fall to you.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, her smile not reaching her eyes as she calmly seated herself. ¡°How could the person with such outstanding service be missing from this meeting? Come here and sit.¡± At these words, the Yan Family stirred again. Elder Yan tried to hold back his emotions, but finally he could resist no longer and tentatively asked: ¡°For Master Wei to favor Huaishi is our Yan Family¡¯s fortune, but why does the Imperial Envoy say that he rendered outstanding service?¡± Feng Zhiwei was surprised by the question. How were her words unfitting? If Yan Huaishi had not become friends with Feng Zhiwei, how would their Yan Family be titled Imperial Merchant? If Yan Huaishi had not put in all his effort to help Feng Zhiwei, would Feng Zhiwei have chosen him as assistant to the Imperial Envoy founding the Maritime Department? Where else would the future title of nobility come from? But these words were not the most suitable to speak aloud, so she turned silently and examined Yan Huaishi. Her friend smiled in bitter silence, and Feng Zhiwei understood she was missing something. Yan Huaishi was remarkably adept at business and socializing and had been excellent in Dijing, but ever since they had departed for South Sea, his initial excitement had slowly disappeared and had been replaced by unrest and worry and insecurity. What was going on? The elderly grandfather continued: ¡°The Yan Family is very grateful for Your Honor¡¯s favor, and if it were not for the Imperial Envoy the Yan Family would never have been graced with the position we are in today. Because of Your Honor¡¯s guidance and leadership, the commoner¡¯s grandson Huaiyuan now works in the Department of Imperial Merchants in Dijing. Our Yan Family has not been able to express our gratitude for such grace and kindness in person¡­¡± The more closely Feng Zhiwei listened, the stranger the matter appeared. Who was Huaiyuan? She had been very busy when the Yan Family had come to Dijing to accept His Majesty¡¯s titling, so she had not bothered with the names in the matter. She had assumed that Yan Huaishi would definitely hold the title, not now she realized her assumption had been mistaken. Why had Yan Huaishi not said anything? She turned questioning eyes towards Yan Huaishi once more, and he avoided her gaze. ¡°All matters related to Imperial Merchant duties have been decided in coordination with Brother Huaishi and I. If you wish to express your gratitude, thank him.¡± Feng Zhiwei gestured to Yan Huaishi with her chin. ¡°How is he involved?¡± The girl in the back cut in coldly. ¡°Clearly my Big Brother handles all the Imperial Merchant business!¡± Chapter 176 ¡°Huaiying!¡± A middle aged man immediately cried out. ¡°Mind your manners!¡± The girl tossed her head angrily and turned away. Feng Zhiwei slowly set down her tea. She showed no anger, her face intensely blank and calm. The Yan Family felt the tent fall cold and grave, and the somewhat generous confines of the tent suddenly seemed crowded as they shifted anxiously. Feng Zhiwei stared silently at them, and all of them grew uncomfortable and confused. Finally, Feng Zhiwei commented emotionlessly: ¡°The tea is cold.¡± What was she saying?¡± The uncomfortable Yan Family people glanced at each other as Yan Huaishi headed for the entrance, saying: ¡°There are not even attendants here, I will make a new pot.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, calling to him: ¡°Why is a big man like you eagerly rushing off to make tea? Your Yan Family is a large South Sea clan, and surely your clan has strict rules. The men have gathered to discuss official business. Your Yan Family¡¯s patriarch must know who should be serving, so this matter is not yours to worry about.¡± Grandfather Yan paled, and he immediately replied: ¡°Yes, this old man has forgotten courtesy. Huaiying, why have you not served tea to the Honorable Imperial Envoy and your Seniors and Brothers!¡± ¡°I refuse!¡± The girl cried out, throwing up her chin, her pink face pale with anger as her fingers trembled in her fury. ¡°I am the Young Lady of the Yan Family, I do not serve!¡± ¡°Huaiying, restrain yourself!¡± The middle aged man cried out again. Yan Huaiying¡¯s father was filled with anger and regret. Grandfather Yan frowned. He had brought his favorite younger generation because the Imperial Envoy was young and might have something in common with them and anything that might deepen their relationship was worth trying, but he had not expected the normally decent Huaiying to lose her cool around Huaishi. How was he to salvage this situation? The Imperial Envoy was young, but none of the Yan Family¡¯s youths were in his league. Grandfather Yan had already heard what happened in the docks, and anyone capable of subduing Tyrant Zhou must be extraordinary. Many Imperial Envoys had come to South Sea, but none of them had stayed, and some had been chased away before even making it to shore! The elder smiled and tried to ease the tension, but Feng Zhiwei was not even looking at them. She had turned back to her tea, picking up her cup and slowly blowing at the leaves floating in the liquid. Finally, she laughed coldly. Her cold laugh scared everyone to their feet. The host had picked up his tea cup so it was time for the guests to leave, so the Yan Family hurriedly stood and bid their farewells. Feng Zhiwei saw everything, disdain in her eyes as the furious young girl in the back shot to her feet and kicked over her stool. Yan Huaishi held the curtain for them to leave, but before he could follow Feng Zhiwei called out: ¡°Huaishi, stay.¡± Through the dark of the tent, she saw Grandfather Yan turn and glance warningly at Yan Huaishi before leaving. ¡°What is going on?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked when everyone had left, setting down her tea. Yan Huaishi was silent. As she thought back to the farce that had just played out, Feng Zhiwei grew angrier and angrier, and her voice was icy as she said: ¡°Do not think that the Yan Family is the only choice for leadership in the new Maritime Department. His Majesty has granted me authority in this matter, any family will do, whether Yan, Cheng, Huang, Li, or Shangguan!¡± ¡°No!¡± Yan Huaishi hurriedly replied: ¡°This is about me, they do not dare disrespect you.¡± ¡°They are targeting you? Why do you allow it? Why are they so hostile to you?¡± Feng Zhiwei shot back, her eyes narrowing with sharp intent. When Feng Zhiwei had stumbled upon Yan Huaishi outside Qing Ming Academy, she had assumed that he was abroad for experience and merit to vie for the position of Patriarch, but it seemed that her assumption had been too optimistic. Yan Huaishi could not even claim credit for his great merit. Yan Huaishi was not a fool; if he allowed things to come to this, he had a reason. Yan Huaishi shook his head, unwilling to speak of his troubles. Feng Zhiwei quietly examined him for a long while, and finally she said: ¡°Ask your Yan Family to prepare us a residence tomorrow. His Highness and I will both live there.¡± Yan Huaishi trembled as he jerked his eyes upwards. He understood Feng Zhiwei¡¯s cautious character. Under normal circumstances, there was no way she would make such a clear sign of support before investigating the Yan Family and solving the hatred of the South Sea commoners. Her choice meant that she was determined to help him. ¡°Brother Mei¡­ Master¡­ I¡­¡± Yan Huaishi stuttered, his lips trembling. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, don¡¯t call me Master. We met while we were nobodies, and even now our households in Dijing are joined. As long as we are loyal, we will always be brothers.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, laughing. ¡°And, I like that young man from Qing Ming Academy who had so aggressively offered to buy my clothing, not this timid and reticent stranger.¡± ¡°Be yourself.¡± She said, standing and walking out of the tent. ¡°All mortal matters have a bottom line. I do not care what secret sorrow you are hiding, and I do not care whether you are suffering from injustice. If it crosses your bottom line, never bear it; even if you can accept it, I will never allow you to.¡± ¡°The Chang Family means to rebel. If we cannot control the South Sea, it will be controlled by the Chang Family. The founding of the Maritime Department is just a pretext; my true task is to bring all of South Sea under my control. South Sea must become mine.¡± Feng Zhiwei explained, her voice gentle but firm as her slim shoulders crossed out into the silver night. ¡°So, the Yan Family must be yours.¡± After a night in the tents, Yan Huaishi arranged a residence for Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi in the Yan Family¡¯s Resting Yard Villa. Ning Yi had no objections, but the South Sea government did; unfortunately, their objections were useless. Meanwhile, Feng Zhiwei had already sent off people to investigate the conflict between the South Sea Families and the common people. The South Sea used to be a poor, barren land, but when the ban on maritime trade had been lifted, insightful and bold men had made great wealth. Where there were riches there would be conflict, and where there was conflict there was bound to injustice. In this struggle for rich sea crossings and resources, the innocent commoners would inevitable suffer. The previous Commissioner had formed deep ties with the clans of the area and abused the common people. When the Shangguan Family had infamously laid claim to a stretch of beach in their plans for a great harbor, they had forced all the commoners to a shallow stretch of land. One night, a high tide swept away all the temporary hovels the commoners had scrounged up and the entire village had been lost that night. In addition to this list of litanies, most South Sea commoners were in the employ of the Five Families, and it was natural under even the best of circumstances for employers and employees to grumble against each other. The emotions of today had deep and lengthy ties to the past. Chapter 177 Translator: Aristophaneso When Zhou Xizhong had come to power, he had differed from his predecessors. He viewed any favors for these rich clans as harm to the Dynasty and believed only evil would results from their close ties to the government. As such, he applied heavy burdens and strict rules to all the established families and dealt harshly with any overstep. All of the families were restricted and the commoners supported, and so the commoners loved Zhou Xizhong. As Feng Zhiwei understood the situation, she set down much of her worry. If the government and the families had colluded, the situation would be much more difficult, but for better or for worse, Zhou Xizhong was a strict man of a particular cast of honor. After the matters on the dock, as long as Feng Zhiwei negotiated with the proper words and demonstrated the good the new department would bring to the commoners, the successful founding of the Maritime Department was not impossible. The problem was the Chang Family, and Feng Zhiwei had no idea how many of the forces in South Sea were secretly tied to the rebels. It was almost certain that the Chang Family had control of at least one of the Five Families, but Feng Zhiwei did not know which. The Minnan Province was poor and the South Sea rich; if the Chang Family wished to succeed in their rebellion, the South Sea was of strategic importance. With their rebellion imminent, pirates were not the priority. Feng Zhiwei needed to establish the Dynasty¡¯s control over the whole region. The South Sea Officials still dealt with the aftermath of the explosion, and Feng Zhiwei was not in a rush to begin her negotiations. The site selection of the new Department, the construction of the buildings, all the detailed protocols and the hiring process were important matters that Feng Zhiwei needed to organize, but before she could finalize any of that, she had to first determine who would head the Department in her stead. She wanted the Yan Family; more specifically, she wanted Yan Huaishi. At the moment, this did not seem an easy matter, so she had to personally educate the wayward Yan Family people and remind them of the Central Plain¡¯s traditional codes of conduct. That first night in the Yan Residence, the entire Yan Family turned out for a great feast to welcome their honored guests. An entire yard was decorated and filled with colorful ribbons and lanterns, and even the white stone footpaths showed no speck of dust or dirt. The current Yan Family Patriarch, Grandfather Yan¡¯s Second Son Yan Wenhong, stood at the gates welcoming the guests in person. Ten tables of seafood feasts were perched on a high platform with great views of the sea; and every single one of the dishes were of top quality sea produce. The Family Heads of the other four families waited to the side, all of them incredibly envious of Grandfather Yan. The feast began midafternoon and the various guests had all gathered in anticipation. Both men and women of the South Sea mingled, the frankness of the region and the business traditions of the families clearly laxer on gender barriers than the Central Plains. Many unmarried young ladies from the Five Families were also present. Finally, a loud crier silenced the crowd of hundreds. A curtained door was respectfully held up, and white jade-crowned Ning Yi swept through, a nine-clawed moon white dragon embroidered on his dark silk robes. Beside him walked Feng Zhiwei. The extraordinary gentlemen walked out into the open, one noble and elegant and stunningly handsome, the other clean and gracefully calm. Together they were like a pair of jade statues sending tremors through hearts and minds, and young girls all around perked up, eyes gleaming. Ning Yi was a lofty prince, and since his eyes were still not convenient, he only lingered for a brief moment. After accepting the gathered greetings, he sat and toasted the people. Everyone hurriedly raised their glasses, and then Ning Yi set down his cup and returned to his room. Feng Zhiwei respectfully escorted Ning Yi back, and the Prince cocked his head visibly towards the Imperial Envoy, his voice filled with amusement as he teased: ¡°I smelled a lot of fishiness.. you should be careful.¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced back at the table of what seemed to be barely cooked seafood. The person in charge had told them that the seafood had all been freshly caught, and that the cooks had not even unshelled much of the catch to preserve the taste. Feng Zhiwei was horrified, and she whispered back: ¡°Why do you seem to be taking pleasure in my misfortune?¡± ¡°You think so because you are too petty hearted.¡± Ning Yi chuckled back into her ear, his hot voice tickling her ear. She cocked her head as he continued: ¡°En¡­ if you are still unsatisfied afterwards, come to my room tonight¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled quietly and nodded repeatedly: ¡°Yes, yes. Definitely, definitely.¡± As if! All of the guests watched enviously as Master Wei and His Royal Highness showed off their close relationship. Truly, Master Wei knew how to please the Prince¡­ After Ning Yi was securely back in his room, Feng Zhiwei returned to the table and waved to Yan Huaishi, calling out: ¡°Brother Yan, come site here.¡± She and Gu Nanyi sat with the Five Family Heads at the table for the most important people at the feast. When she called Yan Huaishi up, every table began to murmur. Yan Huaishi stood from a table of unimportant Yan Family youths, calmly carrying his cup as he dignifiedly walked over and sat by Feng Zhiwei, bearing all the weird and meaningful stares. After his talk with Feng Zhiwei, his gloominess had scattered and he was back to being the confident, witty, and clever Yan Huaishi. Countless eyes watched him, mouths gaping and snapping shut. The gazes were many and intense. It turned out that not only the Yan Family rejected Yan Huaishi, all the other families stared unkindly as well. Beside her, Gu Nanyi stared at the shelled seafood and compared them to walnuts. Was he supposed to eat them like walnuts then? But when he tried to smash a shell, blood splattered all over Grandfather Yan¡¯s face, and Gu Nanyi decisively gave up and floated back to his room. Walnuts were better¡­ Two of the men fled the seafood feast, abandoning Feng Zhiwei without any hesitation, and so she faced Grandfather Yan alone as he eagerly picked through the soft, sticky, bloody seafood. To Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes, the feast before her resembled the scattered flesh in the aftermath of the explosion, and she bravely bit down and swallowed. How backwards¡­ eating flesh raw and drinking blood¡­ After forcing herself to gulp down a few bites, Feng Zhiwei decided she had shown enough courtesy and refused any more food. From then on she drank only liquor, and as an unceasing line of people came up to toast her, the heavyweight Master Wei drank again and again. After a round of drinks, the Five Family Heads exchanged looks and coughed lightly, hoping to talk business, but Feng Zhiwei suddenly announced: ¡°After accepting so many toasts, it seems it is my turn, but I am not a heavy drinker so I will ask Brother Yan to toast everyone on my behalf.¡± Yan Huaishi stood. Everyone stared blankly, and an incredibly complicated expression crossed Grandfather Yan¡¯s face; he was both happy and hesitant ¡ª happy that the Imperial Envoy clearly liked the Yan Family, hesitant that the person Envoy liked was not his choice. The old man froze, and cogs spun behind his eyes as he tentatively offered: ¡°Great one, Huaishi does not drink well, but Huaiyaun, my Second Son¡¯s eldest, is very good with his liquor. Would you allow him to give your toast?¡± Feng Zhiwei cocked an eyebrow, her smile not reaching her eyes as her glance sent shivers down the old man¡¯s spine. ¡°Who is Yan Huaiyuan?¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words shocked everyone, and a tall young man attentively listening in stiffened. All expressions at his table changed, and Yan Huaiying grew furious. Chapter 178 Chapter 178: Chapter 178 ¡°This Minister¡¯s toast is not something just anyone can offer.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued decisively, picking up a pot of wine as she unhurriedly stood. ¡°Frankly, nobody here is qualified to make a toast on my behalf, much less a third generation boy.¡± Grandfather Yan smiled awkwardly as he stood, but Feng Zhiwei ignored him. She walked down among the tables and poured wine for random guests, smiling as she continued speaking: ¡°Brother Huaishi is different. He and this Minister became friends while we were both nobodies, and if it were not for his full-hearted support, this Minister would not be here. He is a true friend who did not disdain me when I was humble, and he presented the Memorandum to the Emperor and made this new Maritime Department possible. His contribution is immeasurable, and not to mention toasting on this Minister¡¯s behalf, he is even worthy of this Minister toasting him.¡± Yan Huaishi hurriedly expressed his gratitude, and Feng Zhiwei smiled as she took his hand. Sincerity and trust filled their faces, and the random guests Feng Zhiwei had served wine to immediately declared their praise, joining in the toast. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s smile grew more and more satisfied while the Family Heads up above exchanged glittering glances as the Yan Family panicked. ¡°It is easy to enjoy wealth and happiness together, but rarely do people share your troubles.¡± Feng Zhiwei slowly continued, walking back to her table and pouring a cup of wine for Grandfather Yan. ¡°People must remember their conscience; if we forget the friends who stood by us when we were poor and powerless, then are we any better than beasts? What does Great Grandfather think?¡± Grandfather Yan smiled awkwardly as he accepted the cup of wine, drinking and numbly replying: ¡°Yes¡­ Yes¡­¡± ¡°Giving plums in return for peaches; expressing gratitude for aid; awarding people according to merit; and impartial reward and punishment.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued warmly, smiling as she poured another cup. ¡°These strictures are why the Yan Family is so rich and established ¡ª does the Elder agree?¡± Grandfather Yan accepted the cup and drank, but perhaps he drank too hurriedly and began to cough, unable to speak. Feng Zhiwei smiled down at him, an unmoving pot in her hands as she said: ¡°Elder Yan, do not forget to answer this Minister¡¯s question.¡± Yan Huaishi stepped forward and gently patted Grandfather Yan¡¯s back, smiling as he said: ¡°Elder, you drank too fast, let me help you.¡± The hundreds of guests watched in silence. Even a fool understood that this dainty Imperial Envoy was a Smiling Tiger, decisive and cruel. She had attached in front of all these rich and powerful people, pushing Grandfather Yan into a corner, experienced and famous businessman that he was. No one dared speak, and even the breath of the hundreds of guests seemed silent. Grandfather Yan coughed again and gain ¡ª everyone understood that the Imperial Envoy was showing his intentions; if the Yan Family dared displease him, the decision of department director would be uncertain. Every Yan Family member wore ugly expressions ¡ª they could not let go of this position, but they did not want Yan Huaishi to take it either. Yan Huaiying¡¯s eyes gleamed coldly and she moved to stand, but Yan Huaiyuan held her down. He glanced at Feng Zhiwei and coldly warned: ¡°Little Sister, calm yourself. It is not the time.¡± He glanced over at his father, Family Head Yan Wenhong. Yan Wenhong excused himself from the table and moved to his son¡¯s side. Yan Huaiyuan whispered, ¡°Father, the Imperial Envoy clearly wishes to support the bastard, what do you think¡­¡± ¡°There is no hurry.¡± Yan Wenhong replied cautiously. ¡°We should slowly get to know the Honorable Imperial Envoy, and perhaps he will change his mind¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Yan Huaiyuan grit his teeth. ¡°Father, did you not see how he insulted me? How he has forced Grandfather into this corner? He is stepped on our hundred years of history and insulting the Yan Family mainline! He wishes to use this setting to force Grandfather to agree with him! If we compromise today, that bastard will definitely climb above us!¡± ¡°What are you saying¡­¡± Yan Huaiyuan bit his lips as he dipped his chopsticks into his wine and wrote out ¡®Ning¡¯. ¡°The matter you mentioned before¡­¡± Yan Huaiyuan said. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to do it!¡± ¡°How can we rush like that!¡± Yan Wenhong stared wide eyed. ¡°We may not have any other option¡­ but, we were just talking casually. This is still your Little Sister, our Yan Family¡¯s Young lady!¡± ¡°Then we will wait to be butchered!¡± Yan Huaiyuan leaned back into his chair, laughing coldly as he replied: ¡°Just imagine lift when that bastard becomes Family Head. After how we¡¯ve treated him these past twenty years?¡± Yan Wenhong¡¯s face changed. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Yan Huaiying announced firmly. ¡°Father, don¡¯t hesitate. Brother is right. She who hesitates loses. If we do not make up our minds, Grandfather will be forced to agree!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Yan Wenhong replied wordlessly, staring at his daughter. ¡°I heard what you two said. I am willing!¡± Yan Huaiying bit her lips, thinking back to how Wei Zhi had humiliated her. Her! The Young Madam of the Yan Family, asked to serve tea like a servant! She was a princess of the South Sea, raised on wealth and honor, when had she ever been humiliated like that? Whenever she thought back to Wei Zhi¡¯s calm, disdainful eyes and proud, indifferent expression, Yan Huaiying wanted to kick him to the grown and force him to grovel and apologize. She was talented and wealthy, how dare an upstart peasant like Wei Zhi treat her that way? When a proud and arrogant person suffered their first humiliation, there was no way they could reign themselves in. Yan Huaiying¡¯s heart filled with burning rage, burning so fiercely that all the self-respect and self-love of a wealthy family¡¯s Young Madam was burnt to cinders. And of course, Ning Yi¡¯s bearing had been so enchanting¡­ This sacrifice that did not seem a burden was more than worth it if she could use it to buy assurance for her father and brother, to secure the next Yan Family Head for her branch, and to make sure that Wei brat never looked down on her again. ¡°Compared to being the lawful wife of a businessman, it is better to be the concubine of a dragon¡¯s son!¡± She announced, gritting her teeth. ¡°I am the daughter of a businessman, it is impossible for me to be Prince Chu¡¯s lawful wife, but I am more than qualified to be a concubine. That bastard is backed by a Third Rank Minister, but how can he compete with my brother after I become Prince Chu¡¯s concubine?¡± ¡°Little Sister¡­¡± Yan Huaiyuan said, holding her hands as tears dropped from his eyes. ¡°Big Brother is sorry. ¡°A long night brings many dreams¡­ Today¡­ it is decided¡­¡± Yan Huaiying replied haltingly, angrily brushing away her tears as she bit her lips. A faint blush covered her cheeks, ¡°Anyway¡­ it will be ¡­¡± Chapter 179 She was too embarrassed to continue as a deep blush crept over her face, but a vicious light still flashed in her eyes. Prince Chu is promiscuous and there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll reject me. Wei Zhi, just wait! I will crush you beneath me! Feng Zhiwei still stood by Old Man Yan, smiling down at him with her pot of liquor in hand. The old Family Patriarch struggled with himself, blue veins bulging from his face as he finally forced out the word: ¡°Yes¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s smile grew even larger. She gently took Grandfather Yan¡¯s hand, her voice sincere as she said: ¡°The Yan Family truly has not disappointed¡­ A thin anger crossed Grandfather Yan¡¯s gaze, but he immediately covered it with a bitter smile and a deep bow. Feng Zhiwei eyed him, smiling. She would not push any further, so she took her pot and left; everyone had a bottom line, and if she forced too much, the loss would outweigh the gain and the old man might lose it. Feng Zhiwei scrunched up her brows, her stomach uncomfortable after gulping down the raw seafood. Suddenly, she felt a cold sting in her back and she immediately whipped around, but instead of an assassin she only saw a pair of fierce eyes staring right at her. The Yan Family¡¯s eldest Young Madam. Feng Zhiwei calmly met her gaze and then calmly turned away; there was no way Feng Zhiwei would waste time staring down this woman, how could that be worth it? As she turned away, a mischievous thought floated through her mind, and she immediately turned back, smiling as she lifted a cup and toasted the distant Yan Huaiying. Everyone immediately turned their eyes and followed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s gaze. The unexpected move caught Yan Huaiying by surprise, and before she could react everyone had already turned and saw her intense stare and her blushed face. Meaningful smiles filled the hall ¡ª oh to be young and in love. A young woman had fallen for the heroic young man. How lovely, hehe. Yan Huaiying looked around at the knowing expressions and she grew furious, her chest rising and falling from her extreme anger, especially because she had no way of explaining herself. Just by raising a cup, without a single word, Feng Zhiwei had condemned the Yan Family Young Madam as her ¡°admirer.¡± Yan Huaiying¡¯s lungs were about to explode, and Feng Zhiwei casually turned back and headed for her seat. Her stomach was feeling worse and worse, and she poured her self cup after cup of alcohol to try to suppress the discomfort. Beside her, Yan Huaishi had recovered his cleverness and wit, and was chatting easily with the other important men at the table. Every time one of the Five Family Heads tried to bring up the founding of the new department, Yan Huaishi would casually block the attempt. As the sky grew late, the Huang Family Head¡¯s anxiety overcame him and he directly said: ¡°Your Honor, once the new department is founded there will be much work. Even though my Huang Family is humble, we do have useful men and are willing to make every effort to aid Your Honor.¡± The great landowning Shangguan Family immediately cut in: ¡°I don¡¯t know whether Your Honor has decided where he will build the new department? If Your Honor has his eyes set on any parcel of land, the Shangguan Family will put in every effort to satisfy your desire!¡± The Chen and Li Families also hurriedly offered up their human, material, and financial resources. Feng Zhiwei listened to everything, a small half smile on her face as she held her liquor. She nodded attentively, but kept silent until the last word had been said. Finally, she calmly replied: ¡°This Minister is grateful that the Family Heads have so earnestly offered their help without consideration for personal loss or gain. I am moved by your patriotic hearts, and after returning to Dijing, I will inform the Emperor and request that the meritorious contributions of the South Sea Families be recognized by the court.¡± The Family Heads were very happy, and Feng Zhiwei continued: ¡°This Minister is principally in charge of our relations with the local government. All detailed matters of the new founding can be negotiated with my brother Yan Huaishi.¡± The Family Heads¡¯ excitement was quickly doused and they immediately turned and shared stunned glances. The Shangguan Family Head was the most short-tempered, and his face was already red with drink as he cocked an eyebrow and said: ¡°You want us to deal with that little bastard¡­¡± He had only spoken half his words when the Li Family Head pulled on his sleeve. The Shangguan Family Head immediately realized what he had done and snapped his mouth shut, but Feng Zhiwei had already heard. Her expression did not change, but her gaze deepened. Bastard. Such a vicious word. Yan Huaishi¡¯s background was clearly more complicated than she had imagined. Had Yan Huaishi been carrying around the weight and persecution since his birth? ¡°Mister Shangguan!¡± Feng Zhiwei called back, her voice finally shifting out of her calm composure. Setting down her wine, she coldly and weightily rebuked him: ¡°You have drunk too much!¡± The Shangguan Family Head anxiously stood and was about to bow and apologize, but Feng Zhiwei had already stood with a silent Yan Huaishi and was turned from the table. ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡± Everyone hurriedly stood as Feng Zhiwei decisively walked away. The Family Heads awkwardly bid Grandfather Yan farewell, and the rest of the Yan Family Main Branch escorted their important guests to the gates before assembling in the front yard. Grandfather Yan was silent as Yan Wenhong sighed deeply. After a while, Yan Wenhong said: ¡°When he said he was leaving for Dijing, I thought he was just fooling around and even thought it was good that he was leaving. I never imagined that the kid was so wily, securing the support of a powerful minister. The heaven¡¯s ways are greater than man¡¯s.¡± Grandfather Yan pondered deeply and then sighed again. ¡°He has great backing and his boldness has grown. I thought that with the Chen Family¡¯s bi*ch and his woman in our hands, he would have known to step back, but it looks like he¡¯s forcing a life and death struggle. Truly, if he secures the position of Family Head, the threat we now pose will amount to nothing.¡± ¡°Grandfather! Are you really going to make him Family Head?¡± The Yan Family gasped in shock. ¡°Impossible! Everyone in South Sea knows about him! If that bastard becomes our Family Head, he will shame the entire history of our Yan Family! He will destroy our family!¡± ¡°Can we just delay the matter, father?¡± Yan Wenhong suggested. ¡°When the Imperial Envoy leaves, what can he be proud of?¡± Grandfather Yan turned to his second son, disappointed. His son was not even as decisive as his grandson! As his mind wandered, he thought back to his estranged eldest son and his heart began to ache. The old man coughed, and then finally said: ¡°You are being foolish! When the Imperial Envoy leaves, he will leave behind the new department! When the time comes to bestow the title of nobility, the Imperial Court will defer to the local director. As long as Yan Huaishi is director, the Yan Family Head must be him!¡± Stunned expressions filled the faces of everyone present, but Yan Huaiyuan suddenly stepped forward and leaned in beside Grandfather Yan¡¯s ear. As he listened, the old Patriarch¡¯s face turned from astonishment to bitter acceptance. He turned and stared at the quiet, downturned face of Yan Huaiying, and then looked out at his worried family. Finally, he sighed and murmured: ¡°This is the only option left¡­¡± Yan Huaiyuan sighed in happy relief, but as soon as he turned to his blushing little sister his face was filled with grief and tears. ¡°His Highness will surely accept our Yan Family¡¯s noble Young Madam as his concubine¡­¡± Grandfather Yan sighed as he spoke. ¡°You are right. Great ambition cannot allow itself to stumble on these trifles. Our Yan Family¡¯s hundred year tradition¡­ Huaiying¡­ We have failed you.¡± Chapter 180 ¡°As a dutiful granddaughter, I am willing to do everything for the Yan Family.¡± Yan Huaiying straightened and bowed. ¡°Grandfather, believe in me. I will not allow Yan Huaishi to succeed, and I will chase that shameless Imperial Envoy out of South Sea.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Just do what needs to be done.¡± Grandfather Yan replied. ¡°Huaiyuan is right. This matter cannot be delayed. There is no day better than today. If we plan everything and make a public proposal, the Imperial Envoy will certainly obstruct us. Wenhong, arrange this matter now. We will send the Young Madam tonight¡­¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Feng Zhiwei had no idea what the Yan Family was fantasizing, still occupied with her aching stomach. She could not walk far with the pain, so she stopped by a railing by the sea and pressed her stomach into the stone rail. Smiling, she turned to Yan Huaishi. ¡°Can you explain?¡± Yan Huaishi gripped the rail and looked out into the water. His eyes glistened as he stared silently out into the night, and finally he began to whisper: ¡°I am my Grandfather¡¯s eldest son¡¯s only child, but I am not my father¡¯s biological son. The second year after my father married my mother, he left on a long voyage. While he was gone, my Grandfather¡¯s younger brother broke in¡­ and then¡­ I was born¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei turned. Incest? In the tradition heavy South Sea and the bloodline venerating Tian Sheng, what a truly miserable origin! No wonder the other Yan Family members thought him poisonous, and no wonder the Family Head called him a bastard! No wonder he left for Dijing and could not even secure credit for his outstanding merit. What kind of life could Yan Huaishi have had here? Growing up humiliated and abused and alone. Feng Zhiwei thought back to the first time they met, at the gates of Qing Ming. The clever, bright young man with his sunny smile had instantly understood the value of the seal she held, and had helped her open the gates of Qing Ming and open the gates to this colorful and spectacular life. Feng Zhiwei bit her lips, her heart aching. Finally, she replied: ¡°Huaishi, we cannot choose our birth, but we can choose our future.¡± Yan Huaishi stared at her, nervous and anxious and afraid. Even though he was used to judgement and disdain and was even prepared for it, he knew that if Wei Zhi showed him such a face the cut would be that much deeper. But fortunately that did not happen. Wei Zhi was shocked, but the shock was quickly replaced by quiet sadness. He looked into him with eyes of commiserating sorrow, and Yan Huaishi felt all his years of despair and loneliness burst in his chest and flood forth. He quickly turned his eyes away, pretending to stare off into the distance. After a long pause, Feng Zhiwei gently asked: ¡°Where is your mother now?¡± Yan Huaishi stiffened, and he replied: ¡°She is¡­ cultivating at a Buddhist nunnery in Ying Zhou¡­ Grandfather said she was a disgrace and banned her from the Family Gates¡­¡± ¡°How was this your mother¡¯s fault? A powerless woman suffers such terrible misery and instead of being comforted is tossed out into the world?¡± Feng Zhiwei spat with cold fury, and then she sighed. Her words were useless ¡ª no one else shared them. In this world, women were inferior to men, and in the matters between them, no matter who caused the evil, the blame would always fall on the woman. Perhaps only Feng Zhiwei was different. Her mother was raised in an open minded General¡¯s family and had excelled in both literature and martial matters, even leading troops as a female General. Her mother did not consider women inferior to men, and Feng Zhiwei had been raised on such assumptions; in the end, his mother had never spoken her beliefs in so many words, and Feng Zhiwei had learned the most from the mysterious notebook, from the writer¡¯s enthusiastic thoughts on female independence and selfhood. Yan Huaishi stared at Wei Zhi in disbelief. Everyone in this world impugned the woman for her failure and her weakness, and the entire Yan Family was ashamed of her. Even Yan Huaishi had hated his mother for many years in his youth; he hated that she had not struggled to the death; he hated that she had not killed herself after the shame; he hated that he had been born. But Wei Zhi¡¯s first reaction was to take up his mother¡¯s mantle and fight for her. Yan Huaishi clutched the railing as a shuddering gasp ran through him, his heart and mind unsteady. The two fell into silence again, and then Feng Zhiwei asked the difficult question: ¡°Then¡­ what happened to your Granduncle?¡± Yan Huaishi stared into the night. Finally, he replied: ¡°He was beaten and then chased out. He runs his own business now in Yong Zhou.¡± Feng Zhiwei quirked her lips into a cold, joyless smile. An incestuous rapist and adulterer was only beaten and then allowed to enjoy his life somewhere else while the victim suffered for the rest of her life, trapped in a nunnery and forever marred with bitterness and humiliation. Not even her child was sparred, forced to suffer for the crime of existence. ¡°Then the Yan Family has blackmailed you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Huaishi quietly replied. ¡°When the Imperial Court conferred the title of Imperial Merchant to the Yan Family, and Elder told me that the Family was very pleased at my contribution, but since I must return to South Sea eventually, he suggested that it would be more advantageous to register Yan Huaiyuan¡¯s name. I agreed that I must return one day for my mother, so I accepted. ¡°When the Imperial Court decided to found the Maritime Department, the family suggested that if I acted well, they would consider allowing mother to return the next time we honor our ancestors in the ancestral temple. I was very happy¡­ My mother¡¯s life in the nunnery is too bitter¡­¡± ¡°Then they changed their mind?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked coldly. ¡°When we were approaching the South Sea, they began stonewalling and have not given me an answer even today.¡± Anger and sadness flashed in Yan Huaishi¡¯s eyes. ¡°My Mother and I ¡­ are puppets. I don¡¯t even want to be the next Family Head, and it would be impossible anyway. I work hard because I want them to recognize me and I want my mother to safely return. I want her to live a better life. My mother has been cut off from both sides of her family, and she suffers bitterly in the nunnery. The last time I saw her, she seemed aged far beyond her years¡­¡± Yan Huaishi gasped, choking on his sobs. ¡°So you choose to step back, hoping to appeal to their conscience.¡± Feng Zhiwei concluded for him. Yan Huaishi stood there silently for a long time. Finally, he nodded: ¡°I was wrong.¡± ¡°Yes, you were wrong.¡± Feng Zhiwei uncourageously agreed. ¡°In the face of such heartless and cold people, your warm blood will never have an effect. Instead of conceding to their rapaciousness, you must fight with all your strength. If you were the Family Head, who would dare humiliate your mother?¡± ¡°After our conversation yesterday, and after seeing them now, I understand.¡± Yan Huaishi replied. ¡°There is no way they will honor their words. Their hints were only lies to trick me into abandoning my merit so they could more easily kick me down. In the end, I have returned with nothing and am attacked by the envious. If I am not powerful enough to protect myself, how could I protect my mother? If I retreat, I die. If I advance, it will be into danger. Even if both ways lead to death, I can at least choose to die bravely.¡± Chapter 181 ¡°I am here. I will never watch you die.¡± Feng Zhiwei raised her head, smiling at her friend. ¡°It¡¯s late. We will have hard fights in the future, you should go rest.¡± ¡°I will walk you to your room.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, clutching the railing and waving her hand. ¡°Go. Go.¡± As soon as Yan Huaishi walked out of view, Feng Zhiwei leaned over the rail and began vomiting. As she vomited, Feng Zhiwei sighed to herself. Truly, the great and beautiful blue waters were ruined by the seafood that dwelled within them. After a series of heaven shocking explosions out of her throat, Feng Zhiwei lazed against the rail. With her stomach empty, the alcohol that she had slammed into her body was running wild, and a shocked Feng Zhiwei discovered that for once, she was actually drunk. She was dizzy, and golden stars appeared before her eyes. All strength seemed to flee her bones, and she felt like a piece of paper about to collapse in on herself. She thought once more to that time she had destroyed Ning Yi ¡ª so he had felt this terrible. Feng Zhiwei decided as she clung to the railing that today was just punishment for her crimes against Ning Yi that day. She was too weak to move, but at least no one was around. The railing was quite thick and robust, so as she could at least rest against it. Anytime she felt like vomiting, she could just lean her head out and spew into the water below ¡ª incredibly convenient. But there were those who refused to let her laze around, and Feng Zhiwei suddenly felt gravity shift around her as she was picked up. ¡°Ai, stop¡­ no¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei gasped as she was shifted around. She hurriedly turned her head aside, but it was too late. A few drops of her vomit had already stained a soft and delicate cyan sleeve. Feng Zhiwei lamented and shut her eyes piteously, bracing herself for the inevitable collision with the ground. But she was not dropped. Her body shifted down and then up again, and when Feng Zhiwei opened her eyes she saw that Young Master Gu had brought her face right next to his veil and was examining her. The soft white veil brushed against her face, and Feng Zhiwei weakly reached up to stop it from moving. She smiled and said: ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m drunk. When I was drunk before, I just slept, but now I¡¯m drunk and awake. What will I do? Can you send me back to my room? The little yard on the east side with the red eaves.¡± Young Master Gu just stared at her. Feng Zhiwei clutched her head and continued murmuring: ¡°If you won¡¯t send me back, please let me down so I can walk. I¡¯m dying hanging here¡­¡± But before she could finish speaking, she felt coldness brush against her face. The white veil dipped and Gu Nanyi¡¯s fresh scent of pine needles filled her nose as he bent. Feng Zhiwei glanced as Young Master Gu¡¯s cool nose brushed over her cheek. He brought his face down to her lips and began carefully investigating the smell as if trying to determine what alcohol Feng Zhiwei had drunk. His veil blanketed her face, his lips so close to hers. Their skin touched here and there, and his fresh, clean smell filled her. Feng Zhiwei stiffened and her mind blanked. Since he had run away from the raw seafood, Young Master Gu had not gotten the chance to drink any of the liquor. He just wanted to smell this new wine that he had never had before, but when he had leaned down he encountered something soft and sweet behind the alcohol, warm and gentle like a flower blanketed in clouds. This new sensation made him freeze. That single second was enough for Feng Zhiwei to recover and push his face away. Young Master Gu stirred from his daze and loosened his grip, and Feng Zhiwei yelped as she fell¡­ As she piteously climbed up from the ground, Feng Zhiwei lamented her fate. If she were going to fall no matter what, why did she struggle? As she stood, she turned and spotted a sedan chair making its way down a curved path. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes narrowed. She was very tipsy but her brain still worked; who could possibly be swaggering around carrying a sedan chair through a heavily guarded yard in the middle of the night? The sedan was heading for the Jing Xin Resident in the backyard where she and Ning Yi lived. Then, the target was? After the feast, Ning Yi had not immediately returned to his residence. The South Sea autumn night was humid and the moon clear, so the Qi of Heaven and Earth was beneficial for his cultivation. He had found a place to meditate, controlling the strange poison in the center of his Dantian so that his situation would not deteriorate before he could find a cure in Minnan. Ning Cheng had advised him many times to leave to quickly leave for Minnan as the venoms danger grew greater and great. Every time, Ning Yi listened and agreed, but every time he still chose to stay one day longer. Ning Cheng rested in a pavilion nearby, tossing and turning in his dissatisfaction. Ning Yi ignored him for a while before calling out calmly: ¡°I¡¯m going deeper. Don¡¯t disturb me unless it¡¯s her or something dangerous.¡± Ning Cheng grunted in reply, moving closer and heightening his guard. Ning Yi¡¯s Cultivation Art would sink him into a focused, egoless trance and leave him defenseless. Sitting across from his master, he looked at the exhaustion in Ning Yi¡¯s brows and grew more and more indignant. He sat there in increasing resentment, his cheeks twitching. Finally, he picked up a piece of dirt and flicked it, exploding clod and cursing: ¡°Women! Women!¡± He amused himself by picture Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face over the piece of exploding dirt; His Highness would never know anyway. Ning Cheng turned his head. Quiet murmuring voice appeared as he moved to investigate. As he turned the corner, a sedan chair stopped by the gates of the residence. A young man from the Yan Family was quietly and humbly addressing the guard by the gate. Ning Cheng walked over, a frown crossing his face as he listened. His first reaction was to drive the man away, but he stopped himself. As he reached the gates, he called out: ¡°Are you sending someone to attend His Highness?¡± Yan Huaiyuan did not recognize Ning Cheng but he could tell that the bodyguard was highly placed so he hurriedly affirmed, stepping forward and whispering: ¡°My younger sister adores His Higness¡¯s bearing and wishes to offer herself as His Highness¡¯s concubine with our Yan Family¡¯s blessings¡­¡± Displeasure crossed Ning Cheng¡¯s face and he slowly pushed Yan Huaiyuan away from him, saying: ¡°Not so close, your breath stinks.¡± Yan Huaiyuan paled and flushed; Ning Cheng paid him no more mind as he gestured, calling out: ¡°Search.¡± ¡°Your Honor, please¡­¡± Yan Huaiyuan hurriedly stepped forward, not daring to breath too heavily in Ning Cheng¡¯s direction, his head turned to the side as he begged: ¡°She is my little sister, the eldest daughter of our Yan Family!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care whether who she is to your Yan Family.¡± Ning Cheng calmly replied. ¡°I only know that you are sending an attending woman and that this place is not a brothel. This is His Highness¡¯s residence, not some place anyone can waltz in whenever they want. If you cannot accept the Imperial Family¡¯s regulation, then leave.¡± Chapter 182 ¡°Brother, let him search!¡± Yan Huaiying called out from within the sedan, holding in her tears. ¡°Once I enter this gate I am no longer the Young Madam of the Yan Family!¡± Entering to suffer humiliation, throwing away her identity to win a better future! Of course Yan Huaiyuan understood, but he still went through the motions. At his sister¡¯s words, he immediately stepped aside and allowed the guards to search the sedan and Yan Huaiying. Finally, the guard nodded to Ning Cheng. Ning Cheng looked out at the frountyard, amusement and satisfaction gleaming in his eyes as he waved the guard aside. The little sedan chair quietly entered the gates. Yan Huaiyuan humbly stepped back, and as he stared into the Jing Xin Residence and the flowers engraved in its short wall, pride gleamed in his eyes. He turned and left down a side path, not noticing the two people standing behind the flowering tree beside him. Feng Zhiwei stood silently, her empty stomach still burning. She had known the Yan Family would make a move for the prince, but she had not imagined that they would gift a woman, much less stoop to the shame of gifting away their eldest, Main Branch Young Madam. And even more surprising, Ning Yi had accepted. After the troubles in their journey, the protection around Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei had been an iron wall with no holes. Ning Yi would not have slept so early, so he surely heard about the matters at his gate; without his approval, Yan Huaiying would never have been able to set foot into the yard. Feng Zhiwei smiled in the darkness under the tree. Prince Chu¡¯s promiscuous ways were known through Dijing, but other than that one time they had met in the brothel, Feng Zhiwei had never seen it. But tonight, she finally had. After leaving Dijing, the prince had not touched a woman for 31 days and 18 hours. She could understand that he wanted to let loose. Feng Zhiwei brushed her hand against the dewed tree, the cold wet of the bark reminding her of the turmoil in her stomach. She no longer wanted to return to her room and sleep, so she turned and said: ¡°Brother Gu, let¡¯s take a walk.¡± Gu Nanyi peered down at her, his shining eyes visible through his veil: ¡°You¡¯re tired. You should sleep.¡± Feng Zhiwei lifted her long lashes as she stared back up at him. After a moment, she smiled and slowly replied: ¡°Yes, I am tired. I want to sleep. But tonight there is a guest in the residence, and I think I will keep my distance. Tomorrow, I will find another residence to sleep in.¡± Gu Nanyi refused to move. He thought that Feng Zhiwei was saying that her bed had been taken, so he pondered deeply. After much hesitation, he forced himself to say: ¡°You can sleep with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei staggered, clutching the tree in shock and amusement. She looked up into Gu Nanyi¡¯s bright eyes, thinking deeply but coming up with nothing. Finally, she reminded him: ¡°You hate to sleep with others.¡± Young Master Gu took out a walnut and slowly chewed it, composedly expressing his enormous sacrifice: ¡°I am your man, sleeping is okay.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei staggered again, and the flowers above her head trembled and fell from their branches. Young Master Gu swept the flower petals aside, grasping her sleeve as he said: ¡°Come, sleep.¡± Okay Young Master, I understand that you are saying you will protect me and are willing to sacrifice your personal comfort to let me sleep in your bed, but could you not speak so vaguely and curse people to death. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep tonight.¡± Feng Zhiwei complained, hugging the tree and refusing to move. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± But Young Master Gu insisted: ¡°You¡¯re not well. Go sleep.¡± Feng Zhiwei understood how stubborn Young Master Gu could be. He could be truly terrifying when he insisted; just look at him and his walnuts. Feng Zhiwei was afraid that if Young Master Gu grew impatient he would knock her out and bring her to bed. Luckily, her stomach chose that moment to growl and a pain grew in her belly. Hurriedly, she replied: ¡°I¡¯ll sleep soon, but I¡¯m not feeling well. I need to go to the latrines.¡± Young Master Gu let her go as Feng Zhiwei glanced all around her. Finally, she spotted a public latrine nearby and rushed over. As she rushed in, her pain grew more and more urgent. Her stomach had not agreed at all with the fresh and raw seafood and was in total rebellion; as she squatted down, she knew that she would be trapped her for a while. As she grunted, she heard Ning Cheng¡¯s voice nearby as he called out orders. Feng Zhiwei stirred, finally noticing that this delicate latrine was built right next to the Jing Xin Residence. The Yan Family was wealthy and unafraid of luxury, so they had many conveniently placed, well-crafted latrines. Every building in the Xi Yard was well designed, and every wall was decorated with a hollow flower pattern that functioned more as decoration then as shelter or wall. This rarely used latrine was right next to her room in the Jing Xin Residence and across from Ning Yi¡¯s. The location was unfortunate, but Feng Zhiwei was helpless. She sighed; though she wished to leave, her belly disagreed, so she remained squatting. Ning Yi had finished his meditation. He stood under the cool, clear moonlight, and when he heard Ning Cheng¡¯s steps, he walked out of his room. Not really thinking of much, Ning Yi called out: ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Third watch.¡± Ning Yi noticed a strange twist in Ning Cheng¡¯s voice, but he did not pay it much mind. He spoke again: ¡°Is the feast over?¡± ¡°That Wei is not back yet.¡± Ning Cheng murmured. ¡°Hopefully she¡¯ll come back soon.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing.¡± Ning Cheng replied. ¡°Master, you should rest. That Wei should be back soon.¡± Ning Yi fell silent. He thought about how gluttonous the woman was for alcohol and he called out: ¡°Go prepare some sobering tea and desserts.¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, didn¡¯t you just eat some dessert two hours ago?¡± Ning Cheng happily replied. ¡°I¡¯m hungry again. Is that wrong?¡± Ning Yi replied lightly, glancing over. Ning Cheng immediately shut his mouth and walked away, murmuring to himself: ¡°Even his blind gaze is so fierce¡­¡± Ning Yi smiled speechlessly as Ning Cheng muttered loudly to himself. Everyone thought it was strange that Ning Yi spoiled this bodyguard of his, allowing him to grow rowdy and lawless, completely unlike all of Ning Yi¡¯s other subordinates, but only the Prince himself understood the quiet happiness that Ning Cheng brought him in his heavy and murky world. ¡°Bring pine nut pastry and mint cake! Not the greasy, goose fat roll!¡± Ning Yi called to Ning Cheng. Chapter 183 ¡°Okay!¡± Ning Cheng called back somewhat unhappily, lifting a finger as he muttered. ¡°Just because she doesn¡¯t like the goose fat roll.¡± Ning Yi turned back into his room, and just as he was gently pushing open the door, he froze. A smile bloomed on his face. As he stood before the door, his tranquil and elegant smile half shadowed in the dark, he cocked a smooth and happy brow. He left his hand on the door, but instead of pushing it open, Ning Yi stood quietly, luxuriating in this strange, mysterious happiness. He had not thought that woman had such an amusing side to her; the feast was over, but she chose to sneak in through the back window. When he had half-jokingly asked her to come to his room, her promise had been so fake that he had been sure she was just teasing. But to think she actually had come. Had she gotten drunk and lost her reticence and reserve? His heart soared with joy. He quietly moved over, the smell of fresh cleanliness and quiet incense filled the air with charm and romance. Ning Yi chuckled to himself; she had moved so quickly and already washed up. As he opened his mouth to summon Ning Cheng for the dessert, a tinkling giggle filled his ears as a warm, young body fell into his arms. Meanwhile, Feng Zhiwei was squatting over the toilet, her feet growing numb. She had thought herself finished many times, but as soon as she stood up, her belly was overcome by a new round of quakes. She grew dizzy and her legs softened, but that little bit of seafood still would not let her off. The Xi Yard was quiet. Many Yan Family members had returned from their city residences, but the stayed the night in the front yard. The prestigious inner yard was still and silent, and even though she did not want to listen in, she could not help but hearing everything that occurred in Ning Yi¡¯s room. Ning Yi opened the door and stopped. He did not speak or rebuke or question, and his room was quiet and peaceful. Feng Zhiwei laughed in self mockery ¡ª why would there be rebuke or questioning? What had she been thinking? Yan Huaiying could only enter the residence because Ning Yi had allowed it. Ai, tomorrow when I greet the Young Madam, will I have to call her Ma¡¯am? Feng Zhiwei held her belly. Tonight truly was turning out terribly; this lifetime, seafood was definitely her nemesis. Suddenly, footsteps neared and a voice called out: ¡°Wei, Wei, come out.¡± She had been squatting for too long and Gu Nanyi had come looking for her. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart jumped. Ning Yi did not know that she was outside his room in the latrine because of a seafood emergency; if she called back and confirmed her presence, what would Ning Yi think? Feng Zhiwei hurriedly ordered her affairs and headed for the latrine door, trying to move as silently as possible, but Gu Nanyi grew increasingly worried. He knew that he should not barge into the women¡¯s outhouse, so he finally raised his palm and struck. The side of the bathroom collapsed in a loud clatter. ¡­ Meanwhile, the girl within had leaped into Ning Yi¡¯s embrace. She was like a soft bundle of silk and clouds in Ning Yi¡¯s arms, her sweet peony scent filling his nose. Trembling in his arms, timid and mournful and aggrieved and excited, she called out quietly: ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Ning Yi¡¯s excitement crashed to his feet. How could Feng Zhiwei be so soft and gentle and offer herself with heavily powdered face and open clothes? No. Though Feng Zhiwei was this soft, and her smell this sweet, she would not offer herself for his enjoyment. He would consider it heavenly grace if Feng Zhiwei did not push away his hand. Then this woman was surely from the Yan Family¡­ Emptiness filled his heart and his happiness fled, leaving only disappointment and anger. The trembling woman in his arms clung to his shoulders, awkward and stiff and clutching uncomfortably at his neck. Suddenly, Ning Yi realized he hated the smell of peonies. He snorted coldly. Later, he would uproot every peony in his mansion! And that Ning Cheng, what was he doing, letting this woman climb into his bed! Just as Ning Yi was about to push the woman away, he heard a huge crashing sound outside. Booms and clatters filled the air behind his back window, and Feng Zhiwei cried out in alarm. In his shock, his first reaction was to rush over, but the woman in his arms clung even more tightly, her deathly grip in his way. Ning Yi cocked a brow and lifted his hand for a killing strike, and then he froze. What was Feng Zhiwei doing at his back window? Why was she there? Ning Yi fell still, the emotion in his eyes rapidly changing as he listened quietly to the conversation outside. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Feng Zhiwei yelped, still startled. ¡°Too slow.¡± Gu Nanyi replied calmly. ¡°Come, sleep.¡± Feng Zhiwei coughed, choking on dust. Ning Yi smiled thinly. Though his smile was almost identical to the one on his face when he had first pushed open his door, its previous clarity and happy brightness and fled for a cold darkness filled with the gloom and grey of a mandala flower blossoming in the night. As Yan Huaiying stared up at that smile, she felt her last vestiges of restraint disappear. With that quirk of his lips, Ning Yi slowly placed his raised palm on her shoulder, and then in one smooth motion ripped open Yan Huaiying¡¯s clothes. His violence revealed an elegant, snowy shoulder to the quiet moon, the skin watery and lustrous like jade or pearl. Yan Huaiying cried out in surprise, not think that His Highness would be so eager when there were people right outside. Did she need to serve him in bed immediately? She blushed fiercely and cast a timid glance towards the window, terrified and happy and ashamed, but unable to refuse the prince. Ning Yi began unbuttoning his own collar, revealing his smooth skin. The embarrassed Yan Huaiying did not know where to look, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation she put her blushing face into his chest. A strange smile crept over Ning Yi¡¯s mouth as he walked over to the back window and threw it open. Chapter 184 Feng Zhiwei struggled out of the half collapsed wash closet by the wall outside the back window. She was not at all prepared for Gu Nanyi¡¯s sudden decision to smash the latrine open, but despite her mussed clothes she had somehow avoided any bricks. Gu Nanyi reached in and grabbed her, giving Feng Zhiwei no time to speak and react as she hastily arranged her trousers. Just as Gu Nanyi was turning to leave, Ning Yi¡¯s window slid open. Feng Zhiwei turned her head. Ning Yi held a woman in his embrace, both their clothes ajar, his hand firm on the woman¡¯s naked shoulder, her face plastered against his exposed chest. Feng Zhiwei looked at his smile as he gestured lazily, the confident quirk to his lips the same seductive smile she had once seen when they had met in the brothel. He called out: ¡°Minister Wei, this Prince¡¯s new concubine is very talented, and this Prince is now fatigued. Since you are here, come in and help us prepare water for washing up.¡± Feng Zhiwei eyed him, her gaze slowly sweeping over him. From top to bottom. From Ning Yi¡¯s hand to Yan Huaiying¡¯s clothes, and then to their waists. She carefully examined them without a hint of anger, ignoring the provocative insult. Ning Yi waited silently, and just as he was raising his eyebrow and opening his mouth, Feng Zhiwei slowly replied: ¡°Serving his Highness is this Minor Minister¡¯s honor.¡± Ning Yi lidded his eyes as Feng Zhiwei answered him, and he quietly pulled Yan Huaiying from the window. Yan Huaiying¡¯s pride and satisfaction shone through her embarrassment and she could not resist turning her face from Ning Yi¡¯s chest to smile at Feng Zhiwei. But she was only met with Feng Zhiwei¡¯s bafflingly pitying eyes. As Yan Huaiying shifted in his arms, Ning Yi frowned quietly. He could sense that this woman was somehow extremely happy by this turn of events. As soon as he turned from the window, he pulled the shutters closed and pushed Yan Huaiying away. The surprised woman lost her balance and fell onto the bed; thinking that His Highness was eager for their pleasure, she moaned quietly and lay submissive and ready. Her heart pounded as she lay in bed. She was still a virgin, a wealthy and proud young lady who had never learned anything about bodily pleasure. She clutched the silk quilt, the smooth fabric sticking to the sweat in her palms. Her heart beat loudly in her ears as she gasped haltingly, her eyes staring into the dark as she listened for the prince, but the man never moved. In the dark room, his hurried breath slowly calmed and lengthened. A crash filled the room and startled Yan Huaiying upright. The door flew open and Feng Zhiwei stumbled through, clutching a basin almost too big for her arms. Water spilled from the tub, spraying Ning Yi¡¯s boot as Feng Zhiwei passed him. ¡°The water is here.¡± Feng Zhiwei announced, panting. ¡°This Minor Minister thought that Your Highness and Madam Concubine must be tired, so I brought some extra water in case you two wanted to bathe.¡± Feng Zhiwei stood at attention, smiling innocently in the moonlight as she clutched the massive basin. The room was filled with eroticism ¡ª a mussed bed, unlit candles, and the fragrance of peonies hung around the half clothed couple. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes slid over Yan Huaiying¡¯s ripped clothes. Ning Yi ah Ning Yi. You love these testing tricks. If they really had already done it, Ning Yi would know that she was wearing a sheer open-necked dress easily stripped aside ¡ª all he needed to do was grab the neckline and pull, why waste all the effort in ripping off the sleeves? And even though he had clutched her so closely to his chest, why had his legs been a distance away? His hand on her shoulder had been more force than caress. He hated her presence. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s stomach ached, and she could not help but lament her fate. Now only was she abandoned to face the tortures of the raw seafood by herself, she now had to suffer at the hands of two men ¡ª one was naive and the other eccentric, and neither of them made her life easy. Unfortunately, she was in too much pain to deal with these handsome boys. As she silently complained to herself, Feng Zhiwei met Yan Huaiying¡¯s eyes. Her eyes once again swept down to Yan Huaiying¡¯s strange little dress and she could not hold back a smile. Yan Huaiying¡¯s mouth fell open as Feng Zhiwei smiled. She could not understand how this minister could smile right now; in all her fantasies where she humiliated Wei Zhi after winning His Highness¡¯s favor, she had not come up with anything more humiliating than making Wei Zhi serve her; but now that Wei Zhi had arrived, basin in his embrace, Yan Huaiying saw none of the expected gloom or resentment. Wei Zhi¡¯s eyes were tranquil like smooth jade, and when he cast that clear gaze on her, she shifted uncomfortably and pulled her clothes around her, feeling like she had tumbled through worldly dust. Ning Yi was silently listening to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s breath. He could hear her standing to the side, examining the room, her breath calm and tranquil without sign of sadness or happiness, resentment or anger. He listened intently, and with Feng Zhiwei¡¯s every steady breath his heart sank deeper and deeper into an abyss. Finally, the basin clattered to the floor and water spilled over the sides once more. Ning Yi¡¯s other foot was drenched as Feng Zhiwei called out, a smile in her voice: ¡°This Minor Minister¡¯s clumsy hands do not know how to serve, how about letting Madam Concubine attend you?¡± As she said ¡®concubine¡¯, Ning Yi could hear a hint of grit teeth and anger. A smile bloomed on his face. For a moment, he really had believed the she was unaffected. But this deep, cunning fox was finally losing some control. He smiled, smirking brightly as hints of light glittered in his eyes, his falling heart soaring from the depths. He hummed in agreement as he sat. After a moment, he turned to the side and called out coldly: ¡°Are you deaf?¡± Since he was not actually looking at Yan Huaiying, she failed to understand and react. Feng Zhiwei happily assisted, waving to her and pointing at the basin. Chapter 185 Yan Huaiying lay stunned, Wei Zhi¡¯s words turning over in his mind. His Highness wanted her to attend him dressed like this? Yan Huaiying stiffly sat up and then finally began moving, slowly moving from the bed as she held up the tatters of her nightgown, dragging her feet over to the basin. She had never waited on anyone and had no idea what she was supposed to do. Feng Zhiwei sighed silently as she glanced over at the girl¡¯s panicked face, all that pride and arrogance gone. What was the point? Had the girl really pushed herself to this point for a phantom hatred? The wealthy children were too narrow-minded, so easily blowing trivial matters out of proportion and imagining themselves in danger and despair, putting themselves through a strange self-torturing cycle. Feng Zhiwei did not want to push the girl any further. She did not feel much compassion or pity for her, but it was already tragic enough that she had been offered up as a futile and doomed sacrifice and had fallen from honorable young lady to servant girl; Feng Zhiwei was worried that Yan Huaiying might eventually hang herself in Ning Yi¡¯s room, and then they would have to go through the trouble of moving to another residence. ¡°Since this Minister¡¯s hands are already wet, this Minister can do it. Since I got some dirt on my hands just now, I can also wash my hands with His Highness¡¯s water.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled in an attempt to defuse the situation, kneeling before Ning Yi and reaching for his wet boots. But who knew that Ning Yi would kick out at Yan Huaiying¡¯s knee and call out indifferently: ¡°Master Wei¡¯s hands are dirty, didn¡¯t you hear? Are you still not helping him wash his hands?¡± Yan Huaiying stiffened, freezing in place. Though the kick was not heavy, it was still enough to shatter her heart and knock her soul into the abyss. These few words opened her eyes to her great folly. She had been mistaken. The idea that concubine and madams could boss around Imperial Ministers by relying on kinship to the Imperial Family came from stories, fantasies made up in novels. Those characters were not experienced princes like Ning Yi or sophisticated ministers like Wei Zhi. How could such silly plans defeat wily politicians like them? No mere fantasy could shake them from their seats. And for this ridiculous, foolish fantasy, she had humiliated and sacrificed herself, and now there was no escape. She had doomed herself ¡ª if as a Young Madam she could have at least kneeled before Wei Zhi before, now she was not even allowed to near his side without permission. Her lips trembled, and though she wanted to disobey and cry and scream and throw a tantrum as she had so often done when she was still the Yan Family Young Madam, now she was nothing and she dared to do nothing. Ning Yi was not Wei Zhi. The truth was she had dared to be unpleasant before Wei Zhi because he seemed gentle and did not take any of her foolishness to heart; even if the reason was because Wei Zhi did not think her worth his time, at least nothing bad would befall her. But Ning Yi was different. Though his beauty and elegance shone like the gorgeous and enchanting midnight mandala, beneath the tranquil beauty was plunging cold and razor edges. When Ning Yi¡¯s gaze moved lightly over her, she felt as if all the breath in her lungs froze solid and her blood slowed to a crawl. She believed without a doubt that if she displeased Wei Zhi she might suffer, but if she displeased Ning Yi she would die. Though she did not dare refuse the command, she could not bring herself so low; and so she froze, quivering silently, her hands clenched tightly as she languished in fear, unable to move forward and not daring to retreat. Feng Zhiwei pretended not to notice and ignored Ning Yi¡¯s words, calmly replying: ¡°This Minister does not dare accept Young Madam Yan¡¯s service, that is unnecessary.¡± She was informing Ning Yi of the girl¡¯s identity, and just as she had expected, Ning Yi¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Everything became clearer ¡ª Ning Yi did not even know who the girl was, so of course nothing had happened between them. A cautious man like Ning Yi would never have an intimate relationship with some unknown woman, no matter how much of a playboy he was. ¡°So that is how it is.¡± Ning Yi replied, a cold smile crossing his lips as he continued calmly: ¡°This Prince is not interested in bringing around and slowly educating such an unruly woman, Master Wei, this concubine, I grant to you.¡± Feng Zhiwei froze, stunned. Yan Huaiying jerked, lifting her eyes to the prince and staring wildly, her pupils suddenly dilated and filled with terror and disbelief. ¡°Highness¡­ Your Highness, what¡­ what are you saying¡­¡± Ning Yi paid the girl no mind, only interested in Feng Zhiwei. He hummed questioningly in the back of his throat: ¡°En?¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed and slowly replied: ¡°This Minister is grateful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Ning Yi replied, his mood seemingly lifted. He waved a hand and continued: ¡°Since she is your concubine, why is she still in this Prince¡¯s room? Still not leaving?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving!¡± Yan Huaiying cried out, unable to silence herself any longer. Since the situation had reached such a precipice, though she was afraid of Ning Yi, she felt that she still had to struggle for her fate. She plopped down and knelt in the water, clutching Ning Yi¡¯s knees as tears streamed down her face. ¡°Your Highness¡­ Your Highness, I will learn¡­ I will learn all the rules, please do not chase me away¡­ I am yours, and you just¡­ just now you¡­¡± She choked on her words, speaking ambiguously so Wei Zhi would refuse her impure body and decline the gift. But she could not have known the danger she was treading on with these words, and as soon as she spoke Ning Yi lifted his brow and smiled ambiguously down at her. ¡°Just now?¡± Yan Huaiying did not dare say another word and could only clutch his knee and weep. As she lamented her fate, her tears and snot dripped down on Ning Yi¡¯s robes, and Feng Zhiwei quickly moved forward and pulled Yan Huaiying away before the prince could notice. Feng Zhiwei was afraid that when Ning Yi realized what had happened, he would kick her dead. Though she did not value the Young Madam¡¯s time, it would be greatly inconvenient if that ruined their relationships with the Yan Family. But Yan Huaiying only thought that Wei Zhi was pulling her away from her last hope, so as he grabbed her all that rage and sorrow exploded. She turned to Feng Zhiwei and pounced, a guttural roar ripping from her throat. ¡°If you won¡¯t let me live, I will die in your hands!¡± Feng Zhiwei slapped down with a palm and neatly threw her into the door. ¡°Remember this! You are mine now, and I am your heaven! If you annoy me, you will die in this yard and no one will defend you!¡± Feng Zhiwei used her Qi to protect the girl, and even though she was thrown into the door and fainted from the strength of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s move, Yan Huaiying was perfectly fine. Soon after, an attendant came and brought her away. Chapter 186 ¡°Take care of Concubine Yan, bring her to a room to rest.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly walked over to the door and called out to the servant girls the Yan Family had sent. ¡°Concubine Yan lost control in her joy, and none of you should imitate her. If anything happened to the honored concubine, it will be on your heads.¡± The servant girls had long since been listening at the door, and they had just begun to celebrate at the favor their young madam received from the prince when this bucket of freezing water fell on their heads. They could all only quiver silently and nod. The servant departed and all of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s exhaustion rushed out of her bones. Just as she was sighing and turning to leave, arms reached out and pulled her into an embrace. Ning Yi¡¯s warm chest pressed into her back, and Feng Zhiwei could not help but remember that a face had so recently been pressed softly into this same embrace. Her misty eyes glittered and she quietly stepped away, smiling as she said: ¡°It¡¯s late. Tomorrow we must still negotiate with the South Sea Officials. Your Highness should sleep.¡± ¡°Whenever you are unhappy, you speak to me so respectfully.¡± Ning Yi replied, his voice muffled as he refused to let her go. ¡°It sounds so bad.¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately replied: ¡°Yes, you are right. Are you still not sleeping?¡± ¡°You need to be fiercer.¡± Ning Yi commented, holding her shoulder and bringing his chin next to her face, blowing idly at the hair around her ear. ¡°Your voice needs to be more cold and distant.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mouth twitched as she said again: ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping!¡± ¡°Too stiff.¡± Ning Yi replied, toying with her hair, coiling it around his finger. ¡°Too fake.¡± What was going on? Was His Highness a masochist? Feng Zhiwei was angry and amused, and she could not bear his games any longer as she commanded: ¡°Go sleep!¡± Before Feng Zhiwei could blush at her outburst, Ning Yi chuckled. ¡°Look, who cares that Gu Nanyi can tell you to sleep? I can make you tell me to sleep.¡± Ning Yi announced proudly as he held Feng Zhiwei and move to the bed. ¡°This Prince is courteous to the wise, humble before scholars, and good at accepting advice. Since you said sleep, then let¡¯s sleep.¡± Feng Zhiwei: ¡°¡­¡± As Ning Yi dragged her over to the bed, Feng Zhiwei gently pushed him aside. ¡°Stop it.¡± Ning Yi sat on his bed and took her hand, tilting his chin up so he could stare into her eyes. Though he had lost his vision, his eyes would never mistake hers. His eyes gleamed bright and clear, reflecting Feng Zhiwei¡¯s silhouette. ¡°Zhiwei, look.¡± He began calmly, ¡°When something like this happens, you do not get angry and I do not feel guilt. It is hard for you and I to make the same mistakes all the worldly people make, but don¡¯t you think that is a type of tragedy? Always cautious, always calm, always analyzing before any move. We never cry hysterically or make a fuss, and we never let ourselves go.¡± Feng Zhiwei fell silent for a moment, and then she smiled again: ¡°You¡¯re joking again. If there really was a fuss, would you be happy?¡± ¡°No, I did not mean that.¡± Ning Yi sighed, slowly pulling her hand to his face. ¡°Zhiwei, right now I really wish you were just a simple woman just like the millions of other ordinary woman in this world. I wish that you grew angry when humiliated, furious when betrayed, and that you speak when you are disappointed and cry when you are hurt.¡± Feng Zhiwei fell silent once more, her fingers brushing Ning Yi¡¯s warm, smooth face. Though her fingers delighted in the caress, her heart beat laboriously as if she were climbing a steep mountain. The dark room was lit only by soft moonlight, but her eyes shone brightly. She quietly stared at Ning Yi, waves churning behind her gaze. The two faced each other quietly, his warm breath on her palm, light like spring willow leaves and soft like the breeze, but the soft warmth was followed by a cold, quiet wetness seeping through the skin and sinking down to the bones, refusing to dissipate into the deep, autumn night. A long while later, Feng Zhiwei gently pulled her hand back. ¡°One day, I will be that simple woman.¡± She said gently, her smile somewhat cold. ¡°But a simple woman is only suitable for a simple man and a simple life. When that time comes, I hope to have a small house and a few acres of fertile land and a simple, fitting man who still stand for me when I am downtrodden, who will take up a blade when I am betrayed, who will stay with me by the fire when I am down, and who will hate my tears and hold me when I cry.¡± Ning Yi listened silently, his fingers pale as he clutched the side of the bed. ¡°Today was absurd.¡± He finally said, ¡°But sometimes people have to take a moment and chase after absurdities and foolishness.¡± ¡°But it was not stupid.¡± He concluded, slowly lying back and closing his eyes. ¡°Now I am finally certain that¡­¡± He did not finish his sentence and Feng Zhiwei did not pry, and she helped him out of his boots and robe. As he sank back into bed, exhausted, he closed his eyes and gestured for Feng Zhiwei to leave. After Feng Zhiwei quietly disappeared out the door, Ning Cheng silently entered. ¡°For three days, don¡¯t show yourself.¡± Ning Yi announced, his eyes closed. ¡°Ah? No.¡± Ning Cheng replied with shock. ¡°How could you go without my protection?¡± ¡°I can only live peacefully when you are not there.¡± Ning Yi continued, ignoring Ning Cheng¡¯s words. Ning Cheng rolled his eyes. After a moment, he replied: ¡°That woman is too messy, I¡¯m just applying a strong medicine to address the symptoms.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even understand her symptoms, how could you understand the medicine?¡± Ning Yi lazily replied. ¡°Don¡¯t think yourself clever.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re asking me, ruin her Kung Fu, assassinate Gu Nanyi, drive away Helian Zheng, and then screw the consequences and abduct her. Done!¡± Ning Cheng announced. ¡°Then you can just wait for the dead body that will come three days later, hers, or mine.¡± Ning Cheng humphed, ¡°I am worth my pay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Feng Zhiwei.¡± Ning Yi quietly replied. ¡°All that gentleness and patience is just her mask; she only acts that way because she does not want to attract enemies, but if you touch her bottom line, with the ruthlessness and determination in her bones, not even ten Ning Cheng¡¯s together could stand in her way.¡± Before Ning Cheng could reply, Ning Yi continued: ¡°Go. Remember, three days.¡± As Ning Cheng unhappily obeyed, Ning Yi called out: ¡°Send a letter to Dijing through the secret guards. Tell them no need to act, just wait for my return.¡± Ning Cheng turned back, but Ning Yi lay still and silent in the dark night. When Ning Cheng returned to his room, he brought out a slip of paper and wrote down Ning Yi¡¯s instructions. After some thought, he carefully added to the bottom of the message: ¡°The Prince¡¯s heart is unruly, this Little Brother worries. Sir has great talent and can decide accordingly.¡± Chapter 187 Ning Cheng sealed the envelope, his strange, determined expression shadowed by the flickering candle light. The night was loud. When Yan Huaiying woke, she cried and screamed and yelled the entire night, calling for Prince Chu and yelling for Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei ignored the summons and had people stuff the girl¡¯s out hand tie her to her bed in the hopes that she could finally have restful sleep for whatever night remained, but she could not sleep at all. She dreamed and dreamed of a faraway Ning Yi in the Emperor¡¯s Audience Hall speaking to her and telling her that with all the trials and tribulations of life, none of them could truly be themselves. When she woke, she stared up at her ceiling for a long time, thinking to herself that Ning Yi was an evil man who could only speak truth in dreams. When she washed up, she found Young Master Gu in front of her door eating walnuts. Last night, Feng Zhiwei had tricked Gu Nanyi by saying that she was going to beat Ning Yi, so Young Master GU had happily left her. Today, in the bright of day, he greeted her by saying: ¡°Liar.¡± The guilty Feng Zhiwei replied: ¡°I hit him, just not on the face so you can¡¯t see it.¡± After these words, her guilt only grew. In a way, Feng Zhiwei thought that her words were actually truthful. After breakfast, Feng Zhiwei prepared to visit the Commissioner¡¯s Yamen to discuss the founding of the department. Yan Huaishi and the other family¡¯s all rushed over to the Western Courtyard to pay their respects. A disgruntled Yan Huaishi had only just found out about the Yan Family¡¯s concubine plan, and all the Yan Family people kept glancing expectantly at Ning Yi¡¯s room. ¡°Brother Yan.¡± Feng Zhiwei casually announced as they chatted and waited for the Prince. ¡°This Minister has been greatly honored. Last night, His Highness granted this brother a beautiful concubine.¡± Amazed excitement filled a stunned Yan Huaishi¡¯s eyes and he laughed as he replied: ¡°Truly? Congratulations, Master Wei.¡± All the Yan Family people exchanged fearful glances, and one of them tentatively asked: ¡°Congratulations Great One. Is this beauty someone who came along from Dijing to serve beside His Highness?¡± ¡°The gentlemen have great wits but short memories.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled charmingly. ¡°When we arrived, did we have any women with us? Who else could it be but the woman the Yan Family gifted last night?¡± Of the Yan Family people, only Yan Huaishi did not seem struck by lightning. The other Family Heads had no idea what had happened, so they assumed the Yan Family had won the Imperial Envoy¡¯s support and could only offer envious congratulations. But when it was Old Man Yan¡¯s turn to offer his praise, his face was stiff and his fingers trembling. When the others noticed Old Man Yan¡¯s strange reaction, they immediately poked their followers and sent off their talented attendants to investigate. Soon, the truth of the matter was discovered and spread throughout Feng Zhou: the Yan Family had sacrificed their Young Madam for Prince Chu and only to have her be immediately gifted to the Prince¡¯s subordinate. What a heavy blow! The Yan Family completely lost their spirits and were speechless. Feng Zhiwei watched everything with a cool eye before climbing onto her sedan chair, wasting no words as she led the Qing Ming Young Masters to visit the South Sea Commissioner¡¯s Yamen. Gu Nanyi and Ning Cheng accompanied her. Although Ning Cheng was incredibly unwilling, he could only obey Ning Yi¡¯s command ¡ª since the Prince was not the Imperial Envoy to the South Sea Province, he could not be directly involved in the founding of the new department. He could only send Ning Cheng with the excuse of protecting Feng Zhiwei, and since Ning Cheng represented Prince Chu, this of course showed the world that Wei Zhi had Prince Chu¡¯s support; but in Ning Cheng¡¯s eyes, as the most beloved subordinate, guarding a Third Rank Minister he despised was a great insult. Feng Zhiwei also did not want this buffoon in her entourage. She understand that Ning Cheng was the mastermind of the previous night¡¯s distractions and she could not even stand the sight of his face, but none of them had been able to dissuade Ning Yi. His Highness had said that if there were no need for Ning Cheng, why did they bring this piece of trash along to begin with? Go back to Dijing. Feng Zhiwei could not allow Ning Yi¡¯s strongest expert to leave his side, so she could only accept the annoyance as Ning Cheng rode alongside and tried to make conversation with Gu Nanyi. At first she had closed her eyes and paid no mind, but as she listened more and more the stranger the conversation became ¡ª Ning Cheng seemed to be probing for Gu Nanyi¡¯s background. ¡°Brother Gu¡¯s Kung Fu is fathomless.¡± Ning Cheng stubbornly nagged. ¡°When could you give me some pointers¡­¡± Young Master Gu crushed eight walnuts in one fist, warning Ning Cheng of his growing impatience and anger. ¡°Mister Ning.¡± Feng Zhiwei called out, lifting the sedan chair¡¯s curtain. ¡°Brother Gu does not enjoy conversing, please do not bother him. If there is anything you wish to know, you can come inside and this Minister will answer all your questions.¡± Ning Cheng was not at all embarrassed to be discovered and immediately replied: ¡°Ah, no need, Brother Gu feels like an old friend. I hope he and I can become sworn brothers.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled fakely down from her chair and dropped the curtain, thinking to herself that if he could make Gu Nanyi his sown brother then she could make Ning Yi dance in a dress. When the sedan chair stopped before the South Sea Commissioner¡¯s Yamen, the gates stood empty. Attendants went forth and returned with the explanation that Master Zhou was resting in a sickbed after many days of tiring work and refusing to see any guests. Where were the Left and Right Secretaries? Off on a trip hunting after the assassin from the Dock Explosion Incident. Where were the Left and Right advisors? Out on business. Where was the County Protector?[1] Also out on business. After that, they visited Feng Zhou¡¯s Magistrate Mansion only to find that today was an official holiday and they were also not receiving guests, and the Magistrate himself had gone off to Ren Ji Village to deal with a mass casualty incident. Feng Zhiwei only smiled as the County Magistrate¡¯s official explained apologetically, but Helian Zheng and the other Qing Ming Young Masters were not so retrained as they began yelling and complaining. ¡°What are they playing at!¡± ¡°They¡¯re intentionally ignoring us!¡± Let¡¯s go find Zhou Xizhong!¡± Feng Zhiwei sat comfortably in the Magistrate Mansion¡¯s Front Hall, smiling as she drank her tea and listened to the Young Master¡¯s wailing. She sipped leisurely, in no hurry to leave as the official before her sat on pins and needles. After satisfying herself with the tea, she spoke: ¡°Even if your department is resting today, there should still be people here, right? This Minister wants to borrow some manpower, is that alright?¡± ¡°By your command.¡± A group of confused Yamen Bailiffs were summoned and stood at attention, waiting for her command. Feng Zhiwei unhurriedly enjoyed her tea before calmly announcing: ¡°Since today is a holiday, everyone should relax. You all are familiar with the cities, so I will ask you to be guides for us. Wherever we want to go to play, you will bring us. Afterwards, every master will give great rewards.¡± The Yamen Bailiffs froze and the students cried out feverishly. Yao Yangyu ran over and whispered into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s ear: ¡°Everything is allowed?¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced at him: ¡°Wherever you want to go.¡± ¡°Really, anywhere?¡± Yao Yangyu repeated, his eyes gleaming. ¡°Really, everything is allowed.¡± Yao Yangyu giggled excitedly as Feng Zhiwei unhurriedly continued: ¡°Don¡¯t be miserly. Bring the bailiff brothers with you when you play, and if you encounter any familiar faces or local government officials¡­ ah, well, as an Imperial Envoy, I also supervise Public Order, Civil Administration, Economics, Military and Official Affairs, and since you are all my followers, this Imperial Envoy grants you those same powers¡­ hehe.¡± [1] In the Ming Dynasty, every province has a Commissioner, Left and Right Secretaries×óÓÒ²ÎÕþ, Left and Right Advisors×óÓÒ²ÎÒé and a County ProtectorÊصÀ. Chapter 188 Translator: Aristophaneso ¡°Hehe!¡± Yao Yangyu giggled, the honored Young Master immediately understanding Feng Zhiwei¡¯s assignment. He clapped happily and gathered all the students around him, proudly announcing: ¡°Brothers! Today, we¡¯re visiting prostitutes on official business!¡± To the side, Feng Zhiwei, Ning Cheng, and Helian Zheng all spat out their tea¡­ ¡°Really¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei murmured as the students joyfully existed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so frank.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± Ning Cheng murmured, his gaze stiff. ¡°No wonder I didn¡¯t get a rise out of her.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± Helian Zheng said, twisting and twitching. ¡°Why do you have to say it like that. I really want to go, but I have to act the saint in front of her and I don¡¯t dare go¡­¡± ¡°Really.¡± Feng Zhiwei said as she leaned over and examined Helian Zheng¡¯s bitter expression. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going? Could it be¡­¡± Helian Zheng loudly voiced his great internal struggle: ¡°My Little Aunt said that people need to keep their bodies as pure as jade.¡± Feng Zhiwei eyed him and said: ¡°Your Little Aunt said you can go this time.¡± Helian Zheng immediately shot to his feet and dashed outside, running so quickly that he failed to hear Feng Zhiwei¡¯s final words. ¡°If you go, you¡¯re out¡­¡± ¡­ The day that the Imperial Envoy arrived, all the South Sea Officials were forced to board a sinking ship and stick out their butts as they squatted by fires. On the Third Day after the Imperial Envoys arrival, almost every single South Sea Official was caught up in a hurricane. This day was not originally a holiday, but Master Zhou ordered everyone to rest and recuperate after the busy and exhausting work following the dock incident. Zhou Xizhong was strict in official matters, but allowed a lot of latitude in his subordinate¡¯s personal affairs. He was a strict man with high standards, but he also knew that too much stress could drive people insane, so he turned a blind eye to his subordinate¡¯s choice of leisure. And so on this day off, all the officials had gone out to party in the name of ¡°official business.¡± But little did they know that they would be gifted unforgettable experiences from the Young Masters of Dijing. Naturally, the Yamen Bailiffs brought the Dijing Young Masters to the highest quality establishments of Feng Zhou, and naturally these were just the places that the powerful officials would also frequent. The Young Masters had been charged with official duty to visit these prostitutes and all of them were busy entertaining and winning the Yamen Bailiffs over. The lowly runners were delirious with joy at their first experiences inside these luxurious palaces, so whenever they say an official they recognized they would lean over and proudly whisper into their Young Master¡¯s ear: ¡°Young Master, look, that one is the Commissioner¡¯s Left Secretary, he gifted me a work of calligraphy when my son got married¡­¡± ¡°Brother, look over there, heihei. That is the Commissioner Yamen¡¯s County Protector, Lady Jiao Hong1 frequent guest!¡± The Young Masters smiled toothily, wine in hand and beauties in their lap as they asked: ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡±Of course!¡± The Young Master howled and gestured for their men, and then the Imperial Envoy¡¯s guards rushed forward and knocked the officials to the ground, binding their hands and covering their faces with black cloth, tying them up and dragging them outside. A high ranking official yelled angrily: ¡°Daring! Who are you! Release me now! I am the Left Secretary of the Commissioner¡¯s Yamen!¡± A voice spoke into his ear: ¡°Are you sure you are the Commissioner¡¯s Left Secretary?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Are you sure you want us to remove the black cloth?¡± ¡°Hurry!¡± The cloth was removed and the honored official opened his eyes to the bright daylight and discovered that he was standing in the middle of the street, surrounded by countless wide mouthed commoners. The Left Secretary immediately lowered his head and yelled: ¡°I¡¯m not! Put it back!¡± Scenes like this played out outside almost every high-level brothel in Feng Zhou, and the lucky Feng Zhou commoners were given a free show. Yao Yangyu and Helian Zheng both enjoyed digging into people¡¯s secrets and taking advantage of their shortcomings, so when they heard that a grain transportation official (Du Liang Dao) enjoyed the company of country women, the two immediately mounted horses and rushed out. After visiting countless village women, they finally found the man. Soon after, Helian Zheng and Yao Yangyu happily escorted Master Du Liang Dao back to the city, his ears decorated with chains of dried chilly. In quick order, 48 officials were dragged out of various brothels: two Third Rank Officials, one Sub-Fourth Rank, eighteen Fifth Rank, six Seventh Rank, and two Ninth Rank and numerous rankless attendants. All of them were gathered together in a long rope-chain, their faces covered and their hands tied as they were led back to the Magistrate¡¯s Mansion. The scene shocked Feng Zhou City and many commoners followed along to witness the parade of shame and the lofty officials tide together like a string of grasshoppers. Although Feng Zhiwei had told the Young Masters to cover the faces and not announce what they were doing or who they had captured, good deeds never left the house while scandals spread ten thousand miles. In the blink of an eye, the entire Feng Zhou City knew what had happened ¡ª while the South Sea Officials had been taking a break, they had been captured by the Imperial Envoy as they were entertaining themselves. The deathly pale official accompanied Feng Zhiwei as she smilingly accepted the head of the rope chain and headed for the Commissioner¡¯s Yamen. Zhou Xizhong had already heard the news and was waiting outside with a terrifyingly cold face. As soon as he saw the chain of grasshoppers, his face twitched and he immediately called for his men to bring the grasshoppers inside and scatter the bystanders. Feng Zhiwei did not stand in his way, knowing that pushing too far would only backfire. She had already made a clear stand. Zhou Xizhong brought everyone into a big hall and had them untied, and Feng Zhiwei finally spoke. ¡°Master Zhou,¡± She said as she calmly drank her tea. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Good question.¡± Zhou Xizhong spun around, staring coldly at her: ¡°Master Wei, what are you doing?¡± He examined the young and slender Feng Zhiwei, a strange mix of emotions in his heart. He had planned on leaving Wei Zhi out to dry a little, reminding the youth of propriety and decorum so that he could have some initiative when discussing the matter of the new department¡¯s founding. Of course, there was also the selfish motivation ¡ª he had never suffered such humiliation since he had arrived to South Sea, and that humiliation had been followed immediately by a disaster that had opportunely taken advantage of him. He was still dealing with the aftermath, but this Imperial Envoy had seized the opportunity and put on such a great show in his favor. If he did not show this brat some iron, in the future his subordinates would not take him as seriously. Chapter 189 Even after analyzing things thousands upon thousands of times, Zhou Xizhong could only deduce that the Imperial Envoy was somewhat feminine, patient and subtle and conniving. Thus, when Wei Zhi boldly captured and tied up almost all of the South Sea high ranking officials and paraded them through the streets, Zhou Xizhong was stunned and surprised by her courage and determination. If he did not confront Wei Zhi today, he would be forced onto the back foot in every action in the future and lose great prestige. After all, since Feng Zhiwei had dared string up the grasshoppers, it would be little trouble to add one big grasshopper to the mix. ¡°It is exactly as it looks.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied seriously. ¡°Today is not a legal holiday that the Tian Sheng Imperial Court has sanctioned, but none of these officials were on duty. They gathered in various establishments and shamed the name of the local government, failing to honor the duty that the Imperial Court has bestowed upon them. This Minor Minister is Imperial Envoy of the South Sea Province and thus responsible for overseeing all local officials; if I dare ignore this matter, I would dishonor His Majesty¡¯s wisdom in understanding and choosing talent, and I would fail the great responsibility that he has entrusted me.¡± Her words were grand and pompous, even concluding with the lofty name of the Tian Sheng Emperor. Zhou Xizhong¡¯s prepared reply was suddenly squashed, and he had to think for a long moment before coldly replying: ¡°These officials have also been chosen by His Majesty, so is Master Wei not still dishonoring His Majesty¡¯s wisdom and understanding? Are you not disregarding the Imperial Court¡¯s dignity?¡± ¡°Master Zhou is somewhat mistaken.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, smiling and creasing her eyes. ¡°Outside of Dijing, only Rank Two and higher officials are assigned by His Majesty. If Master Zhou were visiting those establishments, this Minor Minister would not dare capture Your Honor for that would truly dishonor His Majesty, but fortunately Master Zhou is a dignified and reputable official and would not make such a mistake, but these secretaries and advisors¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei chuckled. ¡°They have been recommended by Your Honor¡¯s authority.¡± Zhou Xizhong coughed, choking as Feng Zhiwei¡¯s smile fell away. She set down her tea and the clear clack of porcelain sent quivers through the lined up grasshoppers. ¡°Since Master Zhou has finished his questioning, it is not this Minor Minister¡¯s turn.¡± Feng Zhiwei announced clearly. ¡°This Minor Minister has come to South Sea under Imperial Edict to found a new Department of Maritime Affairs. This matter has been declared by the Imperial Court and must be successfully implemented, so this Minor Minister cannot understand why the honored Commissioner has been using all manner of excuses to stand in the way. You have already incited thousands to gather the docks to petition the Prince and Imperial Envoy, and today you have deliberately scattered the officials on the day we were to begin negotiations. Is the Commissioner opposing the Imperial Court? Have you begun opposing dynastic policy? Resisting the will of His Majesty?¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s gentle politeness fell away as she called out harsh and forceful words, but though Zhou Xizhong was shocked at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s true demeanor, he could not afford to retreat. His voice cold, he replied: ¡°People are the foundation of the country, and the Imperial Court must also respect the will of the people! South Sea¡¯s wealthy and powerful families dominate the markets and have long been bullying the people of this region. If the new department falls into one of the wealthy family¡¯s hands, they will only grown more arrogant and unrestrained. The people of South Sea cannot allow this to happen!¡± ¡°Dominating the markets is a last resort at self preservation that the local government has forced onto the families. If the South Sea Government had not incited the commoners against the various family-run businesses and fomented serious conflict, why would these rich and powerful families need to fight back in this manner?¡± ¡°The South Sea people fight for their own livelihood! Half of trade is controlled by the Yan Family, half of the fishing by the Huang Family, and a third of the land has been occupied by Shangguan! Seven in ten all commoners are oppressed by these wealthy families, and if the local government had not taken up their mantle, no one knows how many fishermen would have died miserable deaths out at sea!¡± ¡°If it were not for these families ruling the seas and developing trade, how could your South Sea Province be so rich and your commoners so well fed and warmly dressed? If the wealthy families and the local government had fought and wounded each other, who would be the final victim? The people! Master Zhou speaks as if he is sincerely working for the people, but in truth your vision is only this narrow!¡± ¡°Master Wei has been seduced by the Yan Family¡¯s beautiful women!¡± This Commissioner has never forbidden the wealthy families from doing business or growing; I am simply against the families obtaining official power! They are already difficult enough to control when they can only rely on wealthy ¡ª once they have political power, the South Sea province will enter dangerous straits!¡± The two traded words and barbs like an unceasing storm of thunder and lightning, deeply astounding the quivering, blindfolded grasshoppers. More and more, these trembling insects began to admire this Wei Zhi, a seemingly gentle and warm man who could compete evenly with Tyrant Zhou and his lengthy dominion over South Sea. Finally, Zhou Xizhong and Feng Zhiwei paused. They were both intelligent and now had a basic understanding of each other¡¯s difficulties, so after a moment, Feng Zhiwei offered: ¡°Master Zhou, perhaps we should continue this conversation elsewhere.¡± Zhou Xizhong silently acceded and led her to an inner study. Inside, the two returned to peace and quiet as Zhou Xizhong poured Feng Zhiwei a new cup of tea. ¡°This Minister has a list impeaching forty-eight officials form the South Sea Province.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly announced as she sipped at her tea. ¡°Whether this list is delivered to the courier station and sent off to Dijing tonight or torn here and now will depend on Your Honor¡¯s decision.¡± ¡°You are threatening me.¡± Zhou Xizhong replied, his face imperturbable. ¡°Yes.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly agreed. Zhou Xizhong snorted, pausing for a moment before asking: ¡°What do you want?¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart relaxed, though she showed no signs of her emotions on her face as she calmly explained: ¡°Found the Maritime Department in Feng Zhou and set up a sub-department in Shang Ye. Let Yan Huaishi command, and have one vice-head from each of the families. The new department will be independent from the South Sea government and report only to the Ministry of Revenue.¡± ¡°Do you know why I am opposed to this new department?¡± Zhou Xizhong replied, falling silent for a moment before he continued: ¡°It is exactly because you seek to put the Yan Family in charge. The Yan Family is the most powerful of the families here, while the other four are equal to each other. Over the years, I have spent much effort to develop and maintain a mutually restraining balancing. ¡°I must preserve the work and honor of the local government, and I do not dare close my eyes when I sleep in fear that these wealthy families will encroach upon and corrupt my officials. Now you tell me you want to put the Yan Family in control? Have you ever thought how great a storm the Yan Family¡¯s wealth will bring to South Sea when they gain political rank? Do you not know this family¡¯s ambition? Many of them are restless and even claim to have Imperial blood and the Mandate of Heaven. Even if this is just idle talk, we cannot let down our guard. Letting such a family enter political rank in a department that the local government has no power over? How can I promise his Majesty that nothing will go wrong in the future? ¡°Each of the five families has complex relations with the others, and even more complicated backgrounds. At least one of the families are colluding with the Chang Clan, and I don¡¯t know which. How can I allow you to give any of them such power?¡± Zhou Xizhong asked, his eyes dim. ¡°His Majesty has sent me a secret missive, and I understand that you will use this new department to wield the wealthy families and wipe out the South Sea pirates, but these families are double edged swords; if you do not handle them well, you will cut yourself. Have you truly thought this through?¡± ¡°The central matter is that Your Honor does not trust the families, but what if there was a reliable man who could guarantee that none of your worries would come to pass?¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly replied. ¡°You mean Yan Huaishi?¡± Zhou Xizhong laughed coldly. ¡°How are you sure he is trustworthy? Giving him this position will be more difficult than giving it to anyone else, and the other wealthy families will not just stand by and do nothing. Not even the Yan Family will support him ¡ª he is the one candidate that all of the families will oppose. You must be extremely careful, or else you will not even be able to protect yourself.¡± Chapter 190 ¡°That is my concern.¡± Feng Zhiwei answered steadily, ¡°I only want Master Zhou¡¯s word.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Zhou Xizhong replied coldly: ¡°If you can subdue the Yan Family and manage the other families, not allowing either the wealthy families or the Chang Clan to control the South Sea province, helping you found the Maritime Department will not be a problem.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, standing and bowing slightly. ¡°Then this Minor Minister will keep the impeachment list for now, and Your Honor can wait as I arrange matters.¡± ¡°You are young and capable so I truly how you are not heading to your death.¡± Zhou Xizhong replied with a meaningful stare. ¡°I must keep South Sea stable, so in certain matters you must truly understand before acting.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes glittered and she smiled as she left. As she passed the string of grasshoppers on her way out, all the grasshoppers trembled and shrank back. The negotiations had finished smoothly and all of the students were very excited, happy in their wise choice to follow Vice Headmaster Wei. Here, they could even punch a Low Third Rank Official; how could Dijing compare! They jumped and sang and celebrated their joy until an annoyed Young Master Gu gifted them a walnut bruise to each of their heads. On the other hand, Helian Zheng was sad and depressed when his Little Aunt told him to distance himself from her and keep the stink of powder and rouge away. The Helian Prince bemoaned his unjust fate. She had allowed him to go! Really, steppe women used words like iron sabres; why had he fallen for this two-faced central plains woman with a mouth full of lies¡­ Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sedan chair left the city and headed back to the West Yard, passing over a hill and a few villages on the way. When they had just left the city, a man galloped over and spoke hurriedly to a guard before being brought to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°What happened?¡± Feng Zhiwei called out, recognizing one of the butlers from Xi Yard. The servant leaned over and whispered into her ear. Feng Zhiwei stood in alarm. This butler had served Yan Huaishi¡¯s mother since her marriage and was one of the few people in the family that Yan Huaishi could trust. Sweaty and begrimed but too worried to bother with decorum, he hurriedly explained what had happened when Feng Zhiwei left. The Yan Family had decided to open their Ancestral Temple and banish Yan Huaishi and his mother; as soon as His Highness heard of the matter, he strode out immediately to stop the farce, but South Sea custom held the Ancestral Temple as sacred and inviolable. Once the doors were shut, no outsider was allowed to open it; if any one dared violate the sanctity of the gate, he would enrage the entire South Sea province. His Highness chose instead to surround the Yan Family temple, having a thousand of his guards to guard every entrance, warning that if Yan Huaishi and his mother were harmed, everyone else in the temple would be locked in until they starved. Soon the Yan Family tenants, workers, and side-branch members heard the news and rushed over, and now a few thousand people surrounded Ning Yi and his guards. The stalemated had been going on for at least six hours. Feng Zhiwei had not expected that her absence of a few hours would allow the Yan Family to create such a huge disturbance. The South Sea people venerated familial inheritance and had passed down traditions for thousands of years; even the Imperial Court needed to respect these practices, and if they intervened or maligned the tradition in anyway, the authority of the Imperial Court would soon come under attack and the situation spin out of control. On the Third Year of the Tian Sheng Dynasty, the past Commissioner had chased an important criminal through an Ancestral Temple and accidentally knocked down an ancestor¡¯s Spirit Tablet. As a result, the Family Head of the temple committed suicide, and the whole fiasco enraged the South Sea people and spiraled into an armed rebellion. Over ten thousand commoners rose up and trapped the Commissioner for eighteen days, and though the South Sea General was ordered to rescue the Commissioner, the military itself was manned with South Sea people and they refused to fight their home. Ultimately, the miserable Commissioner starved to death. The commoners had strong ties and beliefs about family and blood and the importance of their Ancestral Temple; often, the less educated and more remote the province, the deeper the traditions of blood and family. The violation of the Ancestral Temple was the greatest insult, and whenever it happened the people were filled with common hatred and would set aside their personal grudges to unite in their fury. The Imperial Court had learnt this lesson and chose to never interfere in family affairs in these distant provinces.[1] In other words, if matters were not handled well, even Ning Yi might not survive! More and more people were gathering and if the crowd went crazy, someone could hurt Ning Yi in the chaos and escape into the mess. Feng Zhiwei clenched her hands, her palms pounding with hot blood. She shut her eyes to calm herself, and then she called out: ¡°Helian Zheng, I must trouble you to take my seal and lead the students back to Feng Zhou. Reveal your identity to Master Zhou and ask him to send troops immediately, then all of you will stay in Feng Zhou. You do not need to return.¡± ¡°Send Yao Yangyu!¡± Helian Zheng refused. ¡°I¡¯m staying.¡± ¡°Send Wang Huai!¡± Yao Yangyu called out without hesitation. ¡°We¡¯ve always needed your protection like burdens, and now you want to send us from danger? No!¡± ¡°Send Yu Liang!¡± The Young Master named Wang Huai called out. ¡°Huang Baozi will go!¡± Yu Liang retorted. All of the students refused to leave, and finally Feng Zhiwei yelled over them, furious: ¡°Everyone will leave!¡± ¡°Yao Yangyu, you and I will follow. Everyone else leave!¡± Helian Zheng called out with a voice of thunder, his eyes glaring. His Eight Valiants echoed his words with fierce lashes of their whips. The students could do nothing but obey and obediently turned their horses. Wang Huai called out, teary eyed: ¡°Vice Headmaster, be safe¡­¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t see mansion troops in four hours, no can will be safe!¡± Feng Zhiwei declared, cold and impassionate. As the students rushed off for reinforcements, Feng Zhiwei turned to the butler: ¡°You came quickly. Did you come from the main road or is there a short cut?¡± ¡°This small man knows the paths very well. I traveled through Mount Hong.¡± The butler replied. ¡°There is a small village path in the mountains, and the Yan Family Ancestral Temple is not far from Jiu Jie Village. The path will shorten the travel time in half.¡± ¡°Then what are we waiting for. Go.¡± Ning Cheng snapped, grabbing the butler and rushing out. Feng Zhiwei climbed off the sedan chair and onto Gu Nanyi¡¯s horse, leading the Eight Valiants and the three hundred guards into the mountains. Soon, they had to leave their horses to take the rugged mountain trail. After a while, the butler pointed out the Ren Ji village up ahead, gasping at the heavy plumes of smoke that pillared up above. Feng Zhiwei was just wondering where she had heard the name before when she heard Ning Cheng¡¯s furious shout ring out ahead. [1] This does not represent the views of the translator, and we cannot speak for the meaning and purpose of the author. Chapter 191 Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she began moving as quickly as she could up the rocky path. A huge log blocked the road as thick, dark smoke rose up in the village behind it. Nervous Yamen Bailiffs rushed and there with firewood while distant officials oversaw them. The shocked butler spluttered: ¡°That log was not here when I left.¡± The Yamen Bailiffs approached, yelling out: ¡°This place is locked down. No one can enter. Go back! Go back!¡± Before he could finish speaking, Helian Zheng snapped his whip into his face and called out: ¡°Move aside!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± The bailiff cried out, clutching his face. ¡°This grandpa is telling you for your own good¡­¡± ¡°Whose grandpa?¡± Helian Zheng called, his whip lashing out and pulling the Yamen Bailiff over the log. ¡°Gentlemen, why are you attacking our men!¡± The officials strode over, pausing in shock when they saw Helian Zheng¡¯s face. Feng Zhiwei called out calmly: ¡°Magistrate Liu.¡± ¡°Master Imperial Envoy!¡± The Magistrate of Feng Zhou called back, hurriedly bowing as he asked: ¡°What is Your Honor doing here?¡± Feng Zhiwei finally remembered where she had heard the name of the village. When she had gone to visit the Magistrate, his subordinate had said he had gone to investigate deaths in the Ren Ji Village. Before she could speak, Liu Rui continued: ¡°Is Your Honor also here to investigate the plague?¡± Plague? Feng Zhiwei lifted a brow, finally understanding the log blocking the road. ¡°I am not here for this matter.¡± She announced, her momentary surprise already suppressed. She explained the emergency and called out, demanding: ¡°Take the log away. I need to pass.¡± ¡°Your Honor, you cannot!¡± Magistrate Liu called out hurriedly. ¡°This is a horrible sickness that¡¯s taken almost every member of every family in the village. We were just about to set the village on fire, and the bailiffs have already begun! You cannot go in!¡± ¡°Put out the fire.¡± Feng Zhiwei called back as she resumed her walk forward. Just as Magistrate Liu was about to protest again, Feng Zhiwei turned and stared. Her icy calm eyes gleamed a dark indigo, reflecting the cloudy skies above. Her gaze was too cutting to meet, and Magistrate Liu felt his words stick in his throat. ¡°If you speak again, I will have to ask you to come into the village with me.¡± A dazed Magistrate Liu could only step back. Ning Cheng had already marched forward and kicked the log aside, and as a forward facing Feng Zhiwei followed him into the village, she called out: ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. Ning Cheng and I are enough, everyone else will stay.¡± Everyone silently ignored her and followed. Feng Zhiwei did not say anything more. There was no way Gu Nanyi would leave her side, and Helian Zheng and Yao Yangyu were both stubborn donkeys. The guards had their duties and deserting their posts was a capital crime. Since it has come to this, let us face this terrible plague together! ¡°Great one!¡± A voice called out as another person ran over to join the procession. ¡°This commoner is called Li Zheng. I am from the Jiu Jie Village at the foot of the mountain. I need to go back anyway, so this peasant can lead the way! This peasant also knows of medicinal herbs to protect Feng Zhiwei nodded and their line pushed aside the wood railings, stamping out the flames before plunging forward. Magistrate could only watch in helpless amazement, shock filling him to his core. After staring dazedly for a moment, he stamped his feet and called out: ¡°Send news back to Feng Zhou!¡± Inside the death village. This little village in the mountains was already a ghost town; tools lay scattered about as the sparks of flame grew. Large stacks of dark smoke rose up high among the deathly silent haylofts and houses. Not even corpses were in view, and one could only imagine that inside those burning barns and houses lay tragic, disease ridden bodies. Jiu Jie Village¡¯s Li Zheng marched anxiously, avoiding the various objects on the ground as his eyes scanned the village. Suddenly, he darted to the side. Stopping suddenly in a vegetable field, he knelt and began digging. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes narrowed. The dirt in the field was loose and dark and had clearly just been dug. As the man dug, the ground gave way and revealed a skinny child¡¯s hand, curled powerlessly and reaching for the sky as if seeking justice from an indifferent heaven. This child had been buried alive! Yao Yangyu exclaimed and immediately stepped forward to assist, but Feng Zhiwei stopped him with her hand. Anyone buried here almost definitely had the plague. No one could touch him, and she still needed to pass through the mountain to reach the Ancestral Temple. She could not bring the plague with her. Useless pity would only harm even more people. ¡°If you want to bring this child with you, you must go.¡± She announced. The child was now fully unearthed, his face still covered in dirt, but fortunately he had not been buried deeply and seemed to have been underground for only a short while and his chest still rose with breath. ¡°Great One! This is my nephew, he is not sick!¡± Li Zheng cried out, cradling the child as he knelt before Feng Zhiwei. ¡°My nephew has always had a strange physique and never gets sick. He is never bitten by insects, and the poisonous creatures all avoid him. He does not have the plague! Master Liu did not believe me, so he buried him. I¡­ I asked to join you in order to save him!¡± He lifted up his child, revealing a face that clearly did not have the indigo darkness of the plague. Feng Zhiwei was already intrigued by the claim that poisonous creatures avoided him. The mysterious legends of the deep mountains of South Sea and Minnan had been on her mind for a while, so she wondered if this child¡¯s blood held something special. Keeping him around might bring some good. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± She announced decisively, wasting no time on self doubt. She flicked her hand and her team began marching forward once more. Gu Nanyi took the rear, flicking out burning sparks as they passed, setting the dry hay rooftops ablaze behind them. Feng Zhiwei strode through the fiery blaze, never looking back. After taking the medicinal herbs, the group soon passed through the mountain. Before the Yan Family Ancestral Temple came into view, they could already see a countless swarm of people marching like gather ants, all heading in one central direction. ¡°They are everyone related to the Yan Family in this area.¡± Li Zheng explained. ¡°The Yan Family is a large clan that has been growing for many hundreds of years, and you can see their numbers. In all of Feng Zhou, there are tens of thousands of people related to the Yan Family, and if you count their relations and their relation¡¯s relations, you could say that 40% of the people are related to the Yan Family. ¡°Normally, such remote relations mean nothing; the Yan Family can¡¯t take care of os many people, and most are only hired workers, but when it comes to matters of the Ancestral Temple, the South Sea people believe that when the Ancestral Temple is offended, calamities will strike out at nine generations. Every relative has responsibility, and so even the most remotely related person must show up.¡± Chapter 192 Feng Zhiwei followed the stream of bodies for a distance. They could already spot the crowd in the distance, a gathering of seas and mountains of people with countless voices raised and yelling, and angry harpoons and sticks wielded in fury. The uproar was already deafening even half a mile away, and all the furor completely hid the Ancestral Temple and masked Ning Yi and his three thousand guards. ¡°Piss off!¡± ¡°Any who touches the Ancestral Temple will die!¡± ¡°Drag them away!¡± The voices reached the sky as the crowd packed together. There was no way for them to proceed without killing. But once the first lives were taken, the matter would become unresolvable. ¡°I¡¯ll get him!¡± Ning Cheng called out, already deciding to jump over the crowd. But Feng Zhiwei immediately pulled him back. ¡°Wait!¡± She stared at the crowd, her face deathly serious. Gu Nanyi and Ning Cheng could rescue Ning Yi, but Feng Zhiwei was afraid that the Chang Family had saboteurs and spies planted in this huge crowd. Once the chaos began, even if they could not hurt Gu Nanyi or Ning Cheng, they only needed to kill the random bystanders and then the situation would spiral out of control. Then, not only would they fail to control South Sea, she and Ning Yi might not even make it out of South Sea alive. Clearly Ning Yi had thought of this matter as well, so he had held back his guards and allowed the commoners to surround him. ¡°We cannot be reckless. There are too many people and we will lose control too easily.¡± She warned, thinking deeply before turning to Ning Cheng. ¡°Let His Highness know we have arrived.¡± Ning Cheng rolled his eyes in displeasure and unwillingness, and Feng Zhiwei narrowed her eyes, her voice cold: ¡°Do you believe that if you disobey me, you¡¯ll be on your way back to Dijing tomorrow?¡± Ning Cheng could only send up a signal flare, and almost instantly a golden flare came up out of the center of the crowd in reply. Ning Yi¡¯s flare angled out towards them, petering out in the air and falling. ¡°Brother Gu!¡± At Feng Zhiwei¡¯s call, Gu Nanyi floated forward and caught the falling missive. The crowd of commoners noticed some movement, but before they could decipher what had happened Gu Nanyi had already returned to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s side. He handed a golden cylinder and the paper scroll inside to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Use gain to scatter.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes flashed. His plan was identical to hers. ¡°Li Zheng,¡± She called out, turning to the man from Jiu Jie Village. ¡°Where is the closest Chang Ping Granary?¡± The Chang Ping Granary were storage sites owned and operated by the Imperial Court, normally only opened for disaster relief or managing grain price inflation. ¡°Ping Ye County. There are two about thirty miles away.¡± Li Zheng replied, confused as he asked: ¡°What does Your Honor intend? The Chang Ping Granary is controlled by the Du Liang Dao, the Commissioner¡¯s immediate subordinate. In order to open the granary, Master Zhou must sign an order. The two granaries are under strict guard.¡± Of course they under strict guard. With the raging fight between the families and the government, the grain price had continuously grown. Zhou Xizhong had secured the granaries as future strongholds to manage the grain inflation, establishing an unshakable tie to the stomachs of the people. Feng Zhiwei laughed coldly and waved Helian Zheng and Yao Yangyu forward. ¡°Prince Hu Zhuo, Young Master Yao!¡± After Feng Zhiwei explained their mission, Helian Zheng blinked and replied: ¡°If they refuse, can we kill him?¡± Feng Zhiwei laughed again, her smile biting as she answered: ¡°These you can kill.¡± Helian Zheng and Yao Yangyu departed with the Eight Valiants and two hundred guards, marching under Feng Zhiwei¡¯s order. When they arrived at Ping Ye County, the two split to their respective granaries. They had agreed that whoever brought back less grain would need to wear a long tail of grass and crawl around on the ground like a dog. ¡°Butler.¡± Feng Zhiwei called, summoning the Xi Yard attendant. ¡°Return to the Xi Yard and gather everyone. Bring all the liquid money to Ping Ye County. The quicker the better.¡± The butler nodded and bowed hurriedly before dashing off without another word. ¡°Li Zheng, summon your villagers and bring out gongs and drums. Announce this: The Imperial Court is opening the granaries in Ping Ye County to relieve the rising gran price disaster in Feng Zhou and those displaced by the rising tide. Any affected elders sixty and older living in Feng Zhou City and its suburbs can receive ten liters of rice and three tael of silver. The hired workers of every major boat and ship manufactory can receive ten liters of rice and one tael of silver with their identity tokens. The disaster rice and silver will only be given out for three days and requires the person to come sign in person. No leeway period.¡± After those words, Feng Zhiwei procured a thick stack of silver notes and handed them to Li Zheng. ¡°Forget about the gongs and drums, just make sure everyone hears the news. This silver is your fee, and once the crowd is scattered I will double this!¡± Li Zheng¡¯s hands trembled excitedly as he clutched the silver notes, but his mind remained clear: ¡°Where will the rice come from? Your superior has not approved¡­¡± ¡°My words are approval.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled icily. ¡°All you need to worry about is spreading the news!¡± ¡°You.¡± Feng Zhiwei pointed to Ning Cheng and the remaining hundred guards. ¡°Take off your uniform and go into the crowd. Wait, and when people refuse to leave as the crowd scatters, surround anyone suspicious!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Everyone went off to fulfill their tasks as Feng Zhiwei waited and planned, her hands clasped behind her back and she stared up into the sky. When the people arrived at Ping Ye County for the rice and silver, everything should be ready and waiting. It is better to dodge than to block, and more effective to lure with gain than to disperse with reason. Instead of wasting energy explaining or causing trouble with force, it was more effective to offer up free food and silver in the distance so that the crowd would leave on their own. As for opening the granaries, the officers watching them would surely refuse, but Helian Zheng and Yao Yangyu¡¯s identities would give them some leeway as they seized control. Her plans in motion, she brought Gu Nanyi away and found two villagers willing to sell their cloth robes. ¡°Brother Gu.¡± Feng Zhiwei spoke again on a last matter. ¡°Once the crowd begins to disperse, help me watch from above. If there¡¯s anything wrong, point it out for me.¡± Gu Nanyi did not reply, calmly eating his walnuts as he stood three steps away from her, leaving her in easy reach. Soon, Li Zheng returned with twenty youths and a large gong in hand, all of them yelling as loudly as they could. Without enough gongs and drums, some had brought iron pans and large basins to bang and drum, and their long chaotic shouts immediately pressed through the noise of the crowd. Chapter 193 As the outer circles heard the news, waves of excitement spread like a gust of wind, shimmering its way through the crowd in waves. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s announcement covered pretty much everyone in the crowd. Many of the Yan Family¡¯s dock workers were here, so she had specifically mentioned them, and many South Sea commoners lived long lives, so most of the extensive families here had many elders older than sixty. If the families escorted their elders to receive the rice and silver, they would have a lot to share. Very quickly, the crowd began to scatter. Time was limited, and the distance far. When these people returned from receiving their rice and silver, the matter here at the temple would be resolved. Good news travels fast, and Li Zheng had just finished circling the crowd one time and everyone had already heard. The crowd hesitated, exchanging excited glances. Many people recognized Li Zheng and knew him as a local from Jiu Jie Village, and they were even more certain that no one would dare lie on such an easily disproved matter. Finally, a voice cried out: ¡°Let¡¯s get the free rice and silver!¡± With that one yell, thousands cried out in response. They had already stood out here for a long time without hearing any news and there was no sign that anyone would force their way into the temple. The crowd had already been growing impatient, so at this shout, they all tossed down their sticks and stones and dispersed. As the crowd marched off, the gathering streams all hesitated in confusion. When they heard the news, all of them also turned around and hurried away. They still had to care about their own bellies, and the Ancestral Temple was fine anyway. Feng Zhiwei watched from atop a tree, breathing out a sigh of relief. Her heart had been pounding ever since the butler had come with the news, and now she could finally rest easy. But as she relaxed, she grew dizzy and swayed on her branch. Luckily, Gu Nanyi was nearby and held her steady, his confused, gleaming eyes staring into hers. Feng Zhiwei chuckled, commenting: ¡°The tree is really tall.¡± As she spoke, she secretly took her own pulse, her eyelids drooping. Suddenly, Gu Nanyi turned and flicked his fingers, shooting out a handful of walnuts. The walnuts flew like arrows, piercing towards the back of the scattering crowd. An anxious man hiding within the crowd looked around at the dispersing people and flicked a glittering dagger out of his sleeve. He palmed the blade and struck out at a passing man¡¯s back! As he stabbed, he opened his mouth and yelled: ¡°Murder!¡± But before he could finish his stroke, a yellow shadow fell on his blade and split the dagger in half. The yellow dot fell to the ground and stilled ¡ª a small, intact walnut. Almost immediately, a loud uproar rose up around him as a loud ¡°Thief!¡± cry covered up the saboteur¡¯s shout. Several guards instantly surrounded him as a vicious eyed man grabbed the disarmed saboteur¡¯s hand and forcefully twisted it behind his back, cracking the bone and knocking the man unconscious. The guards moved quickly and had already stopped five murders, efficiently capturing the assailants. The commoners only thought that there really were thieves, and after checking their own possessions, hurried off even more anxiously. The thousands of people soon disappeared. The spies of the wealthy families and the Chang Family were captured. Feng Zhiwei breathed out a long breath, a weary smile spreading across her lips. She had really been worried. With so many people here, if Ning Yi¡¯s guards even touched the crowd, the spies would only need to cause a little bit of trouble and disaster would strike. Even if Ning Yi managed to escape, the aftermath would be unimaginable, and the Chang Family would surely use this calamity to create more and more problems. At the very least, she would not have been able to fulfill her side of the deal with Zhou Xizhong and would have failed in founding the General Maritime Department. Then, she would not have been able to unify or control the wealthy families, much less unify South Sea to ward off the Chang Family¡¯s invasion. In truth, Feng Zhiwei was somewhat surprised that the spies had failed, but with the crowd scattered, Feng Zhiwei finally saw Ning Yi¡¯s preparations around the temple. Outside the Yan Family¡¯s magnificent Ancestral Temple, huge trees lay blocking the temple on all sides, with Prince Chu¡¯s shield bearing guards blocking everything. As soon as Ning Yi had known the commoners were gathering, he had cut down these centuries old trees to barricade the Ancestral Temple and separate the commoners from the guards. The sturdy makeshift walls warded off all assailants and protected them from these treacheries of the spies. If not for Ning Yi¡¯s decisiveness, disaster would have struck before Feng Zhiwei could make it here. The truth was that Ning Yi could have retreated long before the commoners had surrounded him, but he chose to thrust himself into danger. Clearly, he trusted Feng Zhiwei to defuse the situation, but more importantly, he did not intend to let the Yan Family off the hook. He had never spoken when Feng Zhiwei had stood by Yan Huaishi, but now he was s Feng Zhiwei climbed down from the tree, increasingly dizzy as her body suffered through alternating hot and cold. She forced out a weak smile in thanks before stepping away from Gu Nanyi. By the huge trees, the guards recognized her and immediately pulled back their shields. Gu Nanyi reached for her sleeve to carry her over to the large barricade, but Feng Zhiwei dodged his hand, smiling in apology as she said: ¡°I¡¯ll go myself.¡± She climbed atop the large, fallen tree, her moves nimble and light. She gestured as she walked, and the shield bearing guards wore strange looks of determination and respect as they obediently followed her orders. Finally, she stood perched up on the tree, the guards retreating to the sides around her. Beyond the barricade, she could finally see the man in front of the Ancestral Temple. Guarded and encircled in layers of metal and flesh, that man leaned idly against a tree, the gold red cloak of Prince Chu¡¯s honor guard spread out underneath him. In his hurry to arrive at the scene, he wore only a moon-white dressing gown and a thin black coat embroidered with a golden mandala. The bright gold tassel of his belt hung loosely from his hips, spreading out lazily over his noble red cloak. He sat playing Go. Surrounded by tens of thousands of hostile enemies as he pit himself against the Yan Family, he sat here playing Go with himself. Leaning leisurely against the tree, he sat with an improvised board, using two types of leaves as pieces. Green and yellow faced off against each other as he bit his lips, attentively ¡°examining¡± the chess board, in deep contemplation on how to have the green leaves defeat the yellow. Feng Zhiwei looked down at the distant Ning Yi, the setting sun dappling over his brows and graceful face, his long lashes curving as he looked down at the board, and somehow all Feng Zhiwei could see was a rare warmth and peace around him. Chapter 194 As she looked down at that face, bitter sourness filled Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart. She bit down on her lips, stifling the sudden emotion and smothering it down deep. Ning Yi turned to her and smiled, waving her over as he called out: ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°En.¡± A casual call and a simple answer as if meeting back at the Xi Yard after finishing her day, calmly greeted under the whisky clouds as a gentle breeze weaved around them. As if all that danger was distant, as if those thousands of hostile enemies had never existed. ¡°Come.¡± Ning Yi called again. Feng Zhiwei walked over slowly, stopping a distance away. Ning Yi heard her steps stop and he furrowed his brows as he smiled: ¡°Why so bashful today? Were you scared?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled back but did not move forward. ¡°How are things inside?¡± ¡°The same.¡± Ning Yi replied, standing and sweeping aside his board. He reached out to pull her close: ¡°Do you have food? I haven¡¯t eaten the whole day and I¡¯m starving.¡± Feng Zhiwei dodged his hand and stepped back, replying: ¡°No.¡± ¡°What is with you?¡± Ning Yi frowned again, stopping. ¡°Are you blaming me for not grabbing them? Ancestral Temple in South Sea cannot be disturbed, and if I had moved in it would only be bad for you in the future, so I decided to wait¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. ¡°Feng Zhiwei interrupted. ¡°You can¡¯t grabbing them with force; if it were me, I would only have been able to do this as well.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± Ning Yi smiled coldly. ¡°This Prince¡¯s patience has its limit. If the Yan Family truly dares to not give face to the Imperial Court, this Prince also dares to leave them no retreat.¡± He walked up to Feng Zhiwei and she stepped back. Just as he reached for her sleeve, she shifted away; as they neared, her fragrance drifted by his nose and he smelled something a little different. Ning Yi paused, but when he breathed again, she had already moved away. He stood quietly, his face slowly smoothing out. He did not comment on his thoughts, only saying coldly: ¡°Since you are here and this is your business, I will not involve myself. You can make the decisions.¡± Feng Zhiwei watched quietly as he turned away and gathered up his guards and prepared them to depart. The pitter patter of footfalls rushed over, and Feng Zhiwei turned to take in a dainty, cute young woman dressed in coarse clothing. As she reached the tree barricade, she tied up her cotton dress around her waist as she moved to climb over. A guard immediately blocked her way with his spear and called out: ¡°Identify yourself!¡± ¡°South Sea Feng Zhou City¡¯s Qian Shui[1] Village, Hua Qiong begs to speak to His Highness.¡± The woman announced clearly, her eyes large and bright and her brows exquisite on her slightly dark face. Ning Yi turned. The young woman kowtowed on the tree and called out: ¡°Your Highness, this commoner can open the gates!¡± Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi turned and met each others gaze, happiness in their eyes ¡ª only a direct Yan Family member could open the gates of the Ancestral Temple. Right now, no one would dare open the gates for Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi, but if someone came who was willing and able to open the way, the problem would disappear. ¡°Who are you?¡± Ning Yi called out calmly. ¡°Your surname is Hua, not Yan. If you are not part of the Yan Family, opening the gates is a capital crime. Do not court death.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± Hua Qiong kowtowed again, calling out clearly: ¡°My Mother-in-Law and husband are inside the Ancestral Temple. If I must live without them, I would rather die!¡± The prince and Feng Zhiwei exchanged looks of shock: ¡°Husband?¡± Feng Zhiwei was startled; she had never imagined that Yan Huaishi would have a wife in South Sea. Why had he never mentioned it? And why was his wife, a member of the Yan Family, wearing the clothes of a fisherwoman? Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes drifted down to her hands and feet. The woman wore straw sandals on bare feet and her inner pants were rolled up high. Bloody rope marks could still be seen on her wrists and ankles, and Feng Zhiwei could even make out bone. How had she come here? Escaping bonds and running over? Was that why her sandals were broken and her body covered in wounds? ¡°Let her through.¡± Feng Zhiwei called. The guard stepped aside and Hua Qiong clambered laboriously over the tree, ignoring Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei as she rushed to the Ancestral Temple¡¯s doors. As she ran, she unhooked a pair of harpoons from slings around her back. Feng Zhiwei grunted in surprise, watching in stunned amazement. What was going on? Feng Zhiwei followed worriedly as Hua Qiong began knocking on the door, yelling: ¡°The Eldest Grandson from the Main Branch[2], Yan Changtian,[3] scion of the Yan Family¡¯s 732nd Generation begs to see the Yan Family Head!¡± Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi turned towards each other again, both of them trying to remember if they had heard this name over the past days. The Eldest Grandson? Yan Chantian was clearly a man¡¯s name, and this woman called herself Hua Qiong? The door cracked open a sliver and a face peered out. Yan Huaiyuan turned his pale face to Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei before looking at Hua Qiong. Surprise flashed over his face before he began swearing. ¡°You little widow! Bitch! What Yan Changtian? Who is Yan Changtian? The Yan Family only has 731 generations! Where did this 732 come from? You dare come here with a different surname and knock on our Ancestral Temple¡¯s doors? How dare you blaspheme before our temple, on this sacred land! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°Kill me if you dare!¡± Hua Qiong announced bravely.¡±If you dare offend your ancestors and overturn the rites of your family, killing your Yan Family¡¯s Main Branch¡¯s Eldest Grandson, I won¡¯t stop you!¡± ¡°What Eldest Grandson? Piss off!¡± Yan Huaiyuan roared furiously, extending his hand to push the young woman. That was when Hua Qiong stepped back and shouted, boldly lifting up her shirt to reveal her belly: ¡°Yan Changtian is here!¡± The thousand onlookers fell silent. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mouth fell open. Gu Nanyi stared blankly at that prominent belly, his eyes turning from that pregnant flesh to the walnut in his hand. Ning Cheng fell to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. The young woman lifted up her shirt in the bright daylight, revealing her waist to all the onlookers around her. Her protruding belly was only covered by a thin, sheer undergarment that could not even hide the stretch marks. Yan Huaiyuan stilled in stunned amazement, his extended arm forgotten. ¡°Your Yan Family¡¯s 732nd Eldest Branch Eldest Grandson is now in my womb.¡± Hua Qiong called out, her eyes bright. She stood unembarrassed and unafraid, spine upright under Yan Huiayuan¡¯s gaze. ¡°According to the Yan Family¡¯s genealogy, the 732nd generation should be named ¡®Chang,¡¯ so I named my son Changtian. Yan Huaiyuan, right now, Yan Changtian needs to enter!¡± [1] Thousand Water [2] The age of ¡°eldest of the main branch¡± does not compete with grand children of the side branches. [3] Long Sky Chapter 195 Translator: Aristophaneso Her brilliant voice and clear words rang out in the ears of everyone gathered around the Ancestral Temple. Ning Yi called out in calm praise: ¡°Good!¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed emotionally: ¡°Brother Yan has great fortune!¡± Yan Huaiyuan stared numbly at the belly, slowly retrieving his hand and turning back into the temple. Raised voices could be heard from within, and finally Old Man Yan called out in his shaky, aged voice: ¡°Hua Qiong, what a shameless and unbecoming widow! How dare you speak so wildly before the Yan Family¡¯s Sacred Ancestral Temple? You still dare to stand here where you do not belong!¡± ¡°Those who speak wildly should know who they are!¡± Hua Qiong called back without hesitation. ¡°Under the great Yan Family founder¡¯s sacred spirit tablet, none are allowed to speak lies or call white black for fear of calling down calamity on the entire family! As a revered elder, are you not afraid of heaven¡¯s condemnation?¡± Grandfather Yan choked in anger, crying out furiously when he regained his breath: ¡°You want our Yan Family to open our ancestral gates for a woman of a different surname simply because you claim you are pregnant with our family¡¯s grandson? Keep dreaming!¡± ¡°This Yan Family¡¯s generation has offended heaven and has few sons and grandsons.¡± Hua Qiong called back with a cold smile. ¡°Since your Second Branch¡¯s grandson drowned at sea, only granddaughters are left in your bloodline. Now that I am pregnant with the Eldest Branch¡¯s Eldest Grandson, you dare stand in my way? The Family rites command that the duty of Family Head shall pass through the Eldest Branch¡¯s Eldest Son¡¯s legal wife. Your Eldest Young Master ran away from home and now you want to use your grudge against him to kick aside Huaishi, but the son in my womb has never left and never made a mistake. You cannot stand in his way!¡± ¡°Who do you think you are? Just a widow who should be mourning her husband? You have never stepped through our Yan Family¡¯s gates, and you still dare speak of bloodline before our sacred doors?¡± ¡°Huaishi!¡± Hua Qiong stepped back and yelled out brightly. ¡°Have you not heard? Let me ask you now, will you marry me?¡± Everyone froze as so many silent statues, even their breathing stilling as they waited for the reply to the young woman¡¯s bold and decisive words. The sun shone brightly upon the young woman in a sea of guards, her belly exposed as she called out a marriage proposal, risking her name and her life for the man she loved. The short silence dragged on unbearably as the held breaths began to pinch, and finally Yan Huaishi¡¯s voice replied, calling out from deep within the Ancestral Temple. One word: ¡°Yes!¡± Certain and determined with no thought of turning back. The thousand guards forgot their posts for a moment and cried out in loud fervor, and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes glittered in the bright light, her cold blood suddenly pounding hot. Ning Yi had not spoken for a long while as he watched her, but though Feng Zhiwei did not dare meet his gaze, her ears could not help but hear his quiet sigh. Hua Qiong looked up at the heavens, held back tears filling her eyes. ¡°Even if he marries you,¡± Old Man Yan finally called out, his voice hoarse. ¡°How can you be certain it is a boy? A girl will not be allowed to enter!¡± ¡°Easily.¡± Hua Qiong smiled disdainfully. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart jumped. ¡°Shua.¡± Hua Qiong flourished her two harpoons, the razor sharp edges gleaming with eye dazzling brilliance. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look!¡± The metal flashed as she pierced the harpoons down at her belly!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Old Man Yan cried out in terror. In that moment his old heart was so scared that it almost gave up on beating. No one could take a Yan Family members life around the Ancestral Temple, and anyone responsible would be expelled from South Sea with both legs broken. If the baby really turned out to be a boy, Grandfather Yan¡¯s life would not be enough to pay back for this sin. ¡°Pa.¡± A walnut flew forward and knocked aside the weapons, saving Yan Changtian. Ning Cheng was already beside Hua Qiong, the harpoons in his hands. As he stepped away, he patted Hua Qiong¡¯s shoulder and chuckled: ¡°Perfect timing.¡± Hua Qiong did not react, her hands covering her belly. Her move had been so ferocious and sudden, and though it had been blocked, the sharp tip of the harpoon had still cut the skin of her belly and blood was dripping down to the blue stone tiles below. The thousand guards stood in quiet amazement ¡ª ever since this woman had appeared out of nowhere, everyone had been shocked and startled by her time and time again, all of them having long since lost their capacity for speech. ¡°You asked me to prove it.¡± Hua Qiong suddenly spoke again, smiling with her canines like some sort of mountain animal. ¡°Now, open the gates. The Eldest Grandson Yan Changtian wants to enter.¡± Grandfather Yan stared at her for a long moment, his eyes filled with despair and defeat. Finally, he silently gestured. The doors slowly opened, allowing the sun to fan out on the cold, dark ground behind the dark iron gate. Feng Zhiwei watched as the sun expanded in the darkness of the temple and regarded proud Hua Qiong as she held her belly, and the young woman let out a long breath. Then she stepped back and found a level piece of ground to sit on. Ning Yi immediately turned his ears from his careful observation of the temple to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Ning Cheng,¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly called out. ¡°Watch your master, don¡¯t let him close. And if you can, help me stop Brother Gu as well.¡± With those words, she collapsed backwards, falling supine. Her vision spun as lights glittered and flashed, and she could almost see someone rushing over. A voice called out loudly: ¡°Zhi Wei!¡± Gu Nanyi had rushed over as Ning Yi called out, neither of them stopped by Ning Cheng. Gu Nanyi¡¯s Kung Fu was extraordinary and he naturally arrived before Ning Yi, but just as he was reaching out to grab Feng Zhiwei, Ning Yi caught up. Ning Yi did not try to fight for Feng Zhiwei, instead reaching out to pat Gu Nanyi¡¯s hand. Gu Nanyi hated physical contact and immediately shrunk back, and so Feng Zhiwei easily fell into Ning Yi¡¯s embrace. Ning Yi knelt on one knee as he held her, his hand at her waist to take her pulse. His face fell dark as Ning Cheng finally arrived, his guard¡¯s hands outstretched to move Ning Yi: ¡°Master, no! Plague!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Ning Yi immediately whipped his head around, his unfocused gaze glaring at Ning Cheng, his voice dark and cold. ¡°Where did you go?¡± Ning Cheng gaped and stuttered as he explained the small mountain village. Ning Yi¡¯s face grew uglier and uglier before he finally asked: ¡°Why are you all fine?¡± ¡°We all took medicine. I don¡¯t know why she¡­ she was fine just now.¡± Ning Cheng replied. Chapter 196 Gu Nanyi suddenly said, ¡°Diarrhea.¡± Ning Cheng paused in understanding. Feng Zhiwei had eaten all that raw seafood and drank so much the night before, ending in puking and diarrhea and unrestful sleep. Then she had headed to that battle wits with Zhou Xizhong before rushing anxiously her to the Ancestral Temple. She had pushed her body and mind to the limits, and her weakened body had not been able to resist the illness. Ning Yi bit his lips, his face as pale as frosted autumn grass. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s body was a feverish stove in his arms, and she had clearly been ill for a while now. When had it begun? She had refused to say a word, not allowing herself to collapse until everything had settled! She must have known she was infected a long time ago, and so she had kept him distant, and he had thought¡­ Ning Yi knelt in the dust, paying no mind to his dirty robes. He hugged Feng Zhiwei close, his hands trembling. He had never hated his own blindness so much! Gu Nanyi stood numbly beside them, walnuts in his hand. He stared blankly at the dark green climbing over Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face¡­ She was sick? When? How? Why did he not know? And that Ning Yi, why was his expression so dark? Was she going to die? Would she die? As soon as the question appeared in his mind, Gu Nanyi trembled. He felt a dark, uncomfortable feeling rise up within him as if his chest was plugged. His breath came raggedly as he experienced a strange emotion for the first time. His life had always been a lake of dead water, his heart always beating to the same rhythm. Sadness, pain, happiness, joy¡­ everything that a normal person had as missing from his life, and he did not understand any of it. When he had lost his father at age three, he had been very calm. When his wet-nurse and nanny had died when he was eight, she had taken his hand, her eyes teary as she said: ¡°Poor child, for a person like you to bear so much¡­¡± As he stared indifferently at his wet-nurse that night, he had calmly taken back his hands and wiped off her tears. Then he had turned and walked through a house filled with bowing attendants. What was he? What? No one had ever told him, and everyone looked at him that way with those strange eyes, sighing as they walked by him. He cared nothing for what had happened or those eyes or expressions. His own life seemed like the life of a stranger, distant as if coming to him from a wide expanse of mountain and sea, as if from a different world. But in this moment he suddenly wished to know what kind of person he was. Was it because he was different that though he was always by Feng Zhiwei¡¯s side, he still could not understand what had happened to her? And if she died¡­ if she died¡­ Gu Nanyi stepped back, frowning and he touched his chest, shutting his eyes and taking deep breaths¡­ He must have been infected as well, that was why he was in pain. Feng Zhiwei turned her head and began vomiting. She had not eaten much, so she could only spew out gastric juice and bile. Her vomit shot out violently like liquid arrows, covering Ning Yi and not sparing Ning Cheng or Gu Nanyi. But none of them moved away, and even Gu Nanyi¡¯s obsessive cleanliness did not make him step away. Ning Yi clutched her even tighter, propping her up on his knee and gently patting her back, relieving the pressure from her internal organs and helping her breath after the violent vomiting, paying no mind to the filth or smell. Suddenly, the distant sounds of marching filled the sky and a great sea appeared in view. Feng Zhou¡¯s troops had finally arrived. Ning Yi turned his head, his cold stare locked onto the ajar gates of the Yan Family¡¯s Ancestral Temple, his deep calm eyes revealing an unquenchable fury. ¡°Tear down the temple!¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°Kill anyone who stands in your way!¡± ¡­ A shroud of misery and darkness reigned over West Yard. The Imperial Envoy had been infected by the plague and his life was in great peril. News of this matter was sealed, and everyone in the know had been forbidden from speaking even to their own men. Prince Chu¡¯s fury was like a great storm, and people walked hurriedly here and there in silent trepidation. No one dared speak, and whenever people met in the hallways and streets, they exchanged terrified glanced before hurrying off on their missions to find physicians and medicine. A series of physicians were ushered in one after the other as piles of rare, expensive medicine were gathered like worthless trash. The medicine stoves were cooking day and night, and Prince Chu¡¯s face great more and more pale as the days passed. After that day¡¯s great fury, he had not spoken a single word to those around him. He could not stay by Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sickbed, sending off a secret missive for the Imperial Court¡¯s Grand Physicians before spending the days in meetings, interrogating the spies that they had captured. Feng Zhiwei had fallen to the plague and struggled on the edge of life and death. The South Sea was plunged into upheaval as she lingered in a coma. An enraged Ning Yi finally bared his cold and merciless fangs. After Hua Qiong had helped Yan Huaishi and his invalid mother limp out of the gates, Ning Yi had sealed the gates once more, locking the Yan Family inside. While the rest of the extended family was off receiving their free rations and silver, Ning Yi had the three thousand Imperial Guards and three thousand Feng Zhou troops dig a tunnel underneath the Ancestral Temple before stashing a huge amount of dynamite right below the structure. With a muffled boom the storied walls of South Sea¡¯s wealthiest family¡¯s Ancestral Temple, said to be built by an ancient Emperor, collapsed. The magnificent building, the gorgeously carved beams and painted pillars, the site of worship for generations over the centuries, shattered into broken ruins, revealing the pillars to the golden sun. Basically every single important male descendant of the family was inside the temple, and fortunately the foundations of the building were firm. Though the building had collapsed, the pillars within held firm. The devastating blow of extinction never came, but one man still died and many were injured. The current Family Head hit his head and fell into a coma; Yan Huaiyuan¡¯s legs were broken by a falling wall. Grandfather Yan was not harmed in anyway, but when the younger generation tried to carry him away and flee, the old man pushed them away and fell into a fit of tears. He knelt before the broken spirit tablet of the Yan Family¡¯s founding Emperor and kowtowed until his forehead bled, exclaiming: ¡°The heavens have forsaken our Yan Family! Dewei[1] has brought shame to the ancestors and cannot face the ancestors!¡± That day, he committed suicide by smashing his head into a wall of the Ancestral Temple, his blood quietly pooling around him in the flying dragon patterns on the ground. [1] Yan Dewei is Grandfather Yan¡¯s name Chapter 197 While Grandfather Yan committed suicide, Ning Yi stood outside the Ancestral Temple, his expressionless face illuminated only by the flickering of torches. As miserable cries rose up from inside the broken ruins, amid the silence of the guards around him, Ning Yi smiled. ¡°Heaven? Heaven is with me!¡± Then he turned away, leaving the miserable weeping of the Yan Family behind. ¡°If anything happens to her, all of you will accompany her to her grave!¡± The fury of a lord could overturn heaven and earth, and the struggle of the weak could only ever be feeble and futile. Three days later, the people returned from the neighboring county and took in the ruins of the magnificent temple. All of them were welcomed back by the rumor that the Yan Family had been destroyed by the will of heaven for their crimes: running roughshod over their innocent grandson, bullying commoners, and acting perversely until finally the earth cracked beneath the foundations of the temple. The superstitious commoners readily accepted this explanation, and even if they did not believe, no one could prove otherwise. The South Sea province had many recorded incidences of the earth shattering, and as long as there was no proof that a natural disaster was caused by man, the commoners would never be able to cause trouble. Some of the villager¡¯s houses had also been destroyed, and the local government was quick to offer the most abundant compensation in recorded history, so the villagers just quietly moved to new houses, hiding inside and counting their silver. With a turn of his hand, Ning Yi had destroyed the Yan Family¡¯s spiritual pillar, opening up a vacuum for Yan Huaishi to step into. As Prince Chu¡¯s three thousand heavily armed guards watched, the entire Yan Family could only silently accede to Yan Huaishi¡¯s rise to interim Family Head, and they could do nothing as Yan Huaishi replaced all the elders, pulling all power and wealth into his hands. The explosion underneath their Ancestral Temple that had sent their sacred palace into ruins had completely destroyed all sentiment of resistance. Although all of them understood that their temple had not been struck by natural disaster, they could only yield to Ning Yi¡¯s vicious cruelty. When the Yan Family choose to submit, Ning Yi became certain that the Chang Family had not been able to penetrate into the Yan Family, otherwise with such backing, the Yan Family would not have given up so easily. So, after decisively handling the Yan Family, Ning Yi immediately turned to investigating the hidden forces of the Chang Family. As he interrogated the captures spies, Ning Yi secretly sealed the city gates. Before the investigation had any success, he had already ordered his men to spread rumors that some of the spies had broken. His disguised guards quickly captured several groups of Shangguan and Huang Family people trying to escape, and soon after contraband was discovered in the Shang Guan Family¡¯s overseas trade ship and a young master of the Huang Family¡¯s direct line was revealed to be involved in bribery and corruption. Suddenly, the two great families were in dire straits. Of course the Shangguan Family and Huang Family did not wish to be destroyed, and they both reached out to the Chen Family and Li Family for an alliance, but that was when Ning Yi had Zhou Xizhong announce Yan Huaishi and the Chen and Li Family heads as Director and Vice Directors of the Department of General Maritime Affairs. The resistance was snuffed in its cradle and the Shangguan and Huang Family were isolated. Through the Shangguan and Huang Family connection, many corrupt officials in the South Sea government were discovered, and tyrant Zhou Xizhong took the opportunity to clean house, expelling all officials related to the Chang Family. In various manners, these officials were dispatched, removed, or otherwise handled, and Ning Yi finally turned his focus to the main Chang Family. As soon as the Imperial Envoy had arrived in South Sea, all direct line Chang Family members had left their mansion in Feng Zhou City, leaving only a skeleton crew of servants to take care of the mansion. But Ning Yi was certain that the Chang Family had left people to take charge of their offensive inside Feng Zhou City. As soon as they had arrived, Feng Zhiwei had dispatched men to monitor the Chang Mansion. After capturing the spies, Ning Yi had not consigned all of them to interrogation. He had chosen some for torture, and after allowing several to die, he had intentionally given two of the spies the opportunity to escape. The two spies had thought themselves able to escape through their own strength and cunning, but little did they know that Ning Yi had men trailing them to their superiors. Soon, new leads were discovered and another large group of Chang Family forces were unearthed. Over this short span of time, in the wealthy households and the lofty halls of the government, from the Yan Family to the Chang Family, a quiet, ferocious raid swept through the doors. The commoners had no idea what was happening around them, and everyone else was living their normal lives, but out of view, heaven and earth was being overturned in the matter of minutes. Everyone in power knew what was happening, but they could only watch in a stunned daze as Ning Yi swept through their province. They were all shocked by His Highness¡¯s true face ¡ª as he quickly plowed set up foundation in South Sea, everyone could see that Ning Yi only ever won the greatest successes at the most opportune times. All South Sea officials thought Ning Yi cruel! The Imperial Envoy was lingering on the edge of death, and though Prince Chu seemed to have a great friendship with Master Wei, he had not returned to the West Yard to visit Master Wei for the past three days and nights! Finally, after finally settling his business, Ning Yi returned to the yard. Though South Sea had been stabilized for now, Ning Yi showed no happiness; he had only moved as Feng Zhiwei had planned to, and now that she lay in bed with severe illness, Ning Yi thought that putting her plans into action was better than anxiously waiting by her bed. When she woke she could focus on healing, and finally he could focus on waiting for her to wake. Everyone was waiting for her to wake. Gu Nanyi lay on the rooftop all day amidst the lingering scent of herbal medication. He gently played his leaf flute morning and night, as if by playing he could ward off the terrifying separation. From time to time he would disappear and return with strange, weird things and force Feng Zhiwei to eat. Ning Yi never stopped him, for at this point he was a drowning man clutching at straw, willing to try anything. Yan Huaishi and his wife stayed by Feng Zhiwei¡¯s bed and refused to budge, and though the Qing Ming students had been kicked out of West Yard by Ning Yi, they wandered around the courtyard gates like a roving group of ghosts. Helian Zheng and Yao Yangyu had triumphantly returned and were just about to gleefully report how they had conquered the granary guarding officials when they heard the news. If it were not for the other students holding him back, Helian Zheng might have started slaughtered a string of Yan Family people right then and there. Countless people were racking their minds for any possible cure, and a fortune was spent on medicine to slow Feng Zhiwei¡¯s death. All the physicians agreed that this illness was incredibly aggressive and that most patients never made it past 24 hours. They did not understand why, but something special inside Feng Zhiwei¡¯s body was holding back the sickness, but she was still dying, growing weaker and weaker day by day. Everyone was contacting any famous physician they knew. Helian Zheng had even sent one of his valiants back to the steppes to bring back the Grand Witch Doctor from the King¡¯s Court, but not even Dijing¡¯s Grand Physician could make the trip in time. Gu Nanyi headed out everyday, and whenever he returned everyone avoids him lest they be squeezed to dust like the walnuts in his hands. Chapter 198 Even though Feng Zhiwei had the plague, no one quarantined her. They all just showered and washed and changed often, though every time someone left the yard, they would have to clean their bodies with a medicinal bath. Ning Yi understood that despite their anxiety, they could not allow anyone to fall sick. He had to take care of himself, for if he fell, it would be that much harder for Feng Zhiwei to survive. He did not spare himself the trouble, heading out again and again, bathing every time until his skin began to crack. At night, he would allow no attendants as he slept in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s room. Every two hours he would wake and check her vitals, and every time her condition only made him more anxious. Sometimes she burned so hot that Ning Yi could feel the heat from a meter away, and sometimes her temperature would fall so cold that the room would plunge noticeably. Ning Yi would bring the ice bag when she needed it, and then he would quickly toss it aside for a thick cotton quilt and lite the fire stove beside the bed, switching back and forth so many times even he lost count. Once, he passed out in his exhaustion and dreamed that Feng Zhiwei had stopped breathing. Jerking way, he leapt out of his bed and rushed over to Feng Zhiwei, blindly smashing a tea pot and cutting his finger in the fragments. Shaking, he held out his hand to feel her breath, and only after he felt the warmth tremble of air against his bleeding finger did he let out a long sigh of relief. That night he silently clutched his bleeding finger, quietly waiting by her beside, not daring to drift off again. In the span of a few days, Ning Yi lost weight, his face paling so much that his attendants thought they could see faint green veins through his skin, but through it all his eyes burnt with a demonic fire. Ning Cheng could finally stand it no longer, and one night he broke in and refused to leave only for Ning Yi to bodily kick him out. Ning Cheng clutched the frame of the door and howled until Ning Yi smashed a precious porcelain vase on his head. Three days later Gu Nanyi acted, sealing Ning Yi¡¯s acupuncture points and tossing him out before dragging another bed into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s room for himself. He lay uncomfortably for a while before finally moving to the foot of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s bed, curling up by the rosewood bed¡¯s feet. He thought back to how Feng Zhiwei had once slept at the foot of his bed, and whenever he had wakened he could see her face as she clutched her cotton blanket, her long lashes curving over her eyelids. At that time, he had thought that she had slept so well that the foot of the bed must be very comfortable. Only now did he realize that it was not comfortable at all. But though it was uncomfortable, he did not move. He waited quietly for Feng Zhiwei to wake and look down to check on him just as he had done all those days ago. What would he say when she woke? He had to plan it well. But after waiting and waiting, Feng Zhiwei never looked down at him. He had already figured out what he would say, but he never had the chance to speak. He shut his eyes, the weight in his chest returning; he could not understand why the autumn night was so cold, biting down into his flesh and bones. At a certain point, he was no longer just waiting. It turned out the foot of the bed was a convenient place to sleep, and whenever Feng Zhiwei felt hot, he could reach out and shift over the ice pack. As soon as she ended up too cold, he could easily drag over the blanket and light the fire stove, and attending her did not even affect his sleep. On a night of drizzling rain, Ning Yi sat inside the room while Gu Nanyi lay on the rooftop. The melody of his leaf flute rose and fell, aching the heart; everyone waited in the yard, listening as a paper door slid open. The finest physician in South Sea trembled as he shakily exited the room, his face pale as he fell to the ground and kowtowed. Ning Yi never appeared from the silent room, and though the rain never let up, quiet, sorrowful pillars of white smoke refused to scatter. Yan Huaishi fell weakly to his knees, his gaze empty. Helian Zheng howled in anguish, rushing off to punch something. The students of Qing Ming Academy stood dazed as the rain fell, and no one knew if the water on their face was rain or tears. The yard fell into mournful silence as every soul stilled. The physician¡¯s head knocked into the wood veranda floor again and again, the dull hollow thwack striking the pain deeper and deeper into their hearts. The misting, autumn rain stretched on and on dripping down from pale yellowing leaves and grey faces alike. No light shone through the darkness of the ajar door and sharp eyes could barely make out the silhouette of Ning Yi¡¯s skinny, unmoving back. After a long stretch of the deathly silence, his quiet voice called out. ¡°Get out.¡± The physician fled, relief on every wrinkle in his face. As he hurried off, he stumbled and almost fell; luckily, Hua Qiong caught him and when she took in the harried expression on the famous physician¡¯s face, sympathy crossed her face and she offered to walk him out. She had just escorted the physician to the gates and was turning back when he overheard the gatekeeper cursing, tossing his hat down as he said: ¡°Stupid bastard. He still dares scam people by the gates, even at this hour!¡± Hua Qiong turned, her curious eyes making out a man a distance away from the gates, his head turning this way and that. The gatekeeper continued angrily complaining: ¡°He still refuses to leave! Just another fool here for the reward! Even the number one physician in Feng Zhou City is powerless, how can a man that can¡¯t even write a prescription have a cure? Bringing him to His Highness is just courting death!¡± Hua Qiong examined the distant figure, her gaze meeting the man¡¯s hopeful eyes. She considered him for a moment before waving him forward. Ning Yi sat quietly in the smoke filled room. Behind the mist of smoke lay Feng Zhiwei, pale as death. She no longer flashed hot and cold, and there was no more of the terrifying, gut wrenching vomiting. She just lay quietly, sleeping gently like a wisp of cloud so light in the air as it floated away. Ning Yi stared at her face for an indecipherable length of time; slowly, he reached forward and gradually pulled back the thin skin mask covering her face. His fingers brushed over her skin from her chin upwards until he touched her drooping brows, making sure that the face underneath the mask was that drooping brow tallow face. This woman was so afraid of others seeing her true face that she did not mind the trouble of wearing two masks. Ning Yi smiled joylessly, dipping a towel in the basin by the bed and slowly wringing it. It must be uncomfortable wearing two masks; she should at least be clean. Ning Yi gripped the warm towel with icy fingers and he felt like he was clutching his own heart. His fingers tensed, and he dazedly thought back to the first time they had met, that day by the lake in Qiu Mansion¡¯s inner yard. She had thrown her head just so, half of her body submerged in that icy water as she grabbed at her wet hair. Chapter 199 Ning Yi slowly lowered his hand and began wiping off Feng Zhiwei¡¯s disguise. His eyes could not see, but the face still filled his mind as clear as day. She was as she had been in that cold lake, and that familiar tallow mask slowly gave way bit by bit, revealing a spotless white brow and lustrous nose and pinky lips. The dark, elegant feathers of her proud brows arced above her closed, misty eyes¡­ those eyes, always carrying that glistening, glittering veil, that impenetrable guard. Ning Yi¡¯s hand lingered, and he set down the towel. His gently curled fingers brushed against her forehead, against her familiarly cool and smooth skin¡­ In a daze, he was transported back to that day he had faked drunkenness in the Wei Mansion and thought of that dark room where Shao Ning and Feng Zhiwei had met to discuss his assassination¡­ and then he remembered that abandoned palace room where his mother had been trapped for the last decade of her life. He thought of this very West Yard room where he had been so close to her, to the warmth of her breath, the cool of her skin, her smell¡­ and now, his fingers mapped her features and everything was so familiar that his heart could only tremble. Would she disappear and never return, leaving him? So many questions he dared not ask, so many thoughts unthinkable. He had faced so much calamity and pain and never felt fear, never allowed himself fear, but now a terror gripped and tore at him and he could barely think. His fingers traced her cheek, following the contours of her face up and down and up again. Perhaps, after the torturing illness she had lost all her beauty and luster, but so what? Feng Zhiwei would always be Feng Zhiwei. He hated his eyes for their blindness, and he thanked his fortunes that he could not see. If he could see her pale exhaustion, would he be able to cling to his last vestiges of calm? All his steady calm was but a mirage, a fake mask over the corroded reefs of his heart and mind, ruts and channels and deep chasms carved into him, damage beyond repair. A kneeling figure entered the room and spoke quietly: ¡°Your Highness¡­ it is time to prepare¡­¡± the voice tapered off, unable to finish. Yan Huaishi. Ning Yi ignored the young man as he carefully replaced Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mask, his fingers lingering on her neck for a long, long moment. The pulse weakened more and more, and he understood that very soon that faint heartbeat would dry up like a wilting spring and disappear. The great cruelty of watching a life fade away bit by bit, unable to help. But even so, he would rather be here counting each heartbeat, for every beat of her pulse allowed him to relive another one of their memories. The two of them had seemed to work together in close companionship, but the truth was that they had headed south by driving the chariot north. To have even shared part of his life with someone of such similar mind and temperament¡­ there was good in that. He calmly counted, and in the lingering smoke of the room it was hard to say whose face was more pale. Up above, Gu Nanyi played his flute. The rain had never let up, and Gu Nanyi¡¯s drenched robes were a torturing burden against his sensitive skin, but he refused to move, refused to leave to change, refusing to leave the rooftop of her room. His leaf flute had also been soaked and its melody was no longer as clear and bright, but he kept playing, remembering her gentle words. ¡°It¡¯s a promise. I will play this leaf flute while I follow the marks to find you.¡± She did not even have to play the flute, why was she leaving? Gu Nanyi could almost feel the heavy weight beneath the tiles on which he lay, the weight of sadness and loss in the room below. When this tragic moment passed and scattered to the winds, there might not be another person who would ever play a flute for him. He had known this feeling; when his wet nurse had passed, the house had been filled with this same heaviness. He had never like this feeling and had wanted to run. Was she going to be like his wet nurse? Would he never get to see her again? What would he do without her? Gu Nanyi was tired; he had thought too much recently. He was not used to such contemplation; for all the years of his past, his world had been blank and simple without all this confusion and unease. He sat dazedly on the rooftop, and that heaviness below seemed to press up more strongly. He frowned and flipped from his supine position, lying down on his belly. He pressed himself down against the roof tiles, trying to hold down that heaviness, not letting it leave! In the yard, half the people stared quietly at the bedside Ning Yi while the other half stared dazedly at Gu Nanyi prone over the slippery rooftop. Everyone was filled with grief, but they all felt that they could do and say nothing in front of those two. Neither of them seemed sad, and though Gu Nanyi was acting somewhat strange, not even Ning Yi¡¯s expression had changed. But despite the tranquil calm of the pouring rain, the sound of heartbreak was clear. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Yan Huaishi began again, kowtowing with tear filled eyes. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ we should prepare¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ning Yi replied almost calmly, his voice quivering and sad as he slowly pulled away his trembling hand. Ning Yi gestured and Ning Cheng soundlessly stepped forward with a basin of water. Ning Yi sent them away, his voice light as he said: ¡°Everyone leave, I will prepare them.¡± [In Chinese, Him/her sounds identical and can only be differentiated by context or by the written character] Yan Huaishi did not think anything of this as he bowed and carefully exited, but Ning Cheng lingered and stared at Ning Yi for a moment before stepping away. Ning Yi searched for Feng Zhiwei¡¯s buttons and carefully removed them, and though he¡¯d tried so often to get close to her, he held no trace of that romance in his mind. He dipped the towel in the warm water and carefully washed her. In Tian Sheng, only a husband and wife deeply in love would wash each other after death. He bit down on his lips and gently traced the lines of her body; he had never seen her body, and after today, he would never get the chance. My¡­ Zhiwei¡­ Swish slam. The paper door flew open and rain splattered into the room. Fury rose, and Ning YI whipped his head around. ¡°Your Highness!¡± The brave little widow cried out, her voice bright and clear. ¡°There¡¯s one more person!¡± Chapter 200 Three days later, Feng Zhiwei opened her eyes and saw the autumn chrysanthemums blossoming outside the veiled window. She heard the leaf flute melody up above her, a shaky melody that seemed to brighten as she opened her eyes. The courtyard¡¯s birds began to sing accompaniment to the flute. Her eyes were dry as she turned her head. Her room was filled; Ning Cheng lay on the beams up above, his sleeping drool raining down. Helian Zheng slept in the rain, clutching his head strangely as if muffling his snores. Yan Huaishi slept on his wife¡¯s thigh, and Yao Yangyu slept comfortably against Yu Liang¡¯s belly. The room was filled with the scent of herbs and medicine, but underneath everything was a strange, familiar fragrance. Feng Zhiwei turned her head again. Ning Yi had been sitting by her bed meditating, but as soon as Feng Zhiwei opened her eyes, he immediately noticed and turned to meet her gaze, a smile crossing his lips. Feng Zhiwei smiled back, but even as she smiled her eyes grew red. Was this man before her really Ning Yi? How starved, defeated, and tortured he looked! Who could imagine the philandering, gorgeous Dijing Prince as this lonely prisoner, as if exiled and starved in a distant, remote, barren land! Everyone in the room was unkempt and unshaven, and they were all sleeping in her room? Her eyes swept back to the sleeping figures, carefully taking in each weary face, and then she smiled again. She was exhausted and her body ached like she had been beaten for a hundred days, but her heart felt as if it were soaked in a hot spring and blood ran smoothly through her. Ning Yi carefully listened to her breath and his gentle smile finally relaxed. Assured, he stood up and began kicking the sleeping figures and throwing everyone out. The pregnant woman was quick to her feet, not needing Ning Yi¡¯s reminder as she dragged her confused husband to the door. As she was shutting the paper door, she shouted out: ¡°Everyone out, give them space!¡± Ning Yi smiled gratefully by the paper door and called out after her: ¡°Mrs. Yan is bright and quick, wise and brave. Would you be willing to serve the Imperial Court?¡± ¡°This female commoner does not oppose the idea.¡± Hua Qiong called back with bright laughter. With the door shut, Ning Yi returned to the bedside. Feng Zhiwei smiled wanly, her voice weak and croaky as she asked: ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± But before she could finish speaking, she was swept up in a warm embrace. He clutched her tightly, his body trembling ever so slight as he whispered into her ear, every word a grasping mantra of hope: ¡°Zhiwei¡­ Zhiwei¡­ He just repeated her name, hugging her close as if afraid that if he let go, she would fly away and never return. The quivering words swept down into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart and she felt her entire being shifting. It was as if things were tightening and loosening, brightening and dimming, and old pathways broke while new roads were connected. Startled and afraid, she shifted weakly, leaning her face into his shoulder; but when she touched the hard, protruding bones of his shoulder, her eyes reddened again. He pulled away and smiled again, saying: ¡°You¡¯ve just woken up. I should let you rest.¡± He sat back down smiling at her, and even though he could not see, he stared like he could not stare long enough. A hole was punched through the roof above and Gu Nanyi floated down through it. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she took in her appearance, gasping and murmuring: ¡°I can never get sick again¡­¡± Gu Nanyi stared at her, his dirty rags hanging against him as he slowly stepped forward. Feng Zhiwei waited for him to stop three steps away, but to her stunned amazement, he took two more steps towards her. His waist-side little bag of walnuts hang by her eyes, so she reached up and slowly counted the pieces. As she worked her way through the wet, moldy walnuts, she asked gently: ¡°Have you not been eating?¡± Gu Nanyi nodded his head as he silently staring down at her. He had thinned, and he was messy and dirty. He had not eaten his walnuts, and he had not changed his clothes. ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡± Feng Zhiwei began, stifling her sobs. ¡°If I died, who would find you when you¡¯re lost?¡± Gu Nanyi stared, and he finally took a walnut and slowly chewed it. ¡°That one is wet and moldy.¡± Ning Yi suddenly interjected. ¡°Ning Cheng, accompany Mister Gu as he changes and gets new walnuts.¡± Ning Cheng suddenly appeared by their sides, smiling as he dragged Gu Nanyi away. ¡°Brother Gu, bring His Highness away for a shower and a meal.¡± Feng Zhiwei echoed him. She brooked no refusal and the room finally emptied, but when night fell, they were both back. One perched atop the roof, and another sat by her small bed. Nothing Feng Zhiwei said could make them leave, and she was tired so she conceded defeat. As Ning Yi sat beside her, he slowly explained everything that had happened in South Sea, his voice gently and calm despite the breathtaking and heart-stirring actions he had taken. She listened quietly for a long while until finally she sighed and said: ¡°To think I slept so long that I missed so many great shows.¡± ¡°Your sleep almost made me¡­¡± Ning Yi began, but he did not finish his sentence. Feng Zhiwei listened quietly, not asking him to continue. They both lay in beds, staring up at the ceiling, and the faint, strange tension in the room slowly faded. After some time, Feng Zhiwei spoke again: ¡°The plague. No one else lived past the night, why am I alright?¡± ¡°The one who ties the bell is needed to untie it.¡± Ning Yi explained. ¡°You got the plague in the village, and one of the village people saved you.¡± ¡°The child?¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately guessed. ¡°Yes. Li Zheng heard that the West Yard was searching for famous physicians and guessed that someone had fallen to the plague. He knew his nephew had a very peculiar physique, so he brought him here; the gatekeeper refused to let them in and left them outside, but fortunately Hua Qiong saw them and allowed them in. At first, no one was sure what helped he would be, after all his nephew is a person not an herb, but fortunately a physician Brother Gu had invited from Dijing had just arrived, and this physician took the nephew¡¯s blood and combined it with various other medicines to pull you back from the gates of death.¡± ¡°And the child? The physician?¡± ¡°The physician is staying in Brother Gu¡¯s room, and the child is resting and recovering from the blood loss.¡± Ning Yi smiled. ¡°That Helian Zheng almost took the child¡¯s life when taking his blood.¡± ¡°So foolish¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei murmured, her voice drifting off. ¡°I¡¯ll need to teach him a lesson tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°Sleep.¡± Ning Yi smiled, tucking Feng Zhiwei in. Thoughts passed tiredly through her mind, but she was too tired to hold her eyelids open, and she fell into sleep. Some time later, a gust of wind brushed over her as a person rushed up to her bed, slamming into her bedside. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at a panicked Ning Yi by her bed, and she saw everything as he caught the sound of her breath and his panic slowly faded. Chapter 201 He sagged against the bedside, relieved. As she stared at in him astonishment, some embarrassment crept over his face. He leaned down and tucked her in once more before hobbling back to his bed. He worked hard at a natural smile as he explained: ¡°I had a nightmare, I thought¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei understood. All those days and nights as she lingered on the edge of death, he must have stayed by her side just like this. All those long, dreadful nights, he had watched and waited in fear and anxiety. He had dreamed that she no longer breathed, and he had rushed over so many times now that it was already an instinctive reaction, and even now that she was recovering, he would still wake from the nightmare. How many times had he woken like this and how deep and heavy his concern until he had formed such a compulsive habit? Feng Zhiwei silently stared up at the ceiling, blinking. Tears dripped down her face. ¡­ ¡°Here, medicine.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Yi, Ning Yi, look!¡± ¡°Stop playing. Ning Cheng won¡¯t come; Yan Huaishi won¡¯t come; there are no assassins; Hua Qiong is fine¡­ Really, Feng Zhiwei, this trick is already old. Stop messing around and take the medicine.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The failed trickster obediently accepted the bowl. ¡°Let me.¡± Ning Yi said, ignoring her hand. ¡°Or else you¡¯ll play some other strange trick.¡± ¡°Your eyes are not well, how will you feed me.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, dodging aside. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to feed it into my nose.¡± ¡°I can see you.¡± Ning Yi replied simply. Feng Zhiwei hung her head in silent defeat; she was no unruly child and understood that good medicine tasted bitter, but this medicine was really too terrifying. She bet Child Urine[1] tasted better than this, and even after drinking this medicine everyday, she still could not get used to it. Every time she drank this medicine the more afraid she became. Some time had passed since she had woken, and other than this horrible medicine, Feng Zhiwei was taken care of better than she had ever been ¡ª surrounded by close friends and attended by His Royal Highness. While Feng Zhiwei was too weak to refuse anything, Ning Yi had helped her patiently and delicately, and by the time Feng Zhiwei¡¯s strength grew enough that she could push him away, certain matters had already solidified into habits. To refuse to let him feed her seemed almost ungrateful. Intimacy was the best method of grinding away hostility and washing away deep rooted resistance. After returning from the edge of death, survivors were more willing to relax and soften their hearts; Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei had always thought similarly and been able to cooperate, but now after the disasters of this trip, the distance between them fell away and their guard against each other was lowered, leaving in their place a new degree of gentle warmth. The silver spoon clicked against the porcelain bowl as Ning Yi calmly sat by her bed and fed her. The medicine not only tasted horrifying, it also smelled incredibly pungent, but Ning Yi acted as if nothing could phase him and first brought the silver spoon up to his face to smell its quality before accurately feeding it to her. Feng Zhiwei stared down at the faintly steaming spoon and then looked up at Ning Yi¡¯s dimmed eyes, so different from his previous brilliant gaze. She felt a weight in her throat and chest, and she obediently opened her mouth and swallowed the medicine. The courtyard was quiet, and the only sound was the faint whispers of a mouse up above ¡ª Young Master Gu was eating his walnuts again. Peace reigned. After a persistent Ning Yi had fed her the entire bowl of Medicine, Feng Zhiwei let out a long breath; but before she could speak, a snowy handkerchief was brought over to her mouth and gently pressed against her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± The last dredges of medicine were wiped away and Feng Zhiwei opened her mouth again, and a sweet fruit was placed on her tongue. ¡°Longxi¡¯s Pickled Sweet Plum.¡± Ning Yi mumbled through his own. ¡°I quite like it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being treated like a child.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, ¡°But when I was sick as a little girl, I never had care like this.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll make up for the past.¡± Ning Yi chuckled, his hand on her hair. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart quivered and she turned away, looking out at the autumn sun. ¡°Today¡¯s pretty nice.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go sit outside and you can have some fresh air.¡± Young Master Gu floated down, a hand lifted the patient and a hand lifting the soft bed, helpfully carrying Feng Zhiwei to spare His Highness the trouble, and the Highness who had just been looking forward to carrying the beauty in his arms could only follow, sad and angry. Young Master Gu clumsily set up the bed and then buried Feng Zhiwei under three layers of blankets. Feng Zhiwei struggled valiantly under the thick cloth, only her eyes peeking out from them as she struggled to say thanks. A satisfied Young Master Gu returned to his rooftop to continue eating his walnuts as Feng Zhiwei called out for Ning Yi¡¯s rescue: ¡°Quick¡­ I¡¯m suffocating.¡± Ning Yi smiled as he moved away the two outer layers and rearranged the messy bed, somewhat gleeful as he announced: ¡°See, you need me.¡± Such a narcissist, but Feng Zhiwei had to admit: ¡°For now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice even if it¡¯s temporary.¡± Ning Yi replied, sitting down beside her. ¡°I hate it when you push yourself too much.¡± Feng Zhiwei fell silent and they sat together quietly watching the autumn wind. The dappled red maples lined the yard alongside an assortment of chrysanthemums ranging from shades of purple to yellow. It was beautifully lonely as a flock of migrating northern goose arced through the high, clear sky, scattering wisps of cloud with their dark wings. One lay as the other sat, and they shared the quiet peace of the late autumn day. The listened to the flowers and leaves fall from branches and little birds rustling while dew dripped from lotus leaves. It did not matter what they could or could not see, for the view was in their heart, and they were in each other¡¯s hearts. The quiet lasted for a long time, and then finally the hurried patter of anxious footsteps neared. Feng Zhiwei looked up and slowly smiled. ¡°Take care.¡± She said. Ning Yi slowly lowered himself, his breath warm against her ear. Feng Zhiwei tried to move aside, but there was nowhere for her to go as his lips neared and neared and finally touched her ear. He whispered quietly, voice as gentle as his lips against her skin: ¡°Wait for me.¡± Feng Zhiwei did not reply, and he gently bit down on her earlobe, neither hard nor light. She felt herself prickle and itch, but for some reason the feeling did not come from her ear. His breath was gorgeous and cool like an autumn cloud gently curling around her. His gaze twinkled like a floating boat, as if here to capture a heart and bring it away. She could not reply, but he refused to leave without her answer. He breathed gently beside her, his breath calm and shallow and light, afraid that he would startle her weak body. But still, her refused to let go, and Feng Zhiwei could only smile helplessly, pushing him aside and clutching her ear before finally saying: ¡°I have to wait for you so we can return to Dijing together.¡± [1] According to the Compendium of Materia Medica ±¾²Ý¸ÙÄ¿, Child Urine is urine from any child under ten years old, and the best Child Urine is a boy¡¯s first morning urine the day before his first month. Lol Chapter 202 Feng Zhiwei reached out and touched Ning Yi¡¯s stubbly chin, smiling as she turned her face this way and that as he chuckled quietly. Her bright eyes glittered wetly and she whispered: ¡°I know what you look like. If you get skinnier when we meet again, I won¡¯t spare you.¡± ¡°How will you not spare me?¡± Ning Yi replied, his joyful laughter deepening. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, and we will never be reconciled.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled gently. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be waiting your approval.¡± He replied, pulling his hand away. An ambiguous smile climbed over his lips, and he added: ¡°You can investigate anything you want, not just the face. Everything¡­ is possible.¡± Feng Zhiwei pulled back her own hand and rolled her eyes. Thankful for his blindness, she reached up at held her earlobe, wondering if it was still red from being bitten, or if she was blushing. ¡°Bring the child with you.¡± She told him. ¡°I saved him because I thought he would be useful for your eyes, I had no idea he would end up helping me first. And that famous physician, you should try to bring him as well, or at least come up with a treatment with him.¡± ¡°He is your famous physician.¡± Ning Yi replied, his voice tempering. ¡°He won¡¯t take orders from me.¡± Feng Zhiwei eyed Gu Nanyi¡¯s perch with some surprise. Truly, this famous physician was very mysterious; she had not even laid eyes on him yet, and Gu Nanyi never mentioned him. If not for the others, she would not even know he existed. Setting that matter aside, she continued: ¡°When you get there, be on the lookout. When those experts attacked us, I wounded their leader¡¯s left shoulder; and the local government will definitely be in the hands of the Chang Family. You have to be careful.¡± ¡°Guard South Sea well and don¡¯t give anywhere to retreat and everything will be fine.¡± Ning Yi replied. ¡°You believe in me, and I also believe in you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for you to return to Dijing with me.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, pushing him gently. ¡°Go.¡± Ning Yi lightly pinched her palm one final time, smiling down at her before turning and marching off. Ning Cheng followed in the distance. All this time he had sat watching them, cross legged on an artificial stone mountain, his gaze strange with a measure of empty coldness, a little hesitant and unsettled. Now the two figures passed over the layers of maple red and disappeared into the distance. Outside the West Yard, the South Sea Commissioner and the other high ranking officials waited on Prince Chu¡¯s Imperial Carriage. Outside the gate, the General of South Sea stood with his hundred thousand border troops, their flags and spears like a proud forest awaiting their commander. ¡­ It had finally happened yesterday. General Chang Minjiang of Minnan had begun the rebellion, proclaiming the Fifth Prince as the legitimate Emperor as he led 150,000 soldiers from Minnan Province¡¯s Qiao Guan County. After sacrificially slaying County Magistrate Fang De, General Chang Minjiang swept through five more counties. The Imperial Court immediately ordered the northern Longnan Province¡¯s Border Generals Cao Kebing and Kong Shiliang to march South-Westwardly while the 100,000 South Sea troops led by Prince Chu, Imperial Envoy to the Minnan Province, approached from the south.[1] A while after Ning Yi left her, Feng Zhiwei finally pulled her gaze back to herself, smiling as she looked down at and rubbed her sore legs. The sickness had raged through her, damaging much of her body, and her recovery would be long and difficult. Strangely, though, she felt as if that burning stream of Qi insider he had grown stronger, but the pain it caused had actually weakened. It felt as if it were stabilizing inside her Dantian. Passing through this trial of life and death might have brought a disguised blessing. Footsteps returned to her yard, light and bright. Feng Zhiwei smiled, it could only be Hua Qiong. Soon, Hua Qiong appeared around the corner of a veranda and swept swiftly towards Feng Zhiwei, refusing to accept the frailty of pregnancy. Yan Huaishi¡¯s mother accompanied her while a servant girl followed behind them carrying fresh pomegranates. When she met Feng Zhiwei¡¯s gaze, Hua Qiong lifted one of the pomegranates, smiling and waving it at her. Feng Zhiwei returned the smile. She really liked Hua Qiong, and not just because the woman had made such a stunning first impression. In the days after she had woken, Feng Zhiwei had discovered Hua Qiong¡¯s brightness and brilliance. Though outgoing, she was very clear of her boundaries, and while bold and daring, she was also excellent at thinking for others. She could be vicious when needed and conservative when called for, displaying many qualities of true talent. ¡°How does your honor feel today?¡± Hua Qiong began. She visited everyday; with Yan Huaishi busy founding the General Maritime Department, his wife filled in in his stead. The young woman was not a stickler for rules, and Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi had long since waved the trouble of formal greetings. ¡°I¡¯m like this weather, quite good.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, examining the red, juicy pomegranate seeds glistening like jewels. As Hua Qiong carefully prepared them, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes swept up to the roof. Nodding, Hua Qiong grabbed a whole pomegranate and tossed it up, and Young Master Gu caught it and immediately tossed it back ¡ª not a walnut, so no. Catching the pomegranate, Hua Qiong peeled it and began eating, grinning. Yan Huaishi¡¯s mother was very obedient to the rites and had formally greeted Feng Zhiwei. When she noticed that Hua Qiong was eating before Feng Zhiwei, she frowned and scolded her: ¡°Qiong Er! Where are your manners!¡± Hua Qiong smiled as Feng Zhiwei hurriedly began: ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mrs. Yan is pregnant. We must treat her like two people.¡± Feng Zhiwei tried to ease the tension, but the Chen Madam did not smile. Her eyes swept down to Hua Qiong¡¯s belly and her brows subtly furrowed. The mother and daughter-in-law sat distantly, one formal and the other casual, their tones fully demonstrating their separation. There was none of the intimacy and gratitude that Feng Zhiwei had expected. The mother and son¡¯s lives had hung in the balance out at the Yan Family Ancestral Temple. Hua Qiong had escaped her bonds and traveled over ten miles to save them, not sparing her own body as she opened up the Temple¡¯s gates. Such great hardship and sacrifice should be cherished like a bodhisattva ¡ª why did her mother-in-law treat her this way? Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes fell on Hua Qiong¡¯s belly and an unanswered question floated up to her mind, but as Wei Zhi, there was no way for Feng Zhiwei to ask. The Chen Madam spoke politely with Feng Zhiwei for a few more minutes before preparing to leave. She exchanged a loaded glance with Hua Qiong, but Hua Qiong only smiled as replied: ¡°Mother, please take your leave first. I¡¯ll follow after helping Master Wei arrange his desk.¡± Madam Chen opened her mouth but then closed it without another word, bidding Feng Zhiwei farewell and taking her leave. Feng Zhiwei smiled and turned to Hua Qiong. Hua Qiong glanced at her as she munched on her pomegranates, casually ordering the servant girl away: ¡°Good, delicious. Go bring some more.¡± The servant girl departed as Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes flicked over the tray. There were over a dozen pomegranates left, more than enough for them. There was no need for any more, so clearly this clever girl had something she wanted to say in private. [1] [Longnan province ] General Cao and Kong N W [ Minnan province ] E S [ South Sea province ] Prince Chu Chapter 203 ¡°Master Wei can ask anything.¡± Hua Qiong began, sitting next to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s bed and gently twiddling with her hair. Feng Zhiwei eyed Hua Qiong¡¯s belly speculatively. Hua Qiong¡¯s belly was not very large and she seemed somewhere between five to six months pregnant, but five to six months ago Yan Huaishi was in Dijing and has definitely not taken a trip to visit South Sea. Hua Qiong looked down at her belly and smiled, replying: ¡°You¡¯re correct, this child is not Huaishi¡¯s.¡± Feng Zhiwei coughed; even though she had guessed correctly, she was still astonished by the calm answer. Hua Qiong immediately reached out to pat Feng Zhiwei¡¯s back, and by the time Feng Zhiwei knew to be startled, Hua Qiong had already pulled her hand away. She gently caressed her belly, her smile faint and her eyes sad. ¡°I am a country girl; my father used to be county magistrate, but he resigned and returned home. He started a traditional school beside Huai Shi¡¯s mother¡¯s nunnery, and my father and I pitied her because she was always bullied, so we helped her occasionally. That was how Huaishi and I met when we were children.¡± The story of the unwanted scion and the poor girl. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t a story of childhood romance,¡± Hua Qiong continued. ¡°Huaishi did not like me.¡± Feng Zhiwei almost spat her tea onto her blanket. ¡°Madam Chen is a typical wealthy lady, very grateful and appreciative but not a great admirer of backwards country girls. Because of that, Yan Huaishi had no thoughts other than gratitude, though we got along well and others thought of us as a couple.¡± Hua Qiong slowly ate the pomegranate, lightly continuing: ¡°On my father¡¯s deathbed, he took my hand and warned me that the state of Qi was too powerful to ally, and that if I married Yan Huaishi I would suffer greatly. I listened and became the first female private school teacher and married a scholar who had failed the Imperial examination.¡± ¡°The scholar had a weak body and fell sick soon after our marriage. I tended to him for over a year but he still passed, and I have been consigned to mourning widowhood.¡± ¡°Then this child¡­¡± ¡°The scholar¡¯s.¡± Hua Xiong concluded. ¡°Posthumous child.¡± Feng Zhiwei let out a quiet breath. This woman had been so confident and brazen at the Ancestral Temple and no one would have guessed that Yan Changtian was not a Yan. But if the child was not part of the family¡­ How remarkable. Carrying another family¡¯s child to demand entrance to South Sea¡¯s wealthiest family¡¯s Ancestral Temple, even claiming the birthright of the Main Branch¡¯s eldest grandson. With this false claim, she had saved two lives and shifted the future of the Yan Family and all of South Sea. Feng Zhiwei had never admired a woman of her age before. But there was still another question to ask. ¡°Yan Huaishi had not visited South Sea, and the Yan Family surely knew this. Why did they not question you?¡± ¡°They were unsettled by your siege and my brashness and forgot to match up the timing.¡± Hua Qiong replied, ¡°And when news came of the Imperial Envoy¡¯s intention to charge Yan Huaishi with leading the new Department of Maritime Affairs, I knew that the Yan Family would not let Yan Huaishi succeed and I began spreading rumors that Huaishi had snuck over to check on me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The child only began showing after its father¡¯s death.¡± Hua Qiong quietly caressed her belly, her face filled with motherly pride. ¡°No one knew the scholar had left me a child, and I knew that Yan Huaishi¡¯s identity was his largest vulnerability. The Yan Family had never threatened Yan Huaishi because they had never taken him seriously, but once he began to achieve merits, the Yan Family would eventually banish him. In a family that values their ancestry and descent, there is no better shield than the Eldest Grandson of the Main Branch!¡± Feng Zhiwei examined Hua Qiong with more and more surprise. This woman was more intelligent that she had presumed, her insight deep and wide and her talent outstanding. Based on such an early announcement she had laid the grounds for a deeply influential decision. Her bright smile was only the face over a careful and brave heart. ¡°You¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei began after a lengthy pause. ¡°You love him, don¡¯t you?¡± Without a deeply cutting love, it was difficult to understand how she could go so far. Hua Qiong¡¯s smile dimmed, but she soon recovered and easily replied: ¡°Yes.¡± Her reply was brisk, but the meaning behind this simple word made Feng Zhiwei ponder. She knew the man she loved did not feel the same way. She knew her mother-in-law would not accept her. She understood that people would only mock her and think of her as a gold digger. But she did not care for her reputation and risked her own life, lying to thousands to save the man that she loved. Feng Zhiwei finally understood her courage and commitment. She had thought the matter was the fulfillment of childhood sweethearts, so marriage had been a presumptive certainty. But the truth was that she had no way of knowing what Yan Huaishi would reply to her proposal, and if he refused, only ruthless reprisal awaited. To cause a disturbance before the Ancestral Temple could only be courting death. ¡°It is fortunate that this matter has resolved itself.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled in relief. ¡°You will be the Yan Family¡¯s Madam and no one will dare look down on you.¡± ¡°No.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s lifted teacup slipped from her hand and almost fell to the ground, barely caught by Hua Qiong. ¡°Dear girl, can you stop shocking me?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Hua Qiong set the tea cup down and grabbed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand. ¡°Take me away!¡± Feng Zhiwei stared dazedly into the girl¡¯s eyes and then stared down at her tightly clutched hand. If she were not certain that Hua Qiong loved another, she might have thought that she was turning into a second Shao Ning. ¡°Madam Yan¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei eyed her hands meaningfully, gesturing to Hua Qiong. But Hua Qiong refused to let go, her bright eyes glimmering as she gazed at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°You know that I am¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei began, her voice confused and trailing. Her mask was incredibly well crafted and she was very confident in her impersonation of a man, so how had this girl realized? ¡°The way His Highness looks at you.¡± Hua Qiong smiled, ¡°I know that look, and I understand.¡± Feng Zhiwei fell silent. She had not thought that Ning Yi might give her away, and it was fortunate that sensitive, careful people like Hua Qiong were rare, and most of those people would not understand love the way Hua Qiong did. Chapter 204 Feng Zhiwei immediately tried to explain: ¡°The truth is that His Highness is gay.¡± Hua Qiong laughed, her voice tinkling: ¡°You are very interesting¡­ How could a person like His Highness be gay?¡± ¡°What kind of person?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked with great interest, curious how other¡¯s say Ning Yi. ¡°His Highness is not an affectionate man; on the contrary, he is very heartless.¡± Hua Qiong explained. ¡°You did not see what happened in South Sea with your own eyes, but His Highness¡¯s ruthless and cold acts shocked many people. He is a great man suited for great things, and his determination and perseverance lets nothing distract him from his goals. His actions are as fierce as lightning; a man like him who sets his sights on the world thinks and plans about everything, and he would never allow any errors or mistakes¡­ not even if they came from his own heart.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled: ¡°Yes, he holds himself well.¡± ¡°He is only different around you.¡± Hua Qiong concluded boldly. Feng Zhiwei was silent, a gentle warmth in her eyes. Hua Qiong sat beside her cheerfully smiling, the autumn sunlight spilling out on the large, white stone yard behind her, vast like an ocean. ¡°Why do you want to leave?¡± Feng Zhiwei changed the subject after a moment. ¡°For my own happiness.¡± Hua Qiong replied. ¡°I am not in Huaishi¡¯s heart, not even if I marry him. He only agreed before because it was useful, and to have him silently accept someone else¡¯s child as Yan Changtian? I would not be willing even if he were.¡± ¡°You deserve this.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly replied. ¡°If you had not cast aside your name and risked your life, Huaishi would not be here today. If he chooses some other woman, I would be the first one to stop him.¡± ¡°He is willing to marry me, but I am not willing to marry him.¡± Hua Qiong smiled, proud. ¡°How could I, Hua Qiong, marry a man who forces himself to be with me? If I marry him, even if he respects me for his entire life, he will never love me.¡± Feng Zhiwei gazed into the woman¡¯s complicated eyes and finally understood her pride and composure. This marriage would always leave a knot in Madam Chen and Yan Huaishi¡¯s hearts. They would always feel wronged ¡ª an ordinary village girl pregnant with another man¡¯s child could never be a proper match for the Yan Family Head, and even if Yan Huaishi cared for her, he did not love her. Another girl might still marry Yan Huaishi because she had earned it, but Hua Qiong would not. ¡°When you leave South Sea, I want to follow you.¡± Hua Qiong said sincerely, holding Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand. ¡°You have risen in this world and claimed a place in the Imperial Court, stepping into the purple clouds. I greatly admire you, and I wish to stay by your side so that you can bring me with you to see more of the heavens and earth.¡± ¡°You must understand, once you leave, Huaishi will owe you nothing. He will likely marry another woman.¡± ¡°If he can forget me so easily, why should I risk my life and happiness for him?¡± Hua Qiong smiled calmly. ¡°Though I like him, I also have my own bottom line.¡± The young girl sat perfectly straight like a tall, strong pine saluting the sun. Her eyes shone bright and brilliant, and her face was calm and clear. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to marry me out of pity or gratitude just to end up in an imperfect marriage, and I do not want take on the mantle and responsibilities of Madam Yan because my husband and mother-in-law think they own me. I want to hold my own fate, and I want to grow in Tian Sheng Dynasty¡¯s mountains and seas. I want Yan Huaishi to one day have no choice but to life his eyes and see me, and I want him to one day know that my love for him is taller than mountains and wider than oceans, surpassing everything.¡± After this conversation with Hua Qiong, Feng Zhiwei spent a long time thinking. Hua Qiong sitting under the autumn sun filled her mind¡¯s eye as her words echoed in her ears, and Feng Zhiwei felt that only an unfettered, gallant woman could dare swear that her love surpassed mountains and oceans and everything else, and Feng Zhiwei believed her. A sudden envy and quiet sadness filled her heart and she realized that Yan Huaishi was truly uncommonly blessed. Through that quiet night, Feng Zhiwei lay sleepless and full of thoughts. Where was Ning Yi¡¯s army now? The South Sea Province neighbored Minnan, so he must be marching through the night. She thought of his eyes ¡ª he had stayed so long, delaying his trip and holding off on his treatment for her. How could he lead his army with such a malady? Would he be able to find the right medicine? What if the long delay meant that he would never see again? Of course he did not need to personally fight, but arrows and sword have no eyes. What if? What would she do? Cold sweat covered her and thoughts of Gu Nanyi flashed into mind. That mysterious physician could rush over and catch up to Ning Yi and protect him. She lifted her eyes and began knocking on the wall. Young Master Gu immediately floated down and touched her forehead. Feng Zhiwei stirred, staring in shock ¡ª amazing! Young Master Gu was voluntarily touching someone! Young Master Gu ignored her astonished gazed; he had broken so many of his rules recently that touching her forehead seemed like nothing. After rubbing his hand over her entire face, he felt that she was somewhat warm, but he had to touch his own face to compare. In order to touch his face, he had to lift his veil a little. Feng Zhiwei held her breath as Gu Nanyi revealed some of his face, hating herself for not lighting an oil lamp. After a moment, she comforted herself; the more she saw, the more serious to consequences that would follow. In order to avoid those consequences, she hurriedly turned away. Meanwhile, Young Master Gu had come to his conclusion ¡ª Feng Zhiwei¡¯s body was burning from all the thoughts that filled her mind so Young Master Gu thought that her fever had come back, so he quickly dragged over a quilt, skillfully arranged it by the foot of the bed, and then curled up on the ground. Feng Zhiwei watched in astonishment. What? She had not known that Young Master Gu had watched over her, and Young Master Gu had never brought it up. Feng Zhiwei could only stare blankly as Young Master Gu fell asleep hugging his blanket, his tall body curled up around the short feet of the bed. The hard floor was clearly uncomfortable and Feng Zhiwei had a hard time reconciling the imperious young man who cared so much for his own comfort and the quiet figure laying by her bed. As she looked down at the calm and casual way he slept, it was very clear that this habit had not formed in just a day. Feng Zhiwei leaned over, her hand clutching her bedside. She stared down at Gu Nanyi and could not help but think back to how Ning Yi had rushed over and banged himself against her bed, and her heart trembled and her grip tightened on the bed¡¯s wood, and a small piece of wood chip drifted down onto Gu Nanyi¡¯s veil. Gu Nanyi opened his eyes and looked up into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s staring eyes and he remembered what he had wanted to say that very first night he began laying by her bed, waiting for her to wake. Chapter 205 ¡°Thank you.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand softened and she almost tipped over onto the floor ¡ª this day really was full of surprises. Gu Nanyi had never apologized to her before, and he was truly a person that had never expressed gratitude or said thanks, and now those words came out at such a strange time. What was happening? Young Master Gu relived those moments from Feng Zhiwei¡¯s illness when he lay at the feet of her bed, imagining what he would say when she woke and looked down at him. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Superfluous. ¡°Sleep well?¡± Nonsense. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The most foolish words in the entire world. He had never spoken a single useless word his entire life, and if he had to speak he would only say what needed to be said. On those nights as the minutes slowly slipped away, he had waited but she had not woken. He had waited for a long time, waiting in despair. Amidst all the fallen faces and heavy sighs, he began to slowly understand that strange heaviness pressing down on his heart, and he began to understand fear and anxiety. Quietly, the cold empty world that he had lived for so many years began to beat anew. As he waited, missing the refreshing lightness in his heart when she smiled and peeled walnuts for him, missing the soft warmth when she taught him the flute and said he would find him, missing her giggle as she made him dress in woman¡¯s clothing, that happiness, blessedness, and joy¡­ were the words that he had so often heard as a child, all the brilliant, happy emotions. The heaviness when he hated the idea of her death was fear, and the coldness in his heart when he thought her dying was grief¡­ over these days, he finally understood. Perhaps there was still some distance between understanding and truly feeling, and perhaps it was still too complicated for him to fully understand, but in his barren, pale life, a splash of rich color began to spread. Everything was because of Feng Zhiwei. He suddenly understood that the only thing he had to say was thank you. Thanks for her existence, for her patience, for how she had cracked open his fortress and shown him the bright, colorful world outside. He had not missed it when he knew nothing, but now that he knew, it was better. Because if he understood, he would become more like Feng Zhiwei, more like all the people who had once called him different. Then, he would not be like he had been, not able to understand Feng Zhiwei¡¯s trouble until she was almost dead. So he had to say, thank you. Gu Nanyi paused as he thought over his plan. He had waited so long to speak and finally had the chance, so naturally he could not let the moment slip. After speaking, he felt as if a burden had been lifted, so he hugged his quilt and went back to sleep. The poor person still shocked and restless glared down at him. Irritated and confused, she reached down to push him. ¡°Ai, ai, don¡¯t sleep. Get up and explain.¡± Young Master Gu looked up, his eyes as clear and bright as a calm autumn lake. ¡°What?¡± He had already forgotten. Feng Zhiwei looked at him helplessly: ¡°You thanked me.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Young Master Gu thought for a moment, bringing his hand to his heart. He slowly explained: ¡°When you almost died, I felt pain here. Thank you for teaching me sadness.¡± Thank you for teaching me sadness. Feng Zhiwei looked down at the man calmly holding his chest, seriously thanking her for teaching him pain. She bit her lips as her eyes reddened once again. The light of the moon shimmered like fog and half of Gu Nanyi¡¯s body seemed to lie in the moonlight, calm and peaceful. Only Feng Zhiwei understood that his quiet peace was not warm and beautiful as so many assumed, but a result of a lifetime of indifference in a noisy world, his own a frozen world. There exists a type of person who is sunk so deep in freezing water that life is simply blank, and the simplest joys and the sharpest pains are nothing but tasteless ash in a world separate from theirs. Only those who had lived and grown alone in such a cold world could understand the true weight of Gu Nanyi¡¯s almost absurd, desolate words. Feng Zhiwei looked down at him and she could only feel pain ¡ª after being together for so long and finally knocking open his gate, the first thing she taught him was sadness and pain. ¡°No.¡± Feng Zhiwei finally said, moving to the edge of the bed and lowering her torso and face. She stared down at the unmoving, jade statue of a man and she murmured quietly as if swearing an oath. ¡°I will not allow you to only understand sadness; no, not only this.¡± ¡°I want you to walk free of this cage and see a world farther than the feet around you. I want you to become a man who does not have to eat only eight pieces of meat, and I want you to be able to look at me, to cry and laugh and fuss and argue and love.¡± ¡­ The days of bedrest passed, and Feng Zhiwei could not allow herself to fully recover before throwing herself back into work. The war had begun and Ning Yi had reached the battlefield ¡ª she could not lay around doing nothing. Ning Yi had set up the foundations in South Sea, but many details still required her own hand. That night, she also asked Gu Nanyi to send his famous physician after Ning Yi. Gu Nanyi ignored her, and after Feng Zhiwei relentlessly pestered him, he finally replied: ¡°I cannot command him.¡± This answer only gave Feng Zhiwei more questions. His words made it sound like they were both men of the same organization, their positions similar so Gu Nanyi had no authority over the doctor? ¡°Let me meet with him. Let me speak to him.¡± Feng Zhiwei suggested, figuring that if she met with him face to face many of her problems could be solved. But Young Master Gu immediately refused, saying: ¡°Once you are well, he will return to Dijing. He might be needed.¡± Feng Zhiwei could only helplessly accede and set the matter aside. A bell needed to be untied by the person who had tied it, and the best antidote would be found by finding the poisoners. That group of assassins were likely in Minnan, and she could only hope that Ning Yi could find them on his own. Everyday, she traveled back and forth from the new department to the local government mansion. She had to first settle the Grain Theft Incident from the day of the Ancestral Temple siege; while Ning Yi had sat by her sickbed, Zhou Xizhong could only hold in his anger. Now that Feng Zhiwei was recovered, he nagged her everyday for a proper explanation ¡ª not only had she forced open the granaries, but of the five Grain Guarding Officials, none was spared! Chapter 206 Feng Zhiwei listened to Master Zhou¡¯s fury and cheerfully brought out the two villains responsible ¡ª Helian Zheng and Yao Yangyu. Zhou Xizhong could only stare silently at the two rogues, face twitching. One was the untouchable prince of the steppes and the other was the son of the great teacher who had graded his own Imperial Examination. What could he do? In the end, he could only scoff and flick his sleeves, accepting defeat. No matter what, the opening of the granaries had somewhat stabilized the price of rice. With the Huang and Shangguan Families in serious trouble and the other three families stepping away from manipulating the market, the South Sea province¡¯s inflation was stabilizing and the lot of the commoners was improving. Zhou Zixhong was only upset because he had planned on opening the granaries himself to win over support and Feng Zhiwei had robbed him of the opportunity. But soon his anger was assuaged. Feng Zhiwei proposed an alliance between the three families targeting the Huang and Shangguan Families, promising an even share of the spoils to the local government and the families remaining. Of course this was an excellent deal, and Zhou Xizhong fakely insisted that Master Wei also deserved a share. Feng Zhiwei smiled and declined, claiming that a passing Imperial Envoy here only on temporary business could not demand such a portion. Truthfully, she had no need to pluck the feathers of every wild goose that passed by; the Imperial Court¡¯s fortune disdained this small cut of profit. Ultimately, the good of South Sea was good for Wei Zhi, and he only had a tiny request. Since the Yan Family was taking charge and carrying most of the burden, they would need a slightly bigger share. Secondly, ten percent of the industries seized should go to the new Department of General Maritime Affairs and function as an operating budget, and the future profits from this share could be used as military expenditure for the department¡¯s future fights with pirates and patrolling of the sea. This had been the Imperial Court¡¯s intent in founding this new department so of course Zhou Xizhong acquiesced. Unfortunately, a scholar like Zhou Xizhong did not perfectly grasp the extent of a rich family¡¯s properties and did not understand how many borderline things could be done with this ten percent share. There were of course shops that earned money and shops that did not, and there is of course valuable land and worthless land. After a skilled business man like Yan Huaishi was done manipulating the shares, all of the most valuable assets were secured under the control of the new Maritime Department. Feng Zhiwei also had an unspoken plan. The fall of the Huang and Shangguan Family was only a matter of time, and once they collapsed, tens of thousands of horde workers and fishermen would lose their jobs. If these people were absorbed into the other three families, the families would grow too strong. Establishing a Maritime Surveillance Sub-Department to take in these skilled workers would be better, and after some simple training they would be ready for work. Once the Chang Family was pushed out from their lands, they would very likely escape to sea and collude with the pirates they had funded. At that time, the Maritime Surveillance Sub-Department could immediately function as a new South Sea Navy. Feng Zhiwei was only tasked with founding the new department; though she was able to oversee all matters in South Sea, military affairs were still outside her domain. This plan was the only way she could offer Ning Yi help in his future battles. After everything was set in motion, Feng Zhiwei went to inspect the construction of the new department headquarters. Yan Huaishi had worked quickly, and somehow the almost finished building was almost more beautiful than the Commissioner¡¯s Mansion. Apparently, the further the land was from the lofty Imperial Capital, the more ostentatious the buildings, and faraway Shang Ye¡¯s General Maritime Department was said to be even more beautiful than the one being constructed here in South Sea. Feng Zhiwei watched a happy, high-spirited Yan Huaishi work and decided that she would let him do whatever he wanted with the architecture. Not only had he suffered years of bitterness, Wei Zhi would soon take his wife away; allowing him some freedom here was some compensation for all of that. After checking out the new department, Feng Zhiwei headed to the Judicial Commissioner¡¯s Yamen where the recently captured Chang Family spies and arrested officials were all being interrogated. Feng Zhiwei had barely sat down when Judicial Commissioner Tao Shifeng arrived to greet her, smiling: ¡°Ai ya, Master Wei, I was just about to send someone to report to you. I have news.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°People have been dropping dead in prison.¡± Tao Shifeng explained. ¡°The batch of prisoners we just captured with the information we got from the second-generation Huang Family scion. These people were captured at Mount Wu Ji by the border of South Sea and Minnan. We think that they were heading from His Highness¡¯s army. ¡°Our people took a shortcut and cut them off. Many of them fled to Feng Zhou City, and we managed to wound and capture some of them outside the gates, but before we could even begin our interrogation, everyone we had captured had died.¡± As he explained, he led Feng Zhiwei to one of the corpses. The corpse¡¯s eyes stared wildly, and there was no sign of fatal wounds anywhere on its body. Only the fear and blankness in the eyes stood out, and as Zhiwei stared down wonderingly at that look, a sudden idea struck. She squatted on her heels and carefully looked over the corpses as Tao Shifeng spoke: ¡°The coroner has already examined them. There are no fatal wounds, and we are not sure how these people died¡­¡± At that moment, the quiet Gu Nanyi stepped forward and pointed at a corpse¡¯s wrist. A few faint marks, bare hints of scratches. ¡°Those could not kill, they are just tiny wounds¡­¡± Tao Shifeng began as Feng Zhiwei looked down at the scratches. She interrupted him: ¡°Master Tao, where were these people captured?¡± ¡°An abandoned farmhouse ten miles out from Feng Zhou City.¡± ¡°Bring me there!¡± An hour later, a group of riders dismounted in front of a farmhouse, abandoned and desolate with no signs of inhabitants for miles in any direction. Feng Zhiwei looked out at the quiet farmyard lit only by the setting sun, anxious. She whispered to Gu Nanyi before calling for the others to wait outside as she and Gu Nanyi entered. The carefully swept through the building, but they found nothing. Just as Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart was falling in disappointment, Gu Nanyi spotted an abandoned hog pen. Feng Zhiwei slowly stepped over. The gold auburn of the setting sun lit up the tips of dry, yellow grass swaying in the autumn wind. The hog pen had fallen into disrepair and the broken door hung creaking in the breeze. The ground was covered in dead grass and pig manure, and the small enclosure was still and silent. Feng Zhiwei stepped on a dry branch, quietly cracking it. ¡°Cha!¡± A rusty butcher¡¯s knife flashed towards her face in a flash of lightning! Feng Zhiwei cried out: ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± The butcher¡¯s knife shot forward like lightning, but Feng Zhiwei was exclaiming because of the face underneath the mess of hair. Her voice carried pleasant surprise and confusion. With a clang, the fierce butcher¡¯s knife was slapped in half by Young Master Gu¡¯s bare hand. The man howled as he pounced forward, throwing himself forward as if his entire body were a blade. As soon as he leapt, a pair of golden beams shot forward, squeaking as the flew forward, eight claws striking at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face. Chapter 207 Feng Zhiwei cried out: ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± The golden lights froze and two finger sized monkeys paused, large round eyes staring at Feng Zhiwei mid-pounce. The light of recognition flashed in those eyes and the little monkeys squeaked excitedly as they reached out to hug her, somehow forgetting that they were still airborne as they dropped. Feng Zhiwei reached out and caught the two furballs. Beside her, Gu Nanyi had grabbed the human cannon-ball, holding the huge, howling man still. Feng Zhiwei carefully cradled the two monkeys as she stared at the dirty man¡¯s swollen face. She breathed deeply, a teary smile on her face. ¡°Chunyu¡­ you¡¯re alive.¡± Feng Zhiwei explained the bare bones of the matter to the officials to Tao Shifeng¡¯s pleasant surprise. Chunyu Meng had a significant background and his father was deputy to the Northern Expedition General. Saving his life was a great merit. Feng Zhiwei finally threw off the gloom that had surrounded her ever since she had arrived in South Sea. The separation in Ji Yang Mountain and Chunyu Meng¡¯s presumed death had been a thorn in her heart; through many sleepless nights, she had thought of this young man. She still remembered how he had approached her in the Qing Ming dining hall, and she treasured that straightforward frankness, sincere and without hidden agenda. For the first time in her life, Feng Zhiwei felt gratitude to the heavens; they sometimes still had eyes. But the happiness soon faded to worry as she stared at Chunyu Meng ¡ª what had happened to this child? He was barely recognizable, so much so that his parents might think him someone else¡¯s child. The torn clothes and ragged hair suggested imprisonment and poor treatment, but why had those cold-blooded assassins kept him alive? He was clearly not in right mind and could not even recognize her. The blue purple of his face was less like bruises and more the unnatural shade of some manner of illness. Chunyu Meng howled and raged, trying to kill everyone in sight. Feng Zhiwei could only have Gu Nanyi physically stuff the man into the coach so that they could return to Xi Yard. Back at the courtyard, the physicians realized that Chunyu Meng had eaten something bad and might have eaten a poisonous plant by accident. Fortunately, this matter was curable. Feng Zhiwei breathed a sigh of relief, but her curiosity soon rose. She assumed that Chunyu Meng would only eat random plants if he were starving, but he was incredibly energetic and not at all emaciated, and that was not even mentioning the very well fed, chubby monkeys. If he was not starving, why would he eat random plants? As she was wondering, a servant girl brought Feng Zhiwei¡¯s medicine over. Without Ning Yi here to supervise her, Feng Zhiwei often cheated, so she immediately set it aside. To her astonishment, Chunyu Meng immediately grabbed the cup and gulped all of the rancid medicine down, even licking his lips in longing for more. Feng Zhiwei stared in utter amazement. The horrifying smell and taste of the medicine was enough to make people wish for death and anyone who smelled it would want to vomit ¡ª how could Chunyu Meng enjoy it as if it were a top-quality wine? A theory popped into her head and she had people bring over some sweet plums and placed them in front of Chunyu Meng. As she suspected, he immediately jerked back from it as if it were a pile of crap. Chunyu¡¯s taste and smell were both confused¡­ Feng Zhiwei immediately thought of the poison in Ning Yi¡¯s eyes. Had Chunyu also been hit by a venomous insect¡¯s curse? Eyes and ears, mouth and nostrils were the seven apertures of the head ¡ª if she could heal Chunyu¡¯s poison, she might also be able to help Ning Yi. ¡°Brother Gu.¡± Feng Zhiwei asked, turning. ¡°Did that famous physician leave?¡± Young Master Gu stayed silent; whenever he refused to speak, it meant he did not wish to answer or did not want to lie. ¡°He is my dear friend.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, pointing at Chunyu Meng. ¡°He is only like this because he saved my life. Please tell the man that I am willing to pay any cost for him to save my friend.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Young Master Gu said as he turned to leave. Some time later, Gu Nanyi returned and vigorously shook his head. Feng Zhiwei grew angry. Why was this man so difficult to speak with? She could understanding not wanting to help Ning Yi, but why did he refuse to help Chunyu Meng? ¡°He says: young girls should worry less about others.¡± Young Master Gu passed along the message. Feng Zhiwei stared ¡ª had the physician guessed her plan? That she wanted to cure Ning Yi with the method he used to help Chunyu? Why did he refuse to help Ning Yi? And after all this time, none of the people following Gu Nanyi to protect her had revealed themselves. Were they hiding from Feng Zhiwei, or were they hiding from Ning Yi? Although Ning Yi was not in her camp and it was normal to be cautious, Feng Zhiwei felt that there was some other reason behind this enmity. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t worry about others.¡± Feng Zhiwei said after a short pause. ¡°I would like to return these words. It is better for the sirs to worry less about others; after all, Feng Zhiwei is just a normal commoner and not worth your deep care. In the future¡­ there is no need.¡± As she finished speaking, she heard a quiet noise around her, but Young Master Gu just sat quietly, not reacting as he ate his walnuts. Feng Zhiwei eyed him. He stared at Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei stared meaningfully at him. He stared back at Feng Zhiwei. Finally, Feng Zhiwei could no longer hold her peace. ¡°Brother Gu, I mean I no longer want protection.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Young Master Gu answered calmly, munching on his walnuts. ¡°They know.¡± Feng Zhiwei mastered herself and patiently explained: ¡°That includes you.¡± Young Master Gu stopped chewing and stared at her. Finally, he popped another walnut into his mouth: ¡°No.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No.¡± Young Master Gu dusted some walnut off of his hand. ¡°I am yours.¡± Feng Zhiwei breathed out: ¡°You belong to yourself. You are no one else¡¯s. You have to be yourself.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me anymore?¡± Feng Zhiwei could only cry out wordlessly, incapable of speaking with Young Master Gu. But though she did not speak, Young Master Gu still had questions. ¡°You don¡¯t want me?¡± He lifted his head as he murmured to himself, staring up at the ceiling. ¡°What do I do now?¡± ¡°Do whatever you want. Travel, start a shop, or¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei gently suggested. ¡°Marry someone and start a life.¡± Young Master Gu carefully thought over her words before firmly shaking his head. As Feng Zhiwei sighed, he lowered his eyes and began eating his walnuts again. After a moment, Young Master Gu¡¯s sleeves rustled as he spoke again: ¡°When you said you did not want me, my heart suddenly felt a little empty. What is that called?¡± Chapter 208 Despite everything, Feng Zhiwei was happy that Gu Nanyi took initiative in trying to learn something and her mood lifted as she immediately explained: ¡°That is called disappointment.¡± ¡°Oh, disappointment.¡± Young Master Gu nodded with understanding, continuing his dedicated search for that disappointed feeling. Above them, a voice quietly sighed and said: ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡± A figure soundlessly fell downwards like a cloud descending from heaven. Feng Zhiwei only saw a flash of white robe as the man flit downwards with his peculiar body technique and the next thing she knew a stranger stood before her, his back facing her. The man was tall and slender and wore a well cut white robe, and he stood like a solid mountain with sheer cliffs falling into calm valleys. Feng Zhiwei examined the man and found his figure rather familiar, but when the man turned around, all she saw was a poorly crafted wooden mask covering his face. The man was incredibly blatant in hiding his identity. Feng Zhiwei smiled and stood, greeting the man: ¡°You must be the master who saved my life. May I be bold enough to ask the honorable master¡¯s name? Please accept my gratitude.¡± The man stood still, silently examining her as Feng Zhiwei stepped forward and began kneeling. The man was startled, expecting only a courteous bow. He hurriedly flicked his sleeve to stop her kowtow, and his Kungfu whipped the wind, flashing forward with grace and elegance. Feng Zhiwei stared, and then the memories came flashing back as she cried out: ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± A black sleeve floating through the air, tossing a booklet towards her. After being banished from the Qiu Mansion, she had ¡°happened¡± upon a black robed man and was forced to be a ¡°servant¡± for a while. He had taught her the basics of Kung Fu cultivation and been given both a body movement technique and the mysterious booklet that had aided her rise in the world. After spending every day with him for over a month, she had long since memorized the particular flow of his Qi. He could disguise his appearance, but his Kung Fu remained unchanged. In the same small yard, while she had been escorting Ning Yi to ¡°find the killer,¡± she had stumbled upon this man and Gu Nanyi ¡°fighting¡± before Gu Nanyi swept her away. Afterwards, Gu Nanyi had gotten lost, and so she had picked him up, and Gu Nanyi had just innocently allowed her to take him away up till this very day. When she had brought him away, she had been testing the waters, thinking that people would be close by chasing them, but in the end that never happened. Now she understood that none of those encounters had been accidents; around every corner people lay in wait, plans and schemes everywhere. If she had not happened upon them in this manner, they would have simply waited and taken a different approach. A calm smile settled over Feng Zhiwei¡¯s lips, her eyes unamused. The man stood and quietly watched her; finally, he smiled helplessly and replied: ¡°I¡¯ve been tricked by the young miss once again.¡± A thousand thoughts raced through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind. She thought back to everything in her life, from her travails up to the Qiu Mansion misery and the adventures since her banishment. Everything she had thought so straightforward and natural turned out not to be straightforward and natural at all; from the very beginning, it looked like she had been walking the road that others had paved for her. She had thought herself in control, but now it seemed that she had been a puppet all along. This realization was not easy to accept. ¡°Why?¡± Feng Zhiwei finally asked, cutting straight to the heart. The white robed man bent to take Chunyu Meng¡¯s pulse. His words were calm as he replied: ¡°Young miss, you¡¯ve forced me to show myself today, but in the future I will not be so easily provoked. Why concern yourself with understanding everything? Can we not return to how we were before?¡± ¡°No.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied firmly. ¡°Sow nothing, reap nothing. I cannot sincerely accept this protection without understanding the reason.¡± ¡°It is not yet time to explain.¡± The white robed man replied. ¡°Young miss, rest assured, we mean you no harm.¡± ¡°I understand. You saved my life.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°But people often do bad things with good intentions, do you not agree?¡± ¡°Young miss does not need to worry about this.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°We will not intervene in your decisions, we simply wish to protect your life.¡± ¡°If that is your only concern, I am even more anxious.¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed and she explained. ¡°Where is my virtue or my talent? I am alone in this world, why do I deserve such great protection? The fates will punish me for accepting more than I deserve.¡± ¡°Whether you are deserving, we understand.¡± The man replied placidly, ignoring her question as he had Chunyu Meng lay flat and took out his acupuncture needles. ¡°Does the young lady want to save him? If you do not, we can move this conversation to the front hall and slowly talk it out.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled furiously as she twirled and walked away. ¡°Looks like I have to teach Brother Gu well so that one day he will explain everything to me.¡± ¡°That would be best.¡± The man replied, his eyes sad as he turned towards Gu Nanyi and his walnuts. ¡°If you can, I¡¯m willing to exchange all our secrets so that he might walk into the world.¡± Leaving the man behind, Feng Zhiwei stepped out into the sun. She closed her eyes and faced the orange autumn sun, her face calm in the warmth but her heart a mess. She had finally confirmed part of her long held suspicion, but the truth did not set her at ease. All she felt was a heavier weight ¡ª there was no random fortune in this world; everything had a cause. But this group of people refused to give her the answers. Pushing away the anxiety, Feng Zhiwei cuddled the two little pen monkeys and headed back to the Judicial Commissioner¡¯s Yamen to investigate the corpses again. She had thought of the pen monkeys when she had seen the scratches on the corpses, and she was certain now that these dead men were part of the same group that had hunted Ning Yi and her across Longxi Province. They had tried to strike again as Ning Yi marched his army to Minnan, but when their plan failed, why had they fled to Feng Zhou City instead of Minnan? She carefully examined the eyes of the corpses. They all had signs of the ¡°Big Boss¡¯s¡± attack and had been blinded before they had died. That was why their gazes were so strange. But where was this ¡°Big Boss¡± now? Every time it opened its eyes, a person would definitely lose his sight; if it were brought to the right target, what kind of havoc would it cause? ¡°Recently, a group of Shangguan members were investigated in a matter regarding dispossession of land.¡± Tao Shifeng explained to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°His Highness buried some of the case files and told us to show them only to Brother Wei, if you will¡­¡± Ning Yi had buried files? Something was definitely off. Feng Zhiwei nodded and followed Tao Shifeng to the secret documents room. As she flipped through the files, her face grew solemn. ¡°Military troops were involved?¡± Chapter 209 ¡°Thirteen military officials were involved, and I have already sent a letter requesting General Commander Lyu¡¯s assistance in the matter.¡± Tao Shifeng explained. ¡°We are unable to casually intervene in military matters, and even Master Zhou needs to negotiate with General Commander Lyu.¡± The Tian Sheng Dynasty¡¯s military was separated into border armies and provincial troops. Every province hosted local government forces controlled by the General Commander, the highest local military authority and direct subordinates to the Five Armies Department of the Imperial Court. Although the Commissioner was the head of the three local departments, some powers were still outside their control. It was no wonder that Zhou Xizhong and Tao Shifeng had not already acted on the military forces involved in dispossessing the land. ¡°What has General Commander Lyu said?¡± ¡°The General Commander is watching the Minnan border. As soon as the army marched, the Imperial Court had General Commander Lyu assume personal command over Hui Long County and the grain supply. But Master Wei can rest assured, as soon he received the letter he began rushing back. He is probably already meeting with Master Zhou.¡± Tao Shifeng replied. ¡°Master Lyu is a just man and has never practices nepotism or colluded for personal game. Trusting him with this matter will surely lead to a fair outcome.¡± ¡°En.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned back to the files; as she worked her way through, she noticed a faint nail mark underneath the case involving the Qianshi Official of Military Commission. She paused a moment before reaching for the man¡¯s file; he had a perfectly normal personnel record. He began his career as an ordinary soldier in Shannan Province, and after many achievements, he was promoted over and over until he transferred to South Sea Province and took on the position of Qianshi. All of his battles were detailed: all three battles against the Da Yue Dynasty in the First Year of Chang Xi; the battle against Xi Liang in the Fifth Year of Chang Xi; and the battle against the barbarian tribes of the Hundred Thousand Mountains in the Seventh Year of Chang Xi. Everything was there. Was something wrong? ¡°This Qianshi is quite the character.¡± Tao Shifeng commented, looking over her shoulder. ¡°I hear he¡¯s quite short-tempered and has quarreled often with Master Lyu. The Commander dislikes him greatly, and he probably deserves what¡¯s coming.¡± Feng Zhiwei had already closed her eyes, slowly thinking back to the different officials Ning Yi had introduced her to when they arrived in South Sea. Ning Yi must have been listening to Ning Cheng read the files and heard something peculiar, but had no time to figure out the matter so could only make a mark. So what was wrong?¡± ¡°Master Tao, I wish to borrow your fourth-rank and higher Official personnel files.¡± Feng Zhiwei asked a moment later. ¡°Impossible.¡± Tao Shifeng immediately replied. ¡°The personnel files of our officials cannot be leaked.¡± ¡°As the Imperial Envoy to the South Sea Province, I order you.¡± Feng Zhiwei commanded, thrusting the Imperial Envoy Seal into Tao Shifeng¡¯s face. The man¡¯s expression grew troubled, and finally he replied: ¡°I cannot be¡­¡± ¡°I will take full responsibility.¡± Feng Zhiwei interjected firmly. A large stack of personnel files were brought over and Tao Shifeng respectfully took his leave. Feng Zhiwei ignored the huge mountain of paper and went directly to Lyu Bo¡¯s file. She had lied about needing the files of the other officials, she only wanted to check Lyu Bo. As she flipped through the pages, her pale face illuminated only by the oil lamp, a cold smile grew on her face. All three battles against the Da Yue Dynasty in the First Year of Chang Xi; the battle against Xi Liang in the Fifth Year of Chang Xi; and the battle against the barbarian tribes of the Hundred Thousand Mountains in the Seventh Year of Chang Xi¡­ Lyu Bo¡¯s file was almost identical to the Qianshi official¡¯s. Feng Zhiwei turned back to the Qianshi¡¯s file, and as she had expected, she found a dismissal in the Eighth Year of Chang Xi. The barbarian tribes of the Hundred Thousand Mountains had rebelled in the Seventh Year of Chang Xi. It was only after the Imperial Court sent out armies three times that the rebellion was suppressed ¡ª taking advantage of familiar terrain and harsh mountains, the barbarian tribes successfully defeated and killed many Imperial Court Generals. After the first two disastrous battles, many people were punished and dismissed. This Qianshi faced dismissal and was sent to South Sea. The next year, following his victory in the third suppression battle against the barbarian tribes, Lyu Bo was assigned General Commander of the South Sea Province. Feng Zhiwei shut the files, sending up a puff of dust. With the two files in hand, Feng Zhiwei exited the study and called to Tao Shifeng. ¡°Remind me, Master Tao, where did your people capture this group?¡± ¡°Mount Wu Ji and the Minnan border.¡± Feng Zhiwei nodded, striding towards the gates. As she reached the doors, she suddenly stopped and turned thoughtfully: ¡°Master Tao, please bring your Judicial Commissioner Seal and my Imperial Envoy Seal to Hui Long County and capture all military officials involved in the Land Dispossession Case. Immediately send a fast horse to call back the army supplies heading to Minnan; if they cannot bring it back, destroy it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± Tao Shifeng cried out in disbelief, stumbling back pale faced. ¡°Do you know what you are saying? Intervening in military affairs? Arresting on-duty military officials? Hindering army provisions? Even destroying them? These are all capital offenses!¡± ¡°I know what I said.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied decisively. ¡°Master Tao, even though you and I are equally ranked, I am empowered as an Imperial Envoy to make emergency decisions. You must listen to me, and I will take full responsibility for what happens.¡± ¡°This is not a small mater like reading the personnel files! This can lead to the death of my entire family!¡± Tao Shifeng raged, flicking his sleeve in disdain as he turned.¡± I will not stop you from courting death, but do not drag me into it!¡± He angrily swept past Feng Zhiwei, abandoning this crazy fool. Feng Zhiwei watched silently as he moved, smiling gently as Tao Shifeng passed her. ¡°Apologies.¡± Her fingers silently struck out to his neck. Tao Shifeng only felt a cold breeze before his eyes went dark. Catching Tao Shifeng¡¯s collapsing body, Feng Zhiwei quickly shuffled back towards the study. A moment later, Feng Zhiwei rang the golden bell hanging beside the study door. The bell called for the subordinates of the Judicial Commissioner, and very quickly a small group of Qianshi Officials approached. When they saw that the door was shut closed, none of them dared to enter the room without permission; through the paper door, they made out the shadows of Master Tao and the Imperial Envoy in deep conversation, the two men¡¯s voices so quiet none of the Qianshi Officials could make out what was said. They only heard: ¡°Since it¡¯s come to this¡­ depend on Brother Wei¡­ a time of emergency¡­¡± They could not understand the full matter being discussed, but it was immediately clear that something secret and incredibly serious was happening. All of the Qianshi Officials steppe back in fearful awe. Immediately after, Feng Zhiwei exited the room, saluting the room as she called out: ¡°No need to send me out Master Tao, leave this matter to me. You must write the Memorandum to the Throne and inform the Imperial Court of this matter.¡± Then she shut the door. Chapter 210 Feng Zhiwei turned and faced the respectful Qianshi Officials, handing them letters stamped with the seal of Judicial Commissioner and the seal of Imperial Envoy. ¡°Master Tao has an important matter, so these need to be handled by you.¡± She had already carefully arranged everything while she was in the study; officials would need to head out and capture the military officials while others raced to intercept the army provisions. Of course, she did not call them army provisions, masking the operation by claiming that the Shangguan Family was smuggling goods that they needed to capture or destroy. No one doubted Feng Zhiwei¡¯s words, and everyone rushed off in trembling awe. Feng Zhiwei brought out another letter and called to Gu nanny. ¡°May I trouble Brother Gu to find Yan Huaishi; tell him that he must use any method, even emptying the private granaries, to send a shipment of grain to Minnan immediately. Gu Nanyi shook his head and gently flicked a finger; a grey robed man popped out of the eaves above and flicked down to grab the letter before disappearing. Feng Zhiwei stared after the invisible guard; since she had confronted the white robed man, these people had emerged from the shadows. With everything dispatched, Feng Zhiwei stood quietly under the eaves, her face pale. She was moving with extreme daring based on sheer speculation; if she were wrong in any of these matters, ten lives would not be enough to survive the aftermath. But even so, she was afraid that she had not moved boldly enough, not reacted fast enough. An army marched on its stomach; the hundred thousand soldiers battling Chang Minjiang were winning victory after victory under Ning Yi, shrinking Chang Minjiang¡¯s control, but a disastrous mishap with provisions could overturn the entire war. Blood would flood the lands, and the upheaval would sweep out of Minnan into South Sea and the other surrounding provinces. She clenched her hands, her fingers cold. She had not time for fear, and she leapt atop a horse and rode off for the Commissioner¡¯s Yamen. A big green-wool sedan chair was waiting by the Yamen gates as Feng Zhiwei approached, and the leader of the Yamen Bailiffs called out: ¡°Master Lyu has just arrived.¡± Feng Zhiwei nodded hurriedly and swept into the study; it was empty, but steam still wafted up from the cups of tea. A servant boy informed her that Master Zhou had brought Master Lyu away to find an old case file. The Yamen storeroom ¡­ typically a remote and dark place. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s suspicions raged and she dashed off in pursuit! Zhou Xizhong was accompanying Lyu Bo in his search, quite clearly frustrated with the situation. He could have just had the Private Advisor find the file, why had Lyu Bo insisted on finding the case file himself and even dragged Zhou Xizhong with him? After Lyu Bo had shut the door, he had accidentally dropped his oil lamp while looking for the file, and now Zhou Xizhong could only hold his peace as Lyu Bo fumbled about in embarrassment. Zhou Xizhong idly tapped the desk, thinking on the scandal with the military officials. He still needed to talk to Lyu Bo about that business, and he had also heard that there was a shortage of staff managing army provisioning. With at least a dozen officers implicated in this disaster, they might even have to purge the officer corp. Difficult days were ahead, and a well thought out plan was needed. As Zhou Xizhong watched absent-mindedly, Lyu Bo¡¯s shoulder twitched. He focused, curious. Strange movement shuffled underneath Lyu Bo¡¯s robe as if a creature were crawling around on him. Just as he was about to step forward to get a clearer look, Lyu Bo stepped down from the ladder, smiling triumphantly with a scroll in hand: ¡°Found it.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Zhou Xizhong asked, his curiosity piqued by Lyu Bo¡¯s mysterious demeanor. Lyu Bo opened the scroll, gesturing for Zhou Xizhong to lean in: ¡°Look¡­¡± A green light flashed. ¡°Peng!¡± The storeroom¡¯s door flew open, slamming against its hinges. A person rushed in, yelling: ¡°Close your eyes!¡± Just as Zhou Xizhong was lowering his head, the green light flashed and his eyes immediately prickled with pain. As soon as he heard the shout, he knew something was off, so he shut his eyes and retreated. As he stepped back, he heard Lyu Bo sneer and felt something sharp stab for his face. Behind him, a figure rushed forward, whipping the wind. Feng Zhiwei flew forward, her eyes closed as she flung out the two pen monkeys. The two golden lights flashed forward, pouncing towards the green light. The big boss that had just emerged from Lyu Bo¡¯s sleeve was so mad at the sight of its old sweethearts that it yelped in anger and skittered away. Lyu Bo was stunned as his treasure fled, and he immediately fled, but Feng Zhiwei had long prepared for his escape. Lyu Bo struck with a palm, his technique adept but his Kung Fu lackluster. Although Feng Zhiwei had not fully recovered her strength, the moves that Gu Nanyi had secretly taught her were more than enough to easily block his attack and seal his escape. ¡°Black Gold!¡± Lyu Bo cried out loudly. A yellow clothed man rushed in through the door, a glittering green sabre in his hand. Suddenly, a sky cyan shadow flashed behind him and seemed to cover Black Gold like a shroud of smoke. The man dashed this way and that, but no matter how fine his body movement technique, he could not escape the cyan shadow. Lyu Bo¡¯s helper was stuck and unforeseen mishaps and struck one after another. His secret weapon had fled and his expert aid could not save him, and Lyu Bo¡¯s panicked Kung Fu faltered. Feng Zhiwei smiled coldly as she spotted an opening, her hand snapping forward and wrapping around the man¡¯s throat. Lyu Bo struggled in despair, his eyes begging as he fumbled at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s iron vice grip. Feng Zhiwei stared placidly. ¡°Master Lyu,¡± She began, smiling. ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard.¡± Lyu Bo¡¯s face paled as Zhou Xizhong rubbed at his teary eyes, mumbling: ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡± ¡°Simple. Master Lyu belongs to the Chang Family.¡± Feng Zhiwei explained as she restrained Lyu Bo. ¡°Probably the highest ranking official planted in the South Sea Province. Truly impressive¡­ the Chang Family ¡­ A leader of one of the Three Departments, a truly powerful official! And he even managed to take no the duties of army provisioning! Leading the South Sea army directly into the Chang Family¡¯s trap.¡± She handed Lyu Bo¡¯s file and the identical history of the Qianshi Official to Zhou Xizhong. ¡°While I was reading this Qianshi Official¡¯s file, I thought it familiar. Turns out, he had the exact same achievements as Master Lyu. There was no way this was just a coincidence. This official was exiled to South Sea after his failure in the Barbarian Tribe Rebellion in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and then next year, Master Lyu was promoted to South Sea after his victories in that same rebellion. For this official to be assigned to Master Lyu¡­ how could such a coincidence happen in this world?¡± Chapter 211 ¡°Master Lyu and this Qianshi Official clearly are masking their relationship with a tense relationship, but if Master Lyu really cannot stand this man, how could he allowed him to stay in his army for such a long time, tormenting himself?¡± Feng Zhiwei did not voice all her speculation. The group of assassins that had hunted them in Longxi Province appeared once more near Mount Wu Ji, by the border of South Sea and Minnan. This mountain was located in the neighboring Long County where Lyu Bo was stations; the assassins had fled to Feng Zhou City because they were hoping that Lyu Bo would protect them. The leader of the assassins was probably this Black Gold, and the others had been deemed expendable and sacrificed to the Judicial Commissioner¡¯s Yamen where they were kill off by the boss. ¡°Not good!¡± Zhou Xizhong cried out in terror. ¡°He was in charge of army provisions! We all thought Lyu Bo was righteous because he assigned this important task to a man he hated¡­¡± ¡°I have already sent the Judicial Commissioner¡¯s Bailiffs to block this batch of army rations, and the Yan Family are gathering the private reserves of grain and sending them to Minnan as quickly as possible. I must bother Your Honor to dispatch the local government troops and escort these provisions before compensating the families for the loss of grain. Zhou Xizhong stared blankly at Feng Zhiwei, his sight blurry around the edges. Every time they met, he felt he was still underestimating this young star; he had never seen such a thoughtful, determined, and courageous man, daring to block army provision and capturing on duty military officials on pure speculation. To think he had gathered ten thousand commoners on the docks to cause trouble for this Imperial Envoy, how foolish¡­ Feng Zhiwei paid no mind to Zhou Xizhong shock, her mind already on the distant South, a quiet sigh filling her heart. Ning Yi, I hope everything is well¡­ In October of the Thirteenth Year of Chang Xi, the Chang Family suffered a huge defeat. Their most important spy had been discovered at a critical moment! To everyone¡¯s shock, General Lyu Bo had been a Chang Family spy all along and had been in the midst of sabotaging the incomparably important mission of army provisioning for the South Expedition Army. Only Imperial Envoy Wei Zhi had stood between the army and disaster, managing to detect the spy and block the poisoned provisions and replace them in record time. The official reports revealed that the poisoned army rations had been a mere ten miles from the South Expedition Army Camp when the Judicial Commissioner¡¯s officers had caught them. Without Wei Zhi¡¯s quick actions, the army would have been completely destroyed. This matter accelerated the Chang Family¡¯s destruction. The rebellious family had been completely confident in their masterful trap, a saboteur they had placed a decade ago, but their secret card had been destroyed in a single stroke. As news of this matter spread, the Chang Family joined the world in the realization of their inevitable demise. After Zhou Xizhong reported this matter, the Imperial Court passed down an extremely long proclamation filled entirely with praise for Wei Zhi. His Majesty had never praised anyone in such a manner before, and everyone in the Imperial Court knew that once this sixteen year old Imperial Envoy returned to Dijing, he would rise another level. Feng Zhiwei cared nothing for anything of this, the only matter on her mind the poison in Ning Yi¡¯s eyes. After Gu Nanyi had captured Black Gold, the leader of the Minnan assassins, he had forced the assassin to track down the poisonous creature. Young Master Gu secluded himself in a room with the assassin and the boss, and when they exited half a day later, Black Gold had turned into White Gold, all his cold toughness evaporated as he willingly answered any question put to him. Feng Zhiwei finally figured out what had happened to Chunyu Meng ¡ª as expected, he had been saved by the Pen Monkeys. As Chunyu Meng had stayed behind to stall the assassins, he had been saved from the brink of death as the Pen Monkeys leapt out and stayed the Minnan sabre. According to Minnan legend, the Pen Monkey was not a simple ornamental pet. These creatures were the famed Ancestor of Ten Thousand Poisons, not poisonous themselves, but natural predators of every venomous insect and poisonous beast known to the Minnan shamans. Wherever it went, venomous creatures fled, and since these venomous animals were intimately connected to their trainers and owners, not only could these poison practitioners not harm the Pen Monkeys, they also had to treat them with respect and kindness. Black Gold had wanted to keep the two Pen Monkeys for himself, and since the Pen Monkeys would rather die than let Chunyu Meng suffer, the assassins had spared Chunyu Meng. He had been treated and carried by the assassins as they traveled until the assassins were found by the Yamen Bailiffs and he escaped. The poison in Chunyu Meng¡¯s system was Black Gold¡¯s doing. This poison was called ¡°Tongue Poison¡± and was cultivated with Corpse Qi from ancient tombs; since the poison did not come from a living creature, the Pen Monkeys could do nothing about it. After she was done interrogating him, Feng Zhiwei handed Black Gold to the white robed man, Zong Chen, though since Feng Zhiwei could not recall a famed physician with the surname Zong, she had her doubts about the trustworthiness of the name. Three days later, Chunyu Meng slowly recovered his sanity and his sense of smell, but Zong Chen warned that Chunyu Meng¡¯s taste might have been irreparably destroyed. The young man would likely never be able to taste food ever again. Fortunately Chunyu Meng was a magnanimous man. After waking, he never voiced a complaint about his difficulty, and whenever he ate he devoured his food like a ravening wolf or tiger as if he still had normal taste buds. Though sometimes, he¡¯d end up happily munching down a chunk of ginger as if it were soy-braised pork. After Chunyu Meng recovered, Zong Chen took his leave, handing Feng Zhiwei a small paper bag containing the cure he had made for Ning Yi¡¯s poison. Riders were immediately sent off to deliver the medicine to the Minnan camp. A few days later, Yan Huaishi returned from the South Expedition Army Camp, a happy smile on his face. He trudged along in faux exhaustion, wiping away imaginary sweat as he heaved himself up to Feng Zhiwei, pushing a finely carved box towards Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Hey! Someone sent a gift!¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced down at the box, her face suddenly flushing underneath her mask. Outwardly unperturbed, she calmly accepted the box and tranquilly replied: ¡°Brother Yan has worked hard, it must have been tiring escorting the army provisions. Go rest.¡± Yan Huaishi eyed her knowingly, holding back his smile as he gracefully retreated. As he passed Hua Qiong outside the door, he pulled her aside and warned her, barely able to contain his giggles: ¡°The Master is in a good mood, you don¡¯t need to ask after him lest you ruin his happiness.¡± Hua Qiong cocked her head in confusion and Yan Huaishi cheerfully explained: ¡°En, I¡¯ve discovered that Brother Wei loves to act indifferent and calm whenever he is happy. No matter how wise and brilliant, no one can escape the sentiments the youthful heart. This is good, this is how a sixteen year old should behave.¡± Hua Qiong eyed him once more, finally unable to hold back her smiling words: ¡°You¡¯re joking. How can there be sentiments between two men?¡± Chapter 212 ¡°Is gender important?¡± Yan Huaishi replied, his eyes smiling knowingly. ¡°Other countries have very open-minded people. Third Uncle brought me to the Pu Country before when I was ten, and I remember seeing men and women dancing down the thoroughfares; now that was a sight.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Hua Qiong replied, enchanted by Yan Huaishi¡¯s expression. ¡°I¡¯d like to see that.¡± As Yan Huaishi continued speaking spiritedly, Hua Qiong¡¯ eyes lingered on the beads of weary sweat on Yan Huaishi¡¯s face. Her heart softened and she took out her handkerchief and leaned over to wipe his brow. Yan Huaishi was still happily declaiming when Hua Qiong surprised him, a fine wrist before his eyes and a sudden fragrance in his nose as soft cloth brushed gently over his face. Yan Huaishi¡¯s heart skipped a beat and before he knew it, he had pulled back. As soon as he moved away, Hua Qiong¡¯s hand stilled, and only then did Yan Huaishi realized what had happened. He hurriedly smiled and accepted her handkerchief, half-explaining: ¡°How could I allow a pregnant woman to worry after me? Let me.¡± Hua Qiong stared at him for a moment before smiling, calmly relinquishing the handkerchief. Yan Huaishi distractedly wiped at his face, hesitating for a moment before saying: ¡°Mother is asking when we wish to hold the wedding ceremony, when do you¡­¡± Hua Qiong fell silent again. Finally, she replied: ¡°Let¡¯s decide after the baby is born. With your new status, we¡¯ll need a large ceremony and banquet, and when the time comes, it will better if I do not have a huge belly.¡± Yan Huaishi sighed in relief and smiled with a tinge of gratitude, saying: ¡°That is good, and I will surely throw you the most brilliant and grand wedding to repay my gratitude for your sacrifice before the Ancestral Temple. ¡°Huaishi,¡± Hua Xiong began, looking up and staring straight into his eyes. ¡°Between us, is there only gratitude?¡± Yan Huaishi paused, opening and closing his mouth speechlessly, surprised and unsure and confused. The woman before him was pretty and delicate, and though she was not some great beauty, her bearing was heroic and her temperament outstanding. She looked nothing like the daughter of a private school teacher or the wife of a failed scholar. Everything he understood about her said that she was worthy of any man under heaven. When he was seven and found out that his mother had been locked away in a nunnery, he had run dozens of miles through to night and clung to the gates of the cloister for an entire day begging, yelling and crying. She was a year older than him, and when she heard his cry she had come to investigate. When she figured out what was happening, she called over her father¡¯s students and had them setup a ladder over the nunnery¡¯s gates, boldly bringing him over the wall to meet his mother. As he cried, clutching his mom, she sat lookout on the wall. When he was nine, he had been placed under house arrest for sneaking out to visit his mother and could not visit her when she took seriously ill. Hua Xiong ran over to his place by herself and climbed over a wall to reach the woodshed where she found a large cleaver and cut the wooden bolt locking him in. When he was twelve, the nunnery was order by the Yan Family Head to double the guard and forbid his visits, so Hua Xiong used a hoe to enlarge a dog hole by the nunnery wall. When Yan Huaishi refused to crawl through a hole in the ground, she kicked his butt and angrily scolded him: ¡°A real man doesn¡¯t mind these trifles. Today if you do not crawl through this hole, tomorrow you will be unable to bear your troubles. In the future, your Yan Family won¡¯t even dig you a grave when you die!¡± It was only after years of crawling through that dog hole that he discovered that she had been using it far longer than he had. Before he had even learned of his mother¡¯s forced seclusion, she had already been crawling through this hole to deliver steamed buns to his starved mother. He had always respected her, admired her, and he was filled with gratitude. When he had been sealed within the Ancestral Temple, helpless as she raged fearlessly against the Yan Family for him, burning tears had filled his eyes. When she had asked whether he would marry her, he had called out without hesitation, his assent sincere and full-hearted. Of course he had to marry her; his conscience would never allow anything less ¡ª she was his wife, it was decided. There was no need for thought. But now that she asked him what lay between them, he was suddenly confused. Marriage was his duty and responsibility, but anything else? They were not two childhood sweethearts. They were forced together by his family¡¯s internal conflict. In the past twenty years of his life, his mother had explained countless times that he was of the noble and powerful blood of the Yan and Chen Families, and through his Yan line he could even trace his heritage back to a royal emperor. His blood was dignified and honorable, and only a noble woman could be worthy of being his wife. After hearing it so many times, Yan Huaishi just assumed it to be true. But as Hua Qiong stared into him with her bright, clear eyes, his mother¡¯s teachings filled his mind and he was stuck, uncertain and unsure and speechless. Hua Qiong laughed. Her laughter tinkled bright and clear as she playfully shoved Yan Huaishi: ¡°It is a silly question, no wonder it baffled you. I really am¡­ we¡¯re getting married soon, what is the point of asking this question.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Huaishi began, awkwardly wiping his sweat. ¡°We¡¯re getting married, we¡¯re getting married¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t keep you.¡± Hua Qiong pushed him again, watching him as he fled. She lingered under the veranda, leaning gently against a pillar as she watched a passing cloud, the wind rustling around her. When she finally turned, Feng Zhiwei was hurriedly moving the box from the window, securing the box and closing the window as if afraid an unexpected rain might damage her treasure. After a moment, she quietly giggled. Feng Zhiwei had no idea that the Yan couple had had such an important conversation outside her room. She carefully examined the sky, worrying about Young Master Gu. The jade statue had left her to do heavens know what, and hopefully he would not be caught out in the rain. The box that Yan Huaishi had presented lay quietly on the table. It was an incredibly elegant wooden container, the grain of the pale green wood a beautiful, natural sweeping-wind pattern. The golden mandala flower in the corner was the same style as Ning Yi¡¯s cape ¡ª exquisite petals and leaves completely different from the quiet elegance of the box yet somehow fitting together perfectly, dashing and enchanting just like Ning Yi. That man¡­ even his box needed to be just like him. Feng Zhiwei quietly chuckled as she slid her hand over the smooth wood. She had to admire his taste; she truly preferred this elegance over expensive and gaudy gold or jade. But what lay inside? Feng Zhiwei examined the mystery. It was not a regular jewelry box, so perhaps it was a rare amusement from Minnan? Some sort of elixir to speed her recover? Or was it just a prank, and when she opened the lid a pair of pen monkeys would leap out? To think that even as he marshaled his army and led them to battle, he still had time to prepare her a gift. Feng Zhiwei leaned on her hands, staring idly at the box, her eyes glistening quietly and she wondered what was inside. She was in no rush to open this mystery ¡ª it was much more pleasant and beautiful to just imagine what lay inside. Chapter 213 It was the first time she had received a thoughtful gift in all of her sixteen years and she wanted to savor the moment just a little longer. After an hour of staring and daydreaming, she finally reached out, lazing unhooking the clasp. She dipped the tip of her finger is the ornamental hook and gently flicked¡­ but the clasp refused to budge. She shifted her hand, gripping the clasp now, budging it this way and that, twisting it her and there, gently shifting it back and forth¡­ but she just could not click it open. Feng Zhiwei sat up straight, picking up the box and bringing it to her. As she leaned in and carefully examined the gift, her mouth began twitching. The clasp was a simple ornamental piece, completely unfunctioning! She¡¯d been fooled! Feng Zhiwei held the box, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. As she thought about how rare it was for Ning Yi to be in the mood to joke and prank, a quiet, warm smile filled Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes. She moved her hands over the sides of the box; it was sealed tight with only a narrow slit at the bottom. Was that the opening? Feng Zhiwei stared confusedly at the gift, wondering if it was even meant to be opened. It looked like she really had just been dreaming to imagine elixirs, jewelry, and pen monkeys. The slit at the bottom was long and narrow with barely enough width for the tip of her finger as she felt around inside. Paper seemed to be fitted inside, but try as she might she could not get enough of a grip to pull anything out. Finally, she began violently shaking the box. Eventually, a light green envelope stamped with that distinctive golden sandal slipped out. The paper was clearly quite special, smooth and stiff. Feng Zhiwei bit her lips, holding back a smile. That man really came up with strange things! The turn was, Feng Zhiwei was a little disappointed. If the box contained letters, it probably held no other surprises, and with the difficulties surrounding Ning Yi¡¯s eyes, he must have had a scribe write for him, so this was probably just business. She examined the envelope for a moment before slowly opening it, careful not to damage it. When she unfolded the embossed, pale white paper within, Feng Zhiwei began chuckling. What ugly characters! At first, all she saw were indecipherable blots of ink, but slowly the writing improved to barely readable. It was clear that the hand that wrote these letters had a profound foundation in calligraphy, but the characters were still incredibly ugly, and strange, jarring lines marked the bottom of every line. Feng Zhiwei focused, her smile disappearing. Ning Yi had written this himself. She was familiar with his handwriting, and even though everything was marred beyond recognition, she could still see his touch. He must have written this by himself, alone in his tent late into the night. Heavens only knew how he had written with his blindness. He must have used a ruler to mark his lines. ¡°Such ugly writing,¡± Feng Zhiwei quietly murmured. ¡°Such shamelessness.¡± She scolded, smiling. Feng Zhiwei brought her light closer, carefully deciphering the letters. The first ink blot should be her name. ¡°Wei, how is my writing? I¡¯ve practiced a lot on military reports, but Ning Cheng never understands my letters. When he could finally read my words, I knew that I could write you letters.¡± The army began its march today, and we camped thirty miles out of Feng Zhou City. I¡¯ve been planning with the generals since nine in the evening. There are two factions among the commanders and they¡¯ve been arguing incessantly. The first group is headed by the South Sea Generals, and they¡¯re sticklers. They recommend that the vanguard lead the way for the main army and strive for steadiness. The radical party is led by the new Minnan General, and he wants to take the cavalry out as an advance party so that when we cross Magu Pass, they can flank the Chang Family and catch them unprepared. As they were talking, I kept wondering what would you do if you were here? I guessed that with your sneaky evil, you would come up with some sort of diversion and subtle trick or tactic, so I ordered the South Sea General to take the cavalry to attack Ledu County first. The Minnan General could take ten thousand soldiers to set up an ambush at Ba He, the only route we are certain the Chang Family must pass. After we¡¯ve hit them, the South Sea General and the Minnan General will form the two prongs of my trident and we¡¯ll attack from three directions. What do you think? But don¡¯t worry about me; Minnan will definitely fall into my hands. You just have to focus on getting better. We passed Feng Wei County today. There is a wood here called Feng Wei[1] wood with a naturally smooth texture and beautiful pattern. I had some dyed with the Feng Wei leaf¡¯s juice, a pretty light green. I commanded Ning Cheng to make this box, and he followed all my instructions, but he added a gold hasp as a ¡°diversion tactic to confuse the enemy.¡± I told him to piss off and bring his diversions back to Dijing. The drum beat four times[2], so I have to stop here. I hope this letter finds you well. Take care. Feng Zhiwei read through the letter four times before carefully folding it. She eyed the ornamental hasp, between laughter and tears as she burst out: ¡°What sneaky evil! That¡¯s you!¡± She closed up the envelope and looked around for a place to hide it. In the end, there was no better place than the box in front of her, so she stuffed it back into the slit and shook out a second letter. Feng Zhiwei smiled again. She felt like she was a young child once more, bringing her brother out for candy. The hawkers had used boxes as well, though of course not as pretty. The simple gears in those boxes would drop a little colored paper wrapper every time you pushed a button ¡ª a red wrapper meant a large candy ball, a yellow wrapper was a small candy, and a green wrapper meant thin malt sugar. She had always had bad luck and gotten malt sugar every time. Today, she felt her luck had improved. She picked up the enveloped and read the label ¡°Three.¡± Feng Zhiwei guessed that she had ruined the order of the letters when she had stuffed the first one back in. But there was amusement in the chaos as well, so she just smiled and opened the letter. ¡°Zhiwei, we reached Creek Tower today and camped not far from a reed marsh. It is wide and vast, and Ning Cheng says that the reeds are beautiful. When the wind blows, it looks like a white sea, and when I stood by the reed and listened, I almost thought I could hear waves. A type of bird flitted among the reeds and its song was clean and clear. A white feather fell on my sleeve, and I had Ning Cheng find the largest and most beautiful reed for me so that I could attach the feather to this letter. Maybe you¡¯ll be able to hear the wind as well.¡± A pure white feather and a yellowing reed were attached to the letter, faintly reflective in the light of the oil lamp. Feng Zhiwei gently brushed the fine feather and the velvety reed, imagining that beautiful, elegant man standing next to the reed marsh, a pure white bird flying overhead as the wind swept at his robes, that golden mandala swaying domineeringly in the breeze. Those snowy reeds swaying around his moon robes, as if so many strands of white fire burning brilliantly under the sun. [1] ·ï4β3 wood, phoenix tail [2] The drum beating four times marks 1am. Chapter 214 Feng Zhiwei¡¯s smile grew gentle and wistful as that beautiful image filled her heart like a dream. She turned back to the box and shocked out another enveloped. Seven. Zhiwei, we sailed across Anlan Valley today. We went under the cover of darkness and the turning of waves accompanied me through the peaceful night. The rocking of the ship seemed to fill me with a sleepy drunkenness, but I couldn¡¯t sleep. I kept thinking of the day in front of the Ancestral Temple. The call of the commoners was like these waves, coming and going again and again, blurring together until I can¡¯t tell where one begins and the other ends. Then you fell into my arms, and it was like the sea suddenly flooded¡­ and I grew even more restless, unable to sleep. I gave up and headed on deck for a midnight tea, and when that fool followed me out I pushed him into the water. I told him he could not return until he brought back the most perfect pearl, and in the morning he returned with a small coral that he had chanced upon, half a finger long. It grew naturally in the water, and even though it¡¯s not the highest quality coral, the natural design shaped by the hands of the heavens make it even more precious than a hundred pearls¡­ you don¡¯t need to pay any mind to that fool¡¯s glibness. I attached the coral to this letter, and it¡¯ll be good if you like it. If you don¡¯t, I will kick him back into the water.¡± A small piece of coral was attached to the corner of the letter, a lustrous vermillion, smooth and clean. It had layered petals in a startling close resemblance to a blooming peony, truly remarkable. Indeed more precious than a hundred pearls. Feng Zhiwei wet the corner of the letter with some warm water and carefully removed the coral before storing it away. She turned back to the box. Two. Zhiwei, I bet you did not know where to hide the first letter, and your suspicious nature will be afraid of others stealing it or Gu Nanyi taking it to brush away walnut shells, so you¡¯re probably going to stuff the letter back into the box and upset the letters I¡¯d ordered so carefully. But that¡¯s fine, some things are more beautiful when they are uncertain. Now when you take out the letters, you will wonder which number you¡¯ll get this time? He was right, the uncertainty did make it more special. Every time a letter fell out, she could not know which day she would be reading about. The guessing certainly added to the happiness. But really, this man was like a bug in her stomach, even able to guess what she was thinking as she hid the letter away. ¡°Zhiwei, your method turned out correct. Our first battle with the Chang Family resulted in a great victory, lifting morale. I might be able to return quite soon; you said you would wait for me to return to Dijing together, so you cannot leave without me. Whoever leaves first will be punished and unable to see the other for the rest of their life¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes glittered with amusement as she read how Ning Yi gave her credit for the tactic he had clearly came up with himself, obstinate in making her carry the responsibility. Zhiwei, the autumn wind is growing colder and colder and the nights are already freezing in the camp. I have to wear an overcoat while patrolling, so you must remember to wear a warm coat at night as well. When I last checked your pulse, you had an illness from the cold. Please be careful to keep warm, or else that illness might come back. He was still patrolling, even with his blindness? Feng Zhiwei gently cradled the letter, her eyes bright in the light of the lamp. She wondered whether Ning Yi had used the medicine Yan Huaishi had delivered. Yan Huaishi had immediately returned after delivering the provisions, so the effects of the medicine would not be mentioned in the box¡¯s letters. She¡¯d need to send her own missive when the time came. As she read through the letters, every word filled with concern and sincerity, she noticed that he never asked her to write back. She cocked her brows, grinning. Of course she would not write replies, but as the procurer of the medicine, was it not normal to ask after her patient¡¯s condition? With a good excuse in hand, Feng Zhiwei returned the letter to the box. She saved the other letters for another day; this beautiful, warm feeling would be wasted if she binged all the letters at once. In the deep, calm night or on the road during a long, tedious journey; perhaps when she was melancholy or troubled by so many things around her¡­ in this moments, she could bring out the box and shake it a little, sliding out a letter filled with so much happy anticipation. Leaving it for later was just saving sweet treasure for the long, long days ahead. She spread out a blank piece of paper, wetting her brush and grinding her ink as she prepared to write. ¡°Ning Yi, you might not be able to read this letter, so I will wait till your eyes have recovered to give it to you. En, I want to ask whether the medicine has helped your eyes? ¡ª I know this is a silly question. If I waited until you could read this letter, then of course you¡¯re eyes are healed, so you can just pretend you didn¡¯t read this question. ¡°I saw the coral. It¡¯s beautiful, like a little peony blossom. Should I make it into a ring or a hairpin? Even though I won¡¯t have many chances to wear it, just looking at it will be pleasant. The feather is very white, and the reed is quite pretty. When we return to Dijing, we can pass by the reed marsh; I¡¯d like to hear the waves when the wind blows through the reeds, and maybe a feather will fall on my sleeve as well. En¡­ do you want to go listen to it with me?¡± As the oil lamp¡¯s light dimmed, its warm yellow halo shrank until it only illuminated a small circle around the table. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s quiet, glittering eyes grew brighter and brighter, the natural luster of her misty stare glowing like black agate beads bound in clear crystal. Her fingers lingered on the letter, her smile quiet and warm, so different from that regular cold curve to her lips. Her face was gentle and soft like that pure white bird¡¯s feather and the velvety reed leaf. A door slid open behind her. Feng Zhiwei shot upright, quickly folding her letter and stuffing it into the box. She darted across the room and stuffed the box under a blanket. With her secret hidden, she turned expectantly. Only Gu Nanyi would enter her room without knocking. Feng Zhiwei stared in astonishment as Young Master Gu approached her. Today was really filled with surprises. Two majesty golden monkeys sat on Young Master Gu¡¯s shoulders, idly scratching themselves. They looked her and there, obediently perched as if Gu Nanyi were some kind of Jiang Hu animal tamer. But that was not all. Young Master Gu held his arms out stiffly, rigidly straight as he held a little baby in his hands. Feng Zhiwei stared in dumb amazement at the sight. When she recovered and remembered how to speak, she asked: ¡°You¡­ what are you doing?¡± ¡°Baby, monkey.¡± Young Master Gu replied. ¡°I want to try.¡± Only Feng Zhiwei long familiarity with Gu Nanyi and talent in communication could decipher these strange words. She thought for a moment and then asked: ¡°You mean, you want to learn how to interact with people, so you thought you should start with babies and monkeys?¡± Chapter 215 Young Master Gu nodded, his voice filled with great forbearance and stoicism as he replied: ¡°That day was very difficult, very special. Want to try.¡± ¡°That day when you held the baby, did you have some a special feeling?¡± Feng Zhiwei wondered, recognizing the baby they had saved at the docks. They had left the infant at one of the charity halls, and she had not expected Gu Nanyi to remember that incident, much less go out and find the baby. ¡°There are bottlenecks while practicing Kung Fu, and I overcame those by confronting my difficulties.¡± Young Master Gu replied, fluent in all matters Kung Fu. ¡°So I think this will be the same.¡± Feng Zhiwei stared silently. Gu Nanyi did not realize that he blamed himself for her close brush with death, and his self-blame had led to this desire to become ¡°normal¡± like everyone else, but Feng Zhiwei had really not expected that desire to lead him to bring back a baby. For someone who needed so many space and distance, who relied upon calm and tranquility in his life, this decision must have been very difficult and painful. But he persevered through the pain because he never wanted to risk obliviously losing her again. Perhaps it was this stubbornness in his blood that made him the unusual man that he was. Feng Zhiwei bit her lips, her heart tightening. It was good that Gu Nanyi had willingly approached people, and she had always been hoping and working towards this, but now that it had actually happened, a sudden fear and anxiety seized her. She could vaguely imagine the twisted, cold turns of fate, grinning hideously as it watched the wonder and purity in the world. Was taking this pure young man out of the peace of his world and making him face the trials and complications of reality really such a good thing? When he left his cage, he might be able to see the beauty and color of the world, but he would also certainly see the darkness and blood of mankind. She felt as if her heart had been plunged into ice and she grew unsure. ¡°Brother Gu¡­¡± She began as she reached for the baby, his discomfort eminently clear from the stiffness of his arms. ¡°Some things cannot be forced, and taking care of a baby is difficult for everyone, much less you. How about we try a different method¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Gu Nanyi replied, floating aside and keeping the baby out of her reach. ¡°I feel something.¡± The two pen monkeys squeaked and played on his shoulders, clutching Gu Nanyi¡¯s hair and swinging all over the place. They had no idea that if this were the old Gu Nanyi, they would already have been turned into little meat pies. Feng Zhiwei could not talk him down, and just as she was sighing helplessly, Young Master Gu approached her bed. She hurriedly rushed over and pushed the blanket aside before whirling to face Young Master Gu, a stiff smile on her face. How could Young Master Gu undersand the guilt behind this smile? He was clueless as he gently lay the baby down on the bed. Immediately, a terrible, rancid smell filled both their noses. Young Master Gu looked at Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei looked at Young Master Gu. After a moment, Feng Zhiwei quirked her lips and said: ¡°Young Master, you brought him, you must take responsibility.¡± Young Master Gu did not argue, decisively ripping off the diaper. Feng Zhiwei could only close her eyes and turn away, lamenting her ruined bed. But she had to push through the pain; how could Feng Zhiwei leave Young Master GU alone with this infant? As Gu Nanyi ripped the diaper away, Feng Zhiwei exclaimed quietly. The baby¡¯s longevity-peach haircut had led her to assume that the baby was a he, but it turns out it was a she all along. Young Master Gu turned questioningly towards Feng Zhiwei, and for a moment Feng Zhiwei was not sure what to say. After some consideration, she explained: ¡°The child is a girl, so it isn¡¯t too suitable. I¡¯ll find a boy for you to raise.¡± Young Master Gu stared without understanding. If it was a girl, then it was a girl? He was taking care of a child, why would gender make this unsuitable. Gu Nanyi¡¯s confusion made Feng Zhiwei flush quietly in embarrassment. She decisively shut her mouth, dutifully ripping her bedsheet to fashion a makeshift diaper for the infant before sending her people to fetch Hua Qiong. Feng Zhiwei trusted Hua Qiong¡¯s crisis resolution, and she had recently discovered that in some areas, Hua Qiong was even more vicious than she. A few days ago, Concubine Yan had been creating a scene, crying and yelling and threatening suicide. Feng Zhiwei was about to banish the girl when Hua Qiong stayed her hand, decisively sending the misfortunate young lady off to the nunnery to ¡°pray for earthly sufferers.¡± As the Young Lady of the Yan Family, she should also pray for the Yan Family¡¯s good fortune for the next eighty years ¡ª Concubine Yan would have no hope of leaving the nunnery in this lifetime. An amused Hua Qiong soon swept in, patiently listening to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s explanation before calmly replying: ¡°This is easy. I will find a trustworthy wet-nurse for the master and arrange a small room for her in the West Yard.¡± Feng Zhiwei half expected Young Master Gu to immediately interject, but he voiced no disapproval. It looked like he was truly determined to face his plight without trepidation or retreat. They would never be able to find a wet-nurse so late in the night so Hua Qiong stayed to watch over the baby for them. As she bathed the child, Young Master Gu sat quietly beside her observing; as she fed the baby some rice soup, Young Master Gu drank half of it and expressed his great dissatisfaction with the bland tasteless slop, baffled as the baby happily slurped it down. Truly, babies were wondrously strange. The pen monkeys played until they tired, falling into deep sleep right on his shoulders. Very carefully, Gu Nanyi gently plucked the two creatures off of his shoulder; when he noticed Hua Qiong¡¯s confused expression, Gu Nanyi calmly explained: ¡°I¡¯m afraid I might accidentally squeeze them to death.¡± Hua Qiong laughed, but she could not keep her amusement for long. After finally putting the baby to sleep, she took a walk around the garden. As she strolled, she bumped into Feng Zhiwei. They caught sight of each other across a flower bed and both smiled, walking towards a white stone table to sit for a while. ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hua Qiong replied, toying with her hair. ¡°I know you are leaving for Shang Ye soon, and if I¡¯ve guessed correctly, you¡¯ll be bringing the Maritime Surveillance Camp to suppress the pirates. The Chang Family will flee to the sea sober or later, so you are planning on getting His Highness by the sea and returning to Dijing after? ¡°Yes.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled in answer. ¡°The Department of General Maritime Affairs has been successfully established and the wealthy families are under control. The local officials are in my hand, and Zhou Xizhong owes me his life. Things are secure here and I have finished my duties as Imperial Envoy. His Highness will surely be victorious, and lofty prince cannot be far from Dijing for long. Once the war has stabilized, he will entrust the command to the Minnan General and we will return to Dijing.¡± Chapter 216 ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Hua Qiong replied, straightening her dress. ¡°I will say that I am buying things for the wedding and wait for you in Feng Le Town by the Shang Ye Harbor.¡± Feng Zhiwei looked into the young woman¡¯s calm eyes and knew there was no changing her mind. Her decision would only ever alter if Yan Huaishi¡¯s heart changed. ¡°Don¡¯t look so worried.¡± Hua Qiong smiled brightly as she spoke. ¡°I also have something I wish to remind you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°His highness has very deep feelings for you.¡± Hua Qiong began, staring straight into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes. ¡°But no matter how deep his attachment to you, it cannot be deeper than his attachment to the world. You must be prepared.¡± ¡°How many men are willing to give the world for love?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied quietly, calm and honest. ¡°His Highness¡­ You must have heard about his past; you are smart ¡ª even you must be able to guess that he is unwilling.¡± Hua Qiong sighed, a trace of disappointment in her voice. ¡°You love Huaishi, but you cannot throw away your pride and so cheaply take on the title of Madam Yan.¡± Feng Zhiwei stood as she continued speaking, beginning to pace. ¡°I also have my bottom line that I cannot throw aside.¡± ¡°Zhiwei, we are not like men. When a man¡¯s heart is moved, it will only make them more energetic and motivated, pushing them further down their road; but when a woman¡¯s heart is moved, we retreat again and again, losing city and land until nothing is left, all of it exchanged for ¡ª loss.¡± Feng Zhiwei trembled, gently biting her lips. Her voice was slow when she finally spoke again: ¡°Hua Qiong, people who have died once already sometimes come back with different ideas and attitudes. The heart might soften and relax, and she might be more sensitive to warmth and tenderness. ¡°Facing death is like facing regret for time wasted, and she will try to live harder and better. She will want to cherish rare moments of kindness, and let go of all her restraint and sometimes just follow her heart. Death comes suddenly and cares nothing for your many regrets and your short life¡­ but believe me. Feng Zhiwei will always be Feng Zhiwei. Even now, I still have my limits.¡± Hua Qiong stared down quietly at a dying chrysanthemum, a sorrowful smile slowly crossing her lips. She reached for the withered flower, smiling as she replied: ¡°It may not be as tragic and disappointing as I fear. The road forward is long, and I hope they can meet us.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned away, her hands clasped behind her as she lifted her eyes to the moon. The waning moon was a pale slice of yellow amber, quiet and cold in the dark curtain of night. Tonight, was he also patrolling the foggy camp, listening to the dewed leaves alongside her, hundreds of miles away. Yes, I will hope. You can too. ¡­ In December of the Thirteenth Year of Chang Xi, the Imperial Envoy to the South Sea Province inspected the newly founded Maritime Surveillance Camp and the Shang Ye subdivision of the Department of Maritime Affairs. She gathered all twenty thousand sailors from the Surveillance Camp and set sail, following the Yan Family map of the pirate coves and hideouts. The Imperial Envoy began the suppression of the plague of pirates. Meanwhile in Minnan Province, the Chang Family rebellion had almost come to a close. With defeat at hand and the South Sea Province no longer available for retreat, the Chang Family could only slowly retreat towards the sea. When the Chang Family finally gave up their land and fled to their secret pirate allies, they were met by the Maritime Surveillance Camp. The pirates had been systematically destroyed. In the words of the war historians who would write about this event, it was ¡°just the right moment.¡± One side attacked from Minnan and chased out to sea while the other side circled around from South Sea Province, meeting at a long since arranged rendezvous. When the new South Sea Navy¡¯s Mythical Water Beast Flag appeared on the horizon, the last Chang Family troops let out a collective lament. Feng Zhiwei stood on the flagship, a fiery cape draped over her elegant white robes. She peered through her spyglass as the Chang Family¡¯s ships came into view. The troops stood tall and composed, and the ships sailed upright and proud, but unfortunately their flags were not hanging straight. Feng Zhiwei quirked her lips into a cold smile, turning her spyglass upwards to the heavens; she could almost see black powder flashing with fire and blood. She could never forget those bombs so carelessly thrown into an innocent crowd; black smoke shrouding the eyes, screams and tears, scarred flesh and torn limbs, and then the lament of family after. She had sworn she would find revenge. She had cut with her sword, promising that the Chang Family would pay. Today, the day had come. She lowered the spyglass, putting it on the gunwale. The Shang Ye Branch Head stood behind her, nervously waiting for her command. She lifted her hand to the wide blue heavens, and in one clean motion, cut the air before her. ¡°Loose!¡± Her calm, powerful words rang through the air as great explosions rocked the sea. Great cannons breathed scarlet flame like fire dragons sweeping over the sea, plunging towards the Chang Family troops. The enemy flagship was devoured in a flash of flame as a great wave rose up like an enormous crystal wall. As the water trembled below them, the clash of metal and the screams of men filled the air. Through it all, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s cold smile never wavered, her anger roaring forward through the unrelenting black cannons. Ning Yi¡¯s eyes, her near death, and hundreds of thousands of innocent lives and mutilated commoners. The heavy debt would be paid today! Waves rose to the sky, lifting her to the clouds. In December of the Thirteenth Year of Chang Xi, the newly founded Maritime Surveillance Camp sailed out on their maiden voyage and battled the remnant forces of the Chang Family. Newborn calves do not fear tigers, and the Maritime Surveillance Camp began the engagement, sinking a Chang Family ship in the first volley. The battle raged for two days and seemed to shade the sea red. Shipwrecks lay strewn in a hundred mile radius, and corpses could still be spotted long after the war had ended.[1] The already retreating Chang Family faced another great defeat and lost all their courage and spirit. Supposedly, General Chang Minjiang had been onboard the ship destroyed in the first attack and his corpse was never found. Although the Fifth Prince immediately stepped in to take command, the blow had already been struck. When the Chang Family troops finally surrendered, the Fifth Prince chose suicide by drowning. The great and lofty Chang Family that had dominated Minnan and encroached upon South Sea was uprooted. The shattered forces concealed their identities and fled. The rebellion had been crushed, for now. [1] So how did this last 2 days, lol. Chapter 217 It turned out that the pirates had only lasted so long due to the Chang Family¡¯s support and were not as powerful as people had feared; with the Yan Family¡¯s precious map in hand, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s new navy easily destroyed the pirate scourge. By Mid-December, Feng Zhiwei had triumphantly returned to Shang Ye to wait for Ning Yi¡¯s return and their trip back to Dijing. Hua Qiong had long since arrived in anticipation of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s arrival, sharing a knowing smile at the docks as her ship anchored, One smile was wide and somewhat sad as the young woman thought of the home she was leaving behind, perhaps forever. That little boy she had met so many years ago by the nunnery gates would never again cry into her arms. The other smile was deep and longing; over the past few months, Ning Yi¡¯s eyes must have largely recovered. They had been gone from Dijing for too long and they could finally return, together. She stepped down from the ship, the precious box she carried even to war tied to her back, her heart bright and happy. But as soon as she gained sure footing on the docks, a grey robed man dashed forward, falling to his knees before her and kowtowing in the muddy water! The docks were still muddy from previous rain, but the man ran and knelt without hesitation, his falling knee splashing heavily and thudding. A great anxiety immediately came over her as sudden storm clouds in a bright, Cleary sky. She stared down at the plain man, guessing from Gu Nanyi¡¯s reaction that he was part of that group. There was no one else waiting. Her ship had sailed day and night as swiftly as possible and the local officials had known she was arriving. Behind her, Chunyu Meng oversaw the disembarking soldiers, and Hua Qiong stepped away with the baby, giving Feng Zhiwei some privacy. ¡°Speak.¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed quietly, stooping to help the man up. An almost fearful, abashed expression covered the mans face as he quickly replied: ¡°Please Young Lady, do not wait for Prince Chu, please leave with us immediately!¡± ¡°Leave? Where?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, frowning. ¡°This subordinate has made arrangements.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s frowned deepened at ¡®subordinate¡¯. She calmly replied: ¡°Mister has worked hard over a long road. There is a courier station up ahead and I will have people arrange a room for your rest. I still need to deal with my returning soldiers, so I will not see you off.¡± Her words done, she turned and left. ¡°Young lady!¡± Feng Zhiwei continued walking. The man stared anxiously at her back before turning to Gu Nanyi, but Gu Nanyi had never paid any attention to such matters. His own task was simple ¡ª accompany Feng Zhiwei; since she had turned, so did he. The man stepped forward in frustration and opened his mouth, but before he could speak again, he remembered his Commander¡¯s warning. ¡°Even though the Young Lady is decisive and sometimes ruthless, she deeply values friendship. If she knew the truth, she would definitely choose to risk herself. We should have been able to have the Sect Leader take her away, but he has changed in her company. You may not be able to convince him¡­ but we definitely cannot allow the Young Lady to travel with Prince Chu¡­ forget about it, act accordingly in the moment¡­¡± He could not turn left or right, and so the grey robed man stood frozen in place, his anxiety mounting as Feng Zhiwei marched away, never turning her dead. Finally, he could not stand it any longer and chased after her. ¡°Young Lady!¡± ¡­ The South Sea December night was bone piercingly cold with the icy wet wind incomparable to the North¡¯s dry wind, even seeming to freeze your hair stiff. Horsewhips lashed out urgently again and again, rise and fall blurring together, anxious hands merciless. Feng Zhiwei galloped through the night. She led, her long dark hair trailing in the wind like a battalion standard. Gu Nanyi and Hua Qiong followed a short distance away, but Feng Zhiwei paid them no mind, not caring if she left them behind. Her world only had room for the howling wind and pounding hoofs, and the grey robed man¡¯s helpless words. ¡°Young Lady, when you left Dijing, the Golden Feather Guard made you the target of the previous Dynasty¡¯s unsolved case. This was why the Commander had to stay in Dijing, to oversee this situation; when he left to cure your illness, some accidents occurred in his absence. ¡°We have caught word of the Golden Feather Guard¡¯s report to the Emperor, and it is very likely they will act against you. Fortunately, they do not know of your Wei Zhi identity, so the Commander has ordered this subordinate to come and stop you from throwing yourself into this trap. Please follow this subordinate and go into hiding.¡± ¡°Previous Dynasty¡¯s unsolved case? What case?¡± The man refused to elaborate, but how could Feng Zhiwei not understand the severity of the situation? The Golden Feather Guard. Ning Yi had once spoken of the Imperial Family¡¯s secret guard, tasked with the most sensitive of Imperial Family cases and the most crucial and difficult surveillance and investigation. They were a sharp, shadowed blade wielded only by the Tian Sheng Emperor, the cut of its blade deep and biting. The Golden Feather Guard was a powerful and ferocious sleeping beast; when it stirred, the whole family line would not be spared. She might be able to stay safe, hiding outside Dijing, but what of her mother? The grey robed man¡¯s reply had sent ice running from her head to her toes. ¡°Madam Feng has chosen a difficult lot, truly worthy of great admiration.¡± The man had replied, refusing to meet her worried eyes. He stared down at his boots as he spoke more and more quietly: ¡°If we can safely endure this calamity, many of the Young Lady¡¯s questions will be answered.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart dropped. She had no energy to spare chasing after the grey robed man¡¯s hints, immediately rushing off and riding away. She left a hurried letter for Ning Yi asking him to make arrangements for the Imperial Envoy¡¯s honor guards, only explaining that an emergency demanded her immediate presence in Dijing. It would be great if he was willing to cover for her, but if he refused, she no longer cared. If a calamity was striking, her Wei Zhi identity would not last much longer, and even if she could preserve it, what use did it have? She commandeered the Yan Family¡¯s entire stable of fast horses and rushed back in a frantic fervor, only dismounting so that she would not break her neck in her sleep. She could not waste any time ¡ª every moment was a life! Chapter 218 South Sea, Long Nan, Long Xi, Jiang Huai¡­ Feng Zhiwei swept through the four provinces, a black robed figure on a galloping horse whipping up clouds of dust as she passed countless workers and travelers. Six days later, in Jiang Huai Province on the outskirts of Dijing. Nighttime. A horse charged down the official road like a flash of lightning, green trees blurring by. The rider was covered in dirt and dust, her greying lips cracked and dry. She wobbled as she rode, reins looped around and digging into swollen wrists. The pain was barely noticeable in her exhaustion. She was close to the province border and almost to Dijing. The rider let out a long breath, some of her crushing exhaustion fading. She could not slow, urging her horse to maintain its suicidal dash through the darkness. Figures suddenly appeared, lining up and blocking her way. Hoofs kicked the air and then horse neighed as she pulled back viciously on the reins and forced the horse to land. ¡°Move.¡± The rider called out in a hoarse, unrecognizable voice, determined and implacable. The men blocking the way did not reply, motionless and silent and firmly blocking her path. The rider coughed quietly, the single word too much for her dry throat. She lifted her eyes from the men and looked forward to the road ahead, her misty eyes bloodshot in the dim moonlight. She slowly raised her whip, gritting her teeth as she forced through the trembling in her rising arm. Feng Zhiwei had no more words; her actions would have to speak for her. Nobody moved; nobody spoke. Those who opposed her were also determined ¡ª if she wanted to pass, it would be over their bodies. Feng Zhiwei quirked her lips in a cold smile, slashing down with her horse-whip. Her horse cried out, long and loud. The strong horse burst forward, its tight muscles bulging as hoofs pounded against the road, blurring forwards towards the men. ¡°Back!¡± A quiet command filled the air and the dozen or so figures stepped backwards, forming a semi-circle around the charging horse. ¡°Cast!¡± Silver light flashed like moonlight falling from the heavens as every person tossed out their hands. An enormous silver net flew through the night sky, glittering in the moonlight as it crashed down onto Feng Zhiwei and her horse. ¡°Chi¡­¡± As soon as the men had spoken, Feng Zhiwei had reached for her sword, smirking. Her blade flashed parallel to the ground, slashing through the enormous net and opening a momentary hole for her as she leapt from her horse. As the net collapsed on her horse behind her, she ignored her anger and her joy at escape, not evening turning towards her assailants as she limped forward, her sword her cane. Her landing had jolted through her weary bones like a bomb exploding through her exhausted body, but she gritted her teeth and continued forward. She could not slow, could not stop, leaning into her sword as she pulled herself forward in a lopsided run. Focus pushed her forward to Dijing even if a million enemies lay ahead and a million others stood in her way. They had taken her horse, but they had not stopped her. She still had her legs! Behind her, stunned figures watched as she struggled on. Tattered and covered in dirt and dust, eyes bloodshot and lips cracked, every step a trial and worry, and still she clutched her sword in a desperate grip as she wobbled forward in a hunchbacked run. Her thin, weak body pressed forward unstoppably. ¡°Pa Da.¡± A hand let the net fall to the ground. More hand loosed, and the huge net collapsed. The squad leader closed his eyes and sighed. After a moment, he gestured. Silent figures moved forward to rescue the horse and brought it back to Feng Z Feng Zhiwei finally stopped, a tiny tear cutting a line through the dust covering her face. The squad leader wordlessly helped her mount, attaching a new water skin and provisions to her saddle. He wanted to speak, but nothing came out. Hoofbeats approached as Gu Nanyi caught up; his clean, soft silk robe was blackened and yellowed, and his white veil was ragged and tainted. The men hurriedly bowed, but he paid them no mind as he rushed up to Feng Zhiwei and grabbed her, moving her to his own horse as he continued galloping forward. The group could only watch as Gu Nanyi and Feng Zhiwei disappeared through the rising dust. After a long silence, the squad leader sighed again, turning to his men: ¡°Tell the brothers to stand down.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Notify the Commander¡­¡± The leader continued, his deep voice quiet. ¡°The Young Lady¡¯s determination¡­ is unshakable¡­ inform him to make preparations.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± On the seventh day of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s ride home. Dust billowed up behind hoofs. Dijing¡¯s lofty gates were almost in sight. Around the bend of this next mountain lay the crowded city gates. Feng Zhiwei let out a long breath, almost frozen in Gu Nanyi¡¯s arms. Man truly have endless potential. Three days ago, she had pressed on through fear of collapse, but today, she still sat firmly on a horse. Though of course, Gu Nanyi was holding her up. Gu Nanyi had broken his rules once more ¡ª never pausing to change, never pushing her away. A half month¡¯s journey had been cut down to seven days. Summoning up the last dregs of her flagging strength, she urged the horse forward. As they neared the mountain bend, a bamboo flute began playing. A clear, unfettered melody floating through the mountain air as if descending down from heaven on a golden breeze, passing by the jade dew and the watered heavens and thin clouds, crossing through the wind; vast, weeping, and sorrowful. The tune began light and gentle before growing in passion, indignance rising like a looming storm, frowning down through a calm, unchanging drizzle. Chapter 219 Feng Zhiwei jerked, pulling back on the reins as she listened closely to the almost familiar tune. Her eyes deepened with realization and her head turned upwards. A white robed man sat on a pine tree perched on the waist of the small mountain, calmly playing his bamboo flute. She had heard this tune outside that unnamed ancient temple in Mount Ji Yang back in Long Xi when death had waited for her outside a shoddy wooden door. A Dream of Mountain and River, and when the dream passed, so too did the rivers and mountains. Now, on this squat, nameless mountain outside Dijing, he called down to her as she rushed home, his robes white like snow. Zong Chen. The lonely, bleak tune cut to her heart and pressed down on her chest. She felt as if she were drowning, and though she was in such a hurry that she wished she could grow wings to fly off to Dijing, her legs were as heavy as lead. She could not move. Her heart pounded and her fingers trembled; her lips quivered uncontrollably as blood oozed out of the dry cracks; she could not speak. When Zong Chen finished, he moved the flute away from his lips and looked down at Feng Zhiwei. His eyes met hers with quiet sympathy and helpless sorrow. He stared down as Feng Zhiwei trembled more and more violently, his face calm and sad as he spoke: ¡°Zhiwei, I¡¯m sorry¡­ it¡¯s too late.¡± ¡­ Before, as she was landing at Shang Ye. Seven days ago. The gates of the Imperial City were sealed and the night was quiet when a sudden arrow pierced through the air. The maroon gates cried out as they opened and a rider shot through, his red plate armor and iron mace gleamed with the golden feather sigil on his waistband as he swept into the darkness in a red gold blur. Detouring from the Golden Feather Guard Yamen in the deep city, he went west to the Compilation Office for the Records of Tian Sheng. A man waited quietly inside the office. The heavy doors were shut tight and a single candle burned quietly behind closed windows. The armored rider hurriedly reported to a serious eyed man in oversized robed. Moments later, the armored rider left. The robed man exited soon after, lingering in the courtyard. He stood silently staring southwards, the deep night¡¯s dew lingering around his sleeves. Six days ago. A sealed, top-secret letter lay quietly on the Vice-Editor¡¯s desk. Clean hands gently opened the seal, revealing a terse message. The man stared down at the letter. Time passed. Finally, the man sighed, flinging the letter aside. Hesitation covered his furrowed brows as the man sat, still and silent. Finally, he began opening the pile of letters on his desk. The more he read, the more tightly his brows became. Suddenly, his hands stilled. A small letter lay at the bottom of the stack. The man thought quietly as he brushed a special Golden Feather Guard concoction over the paper, revealing a quiet line of characters. ¡°The Prince¡¯s heart is unruly, this Little Brother worries. Sir has great talent and can decide accordingly.¡± The man stared down at the letter as the broad darkness of the night swept around him. Five days ago. A line of grey robed men with expert body technique flitted quietly over rooftops as they made their way to a small yard in the back of Qiu Mansion. Inside the small house, a woman had lain awake all night. As the group of men landed quietly outside, she opened her bright eyes. ¡°Cha.¡± The oil lamp hissed to life. The woman threw a shawl over her shoulders as she sat up and examined the grey robed men. As she calmly looked into each man¡¯s face, understanding dawned. Slowly, she began: ¡°Has the time come?¡± ¡°Madam.¡± A grey robed man knelt. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard all these years¡­ The Commander has ordered us to come and take you away.¡± ¡°After this years, you finally show.¡± The woman sighed, ignoring his words. ¡°I had waited expectantly, and then with fear, and today, the dust finally settles.¡± ¡°The Golden Feather Guard has a new master.¡± The grey robed man spoke again, staring at the ground. ¡°Those years ago, the madam left the mountain to avoid their hunt and brought the Young Master to hide in Dijing, hiding in plain sight, but our opponent is too powerful. Our spies have discovered that the opponent has actionable intelligence and will immediately move. We must leave immediately.¡± The woman smiled calmly. ¡°Why do I need to leave?¡± The grey robed man stared at her in astonishment. ¡°Once I leave, all his dreams will disappear.¡± The woman said, her eyes gleaming brilliantly over her pale face. ¡°I care nothing for the factions in your group, all I wish is to accomplish the task he has entrusted me. I have already seen hope for his life¡¯s dream, so why would I give up now?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°After preparing for so many years,¡± The madam continued, ¡°Why should it all go to waste?¡± ¡°Madam.¡± The grey robed man replied gravely. ¡°This is a matter of life and death.¡± ¡°You are right, life and death.¡± The madam smiled strangely as she replied. ¡°But some lives have always been prepared as sacrifices.¡± The grey robed man went silent. Finally, he pressed haltingly: ¡°The Commander believes that this is too risky¡­ our opponent¡­¡± ¡°The pursuit of eternal power is rife with danger.¡± The madam quietly replied. ¡°Your generation might value stability and the preservation of Imperial Blood, but I treasure the wish he held even to his dying breath. People like him refuse defeat to the last, and they suffer for it. ¡°The fall of a dynasty, the destruction of his organization, hunted across a thousand Li as his companions dropped one by one and his brothers died before him¡­ and then finally, betrayed¡­ he never spoke of it, but I know his hatred and I know the wish buried in his heart. He wished to see the fall of this dynasty just as this dynasty once saw the fall of his brothers¡­ He could not fulfill this wish, and this widow cannot fulfill it, but I believe that someone will.¡± ¡°Madam!¡± The grey robed man cried out hurriedly: ¡°You¡¯ve already disobeyed¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak to me of disobedience.¡± The madam proudly interrupted him. ¡°I am not one of your people and I have not been passed down a mission from your ancestors. I only need to do my all to fulfill my husband¡¯s dying wish.¡± The robed man fell silent, thinking back to the previous Sect Leader, his iron will and unyielding blood, living his short life in pursuit of a single dream. Even in his death, he still pushed forward through this woman, a woman who had lived her entire life for his obsession. Chapter 220 ¡°Do not forget that I taught your master when she was little.¡± The madam said, smiling suddenly. ¡°Only I am clearest what kind of person she is, and only I understand what will push her to rise. Your master will surely rise up and take the road that I wish her to.¡± ¡°The master may not be suited to that road¡­¡± No, she is suited.¡± The madam¡¯s eyes glittered with pride and gratification. ¡°Look at all she has accomplished, look! A sixteen year old Imperial Envoy overturning clouds and calling storms to shock the entire world! She is a natural born ruler, and even driven into dust, her radiance cannot be hidden. With her noble and unsurpassed blood, are you truly willing to let her set aside her supreme talent and the Mandate of Heaven? Do you really wish her to live an ordinary life of marriage and children under your protection? Do you wish her to be a farm wife fighting over the smallest of trifles? Do you think that life is worthy of her? Worthy of your old Sect Leader? Worthy of the Da Cheng Dynasty line to which you have sworn your eternal loyalty?¡± ¡°The Commander has spoken.¡± The grey robed man finally replied after a long silence. ¡°He believes that the Emperor¡¯s wish was only to preserve his bloodline, and the changing of rivers and mountains and the turning of dynasties are inevitability¡¯s we need not bother with. As long as the master is safe, nothing is worth sacrificing for.¡± ¡°Your Commander has inherited his predecessor¡¯s unrestraint,¡± The madam smiled coldly as she continued. ¡°But I cannot. After all these years, whenever I think of how he left me alone, of how he had clutched my hand before his death, never saying what he wished to say, I know with certainty that there are things I cannot give up no matter what.¡± She looked out at them with determination and certainty, her words as strong as steel. The grey robed man stared quietly at her and knew that he would never accomplish his task tonight. ¡°This is your mother dynasty¡­¡± The grey robed man finally said, smiling bitterly. ¡°I did not expect¡­¡± ¡°What mother dynasty? Tian Sheng¡¯s land was stolen from Da Cheng, and properly speaking, Tian Sheng is a rebellious Minister.¡± The madam calmly replied. ¡°I care nothing for the world; I only care for one man. The grey robed man no longer spoke, quietly examining the stubborn and proud woman and finally understanding her famed fiery character. He had thought that the years of hardship and humiliation had ground down her edge, but he saw now that she had not changed, only growing sharper as the years passed. ¡°That¡¯s all. I will sleep.¡± The madam finished, blowing out her candle and laying back down. The grey robed man sighed once more before fading into the night. ¡°Take care.¡± Four days ago. The Qiu Mansion was in chaos ¡ª Madam Qiu had suddenly took ill and was paralyzed in bed, unable to speak; all her limbs were numb and she could not move a single finger. The Qiu Mansion sent out invitations to every famous doctor they could and hurried anxiety filled the inner and outer yard. Meanwhile, a little yard in the rear of the mansion grounds was completely ignored. Madam Feng woke early, washing and dressing as she always did. Before she left, she cleaned up and organized her room. Finally, she went to visit the little yard that she had lived for so many years. After a while, she headed over to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s ¡®Cui Fang Residence¡¯. While Feng Zhiwei was away, the Cui Fang Residence had been sealed due to small pox. Occasionally, the people visiting the Qiu Mansion would notice a veiled woman sitting by the Cui Fang Residence¡¯s window, but in the chaos that reigned over Qiu Mansion, no one noticed that the woman had disappeared. Madam Feng entered the residence and searched Feng Zhiwei¡¯s bedroom before leaving. Finally, she walked out of the Qiu Mansion gates with a cloth covered object slung over her shoulders. She walked over to the Ministry of Justice, and after a large bribe, she was taken to see Feng Hao in prison. Although Feng Hao had been locked up a long time, Ning Yi had told his people not to make him suffer, so he was actually a little fatter then before. Still, he was story crazy, so as soon as Madam Feng appeared, he immediately left up and clutched the wooden cell bars, shaking them as he cried out: ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± ¡°Son.¡± Madam Feng called out, kneeling by the cell door and staring into her son¡¯s face, reaching through the bars and gently ruffling his mussed hair. ¡°Mom, are you here to save me?¡± Feng Hao exclaimed, excitedly clutching Madam Feng¡¯s hands, his eyes gleaming brightly as he stared into her eyes. ¡°Great! I¡¯ve had enough! Mom, what took you so long! Why haven¡¯t you come to see me!¡± Madam Feng stared into his hopeful eyes, calmly looking him over inch by inch, not missing a single spot, burning the image of her son deep into her eyes. Her gaze was so peculiar that even Feng Hao noticed, losing his excitement. He cooled and stared confusedly at his mother, some trepidation in his voice as he asked: ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong? Are you unhappy?¡± After being locked up for almost half a year, even the arrogant Feng Hao had begun observing expressions, and when Madam Feng heard his careful question, her eyes reddened. She breathed out a shuddering breath as her hands trembled in Feng Hao¡¯s hair. ¡°Feng Hao¡­ Feng Hao¡­¡± Feng Hao could not stand it any longer and he pulled away, crying out: ¡°Mom, are you here to get me out or not? If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll die! I¡¯ll die!¡± Madam Feng trembled as she slowly pulled her hand back. She gazed at Feng Hao, and the quiet glitter in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by a steely firmness and determination. ¡ª¡ª ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± A group of Yamen Bailiffs asked as they patrolled the prison. ¡°Did you see that group of crimson armored guards passing by, Heading to West Hua Alley?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that kind of armor, but wow, they look terrifying. What family screwed up this time?¡± ¡°There were thousands of them, heavens!¡± The Yamen Bailiffs walked along, the keys at their waists tinkling as their footsteps faded into the distance. Madam Feng listened closely, a strange smile curving over her lips. It was time. She stood and reached behind her, pulling a small, sharp axe from the cloth on her back. Before a shocked Feng Hao could even react, she lifted the axed and slammed it into the wooden cell door! Wooden chips sprayed and Madam Feng pulled back before swinging down again. Feng Hao clutched his head and fled to the corner of his room, screaming. He stared wide eyed at his ferocious mother chopping at his cell door, the steel chain around it clattering with her blows. His mother had gone insane! She¡¯d come to raid the prison? Really? Did anyone try to break people out when all the guards still on duty? Chapter 221 ¡°Mom, are you insane!¡± Feng Hao screamed, shrinking back into the far corner of the room. He cried out in desperation: ¡°She¡¯s insane she¡¯s insane! I didn¡¯t ask her to break in! Not my fault not my fault!¡± The passing patrol had naturally turned to investigate the uproar and were barely able to believe their eyes ¡ª there actually existed people who would dare waltz into a jail in the middle of day and begin chopping down cell doors in front of the guards! For a moment, the Yamen Bailiffs did not know how to react. Before they had recovered, Madam Feng had already broken down the cell door, tossing the axe aside as she rushed in and grabbed Feng Hao, completely ignoring his panicked shouts. ¡°Son, we¡¯re leaving!¡± Feng Hao stumbled forward as Madam Feng grabbed him, jerking out of his shock and immediately pulling away from her. ¡°No no no¡­ I¡¯m not leaving! You¡¯re insane! You¡¯re framing me!¡± He would not die from being locked away, but a prison break was a capital offense! He struggled to pull away but Madam Feng¡¯s grip was an iron vice. In his panic and confusion, Feng Hao barely had the presence of mind to wonder when his mother had learned Kung Fu. The Yamen Bailiffs finally reacted and began rushing over, crying out in shock and anger: ¡°Get them!¡± A few swift runners darted off for reinforcements as more and more figures began filling the corridors and surrounding them. Madam Feng grabbed Feng Hao close, using her foot to flip her cloth wrapping into the air and swiftly securing it to her back as she charged out of the cell. Feng Hao flailed, his eyes absently following her mother¡¯s actions as the cloth wrapping flew by her face. His mother¡¯s strange expressions suddenly filled his eyes as more and more bailiffs and guards surrounded them in a layered encirclement. A small, peculiar smile crossed her lips as a tiny pearl of tear dropped from silently from the corner of her eye. She lifted her sorrowful chin, the tear slipping back into her hair as she raised a defiant and unshakable jaw in the flickering light of the oil lamp. Feng Hao¡¯s heart jumped. The crowd of guards rushed forward blocking every path and nothing could free his mother¡¯s grip on his wrist. His mother whispered sadly into his ears: ¡°Hao er, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Meanwhile. The Golden Feather Guards marched like a roaring tide through the bustling streets, carving a path straight to the Qiu Mansion. The gates exploded inward and panicked screamed filled the grounds as the plated guards surrounded Madam Feng and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s courtyards. ¡°Where is Feng Zhiwei!¡± Three days ago. West Imperial City, a sealed location by the Cold Palace[1]. Guards stood by every entrance as overlapping patrols kept constant vigil over the grounds. Only a few high-level Imperials knew about this secret Golden Feather dungeon, the most heavily guarded prison under heaven, reserved for offenses of high treason and criminals threatening the dynasty. The secret dungeon had sat empty for over a decade; today, finally welcoming new guests. A miserable oil lamp shone above the dark green metal wall against which Madam Feng sat crosslegged, her eyes closed and her mouth shut. Feng Hao huddled a small distance away from his mother, terrified and quivering as he stared around at the imposing cell that was absolutely incomparable to his room in the Ministry of Punishment. Every time his eyes flicked over the bloody racks and instruments, his trembling intensified. ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± He cried, crawling over to Madam Feng, his chains clattering behind him. He desperately arched out to shake in unmoving mother, calling out: ¡°Where are we? What happened? Tell me! Tell me!¡± Madam Feng slowly opened her eyes, her gaze a deep, calm pool. ¡°This is the Golden Feather Imperial Guard¡¯s secret dungeon.¡± She calmly replied as she looked down at Feng Hao. ¡°Also known as Heaven¡¯s Prison.¡± ¡°Heaven¡¯s Prison!¡± Feng Hao gasped in horror, his fine features twisting in panic. ¡°Mom! What did we do to get sent to Heaven¡¯s Prison?¡± ¡°Was it because you tried to break me out?¡± He cried out, hatefully pushing himself up. ¡°I never asked you to! Never!¡± ¡°You have to explain to them!¡± He shouted, urgently trying to pull Madam Feng to her feet. ¡°Tell them you did it! It had nothing to do with me! Have them release me and then I¡¯ll come back to save you!¡± For a long moment, Madam Feng could only stare quietly. Finally, she let out a long sigh and shut her eyes once more. Feng Hao turned from his mother and dragged his chain to the cell door, smashing his fists against the metal. ¡°Let me out! Let me out! I didn¡¯t ask her to break me out! I¡¯m innocent!¡± Only the cries of ¡°innocent¡± answered him, echoing through the deep, dark dungeon. ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡± Madam Feng said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s an iron jail with countless traps. No guards watch within, and no voice can escape the thick metal halls.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve lost your mind!¡± Feng Hao turned, his eyes red as he gnashed his teeth. ¡°If you want to walk a path to death, why did you have to bring me along!¡± ¡°It may not be a death path.¡± Madam Feng quietly replied, her gaze complicated as she stared at her son, sadness and happiness mixing in her eyes. ¡°How?¡± Feng Hao cried anxiously, his eyes gleaming as he rushed over. ¡°Your mother has an old case and you¡¯ve been pulled in.¡± Madam Feng explained gently, finger combing her son¡¯s messy hair. ¡°You never knew anything about it and you were never supposed to. You understand; some things, knowing will only make matters worse.¡± Feng Hao nodded. After so many years in a large, noble family, he understood this wisdom. ¡°No guilt to the unknowing; your mother carries all the mistakes. Just remember, don¡¯t say anything stupid.¡± Madam Feng continued, holding his hands in her palms. ¡°In the future, all you need to say is you don¡¯t know. You must remember this.¡± ¡°En.¡± Feng Hao nodded. ¡°If I say I don¡¯t know, will they let me go?¡± Madam Feng gazed deeply into his eyes before she finally answered. ¡°Yes.¡± Feng Hao forced a smile, staring back into his mother¡¯s eyes as he quietly replied. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m your son, don¡¯t lie to me.¡± Madam Feng looked over her ragged son, her eyes lingering on the small scratches on his face from when the Golden Feather Guards had dragged them into this cell. Though Feng Hao had acted the spoiled young master all this time, never suffering pain or hurt, now that his life was at risk, all the pained crying and moaning had disappeared and he had even forgotten to act spoiled. [1] Cold Palace: a palace for an unflavored concubine or prince/princess Chapter 222 Madam Feng took out a small tube of ointment hidden deep in her sleeves and gently turned her son¡¯s head as she said: ¡°This will help you.¡± Feng Hao obediently listened as his mother¡¯s fingers gently brushed over his face with the cool ointment. As his eyes drooped, he heard his mother say: ¡°Hao er, relax, mom will always be by your side.¡± ¡°En.¡± Feng Hao replied, his heart relaxing a bit. As the pain slowly faded, his exhaustion grew stronger and stronger. Finally, he yawned and lay down beside her, his head on her lap as he said: ¡°Then I¡¯ll take a nap.¡± Madam Feng gently patted him just as she had when he was a little boy. His exhaustion kept creeping over him, and even though a vague burry kept filling his mind, he could no longer resist the bone deep weariness and he was soon fast asleep on his mother¡¯s lap. Madam Feng held her son close as they sat in the tangles of dried hay littering the floor of the iron cell. She looked down at her son¡¯s tense face and she began slowly moving her fingers over his brows and down his cheeks, etching these lines deep into her heart. A pearl of tears dripped down, and right as it was about to hit Feng Hao¡¯s face, Madam Feng¡¯s hand moved and caught it. She stared at the little pool of liquid for a long, long time as another slow tear joined it. Two days ago. A beam of light shone in from a gap in the iron roof above them, the sky bright above. Feng Hao did not stir from his sleep. Slow, heavy footsteps rang out on the stairs above, and though the Kung Fu in those steps was not quite that powerful, it rang steadily and deep with bone-deep confidence. The corner of a yellow robe flicked by the foot of the stairs before the man finally stopped in the dim light outside the cell door. Madam Feng smiled quietly. Her face was shadowed in the darkness and no one could see the strange clarity in her expression. The man stared at her from afar, sighing. Finally, he gestured. Clattered steps retreated. ¡°Ming Ying.¡± The man began, his voice indifferent. ¡°It has been fifteen years since I last lay eyes on you.¡± Madam Feng stood, neither arrogant nor humble, the chains clanging around her as she bowed. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Last time, we were celebrating your victory in the war.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor continued, his eyes far away as he examined her face as if thinking back to that gorgeous and brilliant general. ¡°I still remember when that young lady sneered at your masculinity and how you tossed your cup and composed a poem right there¡­ I remember it very clearly.¡± Madam Feng smiled emotionlessly as she replied: ¡°Mingying is grateful for His Majesty¡¯s deep care.¡± ¡°You were Tian Sheng¡¯s Female General, our distinguished heroine. In your youth, you achieved such greatness for my Tian Sheng.¡± The Tiang Sheng Emperor continued, his voice deep and filled with profound regret. ¡°Why did you choose to carry the candle of the devil and aid the remnant evil of Da Cheng?¡± Madam Feng fell silent, and when she finally spoke, she quirked her lips: ¡°Karmic punishment.¡± The Emperor fell silent and the two figures stood quietly, staring at each other through the cell door. She calmly faced her end, cold and determined; he stared blankly, the memory of that bold young woman filling his mind as she tossed aside that golden cup and called out bright and clear. ¡°This Minister does not dare perform in the same hall as this common woman. It would only bring disgrace to our Tian Sheng Dynasty!¡± Her bright dress had filled the palace hall, but now that brilliance and color only filled memories. As the Tian Sheng Emperor relived that moment now, so many years later, he only saw the merciless cold of time. That distant memory had aged like crusted paper, melting together in the dust and moisture, thick and stuck just like the mood filling the Tian Sheng Emperor. After a long silence, the Emperor finally opened his mouth again: ¡°Where is Feng Zhiwei?¡± Madam Feng stirred, waiting a moment before replying: ¡°She got small pox recently and I sent her out of Dijing to recover. I believe she had returned already.¡± She turned from the Emperor and stared down at the sleeping figure of her son, tears filling her eyes. Her calm determination seemed to flee, and she lifted her dress as she knelt. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Ming Yi knows that you will not forgive Zhiwei, so Ming Ying can only beg¡­ beg to die alongside her¡­¡± Tears filled her eyes, unwilling to spill forth. ¡°Hao er is innocent¡­ please Your Majesty, pardon him¡­¡± The Emperor stared silently, snorting coldly. Madam Feng stared down at the floor, blood oozing from her nails as she dug into the gaps in the iron metal. ¡°Peng.¡± A small cloth wrapping fell before her as the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s voice rang out with anger: ¡°Mingying, you still try to fool me?¡± Madam Feng carefully opened the cloth wrapping and looked through the things it contained, her face paling more and more. She could barely keep her cool as she rewrapped the cloth and kowtowed, saying: ¡°Mingying does not understand His Majesty¡¯s meaning.¡± ¡°You truly are foolishly loyal to Da Cheng!¡± The Emperor cried out furiously, ¡°You dare try to turn my eyes with the Plum Tree¡¯s Sacrifice for the Peach Tree![1]¡± Madam Feng trembled, biting down on her lip as she cried out forcefully: ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯ve been tricked!¡± ¡°I am not so stupid!¡± The Emperor cried out in anger. ¡°Why does Feng Hao have another jade locket, and why is the recorded birth date different from his gold locket? Why does it have Da Cheng¡¯s secret sigil? This is your adopted son, but why do you claim that he is your natural child? The midwives the Golden Feather Guard captured all pointed us to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s, but why had her midwife died so suddenly? ¡°A servant girl of Da Cheng testified that Concubine She gave birth to a prince, and you true midwife confessed! Feng Zhiwei is your blood daughter! Feng Hao was adopted, and he is older than Feng Zhiwei! You¡¯ve even changed the date of his birth on his golden locket!¡± Madam Feng¡¯s face transformed and she cried out: ¡°Zhiwei, mine? Impossible! My child died after birth¡­¡± As she spoke, her face froze and a look of utter shock filled her eyes. A memory seemed to dawn and her whole body began to tremble violently. ¡°Even you have been fooled! You¡¯ve been used as a shield!¡± The Emperor spat, his eyes carefully observing the woman before him as he grew more and more confident in his conclusion. ¡°I had wondered if you were bewitched; how else would you be willing to sacrifice your own daughter for Da Cheng¡¯s last dregs, and you even abandoned her to break Feng Hao out! So that was how it is!¡± Madam Feng cried out in shock, silent tears filling her face. The Tian Sheng Emperor stared down at the miserable woman before him, thinking of how she had been fooled for decades about her own child, even choosing to sacrifice her daughter for another woman¡¯s baby. His heart softened for a moment, but then he thought back to her loyalty and treason and his chest ached with fury, displeasure filling him. ¡°Why are you still trying to protect Feng Hao? Do you think that if you can survive Heaven¡¯s Prison that Feng Hao will make you the Empress Dowager?¡± [1] These are the last two stanzas of an old folk song: One family has five brothers all serving a minister as attendants. Every five days, they return home for a reunion and decorate their horses and garments with shining gold. They vie with each other in ostentation and extravagance, attracting crowds of onlookers along the road. ¡¡¡¡Now there is a peach tree by a well and a plum tree next to it. When worms come to gnaw at the root of the peach tree, the plum tree invites them to gnaw at its own root. Finally, the plum tree dies. ¡¡¡¡Even trees know how to sacrifice for other trees, why can¡¯t brothers do the same? Chapter 223 ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Madam Feng began again, kowtowing heavily in the dirt. ¡°You eyes are brilliant torches. Mingying has no words, but please allow Mingying one final request¡­ the child knows nothing¡­ other than his blood, he is nothing¡­ the Golden Feather Guard must have already investigated him. He is an ordinary child raised in an ordinary family¡­ he, he will do nothing Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°If you cut the grass without dealing with the roots, you will end harming yourself.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor coldly replied. ¡°Mingying, this is what you said to me so many years ago when you led the army to hunt down the remaining Da Yue generals after their defeat.¡± Madam Feng trembled violently as she fell flat against the ground, crying out bitterly. The Tian Sheng Emperor stared silently for a long moment before finally speaking again: ¡°That organization, where is it?¡± Madam Feng shook her head. ¡°Your Majesty, you know. That year, they were hunted by the Crown Prince¡¯s army over a thousand li and then ambushed by Prince Chu in the Valley of a Thousand Trails. Their whole team was destroyed¡­ even Hao er was only found because I stumbled upon him in that valley. My heart softened and I kept him, and after all these years, no one from that organization has been discovered. If any of them truly survived, they should have appeared by our side long ago¡­ but after so many years, we still live like this¡­ you understand¡­¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor paused. He knew of the poor life Qiu Mingying and her children had lived, his heart moved as he fell silent. As His Majesty was deep in thought, Madam Feng retreated and unsealed her son¡¯s acupuncture point. Feng Hao slowly woke, stirring blankly before screaming: ¡°Ah, I know nothing! I know nothing! Don¡¯t kill me! Don¡¯t kill me!¡± His eyes filled with fear as if in the midst of a nightmare. ¡°Good boy.¡± Madam Feng comforted him, shutting her eyes as she hugged him tightly in her arms. The Tian Sheng Emperor stared silently, shadowed in the darkness. After a long moment, he quietly turned. ¡°Good boy¡­¡± Madam Feng repeated, never turning from her son, tears pouring from her shut eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared¡­¡± ¡­ Yesterday. A short band of light cut the dark, iron wall, and even as the sun set and rose up above, the light only ever grew to a finger¡¯s length. Madam Feng stared at the light, her expression blank. She stared as if she would never see light again, and if she missed this moment, she would never have another chance. Feng Hao clutched the iron bars of the cell door, asking: ¡°Mom, when I woke yesterday, I saw someone leaving. Have they interrogated us? When are they letting us go? When are they letting me out?¡± ¡°Soon.¡± Madam Feng replied faintly. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Light filled Feng Hao¡¯s eyes as he gushed. ¡°Mom, relax, I¡¯ll definitely find a way to save you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good boy.¡± Madam Feng replied with a small smile. ¡°Mom believes in you.¡± Feng Hao pulled his heavy chain over, his voice childish as he complained: ¡°It¡¯s too heavy, I can¡¯t even sleep.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± Madam Feng replied, grabbing the chain and holding some of the weight for him. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± Heavy footsteps thudded down the stairs until a group of figures appeared by the cell door, their red plate armor engraved with golden feathers. Two man loomed in front of the others, their faces cold and solemn as they held forth two trays. ¡°Are you here to let me out?¡± Feng Hao cried out excitedly, rushing over to the iron bars. Madam Feng trembled quietly behind him. Metal clattered and chunked as gears spun, thirteen clear clanks filling the air as the huge, masterfully crafted lock opened. Finally, the two men holding the trays entered. One tray carried a cup of liquor. The second tray carried a medicinal pill and an Imperial Palace Dress. ¡°Madam.¡± The leading man said emotionlessly. ¡°His Majesty says that you will understand, and has requested that you offer the liquor yourself.¡± Madam Feng¡¯s eyes slowly passed over the palace dress to linger on the cup of liquor. Her eyes held darkness without emotion as if all the light on heaven and earth was hidden deep within her heart, unwilling to be seen by anyone. A while later, she began slowly climbing to her feet, her joints cracking as she straightened. She slowly walked forwards to the first tray and picked up the cup. She held that cup for what seemed to be a long, long time ¡ª almost too long. Her fingers quivered, and in the pale, dead grey light, the colorless liquor trembled. Madam Feng slowly raised her hand. For a moment, the Golden Feather Guard was sure that this woman with the calm mask would pour the liquor down her own throat. But then Madam Feng calmly turned and walked over to Feng Hao. The Golden Feather Guard let out a breath, his eyes flashing with admiration and disdain as he stepped back from Madam Feng¡¯s straight back. ¡°Hao er, are you thirsty?¡± Madam Feng asked gently, standing before Feng Hao. ¡°Have a cup of liquor.¡± Feng Hao had stared in stunned silence as his mother walked forward to pick up the glass and watched in horror as she approached him. His lips trembled and tears filled his fearful eyes as his face paled: ¡°Mother¡­ Mom¡­ what are you doing? What is this?¡± ¡°Liquor.¡± Madam Feng replied, calmly offering the cup. ¡°No! NO!¡± Feng Hao howled, stumbling as he pushed himself away from his mother, crawling and rolling as he dragged his chain away, fleeing Madam Feng¡¯s hands as if they were demonic claws reaching down from a tear in the high heavens. ¡°You lied to me! You LIED to me! YOU LIED TO ME! I won¡¯t! I WON¡¯T! NO! NO! NO!¡± He screamed in terror, throwing his hands up in panicked swats to ward off the terrible thing. Madam Feng could not dodge in time and the cup spilled a little before the Golden Feather Guard hurriedly reacted and held her steady. ¡°Gentlemen, I cannot accomplish His Majesty¡¯s request.¡± Madam Feng calmly announced, handing back the golden cup and returning to her original spot, her back to Feng Hao as she sat. ¡°Please.¡± The Golden Feather Guards exchanged a look and nodded. His Majesty had never said that Madam Feng needed to personally make him drink, only that she needed to offer the liquor. His Majesty was willing to forgive her and had given her a chance. The two Golden Feather Guards approached, cup in hand. Madam Feng sat quietly. She faced the wall, her eyes staring blankly at that finger length of sunlight as the shadows of two men loomed darker and darker in the flickering lamp light. The strong, large shadows approached a smaller, trembling shade¡­ a huge cup filled with poison¡­ a young boy huddling in the corner¡­ held down by large hands¡­ mouth forced open and the cup ruthlessly emptied¡­ Chapter 224 Screams and scrambling, spluttered cries and coughed pleas. Tears and gasps and desperate struggle. She never moved. She never blinked. She watched silently until the very end. After a quarter of an hour, only silence remained. The second tray was gently set at her feet. ¡°Madam, take the Scattering Kung Fu Pill and dress.¡± The Golden Feather Guard said quietly. ¡°His Majesty awaits in the Ning An Palace.¡± Madam Feng quietly stood and turned, walking over to where Feng Hao lay. The spoiled, lawless, domineering child that she had pampered and indulged, never to utter another sound on this earthly plane. Madam Feng fell to her knees on the cold, hard iron floor and hugged her child one last time. She gently wiped Feng Hao¡¯s cooling face, carefully cleaning away the mud and dirt. Feng Hao¡¯s ruddy face was no more, paling and blue. Wind swept through the empty halls of the cold prison, deep and mournful whispers in the dark. And then Feng Hao opened his eyes, gasping shallowly. He stared at his unfamiliar mother as if looking at someone from a great distance, his quiet voice mournful as he struggled for Madam Feng¡¯s hand. His voice was a wisp, like a thin thread of spider silk swaying in the cold winter wind. ¡°Mom¡­ it hurts¡­¡± His hand reached powerlessly for his mother, hoping that her hands could rub away the belly rotting and intestine bursting pain raging within him, hoping for those comforting hands that had held him so many times before. But his weak hands had barely brushed against Madam Feng¡¯s fingers when his strings were cut and he fell limp, silent once more. He lay, his eyes staring blankly, the brightness in his gaze dead. One could barely hear the trembling rattle of his dying lungs, fleeing his body in a weeping gasp as if to wander and roam the lamenting dark. In pain, he had cried for comfort and a caring hand, never willing to face the truth of his ending life. He wanted to bring that warmth with him, just as his mother had always given his everything in his short life. His willful, selfish, indulgent life for which fate had long since arranged a miserable end. Madam Feng¡¯s hand stood frozen in the air. She stared into those gaping eyes, not able to reach up to close them. Son¡­ look at me. Never look away. Since I adopted you, I swore that in your short life, I would only let you feel pain once¡­ just this once. For this one sacrifice, I would use sixteen years of indulgence, though I know I could not repay you. Nothing is more important than life. Hao er. See me. I am the most heartless mother under the heavens, the most worthless of family, the coldest of women, waiting sixteen years to send you to death. The finger of sunlight on the wall shifted a degree to the side. She swallowed the Kung Fu Scattering Pill and dressed. She no longer looked at Feng Hao, never glancing at his body. The two Golden Feather Guards wrapped the corpse in yellow silk and carried it away ¡ª the Emperor would need to see the body himself. As the Golden Feather Guards hastened away, Madam Feng calmly exited the cell and climbed the stairs. When she walked out into the open air, everyone¡¯s eyes gleamed. Like Red Maple drooping in snow or vast green waves frozen in ice, a lament hung over the woman¡¯s ink black brows, a great sorrow that seemed to push back even the bright sun. The lamenting general, her beauty cutting. Madam Feng faced down the road, her spine straight as she approached Ning An[1] Palace. Her long dress seemed to trail behind her like a pure white feather brushing the pure, reflects white marble ground. Wind flowed through her hair, revealing the snowy white strands underneath the dark cover. Shocked Golden Feather Guards exchanged glances as they shadowed her. When Madam Feng had entered prison, her hair had been completely black, but now as she left, the dark had turned white? She strode forth, her chin high, calmly passing the verandas and gardens and chiseled paths as she entered the palace¡­ her shoulders thin but her back straight. No one could see her face, and no one could see the dim smile on the corner of her lips. Zhiwei, are you already safe and protected? Or perhaps you never ran. With your spirit, you may already be on the way back to Dijing, but South Sea and Dijing are so far apart. When you arrive, the dust will have already settled. You can come back. Mother has prepared the road ahead, and in your life, you will never have to face this crisis. Many years ago, the one I loved told me that whatever I do, do it well, beginning to end. Zhiwei. I hope¡­ Gorgeous halls; layers of magnificence. The long train swept past carved railings and inlayed jade, turning down sunlit walks into deep, dark palace rooms. A figure in the darkness stood up somewhat hurriedly. Madam Feng stopped, her head held high despite the calm, sorrowful hint of a smile on her lips. To the Tian Shen Emperor, that smile was a flower blossoming on a craggy cliff, a heart rending softness blooming in hardship. ¡°Mingying¡­¡± He called out softly, almost in a daze as he reached out a hand. Madam Feng stared straight at him, not bowing her smile as she stepped forward. The Tian Shen Emperor took her hands, carefully turning over her paled fingers, thin and callused and marred with the passing of time. He felt at the calluses from the swords wielded in past wars and the wear of the drudgery over the past decade. A complicated tenderness and pity filled him as he clutched her tightly, words pouring out of his mouth: ¡°Mingying, you are a victim in a great scam, and you have rendered great merit to the Dynasty. I cannot allow your death, but on this matter of high treason, I must give an account. There is a well concealed, empty palace in the Imperial Harem close to the Hao Yun Residence where I handle official business¡­ You must live here now, and you cannot reveal yourself to the public.¡± Madam Feng lowered her eyes, obediently accepting his arrangement, hiding the sneer on her lips. This is a secret Imperial matter without witness. To whom would he give an account of the condemned and the spared? [1] Äþ°²,Peaceful/Safe. Chapter 225 Her soaring merits for saving the Dynasty and the Emperor only earned her this forgiveness? An abandoned palace to die in, trapped for His Majesty¡¯s personal use. He¡­ was still this cold and selfish. Madam Feng smiled quietly, her expression determined and vague. She looked up as she replied: ¡°As Your Majesty commands.¡± ¡°Mingying.¡± Happiness flashed in the Emperor¡¯s eyes and he took her hand, stepping out from behind the curtains. ¡°Come¡­ let me look at you¡­¡± He set a hand on her shoulder and turned her to the bead-curtained jade bed, incense lingering around them. He grasped her hand, finally claiming that warmth and tenderness he had longed after for so many years. She leaned into his embrace, waiting for the final end to this life of pain and suffering. The Tian Shen Emperor sat with Madam Feng in his arms, looking down at that gorgeous face, his gaze intoxicated. Finally, his fingers brushed down to the opening of Madam Feng¡¯s robes. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Madam Feng said quietly, dodging a touch away. The Emperor paused, darkness coming over his brows. ¡°The light¡­ it¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡± Madam Feng said, her face flushed as she pointed to the woman-shaped candle. The Emperor smiled and lifted his hands, letting Madam Feng rise and blow out the light. Darkness fell, the sun blocked by thick curtains, and the Tian Shen Emperor lay back lazily, waiting for the woman to return to his side. ¡°Peng.¡± A loud, muffled sound filled the air beside him and the bed shook a little. The Tian Shen Emperor stirred from where he lay, eyes closed, feeling the tremor even in his daze. ¡°What happened?¡± Silence; all the servants had retreated outside. He sniffed the air, smelling a strangely familiar tang of metal, and then his heart lurched. ¡°Mingying!¡± The Emperor jumped to his feet, absently noticing the wetness in his sandals as he turned to the shadowed figure lying on the ground, dark liquid spread around her on the golden floor. He leapt over, pulling aside the heavy curtains as he passed. Daylight rushed in, revealing the glaring red pool. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Madam Feng croaked weakly, her slender fingers dripping with blood as she reached up out of the pool of blood. The Tian Shen Emperor stared in shock, his eyes sweeping over everything. The great, gold foot of the bed stood next to her head, scarlet blood marring the metal. Just now¡­ she had banged her head mercilessly, holding back no strength. Realization filled the Emperor with anger and disappointment and confusion. He stepped away from the spreading blood as he spoke, dazed: ¡°Why¡­ why? Do you hate me this much¡­¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Madam Feng forced out, reaching towards him, her expression sad and lonely. Blood ran from her head, matting her hair and covering her ear, and her face was filled with sorrow. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± She began again, tears filling her eyes. ¡°Mingying bled badly after giving birth and has lived a poor life without food and clothing¡­ I have the woman¡¯s disease¡­ this body¡­ how¡­ how could it serve His Majesty¡­ Mingying worships at Your Majesty¡¯s feet¡­ How could I let my dirty body¡­ profane¡­¡± The Tian Shen Emperor stared, tears rushing from his heart into his eyes and pouring forth. ¡°Mingying!¡± He gasped, finally stepping forward and grasping her hand. He kneeled in the blood, tears falling down his face. ¡°Why did you not say¡­ the Imperial Physicians can look at you¡­ and even¡­ even if it¡¯s incurable¡­ I¡¯ll never lose my love for you¡­¡± He turned his head and yelled: ¡°Summon the Physicians! Get them here now!¡± The servants waiting outside scrambled away in their hurry as the Tian Shen Emperor clutched his woman in his arms, a spreading emptiness filling his heart. ¡°I¡­ disloyal and unworthy¡­¡± Madam Feng forced out as she lay her hands gently on his, lifting up her sad eyes to look into the Emperor¡¯s. ¡°I¡­ only bring Your Majesty trouble¡­ Princes¡­ hungry for throne¡­ Your Majesty¡¯s steps¡­ hard¡­. These years¡­ worried for you¡­ anxious¡­ Mingying cannot¡­ cannot live¡­ and bring trouble¡­¡± The Emperor stirred. He thought of his ferocious, power-hungry sons and knew them to be tigers. The Fifth Prince had just committed suicide after his rebellion, and the Tian Shen Emperor knew that Madam Feng¡¯s fears were real. His heart stirred with emotion and he breathed choking breaths as he said: ¡°I¡¯ve worried you¡­ your care for me¡­ what a pity that you¡­¡± ¡°Twenty years ago¡­ Mingying would die for His Majesty¡­¡± Madam Feng replied, her smile warm and gentle like a white lotus blossoming in a lonely palace hall. ¡°Even if¡­ walked the wrong path¡­ finally Mingying can die¡­ for Your Majesty¡­ happy¡­ truly¡­ happy¡­¡± The Tian Shen Emperor held her close as the warm blood poured and pooled, her life dripping away as she pushed out her moving words. As pain filled his heart, the Emperor knew that she had died for him; she truly cared too little for herself and too much for him, just like she had ¡­ twenty years ago. ¡°Twenty years¡­¡± Madam Feng murmured, a small smile on her lips, happiness clear on her face. ¡°Twenty years¡­¡± The Tian Shen Emperor repeated, tears blurring his eyes. Time swept by in a quiet daze and the white hair seemed to turn black and the aged marks fade. He looked down and saw the bright-eyed, raven-haired young woman wielding her sword like a bolt of lightning cutting through the battlefield, protecting him from an assailant¡¯s spear. ¡°Master! I¡¯m here!¡± When he had opened his eyes, her smiling face looked down at him, her crimson armor drenched with blood. She paid no mind to the long arrow piercing her shoulder as she helped him up and forced her way out of the enemies¡¯ encirclement. A truly fierce and miserable battle¡­ He was too injured to fight, so she held them off on her own, the thin young girl carrying him as she bravely faced the enemy; he could barely lift his head to watch as she cut down one sword after another, her blood mingling with the enemies as she pushed forward little by little, her feet squishing in flesh and crunching on shattered metal as they pressed through the raging battle¡­ Blood flashed before him, hotter than tears¡­ and he had sworn then that if they lived, he would¡­ it would be his turn to take care of her¡­ Chapter 226 His oath had seemed to echo in his heart and he swore to honor it for the rest of his life, but time passed and long days turned to night. Memory slowly faded, and the promises of an Emperor were like the breeze passing by the ears, and eventually he forgot. Only now, as his savior lay dying in his arms, a sad smile on her face, did he remember his old promise. He clutched her hand, his blood boiling like flame in his chest as he whispered in her ears: ¡°I always think of you¡­ that year when you tossed down that cup and composed a poem¡­ in my heart¡­¡± This was a knot in his heart, and even as she lay dying, he needed to ask ¡ª that year, he had been moved by her actions as she finished the cup of wine and composed a defiant poem in the Golden Palace. He had passed down an Imperial Edict naming her his Imperial Consort, but then she eloped with another man. It would be the first and only time he would ever face rejection. ¡°Mingying never dared to love His Majesty¡­¡± Madam Feng replied weakly, a trembling hand tracing the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s stubble chin as a sad smile crossed her lips. ¡°Three Palaces and Six Chambers¡­ seventy two consorts and concubines¡­ Mingying vainly hoped¡­ to be the only one¡­ but it was impossible¡­ and I could not ask¡­ living in Dijing had only sadness¡­ Mingying never¡­ eloped¡­ I left alone¡­ and the next year¡­ poor¡­ married¡­¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor stared down at her and wept astonished tears as he cried out in misery: ¡°Mingying! I¡¯ve been mistaken all these years!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ me¡­ my character¡­ not good¡­ too¡­greedy¡­¡± Madam Feng smiled wanly, lingering on the verge of death. ¡°Till death¡­ not changed¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak¡­¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor wept, clutching her. ¡°Tell me¡­ what wishes do you still possess?¡± ¡°Only hope¡­ Your Majesty can live long and happy¡­¡± Madam Feng replied, her voice as if drifting in from far away, her eyes focused on a distant horizon, and her spirit absent as if a cluster of clouds floating far, far away. ¡°That year¡­ drinking and composing¡­ how happy¡­¡± ¡°You can rest easy.¡± A teary Tian Sheng Emperor replied as he remembered the bold young woman who had stood in the Golden Palace half a year ago ¡ª Feng Zhiwei, his love¡¯s daughter. Gentle warmth filled his heart and he quietly promised: ¡°You wish me to live a long, happy life, and I wish you to rest without worry. I will treat your daughter well. She is just like you¡­ I will¡­ I¡¯ll title her Princess¡­ and she can marry¡­ Helian Zheng!¡± ¡°Zhiwei¡­ really is like me¡­¡± Madam Feng smiled proudly as she replied, gripping the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s hand as she continued¡­ ¡°Title¡­ doesn¡¯t matter¡­ for Mingying¡¯s sake¡­ forgive her ignorance¡­ please, patience¡­ marriage¡­ Your Majesty¡¯s wisdom¡­ steppes are far¡­ I worry¡­¡± ¡°Prince Helian will treat her well, but I will listen to you and wait and see.¡± The Emperor promised, clutching the thin, weak woman as she struggled to breath, refusing to die. He knew that she lingered in the hopes of seeing her daughter¡¯s face, and he gently wiped away his tears and carried her into bed, finally turning a cold eye towards the Imperial Physician kowtowing in the corner. ¡°Use every method to keep her alive until she can see Feng Zhiwei!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± In the deep halls of the Imperial Palace, a woman died in a pool of her own blood having accomplished her final mission. Feng Zhiwei stood underneath the tree, staring up at the clouds. Her face was caked with dust and dirt and her skin was pale beyond belief. She had not been able to cry when she had heard that it was too late, and even now, she had no tears. She clutched the tree that she leaned against, barely upright. Zong Chen had explained things simply, afraid that his words would be too much to bear and not completely sure of all the details himself, but his words were enough to plunge Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart into deep waters. Her mother and brother had been locked up in Heaven¡¯s Prison because of a case involving a descendant of the Da Cheng Emperor. Her brother had died and her mother had been taken to the Ning An Palace, and soon after, an Imperial Physician was rushed hurriedly to the scene. Zong Chen looked down sympathetically: ¡°Perhaps she is only wounded¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei shook her head and Zong Chen immediately shut his mouth; not even he believed his own lies. With Madam Feng¡¯s heroic temperament, how could she this final humiliation piled up on her decade of suffering. As soon as she had grabbed her axe and chopped down the cell door, she had already made her choice, leaving herself no retreat. ¡°I will go to Ning An Palace.¡± Feng Zhiwei finally announced. ¡°Madam Feng.¡± Zong Chen began, ¡°It is too dangerous¡­¡± ¡°She is waiting for me.¡± Feng Zhiwei said resolutely, peeling away her Wei Zhi mask. Zong Chen spoke no more and clapped his hands. Attendants stepped forward from behind the tree with a basin of clean water and clothing and makeup. ¡°You cannot go like this. The Emperor is very cautious.¡± Zong Chen replied. ¡°Wash away the dirt, and I will fix your disguise.¡± Feng Zhiwei washed her face and changed into the dress before putting on her Feng Zhiwei makeup. Zong Chen used mutton tallow to carefully touch up her dry, cracking lips before drawing several dark red marks hinting at smallpox. Feng Zhiwei checked herself over in the hand mirror. Nothing looked out of place, and at this point, she was quite certain that the Commander beside her had crafted the face mask she always wore. But with the pain and grief in her heart, she was in no mood to indulge her curiosity; as soon as everything was ready, she leapt atop a fresh horse and galloped to the Imperial Gates. Mother! Wait for me! ¡­ The Nine Gates of the Imperial Palace were always heavily guarded and no one could enter without express permission. Solemn Imperial Guards stood by the gates as patrols walked the paths and walls. Pounding hoofs rapidly approached and the Imperial Guards stirred to readiness. In the distance, across the vast, flat square, a rider galloped towards the gapes, sun in her hair as she swept forward like a bolt of lightning. The rider wore a black riding-dress dark as the horse she rode, her sleeves fluttering in the wind like dark clouds descending from heaven. She cut an incredibly striking scene, her face composed and deadly, her horse breathing heavily as its powerful muscles ate up the distance, and just as the Imperial Guards were stirring from their astonishment at this gorgeous intrude, the rider had already swept past them like a gust of wind. Like a dark swan¡¯s feather riding a storm between the heavens and earth, impossible to capture. When the Imperial Guards finally began yelling alarm and sending out patrols, the rider had already swept by the second gates. Golden light haloed the rider as she cut forward like a golden arrow tearing through the air, already passing the Central Gates of the Nine Palaces into Dijing¡¯s center¡¯s center. The Third Gate guards looked forward intently as they noticed the disturbance, readying their spears to block any intruder. As the rider rode purposefully towards them, the guards saw her reaching towards her waist. Chapter 227 The Imperial Guards had seen her lustrous, white hand and thought that she was showing her summoning token, so they stepped back and held up their spears, but before they knew what had happened, heavy neighs and strong wind swept by their ears and the rider was through. A guard cried out in alarm as he reached down for his secondary weapon, noticing the absence of his golden mace. None of the gate guards were allowed to leave their station, and soon all three of the entry gates were sounding the alarm. Deep, loud horn calls filled the skies as if to tear apart the clouds above and all Nine Gates readied themselves. Never before in the history of the Tian Sheng Dynasty had a rider dared brave the sealed gates of the Imperial Palace, forcing the guards to blow the golden horns. The horse and the rider never looked back. Feng Zhiwei cared nothing for the uproar she was causing. She knew nothing about her mother¡¯s situation; she only knew that time was running out. She could not waste time, and so she could not be stopped and questioned or summoned before the Emperor. Even if the Emperor had sent word allowing her through, with the speed the Eunuchs walked, it would already be too late by the time he arrived. Life was too long ¡ª so long that some people ended it on their own. Life was too short ¡ª so short that sometimes you could not spare a single second. The Fourth gate! Two huge, heavy spears barred the way, sparking as they crossed, an immovable barrier like a looming mountain. She rode down towards them, pulling the wind around her as the great horse beneath her pounded at the pavement. The tips of the heavy spears gleamed like ferocious eyes tracking the rider who had broken through three gates. The horse leapt! A golden light flashed! ¡°Clang¡­¡± A mace shining with the brilliance of the sudden flashed out in the rider¡¯s hand and smashed down on the spear tips, clattering and clanging and sending the two hundred Jin spears flying aside. The brilliant spear tips cut dazzling arcs through the air as the burly guards stumbled backwards. As soon as they parted, the horse threaded the gap and passed between the tall gates. The Fifth! A forest of long spears stood in formation, waiting by the gates. The dark wood of the forest meshed together too tight for a bird to pass. The Imperial Guards gritted their teeth as the readied for battle. Ever since the founding of Tian Sheng, no one had ever broken through the four gates; the approaching rider was clearly a formidable master, and all the nervous blood pumped through the heart of every guard. The beautiful black horse appeared, its hoofs flashing as it raced towards them, its great mane dancing in the wind. A golden spear sat by itself, tied to the saddle. The guards stirred. Where was the rider? Had they been stopped at the previous gate? At this thought, the Imperial Guards relaxed a bit. The horse raced ever closer, showing no fear as it faced the spear square. As it neared, the horse seemed to even accelerate. All practitioners of Kung Fu admire horses, and the Imperial Guards could not help but admire and pity the peak quality Da Yue steed. With no enemy in sight, the guards relaxed and pulled away their spears. But as soon as they moved. A pair of snowy white hands reached out from under the horse in a flash of lightning, arms unfurling in as she spun through the air, snatching spears out of unsuspecting grips. She floated up into the air like a black feather, swirling in a beautiful arc before landing in her saddles, grasping the bundle of spears together like a great battering ram as she charged through the guard formation. The disarmed Imperial Guards panicked and stepped aside, dodging into the spears of the other guards. The alert guards on the outside of the formation quickly turned their weapons aside to spare their brothers, and for a moment, the precise formation fell into disarray. Before the guards could snap back into position, the pounding hoof beats were already fading as the rider passed through. The Sixth Palace Gate! On top of the palace gates, a man looked through a spyglass at the Fifth Gate. He tracked the rider as she swept up from her hiding place below her horse, floating through the air like a feather, her hands a blur of motion. She never stopped, forging forward like an unstoppable storm, and then she was through, galloping her way down the white stone road. He could only track her in astonishment as this black-dressed girl charged towards his gate, the wind and sun around her like a cloak. As her face came into view, he was thrown back to the battles against Da Yue when a woman just like this one in crimson plate and black cape held her golden spears as she guided her dark stallion, her long hair unfurled for a moment in the thick of combat amidst the blood and flame, striking out as she threw a fearless, powerful Da Yue General off his horse with her killing blow. That year he¡¯d only been a small soldier, admiring the Heroine of Tian Sheng from afar. As the years passed, he was now only the Captain of an Imperial Guard Squad who had just heard that his peerless hero lay dying. He looked down from his spyglass as his men arrayed themselves, standing in the way of another peerless woman. ¡°Is that Feng Zhiwei?¡± He said, turning to his subordinate. ¡°I heard what happened in Ning An Palace. His Majesty will be summoning her soon, let her pass.¡± The rider and her horse were like black lightning cutting through the gates below. The Guard Captain stood, turning to watch the young woman go as he thought back to that patient, steel-willed woman, and tears wet his eyes. ¡°I pray that she will be a worthy successor.¡± The Seventh Gate! The rider and her brave stallion dashed forward, brooking no resistance. A firing squad was already waiting at the Seventh Gate. The Sixth Gate¡¯s Captain had been an anomaly to not only know of the matter in Ning An Palace but also caring for and admiring the great Female General. All the Seventh Gate¡¯s Captain knew was that only three gates remained to the heart of the Imperial Palace and no one was allowed to pass him. Feng Zhiwei frowned as she spied the firing squad, calling out and gesturing with her golden spear. ¡°Let me through!¡± ¡°Dismount and wait for arrest!¡± A voice shouted down from the Seventh Gate Palace heights. ¡°Trespassing in the Imperial Palace and bypassing the Sixth Gates, you are courting death!¡± ¡°His Majesty has allowed me access!¡± ¡°Present your Token!¡± ¡°The Imperial Order is on its way!¡± Feng Zhiwei shouted, raising her Golden Spear to point at the Captain. ¡°Move aside, now!¡± The Gate Captain burst into laughter, calling out: ¡°The coming Imperial Order will exterminate your nine lines!¡± ¡°Shua!¡± A golden flash howled through the air, clanging and cutting off the Captain¡¯s laughter. The golden spear had been thrown up into the covered gate battlement, stabbing the dark green brick beside the Captain, only inches from his jaw! ¡°The next spear!¡± Feng Zhiwei called out, lifting another from the bundle she balanced on her knees. ¡°Will be in your teeth!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Let her through!¡± ¡°His Majesty speaks¡­¡± The sharp voiced Eunuch said, finally arriving and breaking the intense deadlock. ¡°Summoning Feng Zhiwei to the Imperial Palace¡­¡± The Captain¡¯s eyes flickered as he gestured with resentment, waving his men aside. Feng Zhiwei clutched the bundle of golden spears, a smile quirking her lips as tears finally dripped from her eyes. Chapter 228 Ning An Palace was blanketed by a suffocating silence. The thick stink of rust filled the air as Imperial Physicians streamed in and out through the curtains, occasionally murmuring quietly to each other. In their wake stepped servant women entering with golden basins of clear water and leaving with basins of blood. The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s face was indiscernible as he waited in the Outer Palace, not able to read a single word of the book in his hand. Madam Feng was beyond man¡¯s arts. She had held nothing back when she had smashed her head, and all of the Imperial Physicians had agreed that it was a miracle she was still breathing, but somehow, the next breath was never her last. The Emperor knew that she was waiting for Feng Zhiwei and had dispatched a Eunuch with an Imperial Order, though he held no hope. It would take too long for someone like Feng Zhiwei to make it through the questioning at each gate, and it would take the Eunuch some time to make it out of the palace and some time more to find Feng Zhiwei. Even if she were waiting outside the Palace Gates already, there was no time. Lingering in pain and torment, for what? ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± An Imperial Physician said haltingly, hurrying from the curtain. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ it¡¯s time¡­¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s heart fell. In the end, she had not made it! ¡°Your Majesty!¡± A Eunuch suddenly called out in a loud whisper, rushing forward. The Emperor turned in impatient anger, opening his mouth to scold the man as the Eunuch whispered into his ears.¡± The Emperor¡¯s brows flew and he set down his book. ¡°Already? So quickly?¡± In astonishment, he repeated: ¡°Broke through the first six gates!¡± ¡°Mingying¡¯s heir¡­¡± The Emperor murmured as he thought back to the young girl¡¯s display at the Imperial Banquet, some happiness flickering in his eyes as he turned, calling out: ¡°Let her in!¡± A figure moved forward, long hair over black dress as the young woman entered through the Ning An Palace doors. She breathed hurriedly, light sweat dotting her forehead, catching the sunlight streaming in through the door. She advanced quickly, her face paling with each step. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor greeted sadly. ¡°Go see her.¡± At these words, Feng Zhiwei relaxed and almost collapsed. After her crazed race back to Dijing and her headlong rush through the gates, she was a spent arrow. But she could not fall here, and she laboriously kowtowed to the Emperor before ignoring him and rushing through to the Inner Palace. The Tian Sheng Emperor watched her as she left, deeply satisfied. The more Feng Zhiwei resembled Qiu Mingying, the more comfort he took. Feng Zhiwei limped forward through the empty halls, the physicians and servants nowhere in sight. A white cloth lay wrapped around Madam Feng¡¯s head, concealing her wound. The woman herself lay staring up at the palace ceiling, her eyes fading in and out of focus. ¡°Mother!¡± Feng Zhiwei rushed forward, kneeling by the bedside. Madam Feng stirred, her eyes brightening as she struggled to turn, her hands reaching out for Feng Zhiwei. ¡°You¡­ came¡­¡± She managed weakly, a wan smile on the corner of her lips. ¡°I almost¡­missed¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei shut her eyes, clutching her mother¡¯s hand tightly, her voice quiet as if in a daze. ¡°I did not let you wait in vain¡­ I made it¡­¡± The brave young woman reached out under Madam Feng¡¯s gentle, sorrowful smile, gently shifting the cloth on her mother¡¯s head. Feng Zhiwei stared at the ferocious wound, etching the image into her heart and carving it forever into her mind. She refused to forget her mother¡¯s wound, just another of the sins the merciless dynasty had heaped on her family. She refused to forget the harsh life, the pain, the suffering of her years. Even when she had thought everything was improving and that she could finally give her mother a comfortable life, the ruthless refused to spare them, tearing her dreams apart. She wished to remember that the world was merciless, as cold as the torn flesh and shattered bones in front of her eyes. From now on, this wound would stay with her, only growing, never to heal. The curtain parted as the Tian Sheng Emperor stepped in, too disturbed to wait outside. Madam Feng said nothing and neither did her daughter. Feng Zhiwei just rested against her mother¡¯s hand, her eyes closed as her mother wrote in her palm. The callused finger shifted weakly over her palm, so weak that the character were barely recognizable, but Feng Zhiwei still felt these words cut deeper than anything she had ever felt, marking her spirit and soul. ¡°Zhiwei.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor began, turning away from the horrible wound, his face gentle and sorrowful. ¡°My deepest sympathies¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei quirked her lips into a cold, soulless smile, squeezing Madam Feng¡¯s worried hand as she caught her mother¡¯s anxious gaze. Mom, relax. I understand. When she turned, her face was filled with sad gratitude. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Madam Feng moved weakly, lifting her daughter¡¯s hand and reaching forward to the Emperor. Feng Zhiwei bit her lip hesitantly, eyeing the Tian Sheng Emperor in obvious trepidation. The Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s heart shook at the sight and he stepped forward hurriedly, accepting Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand from Madam Feng¡¯s grasp. He held Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand in his palm solemnly before letting her go, his voice deep as he spoke: ¡°Zhiwei, your mother is a great patron of the Dynasty. All these years, I have failed her, but I will not fail you. Today, you are now the Sheng Ying[1] Princess, and I will treat you as my own daughter¡­you can¡­rest easy¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei wept, her tears streaming silently down her face. ¡°This Female Minister [2]thanks His Majesty for his grace!¡± Feng Zhiwei choked out, falling down and kowtowing at the Emperor¡¯s feet. Feng Zhiwei dug her fingers into the golden bricks below her, her nails cracking and dripping with quiet blood, dripping down and joining the dried blood of her mother. She lifted her eyes, her heart splintering with pain as she looked up at the Tian Sheng Emperor with boundless admiration and adoration as if seeing her own father. The Tian Sheng Emperor met her gaze, his heart going out for the poor orphan¡¯s miserable life, tears filling his eyes. Feng Zhiwei had already turned back to her watching mother, nothing having slipped by those attentive, dying eyes. Madam Feng smiled. Zhiwei¡­ her Zhiwei¡­ The daughter that she had spent all her mind, body, and soul to protect, always. No matter her anger, no matter her pain, no matter the grief and devastation that made her wish to rise and destroy everything, she had maintained her lonely logic and chosen the right path, even if that choice meant that she had to bottle up all her hatred and crush it down until her joints seemed to ache and her bones crack. [1] Ê¥Ó§ (sheng ying; sheng = holy/sacred/ or in this context, Imperial; Ying from her mother¡¯s name Qiu Mingying) [2] ³¼Å® is probably most easily understood in this context as ¡°I, your servant.¡± Å® is the word for female, and ³¼ is the word for official or minister, especially in the bureaucracies of the Imperial Dynasties. Princes and Princesses are considered Ministers of the Emperor first, and Sons/Daughters of the Emperor second. ³¼Å® is the status replacing Feng Zhiwei¡¯s ÃñÅ®, which is basically Female Commoner. Chapter 229 Qiu Mingying stared weakly into her daughter¡¯s reddened eyes, the fury and hatred within implacable. She saw the creases and tears of her daughter¡¯s unquenchable regret, but also the great determination and heroic resolve of her daughter¡¯s heart. She knew that one day her daughter would ride out, snowy white blade in hand, and slash this fake era¡¯s prosperity in twain. So she smiled and let go, content. The dust of the earthly world was too heavy, and she could no longer bear the weight of a single mote. All her bitter plans and silent pain were over, and it was over. Her death was the beginning of this Imperial Dynasty¡¯s fall. She was tired; the future would rest in the hands of the living. Finally, she could accept her death with a smile, her conscience clear as she went to reunite with him. Oh¡­ almost¡­ forgot¡­ She stirred one final time, struggling against her eyelids as she gestured for her daughter to come close. Feng Zhiwei dipped her tear marred face, brushing her ear against her mother¡¯s lips. Both daughter and mother were icy cold, her skin and her lips like permafrost on the far-north mountains, never disturbed by the heat of earthly light. ¡°Don¡¯t blame mom¡­ don¡¯t blame¡­ your brother¡­¡± Madam Feng murmured weakly, her smile apologetic. ¡°He lived¡­ only¡­ to die for you¡­¡± And then her breath shuddered and faded, a frost flower quietly dissipating. Those last words were easy light as the wind and as heavy as a hammer, smashing into the young woman¡¯s shattered heart. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A mouthful of blood spilled from her lips, her heart¡¯s shock and horror falling to the golden floor! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The Imperial Palace opened up to the sky in a bound triangle, perfect and square like the rules and rites that bonded all lives. It was like a coffin, trapping the flesh forever and ever until the end of time. Feng Zhiwei sat crosslegged in a side-room of the Ning An Palace facing two coffins as she read a hidden letter she had found in Madam Feng¡¯s waistband. She poured over each and every word with all her strength and attention, and after a long, long read, she held the paper to the flame of an opened lamp and watched it burn. The paper curled on itself as it died in the fire, slowly flaking into dust. The flames danced coldly in Zhiwei¡¯s eyes, the heat never touching the darkness looming in her gaze. Finally, she shuttered the Ever-Burning Lamp and stood with it, swaying together with the white silk curtains flowing in the midnight breeze. Lamp in hand, she wandered between the two coffins like a lost spirit. Feng Hao. After the Emperor confirmed Feng Hao¡¯s death, his corpse was fated for the crematorium, but when the Tian Sheng Emperor looked down into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s bloodshot eyes as she fell to the ground and begged for her brother¡¯s body, he eventually agreed. ¡°His Majesty is merciful.¡± The eunuch had said as he brought her the corpse. ¡°Never has a corpse sent to the crematorium been left whole.¡± His Majesty¡¯s mercy. Feng Zhiwei quirked her lips in a humorless smile. Handing over a corpse is also considered mercy. But in the end, it mattered not. Compared to her, he was indeed merciful. She added some oil into her lamp and leaned down to examine Feng Hao. The child lay wide-eyed, the wild horror and pain still marring his gaze as he died an unwilling death. Feng Zhiwei did not know how long she stared down at his face, but finally she reached out to touch his cold cheeks. When had she last touched him? She did not remember. She had always hated him too much to touch him, frustrated by his pettiness and foolishness. When she was young, she had thought him a waste of space, and as she matured, she knew him to be her greatest burden. So in the half year before his fated death for her, she had him locked away in a prison. His final days spent in a cell. It turned out that she was the great burden, and he had paid a price she could never repay. Mother had at least spoiled him for sixteen years, trying her best to balance the pain, but it was she who owed him, and it was she who had treated him coldly these sixteen years. She brushed her fingers down his face¡­ the first and last time she would ever be able to touch her little brother. You lived for your sister, and you died for her, never knowing a sister¡¯s love. Let me show you that love at least once, even if it is already too late. She stared down into Feng Hao¡¯s wild eyes. Hao er. Watch me. See me. Look at your cruel, heartless sister. The coldest of family, the stupidest of women who failed you all the years of your life. Her lamp¡¯s light flickered in the darkness, dancing like a will-o-wisp. She turned to Madam Feng¡¯s coffin. Mom. I always asked you where the proud, brilliant Fire Phoenix General had gone, shaming you for the loss of your edge and your glory. You never had to answer, so why did you have use your death to reply? We agreed to leave Dijing together, but Heaven laughs. Fate has never given me anything I wished for, no matter how humble the request. You were never going to wait for me, and we were never going to see the mountains and seas, happy and free together. Is this fate? I cannot even imagine how you lasted these sixteen years. And when you came to gift me the dress you made me and I ignored you because you refused to send Hao er away¡­ I left you in the rain until you gave up and left. How long did I sit by that door? I waited until I almost fell asleep¡­ and you stood in the rain, waiting. And I finally understand. You could not send him to Mount Shou Yang because it was too far away. He would be too far to die for me. You could allow his exile because he would die on his own, and then he could not die for me. Mom. With the corpses of my last family, you¡¯re teaching your final lesson. Time cannot turn backwards, and all the regret in the world cannot pay back our debts and failures. Even if I thrust myself into these coffins alongside you, I will never be able to share a steamed bun with you as you smile, and we will never sit with Hao er as he enjoys his cabbage soup. Chapter 230 For the first time in my life, I can live luxuriantly and enjoy all the extravagances of wealth and rank, but now that I have it all, I understand that the only thing I truly desire is to gather again the three of us and share a simple bowl of cabbage soup. But the past could not be changed and the what-ifs were set in stone; all that remained in the dust of this earth ¡ª tragedy. The candle flickered and slowly died. In the deep of the night. Snow fell heavily like sheets of cotton and a thick blanket soon covered everything. Feng Zhiwei walked silently wearing only a thin dress. The cold snow came up to her ankles and cut deep to her bones, but she ignored it all. There was nothing colder than her heart. She was asleep amidst the permafrost and the thick, rising snow, isolated and alone forever more. ¡°Zhiwei, wait for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to hear the waves when the wind blows through the reeds, and maybe a feather will fall on my sleeve as well. En¡­ do you want to go listen to it with me?¡± But we will never get the chance. As soon as Xin Ziyan¡¯s Golden Feather Guard had broken through the gates of the Cui Fang Residence, the reed marsh in far off South Sea withered away into memory. Love and hatred; right and wrong. Ning Yi. The Golden Feather Guard is yours? Our Feng Family¡¯s Case¡­ when we first met, right? Your attentiveness to Feng Hao¡­ because of your suspicions to our background? So I have always been a target ¡ª not for love, but for power. I have always stood against you ¡ª not by fate, but by blood. He¡­ how stupid. How foolish. No indulgence will be allowed me ever, and as soon as my heart begins racing like a wild stallion, fate takes the reins and strangles me, cutting me with piercing blows. Everything I wished for were dreams passing like clouds, pretty things that scatter in the wake of thunder and wind. The things I thought were close enough to touch are far off at the edge of the world. The snow fell heedless and heartless, indifferent to the lonely people standing silent in the dark night. Feng Zhiwei sat on her feet, kneeling by a short tree. Slowly, she dragged her finger through the snow, carving out a name. In the thin moonlight, the snow almost glistened. Feng Zhiwei stared down at that name for a long moment before placing her reddened hand on the snow. The small stretch of snow warmed under her freezing hand and all the thousand cares of her heart and the heartaches of loneliness melted away, disappearing like life and family. When the sun rose, Feng Zhiwei carried two coffins out of Ning An Palace, her spine straight and her eyes forward. She never looked back. The name she¡¯d carved had long since melted away and the last traces were now covered by layer and layer of snow, forever hidden. In the Thirteenth Year of Chang Xi, in the Imperial Capital Dijing, a girl was banished from the Qiu Mansion and made homeless. That year, a servant boy eked a living in a brothel, a peerless National Scholar rose rapidly in the ranks, and a teenage Imperial Envoy achieved great success and merit. In this Thirteenth Year, a lascivious prince wandered Dijing. A Dynasty Founding Emperor revealed once more his cruelty and cold heart. A famed Female General endured humiliation, and an innocent young boy lived wildly, unaware of his fate. This Thirteenth Year, the two met by a winter lake, drank by an abandoned bridge in the deep of night, strove to live in an ancient temple, and found warmth in the troubled South Sea. On this Thirteenth Year of Chang Xi, one life continued, and bright memories as the year¡¯s first snow fell, cruel and uncaring. All the pomp and luxury fell away into nothing. ¡­ Wind swept down from the Snowy Mountains of Qing Zhuo, carrying the pure icy fragrance across the thousand li of the vast steppes, falling on a young woman¡¯s face ¡ª a comfortable cool. The horizon fell away in the distance, ever stretching, and the setting sun hung behind, burning a vast and magnificent purple orange, its dancing light reflected in the great river before her. ¡°Beyond this river lies the territory of the United Twelve Tribes of Hu Zhuo.¡± Hua Qiong announced, feeling the ceremony of the moment as she covered Feng Zhiwei with a cloak. ¡°It might be spring back home, but it will only get colder up ahead. Such thin clothes, what if you get sick?¡± Feng Zhiwei stared across the river, her hands clasped behind her back. She stirred, turning and smiling at Hua Qiong, gathering the cloak around her as she replied: ¡°I¡¯m not a bedridden cat. You¡¯re expecting, you¡¯re the one who needs to keep warm.¡± Hua Qiong returned her smile, patting her on the shoulder. But soon, the two turned away. One set of eyes turned off, wandering absently down the river; the other set squinted, peering off into the distant steppes. Wind swept hair and sleeves fluttered in the breeze. Dijing was some days behind them. After that great snowy storm, Feng Zhiwei plowed through a great illness as she buried her mother and brother. When she had finally recovered, she thought over everything and finally decided to leave the capital. All the sacrifice had to be worth it. Her mother had spoiled her brother for sixteen years in preparation for that one day, to sacrifice him when the dynasty came against the Da Cheng Imperial Blood. Her mother had even sacrificed herself to win the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s forgiveness and pity, earning Feng Zhiwei a chance to survive and a chance to rise. She no longer needed to hide herself. With the Emperor¡¯s guilt and her new title as Princess, she could finally walk the path her mother had planned. Her mother had did everything for her, even using her death to trick the Emperor. How could Feng Zhiwei let her down? How could she waste her mother¡¯s life? How could she waste her brother¡¯s? Since Ning Yi had already decided to move against her, he would never leave the job undone. She had escaped, but who knew when the next attack would come? When Ning Yi returned triumphant from quashing the Minnan Rebellion, his power would rise meteorically. How could she fight against him? ¡°There are things I must achieve, and now that I have walked down this path, I cannot retreat. Sometimes, those in power cannot do what they wish, even if they want to step back, their subordinates and followers will not allow it. You¡­ do you understand?¡± His words still rang clearly in her mind, and only now did she understand the deep meaning underlying that conversation they had at the veranda outside the Imperial Study, after the Fifth Prince had tried to claim the Crown Princedom. Sadly, she understood too late. Surviving in Dijing is not easy, so she retreated for the moment. There were vast oceans and boundless skies she had not yet seen. Chapter 231 Some days ago, just as Hua Qiong and Helian Zheng had caught up to Feng Zhiwei, the war with Da Yue had shifted. The Tian Sheng Army had been ambushed and suffered a great defeat, with Commander General Qiu Shangqi badly wounded. Investigators soon discovered that one of the Twelve Hu Zhuo Tribes, the Golden Roc Tribe, had colluded with Da Yue and sold Tian Sheng Military Intelligence, dissatisfied with the distributions of meadowland over the harsh winter. The Old King of Hu Zhuo was furious and immediately set off to question the Golden Roc Tribe Chieftain, but he was set upon and assassinated by a powerful, hidden warrior. The Twelve Tribes fell to chaos, and all tribes had been in a constant state of war ever since. Hu Zhuo land belonged to the Tian Sheng Dynasty and the Imperial Court brooked no such chaos. The Emperor immediately approved Helian Zheng¡¯s request to return, titling the prince Khagan of the United Twelve Tribes, successor to the Shunyi King; condemning Dala, the Golden Roc Tribe Chieftain, demand with Imperial Edict that the murderer be surrendered and the chieftain submit to the new King. The Edict rang out with pomp and dignity, but everyone knew that the fierce, tough steppe people would only surrender when vanquished. If Shunyi King Helian Zheng could not crush his enemies in this succession war, the Imperial Edict would mean nothing, not even able to guarantee Helian Zheng¡¯s life. The Hu Zhuo Prince immediately gathered his followers and bid Feng Zhiwei farewell, only for Feng Zhiwei to calmly reply: ¡°No need for goodbyes. I¡¯m coming with you.¡± The next day, the Tian Sheng Emperor passed down another Imperial Order, officially titling Feng Zhiwei Sheng Ying Princess and sanctioning her marriage to Helian Zheng. That very day, escorted by Chunyu Meng, Vice-Leader of the Chang Ying Guard, Helian Zheng and Feng Zhiwei departed for the steppes. The ¡°Sheng¡± in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s new title shocked the Imperial Court as she carefully hid her disdain behind warmth and gratitude ¡ª truly, the unattainable turned out to be the most holy. Helian Zheng was both happy and worried, and so many thoughts ran through him that he could not speak. As Feng Zhiwei calmly strode through the Imperial Court to receive her Imperial Edict, the ministers looked down at her with pity and speculation. But nevertheless, the skies above the Golden Palace were still ever vast and blue, and the Sheng Ying Princess¡¯s back was straight and her steps firm as the train of her dress swept up the Jade Stairs. That day, the Shunyi King and his followers left the Imperial Palace, passing the Nine Dragons Tower and the Sutra Jade Hall Main Street, finally passing through the Divine Water Gate and exiting Dijing through the Perennial Peace Gate. Meanwhile, the Minnan Imperial Envoy, Commander General of the Southern Expedition, Prince Chu Ning Yi returned in triumph. He and his Honor Guard entered through the Lasting Peace Gate and passed through the Divine Water Gate, marching down the Sutra Jade Hall Main Street and passing by the Nine Dragons Tower before entering the Imperial Palace. The two groups passed by. When the hoofs of the Minnan Imperial Envoy¡¯s steed stepped on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s bridal escort¡¯s red carpet, Dijing was already but a memory.[1] When the Minnan Imperial Envoy entered the Golden Palace and bowed before the His Majesty¡¯s Imperial Grace, as Ning Yi was climbing to another height of power in the luxuriant Imperial Capital, the Sheng Ying Princess¡¯s long team of carriages and men were already on the road to the vast steppes. The steppe wind was brisk and cool. Feng Zhiwei smiled quietly as she watched the sun set by the glistening Chang Shui River, staring at the fine scintillating scales of light in the river as they faded into darkness. She smoothly removed an object from her sleeve, brushing her fingers over the beautiful, natural wood pattern. Most of the beautiful things in this world had poison. She finally understood. ¡­ ¡°Pu Tong¡± After a long, long wait, a quiet splash disturbed the river before falling silent once more. The steppe night was harsh and cold. ¡°Why aren¡¯t we crossing the river?¡± Helian Zheng asked, frowning as Feng Zhiwei returned to camp. ¡°You know why.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, sitting by his side. ¡°Even if this isn¡¯t Golden Roc Territory, how can we be sure the Pixiu[2] Tribe isn¡¯t planning something? It¡¯s too dangerous crossing in the dark.¡± She grabbed a cup of sheep¡¯s milk but frowned as she brought it to her lips. ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself.¡± Helian Zheng commented, gently pressing down on her hand. Feng Zhiwei did not move, her eyes moving downwards from her hand to the hand on her waist. Helian Zheng awkwardly pulled away. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes flicked up and she smiled as if nothing had happened, replying: ¡°We cannot stop just because we do not like something.¡± She held the cup to her lips and threw back the whole thing, accepting Helian Zheng¡¯s handkerchief and smiling at him. Helian Zheng kept his peace ¡ª he knew if he spoke, she¡¯d end up spitting out the sheep¡¯s milk and then finding another cup, so why add to her torture? He turned away, not willing to show her the pain in his eyes. Zhiwei had changed. She still treated people the same, and she was still warm and gentle, her faint smile undisturbed. Only those who knew her well could feel the frozen desolation underneath her warm facade. Even though she had always had a cold, hardness, her warmth and gentleness used to burn with fervor. Now, only a vast emptiness and quiet loneliness lay underneath her mask. She regretted her lacking wisdom and ferocity and punished herself, forbidding any indulgence. Including¡­ affections. When His Majesty had granted their marriage, Helian Zheng had stirred with a hint of happiness amidst the grief and anger of his father¡¯s death, but when he turned and saw the placid indifference in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes, his heart plummeted. He knew immediately that Feng Zhiwei had sealed away her heart. She was closer to him than ever before, yet her heart lay a world away. Even the vast steppes were less empty than her heart. ¡°Rest early. Tomorrow we will be in Hu Zhuo land. We will have many tasks ahead of us.¡± Helian Zheng finally said, taking her cup. ¡°Perhaps¡­ only exhaustion awaits us.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, frowning as she tried to conquer her stomach. Helian Zheng sighed quietly, standing. Tomorrow, he would not allow any sheep¡¯s milk by her tent. As the man left, his swift steps disappearing into the cold night, Feng Zhiwei watched his back. This domineering rogue had fallen quiet ¡ª was it just his father¡¯s death and the uncertainty of his future? [1] The departure & official marriage of the Sheng Ying Princess would have necessitated some ceremony. Thus the big dress and the red carpet etc. [2] õùõ÷ Chapter 232 Everyone was forced to adapt to the world, and the light freedom of the past falls away like wilting flowers. The tent flap opened and Gu Nanyi entered, two monkeys on his shoulders and a baby in his arms. He was always this stubborn and persistent, and raising monkeys and children was no exception. Feng Zhiwei was morbidly curious. It had been some time since she was in the mood to help him take care of the child, and the baby was still alive? And the child was even white and chubby, incredibly attached to the jade statue, not happy with another other arms. Children were truly close to whoever they spent time with, whether a wet-nurse or a wet-man. ¡°It¡¯s time to decide on a name.¡± Feng Zhiwei said as she carefully took the baby. The two little monkeys jumped down onto her hands, gently gnawing on her fingers. The locket around the child¡¯s neck was inscribed with her birth date, and she was almost a full year now. It was time for a formal name. ¡°I know.¡± Gu Nanyi replied. ¡°En, what name were you thinking?¡± Feng Zhiwei nodded. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Feng Zhiwei echoed, confused. ¡°I know (Zhi Dao).¡± Gu Nanyi repeated, pointing at the baby. Feng Zhiwei finally understood. Feng Zhiwei stared up at Gu Nanyi, surrendering the child as Gu Nanyi took her back into his arms, his face utterly serious: ¡°Gu Zhidao.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I mean, you can¡¯t call her that.¡± Feng Zhiwei finally sighed, patiently explaining the matter to Young Master Gu. ¡°She will be a woman, and if you give her this name, she¡¯ll grow up to hate you.¡± Young Master Gu looked up with confusion, staring blankly at her, his eyes brighter than the steppe stars. Finally: ¡°Why?¡± Feng Zhiwei latched onto the opportunity and continued: ¡°A girl needs an elegant and beautiful name or else people will laugh at her.¡± ¡°But I think I Know is the best.¡± Young Master Gu replied calmly. Feng Zhiwei fell silent. Her illness in South Sea had left a deep impact on Gu Nanyi, and he felt that the root of all his problems was not knowing, so now he had set his entire being on ¡°knowing,¡± so much so that this poor baby was no forced to take on the name ¡°I Know.¡± ¡°How about ZhiXiao.¡± Feng Zhiwei finally relented, offering a compromise. ¡°Gu Zhixiao. Zhixiao also means to know. Isn¡¯t that good? And she¡¯ll be like my little sister.¡± [1] Young Master Gu thought for a while before nodding, approving the name. He still had one quibble though: ¡°Your daughter.¡± Feng Zhiwei almost fell, choking on her saliva. My daughter? She wanted to protest, but she did not dare. She was afraid that the problem would only grow, and then Young Master Gu would go out and claim ¡°my daughter,¡± and then everything would explode. ¡°You adopted her.¡± Feng Zhiwei said firmly. ¡°Yours.¡± Young Master Gu nodded and replied. ¡°Mine is yours.¡± Feng Zhiwei breathed deeply before deciding to ignore the problem. Fortunately, Gu Nanyi did not see the problem in the first place so felt no need to argue, and he announced what he had come in to say: ¡°Wei Zhi was struck by a landslide on his way back to Dijing and was washed away. His whereabouts are unknown. Zong Chen said.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused. Why was Zong Cheng speaking through Gu Nanyi? But then she immediately understood ¡ª Zong Chen knew she was trying to wake Gu Nanyi from his sleepwalking and was helping her. Wei Zhi¡¯s whereabouts are unknown¡­ Feng Zhiwei fell into silent thought. Ning Yi was not revealing her double identity and was even crafting an alibi for her. Why? Did he think that she would one day use her Wei Zhi identity to return to the Imperial Court? She had been prepared for Ning Yi to expose her, and so she had hurried away from Dijing. The steppes were far and remote, and it would be difficult for even the Tian Sheng Emperor to throw aside all of Wei Zhi¡¯s meritorious achievements to punish her for her deception. But he had not spoken. Since he had already moved so ruthlessly against hers, why was he not digging out the roots after cutting the weeds? This did not seem like Ning Yi. Only Ning Yi and Ning Cheng knew of her dual identity. Not even Xin Ziyan knew, otherwise the Emperor would have known. But why would Ning Yi and Xin Ziyan only start the attack and not finish it? Feng Zhiwei did not understand and she did not want to try to understand. In the end, the blow had struck and the results were cruel and devastating. Nothing could balance this debt. With the information relayed, Gu Nanyi brought out a nursing bottle to feed Gu Zhixiao, holding her with his left hand and patiently feeding her with his right. He held a small piece of cotton cloth between his fingers to wipe any milk that dripped out of her mouth, all his actions gentle and smooth, not at all like his first time drenching the baby with milk. The two Pen Monkeys stood on his hand, dutifully helping hold up the bottle. The oil lamp shone through Gu Nanyi¡¯s veil, painting the curves and angles of his beautiful face. His long lashes were lidded with peace and calm, and though he was still his awkward jade statue self, that jade statue seemed gentle and alive, glowing with light. Feng Zhiwei quietly took in the amusing, heart-warming moment, a quiet joy flickering across her eyes. She had seen so much unbridled coldness in this world, but in this moment all she saw was beauty and purity. ¡°Brother Gu¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei suddenly began. ¡°Zhi Wei disappearing means he might reappear. What do you think?¡± In the future, she would have him participate in the world and needed to teach him to think on his own. But Gu Nanyi refused to think and immediately replied: ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± After finishing the feeding, Gu Nanyi carefully handed her Zhixiao. ¡°Sadness.¡± He looked down at Feng Zhiwei, thinking back to that first snow in Dijing. She had knelt in the deep snows by two graves, using her hands to smooth out the dirt by the tombs. She had been quiet, not crying. As he watched her moving laborious in the heavy snow, he had suddenly felt that the grey sky above was dreary and oppressing, as if pressuring his heart. He had asked her, what was this heavy feeling making it so difficult to breathe. She answered, sadness. Sadness. So this was sadness. That day he had stayed by her side as the sun set and rose, and when the red sun struggled past the clouds on the edge of the mountain, the bright light breaking free and sweeping out over thousands upon thousands of miles, he finally understood something he had never before known. [1] T/N: ÖªÏþ,Ïþ dawn, know. It pronounced exactly like С,little. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s Wei also means little, tiny, micro. Chapter 233 In many things, it was not that Young Master Gu could not understand, it was just that people did not explain it to him on his own term. Only she had been able to teach him what loss felt like, and worry, and fear, and¡­ sadness. Only her. Feng Zhiwei stared wordlessly, stunned even before the man in front of her moved closer, taking her finger into his hand. Feng Zhiwei almost gaped. He had carried her and touched her before, but all those times he had been rescuing her from danger. Voluntarily touching her without outside impetus? This was a first. He took her finger and used it to brush Zhixiao¡¯s tender, pink cheek. ¡°Warm. He said. ¡°Soft.¡± The two pen monkeys also used their hairy paws to poke the baby. Finally fed up with the bullying from the two humans and two monkeys, the baby began crying. But despite the baby¡¯s distress, Feng Zhiwei just shut her eyes. Young Master Gu¡­ was he comforting her? She just sat for a moment, silent and unmoving. Two trails of water slowly slid down from the corners of her eyes. It was midnight and the tent was packed. Gu Nanyi refused to leave, sleeping on a rug with the baby on his belly, the two monkeys on her belly. A wet-nurse was accompanying the team, but Young Master Gu often slept with the baby himself. Zhixiao was well behaved and rarely made a fuss, and every night at the Yan Hour[1], she would wake to use the potty and so Young Master Gu would wake and take her. Feng Zhiwei lay on another rug, her hands under her head. She smiled in wry amusement; Helian Zheng really was such a big hearted man, casually allowing his ¡°wife¡± to sleep in the same tent as another man. In the depths of night, a glow flickered in the darkness and noise stirring outside. Feng Zhiwei stood and slipped out of her tent. Helian Zheng and the others were already gathered outside, peering out across the river. On the other bank, flames and shadows battled as distant screamed filled the air. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Two possibilities.¡± Helian Zheng offered: ¡°The steppe war has caught up to the Pixiu Tribe, or someone is trying to trick us into crossing tonight.¡± ¡°Is the Pixiu Tribe loyal to the King¡¯s Court?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Helian Zheng smiled coldly. ¡°White Deer, Blue Bird, and Fire Fox are the three most loyal. All of them are tied to the royal line through the Hong Le Branch. Pixiu is on the outskirts, and they¡¯ve never been the most loyal.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly replied, turning. ¡°Okay, then sleep.¡± All of them turned with her, sparing no more thought for the miserable scene across the river. ¡°God damn it Helian Zheng! Your old mother is dying over here and you¡¯re still not coming over?¡± A sharp cry suddenly rang out, piercing across the river. Helian Zheng whipped around. Feng Zhiwei murmured: ¡°Who¡¯s voice is that, more terrifying than ten Zhixiaos.¡± The flames across the way brightened and a figure jumped up and down on the opposite bank, waving something in the air. Her voice was incredibly loud, rising up above the chaos on the other bank and easily carrying across the thirty meter wide river. ¡°Helian you brat! Little bastard Helian! Jadran Irgi! Get over here! Immediately! Right now!¡± Helian Zheng stared blankly, his color constantly changing ¡ª first a little green, then a little blue, all in all very entertaining. The Eight Valiants were also staring dazedly, and then as one, they all turned and left. ¡°Who is Jadran Irgi?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked, frowning, a bad feeling filling her heart. It couldn¡¯t be¡­ ¡°Me¡­¡± Helian Zheng replied numbly, his voice dry. ¡°My lucky[2] baby¡­¡± The figure called out, changing her strategy when her cursing seemed impotent. She waved a long strip of something, her voice growing thin and sweet. ¡°Lucky little baby, lucky sweet deer, lucky prince, lucky little lamb¡­ your mom is dying! That Golden Roc Tribe fool is trying to kidnap your pretty mom and make her his wife! If you don¡¯t come now, you¡¯ll have to call Hongji La Golden Roc father!¡± Lucky little baby¡­ Feng Zhiwei eyed Helian Zheng and decided to hold her peace. From the lock on his face, he was already on the verge of dying. ¡°Liu Mudan[3]!¡± Helian Zheng suddenly roared, almost leaping forward. ¡°Go die! Marry him! You can sleep in the same den as that roc! Wait until I get there, and then you can kneel and call me daddy Khagan with your adulterer!¡± Feng Zhiwei stumbled¡­ what¡­ what was going on¡­ The lady Liu Mudan yelled out, sobbing: ¡°Heartless Ji dog[4]! Your mother had to endure half a month of labor just for a dog son! Cleaned your pee and poop, ate grass and gave you milk! And you grew into a stranger¡¯s dog! Your father was murdered and you¡¯re here for revenge, but your mom is going to be raped and you don¡¯t care! Why didn¡¯t I drown you in a barrel of urine? You you yo yo yo uy muy ou you yo yo uy muy muy ou ¡­ this lady will drown herself now and haunt you as a ghost!¡± She cried and yelled and waved and danced, running towards the river as if about to commit suicide. She ran up and down the long river bank, making four round trips and still refusing to jump. Countless people chased behind her, unable to catch up to her big, tough feet. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s jaw dropped open, astonished beyond herself by this witch¡¯s antics ¡ª difficult labor for two weeks! As if you would still be alive! Poor Helian Zheng had fallen from Helian Little Brat to Jadran Irgi to Lucky Little Baby to Heartless Ji Dog¡­ the colorful expression on his face never ceased, and he glared at this running witch for a long moment before stamping his feet and turning back to camp. After a few steps, he stopped. Then he started again. And in this manner he began walking around in a circle. Feng Zhiwei sighed. Clearly this extraordinary woman was the Queen of the Steppes, Helian Zheng¡¯s mother, the widow of the late Shunyi King. Even if Feng Zhiwei did not understand how the Hu Zhuo Queen was this heaven startling, earth shattering, drive-demons-and-gods-to-tears woman, she was sadly and indubitably Helian Zheng¡¯s mother. No wonder the old king only had four wives out of his quota of ten¡­ this Queen of his was quite special. Feng Zhiwei watched another quarter hour with morbid amusement. This suicide attempt really was dragging on, the woman had already run eight laps. Steppe Queen, you really have excellent stamina. [1] Yan Hour = 3-5 am. [2] ¼ªÏé Jixiang [3] Peony [4] Lucky/auspicious = Jixiang. ; ji dog. Chapter 234 ¡°It¡¯s obviously a trap.¡± Zong Chen announced beside Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Fire, blood, and Prince Helian¡¯s mother¡­ running so freely. Clearly the enemy is baiting Prince Helian across the river.¡± ¡°Do you think the Queen is foolish or clever?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, a strange smile on her lips. ¡°After such an uproar, even an idiot would understand that something was wrong. As long as Helian Zheng is not a pig, he will not cross.¡± ¡°If she stayed quiet and refused to lure Helian Zheng across, the Golden Roc Tribe would use her to blackmail the Prince.¡± Zong Chen realized, smiling quietly. ¡°The Golden Roc Tribe do not understand yet, but when they do, the Queen will be in danger.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned to examine Helian Zheng. The man stood in the dark night, his hands clasped and his back to the river, still and motionless. The witch mother ran around breathlessly, waving that strip of cloth powerlessly, her hoarse voice filling the air: ¡°You bastard Ji dog! Your old man died and you lost you heart! You¡¯re not even as sweet as Kereyid! To think I gave birth to a dog like you! Tomorrow I¡¯ll take him as my son!¡± Helian Zheng twitched, and only a quiet Feng Zhiwei dared to ask: ¡°Who is Kereyid?¡± ¡°Fire Fox Tribe Chief¡­¡± Helian Zheng replied through grit teeth. ¡°So he is a traitor¡­¡± The pieces began coming together. Helian Zheng had already told her that the circumstances around the old King¡¯s death were strange. He had summoned the Golden Roc Tribe Chieftain for questioning, but the man had been able to ignore the heavy guards and easily slipped away after the murder. Clearly, there was a traitor. Finally, the witch Queen of the Steppes had passed on the news. Some of the people chasing after the Queen burst into laughter as if greatly amused. Feng Zhiwei watched the woman with her spy glass, making out many massed shadows behind the far tents. ¡°We have experts who can swim?¡± Feng Zhiwei suddenly asked. ¡°I sent them when we confirmed her identity.¡± Zong Chen replied. Feng Zhiwei nodded with satisfaction as Helian Zheng turned, his gaze grateful. The steppe warriors were not good swimmers, and none of his own people could cross the river without detection. Helian Zheng finally turned towards the river and shouted. ¡°Liu Mudan you crazed woman! You can sleep in any den you like! You can take anyone as your son! If you want to jump into the river, jump! Just stop yelling and bitching!¡± ¡°This Mother will sleep right now! I¡¯ll jump!¡± Liu Mudan cried out defiantly, leaping out of the hands of her pursuers and spitting into the Chang Shui River. ¡°You don¡¯t scare me!¡± Helian Zheng called back angrily. ¡°Before father, you slept with over a hundred people! And afterwards, you still hooked up with Naiman, White deer, and all the others! At least ten honored leaders complained about your harassment! You have shamed the Irgi King Line and polluted the noble Irgi Blood! If I fucking listen to you, I¡¯m not an Irgi!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t this old lady leave you to be trampled by a horse!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I drag you out from Hule¡¯s tent and stone you!¡± The mother and son began quarreling, airing their dirty laundry. One side was accused of being an easily seduced, loose woman whose prostitute background was not at all worthy of the title of Queen. The other side was called heartless, cruel, and without morals, surely the reincarnation of the snow mountain wolf, which would explain why he almost gnawed off her nipples every time she breastfed him, and whenever she held him while he peed, he would pee for six hours and her arms would go numb ¡ª both sides cursed and threw colorful and spectacular insults, stunning the people on both sides of the river with remarkable secrets about the Steppe King¡¯s family. As they listened in stunned amazement, the people pursuing Liu Mudan lagged behind, letting her slip towards the river bank unattended. ¡°Stop her!¡± A loud voice cried out, hoof beats stamping forward. At that moment, Liu Mudan dove into the water, disappearing into the river. ¡°Shua.¡± A cloud of metal gleamed, shooting out of the peaceful Chang Shui River waters, cutting into the crowd pursuing Liu Mudan. The amused guards were still distracted by what they had heard and completely unprepared for the attack, and they had not even recovered from Liu Mudan¡¯s shocking disappearance when the silvery gleams were upon them. ¡°Ah!¡± Miserable cries filled the air, the powerful crossbow bolts mowing them down mercilessly. Shadows collapsed, blood dying the water red. A rider neared, entering the crossbow¡¯s range, but as the gleaming bolts howled towards him, he flipped under his horse¡¯s belly, letting the animal absorb the arrows. The horse neighed and fell as the man flipped upright and landed firmly, his face ugly as he looked out at the dead and dying and the empty, calm river waters. A few small waves headed towards the opposite bank, and a woman¡¯s head appeared out of the water. She turned and waved cheerfully, pouting her red lips at him. ¡°Mua!¡± ¡°Hei!¡± The man snorted, striking the river with his sword. The water blasted up three meters in the air, but his enemy was already out of reach. As the Steppe Queen was busy taunting, Helian Zheng had already lined his men into battle formation. Now that Zong Chen¡¯s men had rescued his mother and taken care of the enemy ambusher¡¯s in the river, Helian Zhen ignored his weeping mother and ordered his three hundred guards onto their transports, with Chunyu Meng and his three thousand escort guards following. The enemy¡¯s plan had failed, but they refused to leave, dark leather shining dully in the firelight as they lined up by the river. They stood by the borders of Hu Zhuo land, and this was the first step towards reclaiming the steppes. Just as Helian Zheng had to win this battle, the Golden Roc Tribe were determined to stop Helian Zheng here, once and for all. Steppe men were direct people, and since neither side planned on letting any of their enemies leave alive, they shouted no insults as they met fought. Helian Zheng could not instantly disembark his mounted troops, and as their transports neared, the enemy¡¯s arrows fell like rain. Chunyu Meng¡¯s shield bearers had already formed up at the bow, guarding their own archers. As they neared the other bank, Helian Zheng and his Eight Valiants rushed forward with large shields before them, smashing into the waiting enemy. Chapter 235 Zong Chen¡¯s swimming experts shot out of the water like spry fish, appearing amidst the Golden Roc and Pixiu Tribe riders and chopping at the horse legs. Crippled animals collapsed and caused chaos among the ranks, throwing the enemy formation into disorder as Helian Zheng and his Eight Valiants charged. A furious and vengeful Helian Zheng cut through his enemies as if they were tofu, he and his famous Eight Valiants like whirling dervishes spinning through the enemy lines, mowing down his foes and dyeing the steppe with blood. The Pixiu Tribe had always been the weakest of the twelve tribes, never able to contest their way out of the steppe borderlands. The Golden Roc Tribe were occupied on multiple fronts in their fight for steppe supremacy, so they had not sent their entire force to capture or kill Helian Zheng. The Golden Roc Chieftain had assumed that the returning prince would have few guards, and that Feng Zhiwei¡¯s escort team would be hampered by the river crossing. Their plan had been to kill Helian Zheng and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s forces as they straggled over the water in waves. It was a good plan, and fear of just such an occurrence was why Feng Zhiwei and Helian Zheng had not wanted to cross during the night. But the Golden Roc Tribe could not have known of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s personal men. Though she commanded few numbers, those who swore allegiance to her were all experts in some field. Together, they were a small, well-trained army. And all of that was without even mentioning Gu Nanyi. Young Master Gu calmly followed Helian Zheng, strolling along with his baby in his arms. As a large group of ferocious Golden Roc warriors yelled and charged Helian Zheng, Young Master Gu just waved a hand. Most of the enemy fell dead not even knowing what had hit them. As the rosy fingers of dawn quietly lit up the sky, the small battle came to its inevitable conclusion. The Golden Roc Chieftain had arrived just in time to witness the Queen¡¯s escape, and now he led his routing men in a retreat. Unfortunately for the Pixiu Tribe, this was their home and they had nowhere to run. Most survivors surrendered. The quiet sun glinted over the pools of blood and bespattered grass, vital life dripping down from the green into the rich, black soil. This stretch of steppe would flourish come spring. Helian Zheng walked slowly among the corpses, the smoke from the smoldering fires not able to hide his deep, calm eyes. His purple irises turned towards the prisoners kneeling at his feet as his long, golden robe swept through the steppe grass. ¡°Tucha.¡± He finally said, stopping before one of the men. ¡°We have been friends since our youth. You beat me in riding and shooting, and we said that your daughter would marry my son. My son is still unborn, and you are already planning to kill your daughter¡¯s father-in-law?¡± Tucha looked up, his face covered with tears. ¡°Irgi, I was wrong, I was tricked by Hongji La Golden Roc! The¡­. Our Pixiu tribe has not had good land for many years, and everything was taken by the Fire Fox Tribe. Hongji La promised he¡¯d give us half of the Northern Steppe¡­ Irgi. I betrayed you, and I deserve death, but! Please, for our past friendship, spare my people¡¯s women and children!¡± Behind him, the women and children of the tribe wept, kowtowing to Helian Zheng. Helian Zheng stared down at the man, hands clasped behind his back. He nodded solemnly, saying: ¡°You know what you must do.¡± Tucha grit his teeth and lifted his sabre, plunging it into his own chest. All the Pixiu Tribesmen followed silently, dozens of bright blades gleaming against the blue steppe sky. Blood fountained, splashing out. Weeping filled the heavens. Helian Zheng watched calmly, not moving even as the blood pooled up to his boots. He looked up to the clouds, eyeing an almost eagle high above. Quiet but firm, he announced: ¡°Kill them all.¡± ¡°Cha!¡± Blades flashed as the slaughter began. Blood and more blood. The weeping ended. Feng Zhiwei stood silently in the distance, her hands clasped behind her. The steppes demanded vengeance. They had all chosen this life. If mercy was had, the children here would rise up in the future to avenge their father¡¯s death. Prisoners of war had no protection out here. Roots are dug up after the weeds are cut. Tucha had hoped that Helian Zheng was still his generous and tolerant brother, the man who had hunted with him, never jealous over his catch. But¡­ that was when they were brothers. Truthfully, when the Queen and the Prince had aired their scandals, their enemies had already been doomed. The honor and dignity of the Steppe King¡¯s Family was sacrosanct. Only the dead told no tales. ¡°Of the United Twelve Tribes, only eleven remain.¡± Helian Zheng murmured. ¡°Which tribe will die next?¡¯ ¡°Son!¡± Liu Mudan called out, still sopping wet. She paid no attention to the limbless corpses and decapitated heads as she continued: ¡°Don¡¯t kill Kereyid, he¡¯s quite good looking¡­¡± Helian Zheng pushed his lecherous mother aside, shoving her into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s embrace. ¡°Who are you?¡± Liu Mudan questioned, turning towards Feng Zhiwei and sizing her up. The woman stared down at her breasts appraisingly and then unashamedly turned to her hips, her eyes sweeping up and down and flashing with realization. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re that¡­ Ying Ying Princess from the Imperial Court. Heavens! Why are you so skinny? Ji Dog couldn¡¯t be like his dad, unable to control himself and using you every night?¡± ¡°Liu Mudan!¡± Helian Zheng cried out angrily. ¡°Piss off!¡± ¡°You piss off!¡± The woman shouted back, marching over to a tent and sitting down. She pointed at her own nose as she exclaimed. ¡°This Queen is training your wife, why is a man like you interrupting?¡± ¡°You.¡± She curled her finger, beckoning Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Why are you still standing and not kowtowing to your mother-in-law?¡± This ¡°mother-in-law¡± sat on her ¡°throne,¡± dignified and gorgeous as she summoned her servant. The Lady Liu Mudan squatted on a blue stone propped up against the tent, her leather robes wet and muddy and green with grass smears. Her top was red and her skirt was green with a jarring yellow waistband around her middle. She curled her finger, beckoning the honored Princess, the current Shunyi King¡¯s Queen, demanding that she kowtow. As soon as the words left her mouth, at least a dozen of those within earshot seriously considered coming over and bludgeoning her with her stone. Chapter 236 Feng Zhiwei smiled at her ¡°mother-in-law,¡± wondering what kind of gift she should offer for this first meeting. Then out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Young Master Gu striding over, infant in his arms and monkeys on his shoulders. Suddenly wary, she stepped forward and hurriedly took Liu Mudan¡¯s hand, her voice rich with emotion as she replied: ¡°Mother-in-law, this is not the proper place to greet you. Look at how drenched your robe is¡­ we can offer greetings when you¡¯re settled in your tent.¡± As she spoke, she looked down meaningfully at the woman¡¯s breasts. Liu Mudan immediately thrust out her chest as she swept her eyes down over herself; it was only then that she realized the state she was in, mussed robes, open lappet, and her exposed, unfettered bosom, but instead of retreating, she looked up at Feng Zhiwei and leaned in unembarrassed, her voice proud as she spoke:??¡±Jealous? You like? Your Family¡¯s Queen is 45, but they don¡¯t sage enough a bit! Doggy Ji used to suck on them so hard, but he still failed to pull them down¡­¡± The tent entrance flapped wildly as the queen was finally pushed inside her little dog. Feng Zhiwei shook her finger at Helian Zheng, utterly serious as she said: ¡°Jixiang, you must work on your filial piety.¡± Sweeping by him as she entered to server her mother-in-law. Outside, comrade Jixiang suffered the cold wind as his face turned green and grey. He could never win against his mother¡¯s audacity¡­ ¡°What are you called?¡± Liu Mudan asked rather calmly, rolling with the shove and easily sitting up and straightening. Her practiced moves seemed to hint at an abundance of similar past occurrences. As she spoke, she smoothly wrapped a long cloth around her chest. Feng Zhiwei watched in amusement, finally realizing that the long strip the woman had waved around while doing dancing around the river had been her chest band ¡ª no wonder her robe had been ajar and her chest popping out. Noticing her gaze, Liu Mudan stopped tying the band and proudly passed it to Feng Zhiwei, saying: ¡°I made it myself! Look at your mother-in-law¡¯s handiwork!¡± Feng Zhiwei obediently accepted the fabric, carefully appreciating her new mother¡¯s work. The more she looked, the more she grew in admiration. It was pink silk of the highest quality, sold only in the Central Plains. Countless pearls were stitched on like a strange porcupine, and the left side was embroidered ¡°Greatly Endowed¡± and the right side ¡°Definitely Busty.¡± The characters looked like dying dogs, a true display of startling embroidery. Feng Zhiwei turned it over to admire the inner layer. To her surprise, the insides were also embroidered, with a yellow ¡°Mudan¡± on the left and ¡°Kuku¡± on the right, with a red diamond shape in the middle. Feng Zhiwei pondered the strange middle shape ¡ª was it supposed to be lips? Truly a heaven-defying, hell-overturning achievement that could cure blindness and deafness, the true pinnacle of all breast bands¡­ ¡°Beautiful?¡± Liu Mudan offered, her eyes gleaming eagerly as she stared up at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Beautiful.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied sincerely. ¡°It not only embodies a capsizing heroic spirit, but also a tender warmth and affection. The glittering pearls and flaming lips remind me of the lines ¡®Grieved o¡¯er the years, flowers make us shed tears; Hating to part, hearing birds breaks our heat''[1] feeling.¡± ¡°Your ancient people¡­ the Central Plains people are all so literary, I can¡¯t understand.¡± Liu Mudan replied joyfully, patting Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand. ¡°But I can tell that you admire me, aih, really, after all these years, you are the only one who can understand my hidden talent¡­ The Emperor really has good eyes. Even though your looks cannot really be shown off and has really disappointed, but your personality is very good. I like it.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled quietly, thanking the woman for her praise. Beside her, Liu Mudan clutched the dirty breast band as she spoke again, conflicted. ¡°Since you like it so much, I should gift it to you, as your mother-in-law I must give a greeting fit, but this¡­¡± ¡°How could Zhiwei take the Queen¡¯s favorite.¡± Feng Zhiwei hurriedly replied. ¡°Such gorgeous and precious¡­ clothing can only be fitting with the Queen¡¯s charm and noble bearing. Giving it to Zhiwei would waste it.¡± Liu Mudan thought for a moment before nodding, finally wearing the chest band once more. ¡°Alright. Your mother-in-law¡¯s money is still held by your father-in-law, and with your father-in-law¡¯s death, it¡¯s now with Doggy Ji. Whatever you want, you can ask him yourself¡­ Come, daughter, give me a hand.¡± She gestured for Feng Zhiwei to step around her and help hook the strange little buckles on her chest band. That done, the woman breathed deeply and squeezed her breasts until they reached a satisfactorily lift and height. Finally, she turned to Feng Zhiwei, her voice serious: ¡°You haven¡¯t grown very well, and men really care about this, so you must be more proactive. I¡¯ll give you a prescription tomorrow, and you will drink it everyday. I can promise that, though you won¡¯t be able to compare with me, you should at least be able to get half my size.¡± With those words, Liu Mudan reached up to squeeze Feng Zhiwei as if sizing up meat at a market. Feng Zhiwei immediately dodged, smiling: ¡°Of course, many thanks for the Queen¡¯s generosity.¡± Half your size¡­ would I dare show my face? ¡°No need for such politeness.¡± Liu Mudan replied happily. ¡°And if we¡¯re being formal, you¡¯re the Queen now. Call me Mudan Hua ¡ª Peony. Catchy, intimate, mother-in-law sounds too old, I¡¯m only 45!¡± Right, only 45. Others your age are already holding their great grandchildren. ¡°Peony.¡± Feng Zhiwei called easily, her smile as amiable as a flowing river. Liu Mudan could not be happier. She had found this reasonable and fair-minded daughter-in-law after her own heart, nothing like the other raw and unrestrained steppe woman nor the uptight and shy Central Plain¡¯s women. Excellent. While the mother and daughter had their intimate and harmonious conversation about their boobs, Helian Zheng stood outside the tent with his Eight Valiants. ¡°What do I do?¡± ¡°The Queen¡­ eh, is courteous. She probably won¡¯t be too¡­ impolite.¡± San Sun replied without any confidence, his voice trailing off as he spoke. Queen of the Steppe Liu Mudan, self-titled ¡°Rising to the Heavens, Descending to Hell, Peerless Flower of the Steppes¡± was always the most annoying and frustrating creature in all the lands. Only the Old Shunyi King could stand her, and everyone else, from the noble Ji Doggy Helian Zheng to the most remote tribe¡¯s shepherd boy, a short quarter of an hour with the this most noble woman of the steppes would drive them to the brink of insanity. After such a long time together, was Feng Zhiwei still alive? Finally, the curtained door was lifted and the two walked out. Helian Zheng immediately turned, his eyes searching for Feng Zhiwei as the two Queens of the Steppes exited, happily hand in hand. Lifting Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand emotionally, Liu Mudan said with the utmost severity: ¡°You must definitely drink it everyday, and try to drink it after bedroom matters¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately replied, cutting her off: ¡°When we have the chance, Peony must teach me to embroider.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Liu Mudan immediately agreed, losing her train of thought. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to embroider one just like mine, and I¡¯ve even thought of some new phrases. You can have ¡°Immediately Expand¡± and ¡°Rapidly Develop¡±¡­ [1] This is from the poem Spring View by ¶Å¸¦ Du Fu. I¡¯m relatively certain that Feng Zhiwei is just making up a random compliment and that the words don¡¯t actually matter. Chapter 237 ¡°Peony, I¡¯m hungry, let¡¯s go eat.¡± Mudan Hua¡¯s train of thought was once again disrupted, and she happily followed her daughter-in-law in search of food. Helian Zheng stared after the pair, dazed. Finally, he turned blank eyes towards his Eight Valiants: ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± But his men ignored him, all staring after Feng Zhiwei with admiration and amazement. ¡°Princess Sheng Ying is truly a saint¡­ even the Trumpet Flower failed to break her¡­¡± Only when Mudan Hua finally dug into her sheep¡¯s milk and sticky rice cake did the others dare enter the tent ¡ª now that the Steppe Queen was focused on her food, she would no longer terrify those around her. Gu Nanyi quickly approached Feng Zhiwei, Gu Zhixiao in hand. ¡°No milk.¡± The Central Plains wet-nurse had been terrified by the bloody slaughter and the stress was too much and she was no longer giving milk. Gu Zhixiao, the precious little girl, refused to eat rice soup, and so Young Master Gu came to Feng Zhiwei for help. The young woman in question glared up at the man ¡ª why her? It wasn¡¯t like the girl was really her daughter. ¡°Where did this doll come from? How beautiful!¡± Mudan Hua gasped, surfacing from her empty dishes. She immediately pulled back her hungry hand and reached out for Gu Zhixiao, shreds of food still dripping from her mouth. ¡°Weiwei you dear, you¡¯re so capable, not even married and already holding a child. Ji Doggy, you¡¯re pretty impressive¡­¡± As the woman spoke, she lifted up the baby¡¯s little quilt and immediately dropped the cloth, turning and glaring. ¡°But the seed isn¡¯t very good. Why is it a she?¡± Helian Zheng spat out his milk tea, forcing poor Zong Chen off to find his third change of white robes. ¡°Not mine¡­¡± Helian Zheng barely managed. ¡°Orphan.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Mudan Hua sighed indecipherably, reaching up for the hungry and crying Gu Zhixiao once more. ¡°Let me.¡± Young Master Gu naturally ignored her, and to the side Helian Zheng began shouting: ¡°Let you? Let you my ass! You have milk?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mudan Hua roared back, pushing her plate aside and slapping her bosom. ¡°I! Have! Milk!¡± Everyone in the tent froze as Mudan Hua pressed herself proudly towards Gu Nanyi, jiggling her breasts. ¡°Want to see? You want to see? It¡¯s obvious whether or not they have milk!¡± For the first time in his life, Young Master Gu quietly retreated from the enemy¡­ Mudan Hua swiftly pursued, too fast for the martial expert as she stop Gu Zhixiao away. She smiled down at the baby, playing with her chubby cheeks as she turned slightly towards Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Weiwei my dear, your baby is not allowed to be uglier than this one.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly nodded, smiling. She paid little attention to the various nicknames Mudan Hua had for her ¡ª compared to Doggy Ji, Feng Zhiwei felt herself quite fortunate. ¡°You¡­ another child¡­¡± Helian Zheng struggled. ¡°I¡¯ve only been gone for¡­. And you¡­ another child?¡± Another child? Did the Queen have many children? ¡°What do you mean another!¡± Mudan Hua snapped, jabbing her finger at Helian Zheng¡¯s nose as she scolded him. ¡°In all my years I¡¯ve only had seven, and it¡¯s your own fault you were reincarnated as a wolf! The Dama Living Buddha was right when he warned me of your fate to overcome your brothers! I¡¯ve had seven children, and all seven have died! And my eighth child was abandoned in the King¡¯s Court when I was kidnapped. He¡­. He won¡¯t survive! You wolf! Ungrateful! Heartless! Wolf!¡± Helian Zheng listened quietly, his expression regretful. Mudan Hua vented and then quickly recovered her happy mood, joyfully untying her robes. ¡°For better or worse, I can finally squeeze, it¡¯s really been killing me¡­¡± Everyone who could flee fled. ¡°Little daughter, drink up, drink up.¡± Mudan Hua unclad her bosom and lifted Gu Zhixiao maternally. ¡°Your big brother doesn¡¯t need it anymore.¡± Big brother? How was Helian Zheng¡¯s little bro Gu Zhixiao¡¯s brother? Feng Zhiwei watched, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ¡°You still have to feed your own child. Better save some.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Liu Mudan gestured generously. ¡°He won¡¯t survive.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s certain.¡± Liu Mudan replied. ¡°Doggy Ji overcomes his brothers. If he cannot, then¡­¡± The woman¡¯s voice cut off and her expression turned strange, but she quickly changed the subject and chuckled. ¡°We must prepare. Since my kidnapping, I¡¯ve been leaving markers along the road. The King¡¯s Army must be pursuing, and the soldiers will be coming to welcome Helian Zheng¡¯s return.¡± Feng Zhiwei watched the woman thoughtfully ¡ª the scorned Trumpet Flower, laughing as her husband is murdered, chuckling as she was kidnapped, laughing though her baby lay dying, and laughing while forced to trick her son across the river into a trap. Since the death of the old king, she had stayed in the King¡¯s Court amidst the raging storm. Abducted, she flirted wildly with the Golden Roc Chieftain and mocked him for his caution. Along the banks of the river, she danced wildly as she warned her son of the trap. She faced everything with a smile, never worrying for her own life or death. In this time of chaos after the old king¡¯s death and the prince in a distant land, how could the King¡¯s Army remained disciplined and unified in the bloody civil war? For them to standby, waiting loyally for the return of their prince ¡ª who managed this? Feng Zhiwei looked at the other woman¡¯s thick makeup and terrible fashion sense and vulgar manners, a slow, knowing smile crossing her lips. She reached out and clasped the Queen¡¯s hand, saying gently. ¡°The Queen has worked hard.¡± Liu Mudan paused, her smile stiffening, but her lips soon smoothed out. She calmly tossed the satiated Gu Zhixiao aside and stretched wildly, laughing bravely as she said: ¡°Good daughter, you understand my troubles!¡± Feng Zhiwei stepped forward and hugged the stretching woman. The two queens hugged each other tightly, a dense, earthy fragrance filling Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face and tickling her nose. Feng Zhiwei rubbed at her face, holding back tears. For a moment, the conversation and laughter fell away and the tent was quiet. Two women hugged each other, understanding and compassion on their faces. Mudan Hua only allowed herself a moment of rest on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s shoulder and then she was stepping back, her smile already back on her face. Feng Zhiwei ignored the quiet wet stains on her shoulder, almost too faint for the eyes. Outside, the earth shook with the roar of hoofs. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, smiling as she took the woman¡¯s hand. The two women with completely different personalities but the same extraordinary will exited the tent and went out to meet the Steppe Army by the golden, gleaming beams outside the King¡¯s tent. Chapter 238 The February wind brought frost and snow to the steppes. Ten thousand horsemen rode through the grass, and the ground shook in their wake. Feng Zhiwei emerged from her tent, her eyes brightening as she turned to the waiting Helian Zheng. A silver fox perched on top of his gemmed golden crown, the colors beautiful and radiant. He wore a well cut black mink coat embroidered with golden thread over long, golden silk robes, its buttons solid gold with black tassels. A masculine waistband embroidered with daring corals, jades, and agates was tight around his powerful waist, and he stood on dark, threatening boots. A readied sabre hung from his bronze waist scabbard, clinking quietly against his amber snuff-bottle. His eyes shone like maroon wine in the sun, a pair of darkly glittering purple diamonds. The familiar green-robed, mismatching-buttoned ruffian was unrecognizably dazzling and noble. ¡°This guy really does need to wear clothes¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei murmured. Helian Zheng¡¯s face darkened. He had been watching as her eyes brightened and surprise filled her face, but just as he was waiting for her compliment, she said¡­ that. What was that supposed to mean? She made it sound like he walked around without clothes! He was perfectly willing to be nude around her, but was she willing? Feng Zhiwei smiled, taking his arm and holding it gently to her side. Instantly, Helian Zheng forgot all his complaints and felt like his heart was relaxing in a hot spring, all his unhappiness fading away. Mudan Hua was unwilling to be ignored and she reached out and yanked her son¡¯s other arm only for him to kick him aside disdainfully: ¡°Get off, crazy woman!¡± ¡°Ungrateful! Ji dog!¡± Liu Mudan cursed, reaching out to smack her son¡¯s head. The mother and son ran and chased after each other under the hill beside the tent, out of view of the King¡¯s Army. But as soon as they turned around the hip of the hill. Helian Zheng immediately took his mother¡¯s hand. Liu Mudan swiftly retrieved the hand she had been using to hit Helian Zheng, elegantly running her finger through her hair. And so the trio crossed the turn of the hill and stepped out into view of the army. The King¡¯s soldiers watched as the young and dignified Shunyi King accompanied the elegantly smiling Queen Mother. Just as they had done so many times before, the mother and son solemnly approached their army. And oh, one other person accompanied them. Everyone snuck glances at the Central Plain¡¯s woman leaning on their King¡¯s arm. Ah! Yellow faced! Ah! Thin and weak! Ah! Small butt! Ah! Thin waist! Ah! A pair of small breasts incomparable to the magnificent hills on the Queen Mother! Without enough milk, how could their next prince be strong enough to conquer the enemies of the steppe? Disappointment filled the eyes of the steppe men. Everything was disappointing! The Eight Valiants laughed widely as they watched ¡ª they dared to react like this? They dared to show their faces? They dared to be disappointed? ¡ª what a herd of naive lambs, just wait! The steppe men had no cultural habit of restraining their gaze, and Liu Mudan was generous to the point of fearing that people would not stare, so the whole army very naturally stared at Feng Zhiwei as if wolves and tigers staring at prey. They glared at the shy Central Plain¡¯s waif, waiting for her to cry out in alarm ¡ª they had seen it many times before. The Central Plain¡¯s Emperor had often gifted the old King women, and the Queen Mother had allowed the soldiers to glare and frighten the women into crying, fainting, or fleeing. And so they stared, and stared, and stared, and stared¡­ And they were disappointed. No matter how aggressively the glared, Feng Zhiwei was imperturbably. She looked down at the ferocious, fully armed and armored King¡¯s Army as if they were a group of kittens playing in the courtyard of her residence ¡ª little kittens with nails sharpened for her to pet and play with. After a while, the steppe men had to admit that although the woman before them had none of their expected physical characteristics, her calm and casual demeanor as she held herself beside their tough Queen Mother and young King seemed not at all unfit to their noble royal house. She smiled at them, her hands clasped lightly before her, and she seemed a snow lotus blossoming on the sheer edge of a cliff. Helian Zheng watched silently, smiling proudly as Feng Zhiwei faced off against his admittedly arrogant army and calmly suppressed the imposing spirits of ten thousand men. Finally he lifted his chin and roared: ¡°Seen enough?!¡± His deep, loud voice echoed with True Qi and thundered through the steppes. The ten thousand horsemen stirred from their burning stares, restraining their eyes and turning respectfully towards Helian Zheng. Their Prince, and now their King. Before he had left to act hostage to the Dijing Court, he had been their brother, the Commander of the King¡¯s Golden Lion Camp. He had hunted, eaten, drank, and slept alongside them; wrestling together during the Campfire Festivals and washing together in the summer heat. Together, they had mounted the dangerous Halin Snow Mountain in the depths of winter and shared freshly roasted bear paws. They had never forgotten their Prince, bright and generous and roguish, shamelessly suffering when he lost bets and dares, but always refusing to give up money. The Old King had been wise and dignified and unreachable, but the Prince had been close and companionable and lacking certain dignity. Now in this time of unrest with half of the Golden Lion Camp dead in the war against Da Yue, the power of the Irgi Noble Family, direct descendants of the Ancient Hu Zhuo Clan, had fallen sharply. It seemed inevitable that the Irgi Family would lose the throne and control of the steppes, and though the horsemen warriors had stayed loyal, they were unhappy and uncertain about the future. A thundering shout stirred them awake. ¡°Restrain your bold, foolish eyes!¡± Helian Zheng roared. He pointed to his men as he continued: ¡°Look out at the steppe stretching a thousand li behind you. Look! Four thousand Golden Lion warriors have traveled north through the Dong ¨¦ Pass to battle beyond the snow mountains, and now they lie dead and unburied in the wasteland. What do you see? Thirty years ago, Kuku Irgi led your fathers to victory over the Golden Roc Tribe and planted the Golden Lion Banner at every end of the steppe, and thirty years later he died your king, betrayed by those he spared. The traitor Hong Le has torn down and trampled the Golden Lion banner, murdered your King and trampled on your brother¡¯s bones! He took your flag and used it to clean his boots! How do you still have the face to stand before me, holding these banners among yourselves? How have you not run home in shame, strangling yourselves with your women¡¯s belts?¡± Behind him, the Eight Valiants howled in lament, lonely wolves on snowy mountaintops crying vengeance to the moon. Chapter 239 ¡°Wooo¡­¡± The ten thousand cavalrymen lowered their heads and weeped and wailed. All steppe men were warriors, and those who had died fighting Da Yue had been their fathers, uncles, and brothers. ¡°Cry! Cry harder! Today you shed your tears, and tomorrow we will make Hongji Le Golden Roc and all those traitorous animals bleed!¡± Helian Zheng yelled out, his hand slashing the air in front of him and his face as cold and severe as primordial ice on the peaks of snow mountains. A sack flew through the air and plopped down in from of the army, countless bloody ears spilling out from the loose opening. ¡°Last night the Pixiu Tribe colluded with the Golden Roc Tribe, holding the Queen Mother hostage and attempting an assassination on this King.¡± Helian Zheng continued in his frosty voice. ¡°I have sent the entire tribe to meet Tengri.¡± The entire tribe! Mouths fell open, forgotten tears even slipping down onto their tongues. The Twelve Hu Zhuo Tribes were all descended from one great ancestor generations before the modern branches had come into existence. In all the years of strife, the steppe had never exterminated an entire tribe whatever the crime, always preserving the seeds for renewal. Thirty years ago Old King Kuku had swept from the distant north to the far south and united the Twelve Tribes, in the process shedding the blood of the most rebellious Golden Roc Tribe in a great river, but he spared the ten year old Hongji Le Golden Roc. Thirty years later Hongji Le Golden Roc rebelled, betraying four thousand Irgi warriors to Da Yue and assassinating King Kuku, but even then, Hongji Le Golden Roc did not dare exterminate the Irgi name. And so the taboo that Old King Kuku and usurper Hongji Le Golden Roc both dared not commit was unexpectedly commanded by their new roguish, mirthful King. ¡°All sins must be washed clean with blood. The Irgi Name accepts no betrayal.¡± Helian Zheng coldly exclaimed. ¡°The Pixiu Tribe is only the first, and I do not care if there is a second. Whoever dares touch my people will lose their entire tribe¡­¡± Helian Zheng lifted his hand to the heavens and roared: ¡°Golden Roc, get ready for me to f*** your mother!¡± ¡°Golden Roc, get ready for me to f*** your mother!¡± The ten thousand warriors shouted as one, their vigorous voices weeping across the steppe like a storm. In the far distance, a startled eagle leapt from its news, crying out in alarm as it rose up into the blue heavens! Anger and pain leading to humiliation and the promise of vengeance. The buried indignation and fury burst out from the hearts of the soldiers as they roared for iron and blood. ¡°Clang!¡± Helian Zheng unsheathed his blade and lifted it high, the gleaming metal more dazzling than the sun. Spurs clattered and armor clanged as the ten thousand cavalrymen dismounted, a hand on every sheathed sabre as the soldiers kissed the ground and roared. ¡°King!¡± Just as they cried out. The huge, red circle of the sun lifted up over the horizon, its blazing light burning across a thousand li. In that burning glow, Helian Zheng stood with the dignified and imposing majesty of a mountain, his sleeves floating in the wind. In that burning glow, the last shreds of worry disappeared from Mudan Hua¡¯s eyes and she let out a long breath, finally smiling with real brightness and the pride of a blossoming peony. ¡­ ¡°Hongji Le Golden Roc is a schemer.¡± Feng Zhiwei advised Helian Zheng as they rode with the King¡¯s Army towards the King¡¯s Court. ¡°He lay in wait for you at the border, already holding the Queen hostage to force you into his trap. Even if you crossed the river safely, the Pixiu and Golden Roc warriors would have attacked, and even if they could not kill you, they could be certain that you would suffer a great loss and begin your campaign in difficulty. In the situation, when your King¡¯s Army arrived, you cannot be certain that the proud soldiers would acknowledge you as king. Even though all the soldiers are considered men of the Golden Lion Tribe, many of them are from the side-branches of White Deer, Blue Bird, and Fire Fox. If things went badly, you would have already been buried in the riverside.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Helian Zheng acknowledged easily. ¡°The winner will be King; there are no other rules. My brothers[1] and cousins are all fighting fiercely, each one with their own power and strength. If I could not subdue the King¡¯s Army, I probably would not have been able to defeat the Pixiu Tribe.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯ve subdued them for now, it is hard to say whether you will still have their loyalty after our future battles.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, smiling. ¡°I am not stronger than the others in any way.¡± Helian Zheng replied, smiling modest and proud. ¡°My only strength is that the Queen Mother supports me.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused in surprise. Steppe women had no status, why was Mudan Hua so important? That crazy woman is a child of the heavens. Dama Living Buddha said that she is the Guardian God of the Steppes.¡± Helian Zheng explained in an amused huff. ¡°Heihei! Guardian God! But the Trumpet Flower does have her strengths. My Father King found her on the battlefield and she ended saving his life. She carried my Father King off the battlefield and led his personal guard to safety, directly responsible for the survival and prosperity of our Golden Lion Tribe. That is why the Trumpet Flower is the one and true Queen of the Steppes.¡± ¡°Then you are fortunate your fate is troubled.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied jokingly. ¡°For if your younger brothers had survived and won Mudan Hua¡¯s love, the situation might be different.¡± When no response came, Feng Zhiwei turned curiously. The young king¡¯s lips were thin with tension and a curious glitter filled his purple eyes. ¡°No¡­ actually¡­¡± Helian Zheng began slowly.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± A loud call interrupted as a calm faced rider rapidly approached, his tone somewhat panicked. ¡°Hongji Le Golden Roc has summoned the Patriarchs of the Twelve Tribes for a Hu Zhuo Gold Alliance Meeting at the banks of the Bing Valley River!¡± Helian Zheng¡¯s face turned ark as iron, and he immediately asked: ¡°Did all the Patriarchs attend?¡¯ ¡°The White Deer and Blue Bird Patriarchs did not go. They¡¯re still guarding the King¡¯s Court.¡± Helian Zheng relaxed a little, nodding. ¡°Patriarch Fire Fox¡­ went.¡± The rider whispered. ¡°And someone from the Golden Lion Tribe¡­ also attended.¡± Helian Zheng¡¯s face instantly fell. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Kulcha Irgi.¡± Helian Zheng did not reply, finally dismissing the rider with a wave. Feng Zhiwei quietly waited, not interrupting the young King¡¯s heavy thoughts as she gestured for Zong Chen to gather his men close. ¡°The Hu Zhuo Gold Alliance Meeting is called by a majority of the Tribe Patriarchs when the King¡¯s Court is unable to command the steppes. It is a moot to select the new Steppe King or negotiate land rights and¡­ to banish a King.¡± Helian Zheng finally broke his silence to explain. [1] Brothers from the other wives of the Old King. Chapter 240 ¡°Who is Kulcha Irgi?¡± ¡°My Uncle. His blood is purer than my father¡¯s. My father was born to a concubine, but he was born to the Lady of the House.¡± Helian Zheng continued explaining. ¡°But he has never complained and has always been loyal to my father. Father King has always felt that he has owed something to his brother, so when he was titled Shunyi King by the Imperial Court, he passed the Patriarch position to uncle. Uncle now controls twenty thousand Golden Lion warriors and in the Irgi Family is second in power only to Father King.¡± ¡°What power do you have?¡± ¡°Many of Irgi¡¯s best Golden Lion Camp warriors died against Da Yue, and we have less than twenty thousand soldiers in the King¡¯s Army. White Deer and Blue Bird both have ten thousand warriors. We cannot afford internal conflict or else Irgi will fail; White Deer and Blue Bird will remain neutral in an Irgi internal war so my twenty thousand will go against uncle¡¯s twenty thousand.¡± ¡°It will be even.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled coldly. ¡°But I don¡¯t understand why he would attend the meeting and conspire to overthrow Irgi rule. What does he gain?¡± ¡°Under me, he will only be a figurehead Patriarch. He cannot control the army even if he is technically in charge. If I am exiled, he will be the true number one in Irgi and will command forty thousand warriors, and though Golden Roc might be the strongest, Golden Lion will surely be second. As second, he will have great grassland and be king of his own territory.¡± ¡°A good plot. Good plot.¡± Feng Zhiwei casually praised. ¡°As we expected, Hongji Le has a commanding plan.¡± Helian Zheng smiled bitterly. ¡°I had planned to subdue my restless brothers in the King¡¯s Court before turning to fight the Golden Roc Tribe, but he has revived the Alliance Meeting and plans to subdue the tribes without a battle. If I am deposed at the moot, I can only flee.¡± ¡°I will not flee.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, a quiet smile on her lips. ¡°I will not flee as well.¡± Mudan Hua appeared out of nowhere. ¡°I will be Queen for Hongji Le Golden Roc and you can do whatever.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Helian Zheng laughed in amusement as the tough and fierce ¡°mother and daughter¡± turned to face him. He felt his worries fade and his heart relax, and he took up the reins of his mother and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s horses in either hand, spitting before roaring with laughter: ¡°Flee my ass! For my mother and my wife, Helian Zheng will head to Bing Valley River even if I must crawl!¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled quietly, looking up at the blue sky. Mudan Hua beamed: ¡°Son! You finally found your conscience! I didn¡¯t let you eat my nipples in vain¡­¡± ¡°Peng!¡± Queen Mother Mudan fell to the muddy ground as her filial son pushed her off her horse¡­ ¡­ On the banks of the Bing Valley River, twelve round, gold-topped tents stood around a huge purple felt tent. Camp fires burned in every direction and numberless armed soldiers patrolled the area. The land was barren and uninhabited by any tribe, a neutral ground for the twelve tribes to speak and negotiate. February snow covered the hard, barren, frozen soil, but inside the tents were warm as spring. ¡°I hear Jadran Irgi crossed the Chang River yesterday.¡± A skinny old man asked a white cheeked man. ¡°Hongji Le, what if your plan goes wrong?¡± The white faced man smiled coldly, his face ordinary but his eyes gleaming with a sharp brilliance. This was the Patriarch Chieftain of the Golden Roc Tribe who had betrayed thousands of Irgi warriors to their deaths and assassinated Old King Kuku ¡ª Hongji Le Mottetu. Hongji Le Mottetu calmly replied, answering Kulcha Irgi: ¡°No matter how fierce the baby bird struggles, it cannot compete against the soaring eagle high up in the heavens.¡± The entire tent burst into understanding laughter. ¡°The little brat still smells of his mother¡¯s milk, I¡¯m only afraid that he might lose all his nerve when he faces the King¡¯s Army!¡± ¡°He will never dare approach the Bing Valley River.¡± ¡°This generations Irgi Family is doomed.¡± Hongji Le quickly interrupted as Kulcha Irgi¡¯s grew uncomfortable and his face fell: ¡°Irgi¡¯s new generation has failed, but they still have a hero from our father¡¯s days. Our own Kulcha, the fiercest warriors of the past!¡± Kulcha smiled awkwardly; when had he ever been called the fiercest warrior? He had only ever been titled by Liu Mudan ¡°Number one fool.¡± ¡°But this so-called Sheng Ying Princess granted to Jadran Irgi by the Imperial Court,¡± A dreamy voice spoke slowly amidst the loud and rough laughter. ¡°What kind of beauty is she? Sheng Ying¡­ Sheng Ying¡­ how beautiful.¡± ¡°Kereyid!¡± A man shouted, tossing a grilled gigot at the voice. ¡°Actions speak for a man! As the number one pretty boy of the steppes, won¡¯t this Ying Ying throw herself into your arms at first sight?¡± A man in a red leather robe sat up from where he lay on a felt rug, frowning as he flicked the grilled gigot off of himself: ¡°You¡¯re so dirty.¡± As he moved, the man¡¯s long hair ruffled behind him, a rare white gold that glittered like platinum even in the tent¡¯s dull light, but even the moonlight strands of his hair paled in comparison to his beautiful, intoxicating eyes. He was like a silver fox walking through a frozen world, and whoever met his eyes would feel as if the icy world suddenly melted away into spring. His eyebrows arched upwards at the most perfect angle as if he had walked out of a painting, and his skin was smooth and lustrous as crystal. Silver gold hair over his red robes, incomparably gorgeous. ¡°If it were up to me,¡± The man began, toying with the hand of a servant girl. ¡°I am not interested in who rules the steppes, I will be satisfied if I can play with the Sheng Ying Princess.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Hongji Le guffawed. ¡°For better or worse, she¡¯s a princess. You cannot toy her to death like the others?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Kereyid blinked, smiling quietly. ¡°Central Plains women are submissive and obedient, if she were really that impressive of a princess, why would she be married off to the steppes? Relax, her only status is through Jadran, and if Jadran is not king, she is not queen. If she is not queen, why can I not play her to death?¡± Hongji Le laughed again, saying: ¡°As you say, as you say.¡± He had no intention of arguing with Kereyid, the youngest and most cunning patriarch in their midst. His cunning was that of a fox and his vicious that of a snake, and although he had been born to a slave, he had managed his way up to Chieftain, and not his father or mother or sisters or brothers had survived. The further he stood from him the better, after all no matter what happened, Hongji Le was still a normal person. Chapter 241 Kereyid smiled as he gently rubbed the female slave¡¯s fingers, his voice still casual as he said: ¡°When I have her, I¡¯ll really have some fun.. I hear that the Central Plains women all have slender fingers¡­ what kind of beauty will that be¡­ ah, look at your pot-holding, udder-squeezing, shit sweeping coarse fingers¡­ truly upsetting¡­¡± A dull crack filled the tent. Before the slave could scream, a smiling Kereyid had already grabbed the gigot off the floor and stuffed it into her mouth. Four more quiet cracks followed and the young slave shook violently, her blushed face now paler than a ghost. Tears dripped down her face and she fell to the ground, her broken misshapen fingers still in Kereyid¡¯s hand. The young man quietly toyed with the fingers, cracking and shattering the little bones into smaller and smaller pieces. The patriarchs exchanged glances and finally Kulcha managed: ¡°Kereyid, you really know how to ruin the mood¡­ if you want Sheng Ying, you can have her¡­¡± ¡°Peng!¡± An object slashed through the tent opening and slammed into Hongji Le¡¯s desk, skewering the whole roasted lamb in front of him, then in a strange display of martial technique, the golden knife twisted upwards and shot up towards Hongji Le¡¯s eyes. At the same time, four different voices called out. ¡°Who the fuck is courting death and plotting against my queen?¡± A vigorous voice roared, dripping with killing intent. ¡°Who dares court death and wants to lay hands on my daughter-in-law?¡± A shrewish voice called incredibly loudly. ¡°Who? Courting death?¡± A dry voice followed. And finally, a calm and elegant voice carrying a hint of a smile. ¡°Kereyid, sorry, your fox smell stinks too much, this Queen does not dare take you.¡± Everyone inside the tent shot to their feet as Hongji Le hurriedly dodged the chasing cleaver, yelling all the while: ¡°Who? Who dares? Guards! Men!¡± A wide smile filled Kereyid¡¯s face as Hongji Le panicked around him, his glittering eyes narrowing into truly foxish slits, his voice unhurried as he murmured: ¡°Here so soon¡­¡± He gently pushed the unconscious slave aside, dusting his hands and casually stepping over her body. Smiling, he announced: ¡°Our Shunyi King and Queen have arrived, should we not welcome them?¡± The patriarchs finally reacted, their expressions unnatural. The thin Kulcha¡¯s color kept changing as the elder turned to watch Hongji Le deal from the homing knife. The blade hunted him everywhere he went, following him as he jumped and dogged and rolled. ¡°A pack of wolves kneeling to the moon, so greedy and bloodthirsty.¡± Helian Zheng¡¯s indifferent voice filled the tent from outside the curtain door. ¡°My steppe has too many annoying wolves!¡± The young King threw the curtain door aside and strode into the tent, ignoring the ghastly expressions on the indecisive and confused patriarchs as he marched over and plopped down in the seat of honor, taking Hongji Le¡¯s chair as the man dodged the flying knife. As he passed, Helian Zheng sliced a piece of oily lamb fillet for himself, idly commenting: ¡°The bastard at least knows how to grill his meat!¡± ¡°Jadran!¡± Hongji Le roared, grabbing a tea pot and blocking the flying knife. Cold sweat dripped from his face as the blade punctured the vessel and shivered inches from his nose, and he threw the teapot aside and called out with frightening coldness: ¡°You dare barge into the Golden Alliance Tent!¡± ¡°You dare to kill the Steppe King, so I dare to enter the tent!¡± Helian Zheng threw the meat in his hand at the man¡¯s face. ¡°I also dare to kill you!¡± ¡°The Golden Alliance is sacrosanct. If you dare murder on its grounds, all of the steppes will call you enemy!¡± ¡°You all have already made me your foe, what do I care if the rest of the steppe joins?¡± Helian Zheng roared, smashing the desk in front of him in half. He glared ferociously as he continued: ¡°A knife for each of you and you¡¯re all dead! What do I care if the heavens above the steppe are overturned!¡± The tent fell silent as the patriarchs examined Helian Zheng. The young King¡¯s eyes were filling with killing intent and his gaze was determined and decisive. All of them only remembered the young prince, bright and frank and mirthful and roguish, but now they saw his true face. The patriarchs exchanged glances ¡ª their tent was in a narrow valley surrounded on three sides by mountain cliffs. The entrance was a very narrow strip heavily guarded by the armies of ten tribes, and the mountain cliffs were steep and slippery. Even the Central Plains Kung Fu experts would find the terrain impassable ¡ª a single warrior could hold off ten thousand enemies. How did Helian Zheng and his people slip inside past the guards and the warriors patrolling the valley? They could not imagine how Helian Zheng had broken in, and now that he had, it was clear he could not be trifled with. If he lost his mind and threw caution to the wind, many of the men in this tent would die and there was nothing they could do to stop it. At the end of the day, the traditions and rules had been made by people, and a rule could always be destroyed with enough violence. When wild people faced off against a rule, the words might as well be passing air. ¡°Reckless brat, you threaten us?¡± Patriarch Grey Wolf Luzan, a good friend of Hongji Le shouted violently. ¡°This is the Ten Thousand Cliffs Valley and you are surrounded by three thousand warriors outside they valley pass and over a thousand guards inside with us. You want to die together? Look at yourself and see if you are worthy!¡± Helian Zheng propped his elbows on his knees and leaned forward onto his hand, staring quietly at the man. Luzan met the young king¡¯s dark eyes and shivered, feeling as if hunted by a grey wolf in the dark of night. ¡°Hong!¡± Just as Luzan was fidgeting in his seat hoping for someone to defuse the situation and Hongji Le opened his mouth to speak, a loud explosion rocked the cloth walls of the tent. The ground shook as if the pillar mountains holding up the heavens had collapsed or the sea had been overturned. The very air seemed to tremble as if battling gods had fallen from the high heavens amongst them and several of the patriarchs fell to the ground. ¡°What happened!¡± Hongji Le called out and a terrified guard soon dashed in through the curtain door. ¡°Not good ¡ª a landslide! A slide a slide¡­¡± A hand glittering with golden rings pushed through the curtain door and thrust the guard aside as a laughing voice called out: ¡°Golden Roc men are truly fools, they can¡¯t even speak, slide slide slide slide ah. Let this Queen lift the curtain and show all of you what happened.¡± Chapter 242 Mudan Hua beamed as she lifted the curtain door, revealing the narrow valley entrance. A continuous stream of mountain rocks were falling down in an ever-growing cloud of dust, blocking the only entrance into the valley. Guards ran and screamed in a chaotic mess as more and more rocks fell. ¡°We didn¡¯t do much.¡± Liu Mudan commented modestly. ¡°Just blew up a small section of the mountain, blocking the exit.¡± Le stared speechlessly, his mouth wide open. To the side, Luzan was deathly pale, and Helian Zheng finally broke off his stare. The young king flicked his robes carelessly, his voice easy as he finally replied: ¡°Now are we worthy of dying together?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The silence that filled the tent seemed like torture to the various patriarchs. None of them had expected Helian Zheng to act so recklessly, blowing up the mountain to seal the only exit thereby trapping himself and everyone else in the valley. His attitude spoke loudly to his intentions: you bite me once, I¡¯ll exterminate your entire family. Careless about life or death, completely willing to throw his life away. The patriarchs had heard the rumors of the Pixiu Tribe¡¯s extermination but none of them had paid much attention, but now that they saw first hand the brat¡¯s ferocity and grit, they finally understood that the rumor had been true. The Pixiu Tribe Patriarch had already been heading for the Golden Alliance Meeting when his tribe had ambushed Helian Zheng, and now that the truth dawned his expression was indescribable. Helian Zheng smiled down from his high seat as he looked around the tent, imitating Feng Zhiwei¡¯s gaze and quietly pleased by his couple¡¯s resemblance to his wife. ¡°Jadran! Don¡¯t be impulsive!¡± Kulcha finally broke the long silence and began scolding his nephew. ¡°Don¡¯t force things to the point of no return! I order you as the tribe patriarch¡­¡± Helian Zheng tilted his head, casting a sidelong glance at Kulcha. The old man shivered, his words dying on his tongue. After a moment, Helian Zheng replied curiously: ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kulcha froze, his lips and hands trembling as his mind blanked. Helian Zheng stared down his nose at the old thing, carefully cleaning his unsheathed sabre¡¯s gleaming blade as he murmured: ¡°Jadran Irgi¡¯s eyes only see people¡­¡± He smiled, shaking his head. But there isn¡¯t a single person in this tent¡­¡± He sighed deeply, looking up from his weapon. The ¡°beasts¡± all paled. Even Kereyid turned his eyes away from Feng Zhiwei, his gaze glittering quietly as he turned towards Helian Zheng. But soon Kereyid ignored the king once again and turned his eyes back to Feng Zhiwei, sighing to himself: ¡°Ugly. So ugly.¡± Feng Zhiwei paid him no mind, only focused on Helian Zheng, smiling and quietly praising the prince¡¯s improved insults. Kereyid was just looking away with disappointment when he caught Feng Zhiwei¡¯s smile, and he suddenly felt as if this yellow-faced woman¡¯s whole expression transformed. He was suddenly struck by a great elegance to her demeanor and an exquisite allure in the watery gleam of her misty eyes. Kereyid could not help himself, muttering: ¡°Truly a beautiful smile,¡± as he reached out to touch her face. ¡°Pa.¡± A dark yellow object shot forward like a bolt of lightning, shooting towards the middle of Kereyid¡¯s brows. The little object howled through the wind, and before Kereyid¡¯s hand was even halfway to Feng Zhiwei, the little faux-bullet was already upon him. Shocked by the sudden attack but still composed, the foxy man reacted swiftly, tilting his head to avoid the walnut, ignoring it as it swerved around for a second round. Instead, he reached out with fingers clawed into talons glittering metallically, slashing towards the baby in Gu Nanyi¡¯s arms. Gu Nanyi immediately floated out of the attack, letting his control of the walnut fall, more concerned with Gu Zhixiao then his weapon as the walnut¡¯s wind cut through a lock of Kereyid silver hair and swept by his head. If Kereyid had reacted a second slower or had just a bit less mastery in his Kung Fu, it would not have just been a strand of hair. All the patriarchs stared in shocked silence, and Feng Zhiwei finally turned, appraising the man. She would not have guessed at Kereyid¡¯s extraordinary Kung Fu and his composure under pressure. The man had properly noted that her own Kung Fu was considerable and had been able to choose the weakest target to stop Gu Nanyi¡¯s attack. She quietly met the man¡¯s provocative gaze, both of their eyes deep with thought. Then she turned away, unperturbed even as Kereyid¡¯s expression shifted a touch. ¡°Kereyid, my little peanut¡­¡± Liu Mudan cried out, dashing forward and pawing at Kereyid¡¯s face.¡± It¡¯s been too long, Godmother has missed you so much, let me get a squeeze¡­¡± Kereyid quickly blocked the woman¡¯s oily, powdered hand and retreated a meter, smiling as he replied: ¡°Godmother your youth has only grown more vibrant in the few days we¡¯ve been apart, and your beauty is so great that I cannot stand properly before you¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Liu Mudan smiled as she rubber her cheeks, half disappointed and half proud. ¡°Aiya, I¡¯m aging, I¡¯m aging. My husband is dead and Jadran is married¡­¡± ¡°Is it not more convenient now that your husband has died? And Jadran¡¯s marriage means even less. Did he not get his first wife when he was ten?¡± Kereyid smiled, glancing at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Half of the men in this tent are his father-in-laws¡­¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Liu Mudan slapped the air before her. ¡°What cheap father-in-laws! Kereyid, don¡¯t change the subject, let this lady touch you. Is your garlic bulb fully grown?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two marched around, one advancing as the other retreated, one hunting as the other fled, until finally the two ran out of the tent. Feng Zhiwei stepped to the side, leaning beside the tent door as she watched her peony tangle the white fox. The infatuated mother had truly defeated the rogue¡­ With that out of the way, Feng Zhiwei began thinking about what the man had said. A wife at ten¡­ no wonder Helian Zheng would go crazy after three days from the brothels, a little wolf like him had grown up too familiar with this part of life¡­ ¡°Jadran!¡± Hongji Le cried out angrily, his voice somewhat lacking in strength as he constantly glanced out at the rockslide mess. ¡°The Golden Alliance Meeting is for the tribe patriarchs, you cannot be here even if you are Shunyi King. Get out!¡± Chapter 243 Helian Zheng ignored Hongji Le, lifting his liquor and calmly sitting back in his chair. ¡°Uncle Hotega.¡± Helian Zheng said warmly, once again changing his tone. ¡°Uncle Hotega,¡± Helian Zheng repeated unhurriedly, quietly refilling the man¡¯s cup. ¡°Thirty years ago at the Winter Battle of Green Sea, Da Yue advanced into the steppe up to Quenga River. Da Yue attacked during the night and countless lives were lost on those banks. My father was just a private at the time, and when he could not walk on his broken leg, you carried him thirty miles to safety. Father King always remembered this great kindness and remains grateful even in his grave.¡± Helian Zheng calmly lifted the filled cup and offered it. Hotega looked down at the cup with complicated eyes, not moving to accept it, but Helian Zheng remained unperturbed, not pulling his steady hand away. Silence fell over the tent. Hotega¡¯s Blue Bear Tribe was the fourth strongest tribe in the union. All of his men were great warriors with strong lower-body Kung Fu and were easily some of the most important men in Hu Zhuo. Blue Bear¡¯s style mirrored its name; sober and steady and enduring, strong on its own feet and neutral in politics. Their tribe had faced a population growth recently and had been arguing over steppeland resources with the Old King, and thus the Blue Bear Patriarch had accepted his invitation to the Gold Alliance Meeting. That Helian Zheng should begin his maneuvering with the difficult Blue Bear Tribe surprised the patriarchs and kindled just a little bit of respect in some hearts, but no one believed that the wet behind the ears Jadran would be able to persuade the stubborn Hotega. The patriarchs waited avidly, their breathing a touch heavy. Finally, Hotega¡¯s deep voice broke the silence: ¡°You did not finish the story. I did carry your father from the pile of corpses, but the enemy caught up to us. Your father stopped my blade and pressed me to the ground, covering me as we lay by the water, playing dead. The Da Yue soldiers were cautious and stabbed every corpse, and your father took the blow to his waist, not moving until the Da Yue soldiers had moved on. I was only slightly injured¡­ so it was he who saved me, not I him.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Helian Zheng smiled quietly. ¡°I¡¯m gratified that Uncle Hotega still remembers.¡± Hotega¡¯s eyes gleamed as he measured Helian Zheng¡¯s sincere smile and he finally reached forward to take the cup and quietly drank. Murmurs filled the tent as the patriarchs shifted in their seats, and to the side Hong Ji Le¡¯s expression completely changed. ¡°Uncle Hunn.¡± Helian Zheng greeted, already by the side of a white haired old man. A prominent scar stretched between the corner of the man¡¯s eyes, the tightness of the healed skin pulling his face together into a terrifying, inhuman visage. Hongji Le smirked. Hunn was not the steady and honest Hotega. He had never fought together with Old King Kuku, supporting each other on the battlefield. After a miserable early life, he had only grown more irascible with time and was especially sensitive about his scar. Anyone who mentioned it could be sure of his fierce reprisal. Helian Zheng was young and unsubtle, and he turned to Hunn now because the Iron Cheetah Tribe Warriors had the greatest endurance and had to be won over. But if he said the wrong word, hehe¡­ And Hongji Le had already secured a marriage alliance with Hunn¡¯s family¡­ Helian Zheng did not disappoint as he stared honestly into Hunn¡¯s face, his voice gentle as he said: ¡°Uncle Hunn, your wound¡­¡± Hunn grunted darkly, his terrifying eyes already twitching with growing anger. The old man¡¯s fingers twitched as his hand slowly crept down to the sabre at his waist. Amusement and glee and silent anticipation filled the tent as Hotega watched on worriedly, but Helian Zheng seemed blind to all the reactions around him as he continued: ¡°Father King has always been thinking about it¡­¡± Patriarch Hunn¡¯s eyes flickered in suspicion and surprise, but his hand stopped moving downwards. ¡°The night before I Left for the Central Plains, Father King summoned me. He said that the Central Plains are vast and hold great resources and that all the things in the world can be found in Dijing, so he entrusted me with the search for a Fire-Heart Holy Lotus for Uncle Hunn.¡± Helian Zheng explained, retrieving a small box from his robe and offering it up with both hands. ¡°But the Holy Lotus that can heal Uncle Hunn¡¯s wound is extinct, and I was only able to find a Fire-Heart Lotus. Although it will not be able to heal Uncle¡¯s wound, I¡¯ve been assured that this lotus is of exceeding quality and will be able to ease some of Uncle Hunn¡¯s pain¡­ Jadran has not been able to fulfill Father King¡¯s task¡­ please accept my deepest apologies¡­¡± Patriarch Hunn looked down as Helian Zheng opened the box, his eyes glittering as he examined the maroon three leafed flower. Hunn had suffered all kinds of accidents and sicknesses in his youth and carried great pain through his whole life. He had searched for this Fire-Heart Lotus for decades, spending untold time and wealth. In all his search, he had only ever found a single leaf Fire-Heart Lotus much less a true Holy Fire-Heart Lotus, and he had never known that the Old King had been searching as well, sending his son off to bring back his medicine. A wave of warmth swelled up in the old man¡¯s heart as he looked at this young man and his sincere, apologetic eyes. Patriarch Hunn ignored the box, helping Jadran to his feet and patting his shoulder as he asked: ¡°Did you really wipe out the Pixiu Tribe.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Helian Zheng replied firmly. ¡°Men of the steppe should be straightforward and honest. If they wanted to kill me, then they should fight me face to face, but instead they abducted the Queen to trick me and colluded with Golden Roc Tribe assassins. If they don¡¯t deserve death, who does?¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Patriarch Hunn laughed after a moment, his bark biting and fierce. ¡°Fuck ¡¯em, and fuck the rules. Rules are made by the powerful. Jadran, very good!¡± Helian Zheng laughed, loudly calling back: ¡°Of course!¡± Still chuckling, Patriarch Hunn accepted the box and patted the young King on his shoulder once more. The old man waved Hongji Le off, calmly saying: ¡°Hongji Le, I¡¯m not persuaded by the medicine. I am dying and this means less than you think. The survival of our steppe is the most important, and though you and I are related through our children¡¯s marriage, I still think Jadran is a more suitable King.¡± Chapter 244 Some of the Patriarchs fell silent. In the rule of the Old King, few of them had much contact with Helian Zheng and knew the young rogue only by reputation. As Hongji Le rose to power, they had been influenced by the idea that a young boy barely in his twenties could hardly be qualified to be King of the Steppes, but now that they saw the man for himself, they were shocked. Helian Zheng knew how to be tough and soft, and was bold enough to kill yet willing to bend his knees. While his father had sometimes been too honest and kind for a King, Helian Zheng was on a different level. The Golden Alliance had gathered to depose the King, but it could only depose foolish and wicked rulers. It was, after all, supposed to bring prosperity to the steppe. In the past when the tribes had been in constant conflict, they had grown weaker and weaker and suffered indignities at the hands of Da Yue. None of the Patriarchs wanted that situation to return, and Hongji Le was a capable, powerful, and ambitious man; the Chieftains saw no reason not to support him. But if their young King was truly capable, they needed to reconsider ¡ª a foolish civil war would only destroy the alliances of the steppe and benefit their enemies. Feng Zhiwei watched Helian Zheng, a quiet smile in her eyes. She had only come up with the plan for Chunyu Meng to blow up the mountainside, everything else had been planned and accomplished by Helian Zheng alone. The young King was a proud man and unwilling to hide behind the skirts of a woman, and she also did not want to interfere too much; if Helian Zheng could not secure the throne by himself, she would only be hurting him if she forced him onto it. Even Feng Zhiwei did not know when Helian Zheng had prepared this Fire-Heart Lotus, but she was almost certain that Old King Kuku had never asked him to search for it. A drunk Helian Zheng had once confessed that he had quarreled with his old man before leaving for Dijing. The two had not spoken for over a month and the order to travel to Dijing had reached Helian Zheng when he was touring a border city between the steppe and Central Plains. In Dijing, she had only ever seen him chasing women and climbing walls, but under that playful, knavish guise had lain a careful ambition. While Feng Zhiwei sighed to herself, Helian Zheng approached his next target ¡ª a yellow-robed man in his thirties ¡ª but before Helian Zheng could speak a word, the man stood and lifted his cup, his voice loud: ¡°Brother Jadran, we need no words between us. Even if this Yelye did not respect Old King Kuku, I would still remember when you saved me. When I was eleven, I was bitten by a venomous snake and you immediately helped suck out the poisoned blood. I came today only because my tribe elders asked me to, and I only ever wanted to understand the thoughts of the steppes, never depose you.¡± With those words, the man firmly lifted his cup once more and tossed back the liquor. Helian Zheng laughed cheerfully and followed suit, finishing of his cup before slapping the yellow-robed man on the shoulder. ¡°My good brother, if you war bitten by a cottonmouth again, your brother will definitely suck it good.¡± Liu Hudan turned from her frantic hunt and leaned over, shouting in her shrill voice: ¡°This brat really knows how to suck, and that year he almost sucked off my ti¡­¡± Luckily, Feng Zhiwei was already there, firmly steering the old Queen away. Yelye could only smile awkwardly. Several more important Patriarchs changed sides and the deposition was doomed to failure. Hongji Le¡¯s face grew darker and darker, and eventually he quietly glanced at a guard by the tent door. But as the guard moved, Feng Zhiwei stepped in front of him and smiled: ¡°Where are you going?¡± Hongji Le immediately called out coldly: ¡°No woman is allowed to speak within the Golden Alliance Tent. Get out! Every Patriarch agreed and turned disdainful eyes towards the young woman. ¡°Oh? Really?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled back at the gathering of men. ¡°Inside?¡± She casually gestured. A black light flashed. A thick wave of Sword Qi arched through the tent fabric as if cutting through water, collapsing half of the large tent and many of the unlucky patriarchs could not dodge out of the way in time. Chaos milled around until a measure of peace was restored as shocked and furious eyes turned to glare at the smiling face of the quiet new Queen who had just cut the tent roof in half! Her cut had been incredibly artful and had left the other half of the tent roof perfectly intact. As the unlucky patriarchs clawed their way out of the pile of felt cloth and fine wood, Feng Zhiwei had already sat herself down near Helian Zheng¡¯s people. The woman sat elegantly, ignoring the ruins of the sacred Golden Alliance Tent as she addressed Hongji Le with a casual smile. ¡°Look, great Patriarch, I have not entered the tent, may I speak?¡± Indeed, she could not be said to be inside the tent, after all the tent roof on her side was completely gone. Furious and unsettled breathing filled the silence ¡ª if Helian Zheng had caught the Patriarchs off guard and surprised them, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s act was a thunderbolt to the head. These proud steppe Patriarchs only thought of their women as decorative, and the women of the Central Plains must be even more so ¡ª fragile Chinaware that could shatter with the slightest bump. But that fragile Central Plain¡¯s princess with a smile as soft as the clouds above the mountaintop, so ordinary and tranquil, had taught them a new type of toughness with a single move. ¡°Now.¡± Feng Zhiwei announced from among the cloth and wood, smiling towards the patriarchs. ¡°I have followed your rule and now you must follow mine ¡ª listen closely, I will only say it once. ¡°You have hoped that this stupid Golden Alliance Meeting will end with Hongji Le Golden Roc reorganizing the steppe lands and leading you all to a life of prosperity and happiness for generations to come¡­ truly a wonderful dream.¡± The woman announced calmly, her robes dark as her black pupils, her eyes touched with faint disdain. ¡°What empty promises had Hongji Le given all of you? Fertile land to the large tribes? Money, grain, and cloth to the small?¡± Silence followed and it was clear that her guess was spot on.. ¡°Are you trying to divide us?¡± Hongji Le smirked. ¡°Old King Kuku was terrible at distributing land and was never just. The Patriarchs have suffered under his injustice for a long time. Your simple plan will not resolve this with a few words!¡± Feng Zhiwei ignored the man, grabbing a wooden stick and drawing a simple map of the Hu Zhuo land. ¡°Look. Let us guess how the future King Hongji Le will distribute land. Here, here, and here.¡± She pointed to the three areas closest to the King¡¯s Court. ¡°These must go to Fire Fox, Blue Bear, and Iron Cheetah?¡± The patriarchs watched silently as a frowning Hunn asked: ¡°Why would that be wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s right. It¡¯s very right.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, pointing to her drawing. ¡°If we organize by power and contribution, Iron Cheetah will go here. Once King Hong takes control of the King¡¯s Court, he will ally himself with Fire Fox and Grey Wolf to destroy Blue Bird and White Deer. As a result, Fire Fox will expand south into Blue Bird and Grey wolf expand north to White Deer. Ah¡­ Congratulations Master Hunn, with a Wolfe and your left and a Fox on your right, a thousand generations of rule will be secured for all of eternity.¡± Chapter 245 Hunn¡¯s expression changed rapidly and he exclaimed coldly: ¡°If he dares!¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled cheerfully at the man: ¡°Truly? Hongji Le does not dare? Kereyid does not dare? If they did not dare, why would the powerful and valued Fire Fox Tribe betray the King? What more could they gain? Some Blue Bird Land? Why has Iron Cheetah been given this land? ¡°Twenty years ago, an Iron Cheetah female slave was gifted to the Fire Fox patriarch, and when she died in childbirth, neither tribe was willing to take in the baby. That baby is now Fire Fox Patriarch. One day, when Kereyid is in a good mood, will he not come and repay your grace? All he needs to do is pass along a message and you will be paid a visit from east and west¡­ hehe.¡± Before Hunn¡¯s terrifying scar could twitch, Feng Zhiwei had already turned to Blue Bear Hotega. ¡°Master Hotega, if you really dare to leave your land at the foot of Mount Qing Zhuo and move near the King¡¯s Court, I dare guarantee that in a generation, your tribe¡¯s men will be annihilated.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Hotega stared at the young princess. ¡°We passed your land on our way here.¡± Feng Zhiwei began explaining. ¡°Your men have strong legs as powerful as a bear¡¯s and peculiar, protruding blue veins. There is a golden-blue herb that grows in your land called the ¡®Flaming Seven Stars.¡¯ The aroma of the herb promotes the development of your lower body meridians and has helped improve the power of your legs, but this fragrance of this unique plant has accumulated in your bodies and its mild poison is now life threatening. Luckily, poisons have antidotes and a type of bush in your lands just happens to be the answer to the Flaming Seven Stars. Your tribe often includes this bush in your fires and it counteracts the toxins in the Flaming Seven Stars, allowing your tribe to gain the benefits with none of the downsides. But once you leave behind this antidote, the toxins inside your people will flare up and damage your meridians, perhaps even bursting them. The fortunate ones will be paralyzed, and the rest will die. Your tribe will be extinguished.¡± Hotega turned pale with horror as Hongji Le cut in with his deep voice: ¡°Enough fear-mongering. Blue Bear Tribe has contributed greatly to the steppe and deserve in sharing the best of our lands. My motive is pure, Brother Hotega. I¡¯ve never heard of this Flaming Seven Stars nonsense.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled at Hongji Le, her chin propped casually on her hand. ¡°Never? Are you sure? Why have you been glancing outside? What are you looking for?¡± Hotega¡¯s eyes flashed with understanding as he turned his head to eye the open air around them. ¡°Some days ago, Kereyid paid me a visit and mentioned a herb that he thought quite pretty¡­¡± Helian Zheng smirked coldly as Hotega fell silent, the man¡¯s face tightening as he examined Hongji Le. ¡°The King¡¯s Court knows about this as well.¡± Helian Zheng finally interjected. ¡°The Court Physician had discovered this and reported the matter to Father King, and this was the principle reason Father King dispatched the army to settle the border disputes between Blue Bear and Earth Badger, eventually forcing Blue Bear from the land they had conquered. Father King knew that Blue Bear was discontent, but he felt that if the secret was exposed then unscrupulous tribes would begin giving Blue Bear trouble.¡± The young King sighed before continuing: ¡°Father King explained that Brother Hotega is honest and sincere, and his tribe blessed. Hotega¡¯s Blue Bear Tribe is the most courageous and valiant in our steppes, and as his brother, he would rather bear the misunderstanding than bring danger to their tribe.¡± Hotega¡¯s face twisted with shame and regret as he brought up his thick palms to brush aside his tears. The man choked out: ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± standing and unseating his sabre. Helian Zheng sat calmly beside him, looking up at the emotional man. ¡°Cha.¡± The brilliant, snowy arc of the man¡¯s blade slashed through the air, and a bloodied little finger fell soundlessly to the ground. Hotega fell to his knees before Helian Zheng, lifting his disfigured left hand before him as he vowed in a deep, firm voice: ¡°Highest Tengri, Hotega vows with this heart-connected finger ¡ª Blue Bear Tribe swears allegiance to the Shunyi King. Let death descend upon all oath breakers!¡± ¡°Uncle Hotega!¡± Helian Zheng exclaimed, falling down to his knees beside Hotega and embracing the man around his shoulders. ¡°Father King is surely comforted in the nether world!¡± The two men hugged and cried with snot and tears. Hotega wept with sincere sorrow and happiness while Helian Zheng improvised, even managing a wink at Feng Zhiwei over the Patriarch¡¯s shoulder. Feng Zhiwei watched calmly, hiding her glare and her quiet approval ¡ª the brat was truly clever and startlingly quick. With just a few words, he had resolved the Blue Bear¡¯s heart-knot against the King¡¯s Court. Everything the young King has just said was a lie! What Court Physician? When had the Old King been so gracious and self-sacrificing? When Zong Cheng had been frowning down at the ¡®Flaming Seven Star¡¯ in Blue Bear land, the young fool had even waltzed over happily and asked whether the pretty herb was edible! Blue Bear Tribe had now sworn one of the most serious blood oaths allying themselves with the Shunyi King, and Iron Cheetah had turned from enemy to ally. The power had completely shifted, and not only was it now impossible for Hongji Le to depose and banish Helian Zheng, the King¡¯s camp was now more than powerful enough to contend directly with Hongji Le. After he finished comforting the teary, honest man, Helian Zheng stood and looked down at the smaller tribe patriarchs allied to Hongji Le. None dared meet his gaze, and some of them were even shrinking away and vainly hiding behind the others. ¡°Hey Kulcha, why are you hiding?¡± Helian Zheng snorted before calling out. The old man turned stiffly. ¡°Kulcha, my father¡¯s most beloved brother, the most trusted, the most tender.¡± Helian Zheng called out as he stalked towards his uncle, a terrible smile on his face. ¡°To repay his brother¡¯s loyalty, my father became the first King to abdicate the Patriarchship. He gave the most fertile land to his brother, the prettiest women, the most valuable treasure, and when rewards came from the Imperial Court, his brother had the first pick.¡± Helian Zheng stared down at Kulcha as the old man slowly backed himself into a corner. ¡°And how did his brother repay him? Conspiring for regicide and fratricide, and groveling to the murderer as they plotted to exile his brother¡¯s son.¡± Hunn¡¯s face was filled with disdain and Hotega spat at Kulcha¡¯s feet. With nowhere to retreat, Kulcha suddenly squared his shoulders and yelled out: ¡°Then kill me already!¡± Chapter 246 ¡°Kill you?¡± Helian Zheng repeated, suddenly stopping short. ¡°Why would I dirty my hands?¡± ¡°Gentlemen.¡± Helian Zheng turned from the old man. ¡°As the Shunyi King appointed by the Son of Heaven, I depose Kulcha Patriarch of Golden Lion and strip him of his Irgi name. On the pain of death, he will never set foot again in King¡¯s Court. Let those willing to take in homeless strays¡­ feel free.¡± The silence that followed was soon broken by Kulcha¡¯s miserable howl: ¡°No! No! You can¡¯t! You cannot! I am Patriarch Irgi, you have no right to take my title¡­¡± ¡°Now I am Patriarch!¡± Helian Zheng turned and roared, his purple eye deep and deathly cold. ¡°There is no kindness for traitors! From today onwards, the Irgi Family will never have two masters!¡± Kulcha screamed with fury and pain, unseating his blade and rushing forward only to be intercepted by Hotega¡¯s powerful kick. The old man flew several meters, collapsing in an unstaring pile. ¡°Now.¡± Helian Zheng ignored the small patriarchs and turned to Hongji Le. ¡°It is our turn to settle our debts.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t kill him¡­¡± A tender, sweet voice called out as a red robed figure rushed into the tent. She leaped towards Helian Zheng with arms spread to hug him. ¡°Jadran, he is your father-in-law, the grandfather of your child!¡± ¡°Grandfather my ass!¡± Helian Zheng instinctively replied, slapping the rushing figure. After his knee-jerk swearing reaction, Helian Zheng finally took a good look at the speaker and stepped back. ¡°What grandfather! Narta, when did I sleep with you? F*ck off!¡± The young woman spread her arms, protecting Hongji Le as she cried out: ¡°It¡¯s true! It¡¯s yours!¡± ¡°Where would I sleep with you!¡± ¡°Gan Zhou!¡± ¡°Gan Zhou¡­?¡± ¡°The Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion!¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Eight months ago on a rainy day, you said it was hot and called me inside to take off my robes¡­¡± ¡°Bullshit¡­ I said that to the singing girl¡­¡± ¡°I was that singing girl, and I changed and followed you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced sidelong at Helian Zheng ¡ª as soon as he had heard ¡®Gan Zhou City,¡¯ he had looked more and more guilty and his voice and grown weaker and weaker¡­ She examined the Narta girl. She looked quite decent, maybe a few too many freckles, but quite cute. ¡°Jadran, my mother is Han and so is yours.¡± Narta added aggressively, taking advantage of Helian Zheng¡¯s dumb shock as she looked down, her hand affectionally rubbing her huge belly. ¡°We were made for each other.¡± ¡°A devil was made for you!¡± Helian Zheng called out, all of his prestige and wit out the window as he shouted: ¡°The Han woman I married is the one made for me! Who how you got pregnant, and now you¡¯re framing me!¡± ¡°You can kill me! You can even abandon me and our child! But you cannot humiliate me!¡± Narta yelled in anger, all of the fondness disappearing from her face. ¡°The Central Plains has a saying, the righteous prefer death the dishonor! All the uncles here are my witnesses ¡ª Jadran forced me!¡± She screamed in terror and determination as she smashed her head down towards the edge of a desk, clearly intent on death. Hongji Le cried out in terror, grabbing at his daughter, but he slipped on a misplaced slice of meat and fell to the ground. With no one able to pull her back, Narta fell forward like a falling bolt of lightning, her head nearing closer and closer to the sharp desk corner. ¡°Hua La.¡± The desk was swiftly pulled away out of Narta¡¯s path, and the young woman fell into waiting arms. Warm hands held her gently as a smiling voice warned soothingly: ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, be careful of the baby.¡± Narta looked up into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s misty, thoughtful eyes and immediately pouted. She struggled upright and pushed Feng Zhiwei away, her voice cold: ¡°Get away from me! My mother says that Central Plains women are only good for causing problems and hurting people!¡± ¡°You¡¯re too unimportant for her to cause you problems!¡± Helian Zheng snapped disdainfully. ¡°You are not worthy of entering my King¡¯s Court!¡± ¡°Jadran I am willing to die for you and you won¡¯t have me?¡± Narta cried out, turning once again to the others in the tent. ¡°Uncles, women are nothing in the steppes, but our wombs hold treasured babies. No one can despise this child! Can Jadran disregard all rules simply because he is King?¡± Everyone nodded in approval at her words. All the steppe tribes worried about growing their sizes and children were incredibly valued. One could abandon a wife, but never abandon children[1]. ¡°King.¡± Hotega began, frowning. ¡°Since Narta carries a child with Irgi blood, spare Hongji Le. He killed your Father King to avenge the deaths of his own family. Steppe men fight every year. Death is common, and we must move on or else our people will die out.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Yelye added. ¡°King, as your elder pardon my arrogance in advising you, but now that Narta has your child, you would not want your son to avenge his grandfather would you? Rest assured, our decision today will be made together. If Hongji Le breaks faith, you will not need to move, we will all punish him for you!¡± ¡°The way I see it, Hongji Le¡¯s crimes can be repaid with territory and gold.¡± Hunn advised. ¡°He¡¯ll contribute sheep and gold to the King¡¯s Court every year and give up the land east of the Qing Zhuo Mountains¡­ he can move to¡­ the northern banks of the Chang River. The barren land of the now extinct Pixiu Tribe. The Patriarchs nodded in agreement. The steppe would lose no power in a bloodless resolution, and now that no easy victory was in sight, none of the Patriarchs wanted war. Helian Zheng stood quietly, his hands clasped behind his back. His expression was cold as death and the weight and prestige of his Kingship slowly silenced all the noisy Patriarchs. The older men all exchanged awkward glances and the powerful Patriarchs began to frown worriedly. Feng Zhiwei sighed silently. Though Helian Zheng had snatched victory in this Golden Alliance Meeting, he would not be able to avenge his father¡¯s death. The King¡¯s Court was still in disarray and his power base weak and untested. If he insisted against the advice of the Patriarchs and killed Hongji Le, many new uncertainties would emerge. [1] Then what about kereyid Chapter 247 It was clearly not a good time for a live or die war. But he had made such an impassioned and determined vow for revenge before the King¡¯s Army, and now not only had he failed, he had taken Hong Jile¡¯s daughter as concubine. How could he explain this to his warriors? It looked like¡­ the old expert needed to make an appearance. The expert in question quietly met Helian Zheng¡¯s eyes as the young King very very sneakily peeked at her. Feng Zhiwei quietly sighed once again¡­ Being Queen was not easy¡­ But the truth was, she had not been completely certain about their plan, and letting Hongji Le and his daughter off for the moment was inconsequential. ¡°The gentlemen are right.¡± Feng Zhiwei spoke, supporting the Patriarchs. ¡°Please rest assured that the King¡¯s hesitation is only because he wishes to honor me. While I cannot speak to Golden Roc Tribe¡¯s compensation, Young Lady Narta¡¯s fate can be entrusted to me.¡± The various patriarch¡¯s and chieftains nodded in approval, eyes gleaming. Although this woman was rather ugly, she was brave and politic and understood courtesy and propriety; indeed, the decisions on concubines could be deferred to the Queen. ¡°Zhiwei!¡± Helian Zheng ¡®hurriedly¡¯ interrupted, ¡°How could I allow you this indignity!¡± Nice acting, fool! Feng Zhiwei bit back a glare, smiling kindly as she replied: ¡°I married the Steppes and I must follow the laws of the Steppes. There is no indignity.¡± ¡°Of course, what indignity?¡± A voice immediately agreed. ¡°Which of us does not have wives and concubines? King, surely you did not mean to only have the Queen? How would she handle all your daily needs?¡± ¡°How could this King take the daughter of my father¡¯s murderer!¡± Helian Zheng retorted furiously, his eyes flaring. ¡°The father¡¯s sin is not the daughter¡¯s, and certainly not your baby¡¯s, the King¡¯s seed.¡± Feng Zhiwei added with ¡®great sincerity¡¯ in her role as ¡®kind and gracious Central Plains Queen.¡¯ ¡°King, your burdens are heavy.¡± ¡°This King has vowed to the King¡¯s Army to behead the enemy of his father!¡± King Helian exclaimed, ¡®refusing to retreat.¡¯ ¡°The Great King can use the Golden Roc Tribe¡¯s compensation to honor the warriors.¡± Queen Feng ¡®pleaded graciously.¡¯ ¡°After all, this matter concerns the King¡¯s child. The Irgi Warriors will understand.¡± ¡°Absolutely, absolutely. The Queen speaks truth and justice. King, please relent, for peace and stability and the prosperity of the steppe people¡­¡± The Patriarchs added, nodding appreciatively to the Queen¡¯s words. ¡°King.¡± Feng Zhiwei said once more, affectionately taking Helian Zheng¡¯s hands into her own. ¡°Golden Roc Tribe¡¯s punishment can be decided later, but in matters of your offspring, please allow your Queen to make this decision.¡± Helian Zheng looked down at the soft hands on his, incredibly aware that this was the first time Feng Zhiwei had volunteered such contact. Although he knew they were just putting on a show, his heart leapt with warmth and he could barely hold himself from grabbing her hands and pouring out all the emotions and unsaid words in his heart. Feng Zhiwei immediately noticed his hand¡¯s tightening, and with a faint smile slid her hands away. Before he knew what he was doing Helian Zheng reached out to the retreating hands, and as Feng Zhiwei turned away, he rubbed his fingers in his palm, a lost expression on his face as he clung to the fading softness and warmth. Feng Zhiwei was already by Narta¡¯s side, her hand on the woman¡¯s shoulder as she smiled: ¡°Welcome to the King¡¯s Court.¡± Narta looked up at her with no happiness, a strange glimmer in her eyes. Beside her, Hongji Le stood with a cold face and a gleaming gaze. Helian Zheng had no eyes for the father and daughter, awkwardly rubbing his hands together and silently thanking Feng Zhiwei, his eyes speaking volumes. Little Aunt, many thanks and apologies for the trouble. In the future, I will give you anything in my power even if I must crawl there and back. Feng Zhiwei glanced calmly at him. Eldest Nephew, it is matter, after all I have saved you more than once. None of the Patriarchs understood the strange words passed through those meaningful gazes, and the various men were all sighing with relief. Golden Roc Tribe was very rich and could maintain some portion of their power even after losing fertile land and wealth. The power between the tribes had shifted somewhat, but this result was far better than Hongji Le¡¯s death and a subsequent civil war. In their eyes, the King had only stepped back on the Queen¡¯s behalf, and so Hotega was not alone as he smiled and said: ¡°Congratulations Kin, your King is wise and capable, a blessing to our steppes!¡± ¡°Undoubtably.¡± Helian Zheng full heartedly agreed, sighing. ¡°I only ope that she blesses me for years and years to come!¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled and shifted the conversation: ¡°King, the Golden Alliance Meeting has come to an end. Perhaps we should begin discussing our next steps.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Helian Zheng smiled in agreement. ¡°Master Honji Le and Master Luzan, please remain in Bing Valley and arrange your tribe relocation. If the rest of the Patriarchs will accompany me to the King¡¯s Court and attend my enthronement, and we can discuss the grassland redistribution and the relocation of the Golden Roc and Grey Wolf tribes.¡± The various patriarchs shifted and gleamed with excitement; Helian Zheng was clearly suggesting a partition of the Golden Roc and Grey Wolf compensation. Hongji Le and Luzan stared darkly but were unable to protest the combined might of the other patriarchs. They had been utterly defeated today, and none of the other patriarchs would come to their aid while the possibility of bloodless gain hang in the balance. The two men turned and glanced at each other, recognizing the malice and cunning in the other¡¯s eyes. ¡°How will we leave?¡± Luzan snorted. ¡°Have you had already blown up the mountain, sealing us within?¡± The others suddenly stilled, their faces shifting as they recalled Helian Zheng¡¯s unforgettable, mountain-exploding entrance. ¡°Gagagaga¡± the great Queen Mother Liu Mudan suddenly cackled, popping by once again and pointing towards the exit. ¡°Grey Wolf you fool, use your eyes. What exactly was blown up?¡± The others had been so nervously facing off that none of them had paid attention to the valley pass outside, and now that their attention was turned, they all glanced over and froze. The narrow exit was blocked by mountain stones, but not in a formidable impassable heap as they had imagined. The small hill of stone was easily passable, and the mountain ridge that they had assumed destroyed in the dust that followed the explosion was clearly not ruined. ¡°Gagagagaga blown up?¡± Liu Mudan laughed so hard powder began falling from her face. ¡°You¡¯ve been tricked!¡± The startling sounds had indeed been earth-shatteringly loud, but the actual explosive effect had been harmless. Only a few mountain stones had fallen from above, and really there had only been a thick cloud of smoke and dust while Helian Zheng¡¯s guards and Chunyu Meng¡¯s men threw stones down the mountain, and Liu Mudan had just so happened to life the curtain door when they makeshift rockslide had been most fierce. Smoke, but no fire. Chapter 248 The Patriarchs did not know whether to laugh or cry as they sighed with relief. A faint smile crossed Hunn¡¯s face and he spoke: ¡°The King is wise and courageous.¡± Hunn had finally voiced his approval of the title ¡®King,¡¯ and the proud Iron Cheetah Tribe had declared its support. Helian Zheng turned to the man and nodded, smiling. The nine patriarchs sent out orders to their men to watch over Hongji Le and Luzan before following Helian Zheng away. The young King was scanning the valley for the missing face when Mudan Hua sidled up to him and whispered: ¡°He¡¯s gone, fled.¡± When Helian Zheng frowned, Mudan Hua grasped his hand in warning: ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene. Kereyid¡¯s has a solid reputation with the patriarchs and is well liked. I have no proof that he is a spy, and the signals I gave by Chang River were because I feared I would not make it. We¡¯ll talk later, first we must return to King¡¯s Court and then we can destroy him!¡± Feng Zhiwei listened with one ear, finally understanding Mudan Hua¡¯s actions. She tricked Kereyid away so that Helian Zheng would not beat the grass and scare away the snake. Behind them, the heavily pregnant Narta bid farewell to Hongji Le, not crying as she squeezed her father¡¯s hand before determinedly marching after them. Feng Zhiwei watched over everything as she waited, her hands clasped behind her back and her quiet smile curving the corners of her lips. Everyone exited the tent and approached the valley exit, with many of the patriarchs frowning at the precarious heap of stone blocking their way. As some of the men hesitated, Young Master Gu floated down with his baby in his arm, carelessly grabbing whichever noble patriarch happened to be closest and carrying him over the pile. The patriarchs barely noticed that themselves leaving the ground before the world blurred before their eyes and wind rushed by their ears, and then they were across and back on firm ground. ¡°This brother¡¯s Kung Fu is extraordinary!¡± Yelye, Patriarch Earth Badger called out in praise. ¡°Would you consider coming to our tribe and instructing some of our young men?¡± Impassioned eyes turned towards Young Master Gu; all steppe men loved the Martial Arts and their hearts pounded in the presence of a true expert. Feng Zhiwei watched Young Master Gu carefully, already preparing a little speech to smooth over his refusal, but the jade statue took a moment to examine Gu Zhixiao as he pondered the question seriously. Finally, he replied: ¡°Do you have milk?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yelye stumbled, almost collapsing into the pile of stone. Feng Zhiwei almost lost her balance as well. Young Master Gu was incredibly serious, not at all joking and completely incapable of joking. It seemed that the martial expert had truly been terrorized by the inimitable Mudan Hua on their march, and the curious Queen Dowager leveraged her milky breasts to hound Young Master Gu, spending her days conspiring to lift Young Master Gu¡¯s veil, constantly threatening to take away her milk. For the first time in his life, Young Master Gu knew fear, and he wished for a new wet-nurse so he could escape Mudan Hua¡¯s demonic paws. As long as he could escape Mudan Hua¡¯s tyranny, he was perfectly willing to teach Kung Fu. ¡°He is saying that he needs a wet-nurse.¡± Feng Zhiwei hurriedly explained to the Patriarchs, gesturing to the sleeping Gu Zhixiao. The patriarchs oohed in understanding, none of them perfectly comfortable with Young Master Gu¡¯s mothering over the infant. Despite their great admiration of his skill, none of them were willing to express any more interest and were soon filing out of the valley. Outside, the thirty thousand patriarch guards were facing off against the ten thousand King¡¯s Army. Though the explosions and collapsing rocks had shocked all of the guards, the Golden Alliance Meeting was sacred and none of the guards had dared enter without orders from their leaders. The men had waited with anxiety and worry and only relaxed when they saw their patriarchs walking towards them. When the King¡¯s Army spotted Helian Zheng walking safely alongside Blue Bear and Iron Cheetah, they instantly presumed that the Golden Alliance Meeting crisis had been defused. As one, the army dismounted and unsheathed their gleaming blades, the metal clanging and sparkling brilliantly in the hot sunlight as they called out: ¡°King!¡± The loud roar knocked several small stones from the mountainside, shocking the patriarchs. The wily men exchanged glances, none of them having expected the young King to so quickly assume control over the proud King¡¯s Army. ¡°My warriors!¡± Helian Zheng called out from his perch on top of a large stone, a fist raised high. ¡°Thunderstorms cannot stop the high flying eagle, and Hongji Le¡¯s doomed schemes have been burnt to ash! Your King is still your King, and after today, Golden Roc must pull back its talons and abandon their fertile land east of the Qing Zhuo mountains! Long live the glorious Golden Lion!¡± ¡°Long live the glorious Golden Lion!¡± The King¡¯s Army echoed in an earth stirring roar, their eyes gleaming and their blood boiling with pride as they stamped and shook the earth. ¡°That section of Golden Roc¡¯s land, a great portion of their cows and sheep, and the money from their border trade!¡± Helian Zheng called out, sweeping his hand towards the army in a powerful arc. ¡°Will be shared amongst you!¡± The cries and roars grew deafening, hurting Feng Zhiwei¡¯s ears. ¡°Hongji Le¡¯s life will be spared for a few days to prepare his tribute and concessions!¡± Helian Zheng called out forcefully. ¡°The widows and orphans of those who died against Da Yue will have double the share!¡± ¡°Long live the King!¡± ¡°This grandpa said he would fuck Hongji Le¡¯s mother!¡± Helian Zheng called out proudly, his handsome jaw cutting the light of the sun as his tall, powerful figure almost glowed with divinity. ¡°But his mother was too old, so this daddy decided to f**k his daughter!¡± ¡°F**k his daughter!¡± The warriors roared with approval, their joyful cries shaking the very mountains. Below the young King, the patriarchs exchanged amused and admiring glances at the calls while Narta¡¯s face paled. Meanwhile, a stumbling Feng Zhiwei clutched Young Master Gu to hold herself steady¡­ what¡­ ? She had to admit that Helian Zheng was truly impressive. He had stirred up his men with promises of riches and linked Hongji Le¡¯s survival with their own gain. Finally, he had twisted his own oath to humiliate the enemy and explained the problem of Hongji Le¡¯s daughter, turning it all to his advantage. Feng Zhiwei eyed Helian Zheng with admiration as the brat hopped down and strode over to her, smiling as he whispered into her ear: ¡°Of course I¡¯m definitely not going to fu¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately swept away, leaving the new Steppe King¡¯s confession unfinished¡­ Beside them, Queen Dowager Liu Mudan giggled excitedly, calling out: ¡°Yelye! Let this mother feel! Has your little garlic sprout grown into a mighty green onion yet!¡± ¡­ After three days of fast horses, the King¡¯s Court was near. The returning Helian Zheng was nothing like the one that had left for Dijing with only three hundred guards. Ten thousand warriors rode around them, respectfully arrayed around the eight patriarchs. Under the guise of discussion for dividing the spoils, Helian Zheng had invited the patriarchs to join him in the King¡¯s Court, and now everything was set for his triumphant return. A King¡¯s Army messenger had already sped ahead and reported to the defenders of the King¡¯s Court and patriarchs Blue Bird, White Deer, and Fire Fox were marching out with three thousand guards to welcome their King home. Banners and pennons fluttered in the air as the columns of soldiers and riders stretched out like a magnificent river. The forty thousand strong combined forces of the King¡¯s army and the patriarch guards overawed all the people of King¡¯s Court, shocking them into silence and inaction. Chapter 249 On the Sixteenth of February in the Sixteenth Year of Chang Xi, the Shunyi King and his Queen arrived at King¡¯s Court. The anxious members of the Irgi Tribe, worried since the tragic death of their Old King, now welcomed their new King and his great defeat of the Golden Roc Tribe. The tribespeople sang with joy and danced with glee. Feng Zhiwei rode alongside Helian Zheng and watched the beautiful girls sing and laugh and dance in their colorful dresses by the road as the more adventurous broke through the circle of guards to toss perfumed cloth and waistbands into Helian Zheng¡¯s arms. Feng Zhiwei smiled, commenting: ¡°Our great King is very popular.¡± ¡°I am also popular.¡± Mudan Hua called out competitively, waving at the crowds as she yelled shrilly: ¡°Irgi¡¯s pretty boys, I your Queen am finally free! Come chase me¡­¡± A shower of stinky boots and ripped socks flew over at her from the hands of pretty boys and the wives of pretty boys. Feng Zhiwei glanced over sympathetically, but the Queen Dowager showed no embarrassment as she continued: ¡°Men are so thin skinned, deep down they all want me, I know.¡± Truly, compared to the great Queen, everyone below heaven was thin skinned. The nursing father, Young Master Gu, also received quite a few sachets and waistbands. His exquisite and bright Central Plains robes alongside his soft and ethereal veil lent him a delicate, elegant beauty alongside his already deadly jade-smooth skin. Young Master Gu examined the fragrant things seriously and finally deduced that they were gifts for his Gu Zhixiao and accommodatingly hung them around Gu Zhixiao¡¯s little blanket. As the unfortunate child immediately began sneezing, Hua Qiong quickly intervened and plucked all the cloths and bags away, much to the fury of the glaring steppe beauties. Helian Zheng cheerfully leaned over to speak to Feng Zhiwei when a laughing voice called out. ¡°Ah Ja[1]!¡± A gold purple whirlwind flew towards Helian Zheng, leaping through the air as light as a feather and twisting skillfully mid jump before gently landing on Helian Zheng¡¯s horse. The woman¡¯s dress fanned out in the air like a blossoming flower, and in the blink of an eye she was perched behind Helian Zheng, hugging his waist. With her face pressed against Helian Zheng¡¯s back, she called out joyfully: ¡°You¡¯re finally back!¡± The guards all watched with smiles as the woman broke through their circle and leapt towards their King. Around them, the various commanders burst into applause at the skillful display and the watching women called out with cheers. Helian Zheng half turned, calling out happily: ¡°Aunt Medora, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°What aunt! Sounds so bad!¡± Medora smile, reaching up and examining Helian Zheng¡¯s face. ¡°Let me look at my Ah Ja. You¡¯re so skinny!¡± ¡°Ah Ja this Ah Ja that. That is what sounds bad!¡± Helian Zheng laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not skinny, I¡¯m more fit.¡± ¡°You are my Ah Ja, mine.¡± Medora repeated, cocking an eyebrow as she smirked at the young King. ¡°I¡¯ve called you this since you were three, and you want me to change that today?¡± ¡°Alright, alright, only you.¡± Helian Zheng replied obligingly, his already happy mood reaching another pitch at the sight of this women. His spirit soared. The two chattered pleasantly, ignoring Feng Zhiwei. The new Queen was perfectly happy in her quiet bubble and observed the happy pair with great interest. She could clearly feel that this aunt of Helian Zheng¡¯s was somewhat dissatisfied with her, and throughout her whole appearance had steadfastly ignored Feng Zhiwei. But Helian Zheng could never forget and he grasped Medora¡¯s sleeve, turning proudly to Feng Zhiwei as he spoke: ¡°Medora, this is my Queen, the Central Plains¡¯ Sheng Ying Princess.¡± Medora finally turned to face her. The woman¡¯s features were elegant and heroic, with sharp angles and gentle brows. At first glance, she seemed quite similar to Hua Qiong, but on a deeper examination, her beauty was clearly of a different sort. While Hua Qiong gave off a natural aura of vast oceans and wide seas, this stranger seemed to cut the air like craggy cliffs. She immediately locked gazes with Feng Zhiwei, her eyes sharp as knives. She stared burning holes through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face, not sparing any effort to mask her hostility as she examined the new queen. The two woman faced off silently and the awkward and intense moment stretched on and on. Helian Zheng looked from one woman to the other and his face fell, but just as he was opening his mouth to speak, Medora flicked her eyes away and smirked somewhat arrogantly, her voice placid as she said: ¡°You¡¯re the Queen? How uncourteous.¡± No one could say whether she was speaking of herself or Feng Zhiwei. ¡°En.¡± Feng Zhiwei inclined her head a touch, smiling in reply. ¡°You are quite discourteous. You should dismount and pay your respects, but since you are Helian Zheng¡¯s aunt and this Queen respects the elderly, we won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Medora began, her face paling with anger. Helian Zheng quickly intervened, smiling and lifting Medora by the waist and setting her down on the ground before loudly calling out: ¡°Aunt Medora, we must find some time to catch up. We are wanted up ahead.¡± With that, the brave King immediately spurred his horse and fled. Feng Zhiwei swiftly followed, glancing back at the resentful woman standing in the growing cloud of dust and she smiled mirthlessly as she said: ¡°You really spare no tenderness for the fair maiden.¡± ¡°No, I saved her life.¡± Helian Zheng sniffed. ¡°Fighting you is simply courting death.¡± ¡°Your auntie¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei replied casually. ¡°Not blood related?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Helian Zheng laughed as he replied. ¡°When I was two, Da Yue attacked. Father King was marching out to battle and Mudan Hua was recovering from childbirth, and Medora just happened to be the Queen¡¯s maid. A younger cousin of Father King¡¯s was colluding to kidnap me and sell me to the Central Plains, and Medora happened to discover this plot and risked her life to save me. She hid me among the haystacks and leapt into an icy lake. The cousin assumed that she and I had both died in the winter waters and gave up the plot, and although Medora survived, she took gravely ill. To show her gratitude, Mudan Hua took her in as a younger sister and has treated her well.¡± Truly, quite well. The maid acted as if she were the dowager queen. ¡°Mudan Hua.¡± Feng Zhiwei called out to her mother-in-law, slowing her horse. ¡°Do you know that you¡¯ve offended someone?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s offended someone.¡± Liu Mudan rolled her eyes. She had been right behind them the entire time and had seen everything. Feng Zhiwei smiled silently and after a while Mudan Hua sighed and confessed, whispering quietly: ¡°You slippery child¡­ yes, I took her in as my sister intentionally, even knowing that was not what she wanted, but¡­ it was impossible! Medora suffered in that lake and can never have children!¡± Feng Zhiwei thought quietly, unease growing in her heart as she thought back to the woman¡¯s arrogance and anger. Finally, she asked: ¡°How old is she?¡± [1] °¢Ôý Ja = Jadran; Ah = Ah. Chapter 250 ¡°Six years older than Dog Ji.¡± ¡°In the Central Plains, some wealthy family heads who¡¯ve sired a bunch of children still wish to remarry after their wives pass.¡± Feng Zhiwei commented casually as she toyed with her reins. ¡°Mudan Hua, you should consider this. ¡°I know that keeping her around is just letting hatred fester in her heart, and I¡¯ve been finding suitor after suitor over the years.¡± Mudan Hua replied, frowning in frustration. ¡°You¡¯ve already seen how proud Medora is. The King¡¯s Court has treated her as a princess all these years and she¡¯s totally unwilling to consider those matches.¡± ¡°When did we have such a princess?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied lightly. ¡°Staying here at her age, you must know what she is waiting for. If it is impossible, don¡¯t give her false hope or else the tragedy will only deepen. A woman¡¯s youth should not be wasted.¡± Mudan Hua grit her teeth and stayed silent for a long moment before clapping her hands and exclaiming: ¡°Fine! Marriage!¡± ¡°What marriage?¡± Helian Zheng asked, turning at the loud cry. Dowager Queen Mudan ignored the King and whipped his horse, urging him off with a loud ¡°Jia![1]¡± They rode with their escort and the excited Irgi tribes folk who had come out to greet them and finally came into view of the Hu Zhuo King¡¯s Court. Feng Zhiwei stirred with surprise; in her mind¡¯s eye she had imagined a large cluster of tall, beautiful tents, but she spotted instead a huge white building silhouetted against the horizon. On a tall, mighty hill sat a proud white stone palace sweeping outwards and climbing upwards like a magnificent mountain. The building spanned miles in each direction, and a great tower soared upwards from the Court¡¯s interior like a white jade sword. ¡°A truly magnificent feat of architecture¡­¡± Mudan Hua sighed in awe, stirring with uncharacteristic scholastic emotion. ¡°Combining best of the Forbidden City, the White House, Buckingham Palace, the Louvre, and Potala Palace, a truly exquisite and marvelous palace, luxurious in her glory. A gathering place for the wisdom of all people and all eras across all the land¡­¡± ¡°Quite impressive, does it have a name?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied respectfully, pondering Mudan Hua¡¯s strange list of unrecognizable palace names. Were they from countries overseas? ¡°The Second Potala Palace.¡± Mudan Hua replied. What a strange name. Feng Zhiwei turned at the unusual emotion in Liu Mudan¡¯s voice and spotted the glittering complexity in the Queen Dowager¡¯s eyes as the woman looked out at the palace compound. Reminiscence and loss, joy and grief, loneliness and contentment¡­ a wild mix of emotion too intertwined to parse. ¡°We used to live in tents.¡± Mudan Hua explained slowly. ¡°Then one day I told My Kuku that my hometown was a lot like this place. It too had steppes as vast as the sky and flocks of sheep with wool as white as the clouds, and in my home every heart worshipped at the Potala Palace. Kuku asked whether I had ever been and I explained that I would never have the chance to visit again, and so Kuku said that he would build a Potala Palace for me, a new Holy Land for the Hu Zhuo Steppes to stand true through the generations. I could not desecrate my home¡¯s shrine, so we named it The Second Potala Palace.¡± As she spoke, Liu Mudan seemed to grow shy, her blushing face peeking through the thick powder coating her cheeks. Her eyes shone bright and a smile blossomed on her lips. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart stirred as she wondered at the extraordinary love Old King Kuku and Mudan Hua had shared. They had met on the battlefield and together married the steppes. Together, they walked through thirty years of wind and rain, and though Feng Zhiwei did not know what words had passed through their mouths, she saw before her the shrine he had built. The Queen Dowager may have cursed and sworn about the old King on the banks of the river, but when he had passed, she had bravely shouldered the future of his people. This sort of love needed no words for the very sun and moon watched over the proof, the testimony of the steppes and the oaths sworn through the palace before them. Spring grass swept out in every direction like a vast, green sea, and the powerful wind blew up flowing waves and currents. The new Steppe King rode forth accompanied by his Queen and his mother, their proud horses bright in the golden sun. Finally, they reached crested a tall hill and took in the thousands upon thousands of their people waiting below. A silent Helian Zheng looked down at his tribe, his powerful amber eyes glittering like purple wine, his brows proud and free. Suddenly, he burst into laughter. ¡°Zhiwei! Zhiwei! I am so happy that you are by my side!¡± As he spoke, he reached out and swept Feng Zhiwei into his embrace. Feng Zhiwei could not even yelp with surprise and she was in Helian Zheng¡¯s arms, barely able to lower her face in a pretense of shyness as she pushed herself off of the tall man¡¯s chest. Clutching the beauty and sitting her on his lap, Helian Zheng laughed as he rode forth. His handsome dark horse flew through the grass as Helian Zheng whistled forward like a black sword cutting the wind. He raced towards his people and his waiting court, his silver coat and his Queen¡¯s black dress fluttering in the wind, gorgeous arcs of light flowing in the sunlight. The tens of thousands of men, women, and children knelt, calling out together in a thundering cry that swept across the earth and up into the heavens. ¡°King!¡± The powerful, stirring cry trembled through their chests and Feng Zhiwei could hear Helian Zheng¡¯s heart pound faster and stronger. The wind swept the steppe people¡¯s cry in echoes over mountains and rivers, and behind them she heard Mudan Hua call out to the sky with a quiet smile: ¡°Kuku!¡± The spirited and joyous new Steppe King carried his Queen in a triumphant and glorious home-coming, cheered and honored by all his people. Back in Dijing, in the noble and luxurious Prince Chu Mansion, a freezing aura of death and anger loomed over everything. Servants shuffled along silently, afraid to make a single sound, not even daring to near the shut doors of the study. His Highness had locked himself inside the study every single day since his return to the Imperial Court, not a sound ever passing from those dark doors. Although nothing had happened, no one could escape the plunging depression filling the grounds. No one could understand what was happening ¡ª His Highness had returned victorious, completely routing the Chang Family forces. On the coats of their great victory, Prince Chu had installed loyal men to many influential positions in the military, and the rich and noble students who had followed Prince Chu and Wei Zhi had all been presented with various official positions in the ministries. Though His Majesty had expressed sorrow and dismay at the unfortunate fate of the missing Wei Zhi, he had very explicitly praised Prince Chu¡¯s achievements. Ever since, Prince Chu¡¯s Memorandums to the Throne were heard with the greatest attention and not a single critical word could be heard throughout the entirety of the Imperial Court. It was clear to everyone that Prince Chu was the Emperor¡¯s favorite prince. [1] ¼Ý Jia = hiyah ; Jia ¼Þ = a woman marrying a man. On a related note: Qu È¢ = a man taking a woman as his wife. Chapter 251 After so many years of suffering and hardship when all of plans and maneuvering finally paid off, why was His Highness not celebrating with joy? Thick purple-blue curtains line with golden thread covered the windows of the study, keeping the room a dull twilight even in the height of day. Ever since Ning Yi had returned from Minnan, his eyes seemed particularly sensitive, pained in light and wind. The original bright green curtains had long since been switched to darker colors. A quiet shifting of papers filled the study alongside an ambergris incense fragrance. ¡°Assistant Minister Wu in Ministry of Works was the Crown Prince¡¯s wet-nurse¡¯s son.¡± Ning Yi said in his calm, emotionless voice as he silently flipped through a thick file. ¡°Replace him.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xin Ziyan replied, no trace of his usual playfulness as he sat at attention. ¡°Any particular angle?¡± ¡°Does he not enjoy collecting rare metals and precious books?¡± Ning Yi replied indifferently, ¡°You hold the compilation of the Records of Tian Sheng. If you wish to charge him, is it difficult?¡± Xi Ziyan raised an eyebrow at the mockery and sarcasm in Ning Yi¡¯s voice. ¡°Your Highness.¡± He began, lifting his eyes to look into Ning Yi¡¯s. ¡°In that matter I¡­¡± ¡°I tire.¡± Ning Yi said, interrupting the man. He looked up from his file, his elegant eyes weary and sunken; he shut his eyes and rubbed his brow, not giving Xin Ziyan the opportunity to finish speaking. ¡°We¡¯ll finish here.¡± His eyes still closed, he leaned back in dismissal. Xin Ziyan refused to back down. Ever since Ning Yi had returned to Dijing, Xin Ziyan had suffered under Ning Yi¡¯s strange temper and he had had enough. Ning Yi was losing himself, throwing himself into work day and night and exhausting himself in his manipulations of the Imperial Court. Though the man never stirred from his study, he never let himself rest, and he refused to speak of any matters outside those of the Imperial Court. This would be the tenth time that Xin Ziyan had been interrupted and ignored on this particular topic. When Ning Yi had returned to Dijing in his triumph and entered the Golden Palace, His Majesty had idly lamented over the unfortunate timing ¡ª if Ning Yi had returned just a touch sooner, he would have been able to bid the new Shunyi King farewell. When His Majesty went on to explain who the new King and Queen were, Ning Yi had trembled, his face paling. As soon as they had taken their leave from the Imperial Court, Ning Yi had commandeered the first horse in sight and galloped out towards the city gates. He was only partly through the city when he pulled up, and for a long while he stood still, staring blankly at the horizon. Finally, he quietly turned his horse around. After that, Ning Yi showed no more signs of disturbance and only Xin Ziyan and a few of the prince¡¯s closest ministers understood that this apparent equanimity was the largest sign that something was wrong. Xin Ziyan watched Ning Yi, his thoughts tangled. Since their return from Minnan, Ning Yi and Ning Cheng had begun keeping certain matters from him and the prince had immediately revoked his command of the Golden Feather Guard. Clearly he was being punished for the matter of the Feng Family, but Xin Ziyan did not understand what he had done wrong. His Majesty had entrusted the Golden Feather Guard to Ning Yi with the sole purpose of capturing the Da Cheng Emperor¡¯s orphan, and it had been clear to all of them that the task was a test for Ning Yi. Clear evidence had already been discovered and reported to the Emperor, and if they had shown any hesitation in their investigation, the consequences would have been disastrous. But none of them had expected the orphan to be someone other than Feng Zhiwei. Was this for good or ill? Xin Ziyan shut his eyes and sighed to himself ¡ª what strange and unexpected turns¡­ Xin Ziyan opened his eyes and looked once more upon Ning Yi¡¯s weary face, anger welling up inside him. ¡°If you are tired you need not open your eyes while you listen!¡± He suddenly exclaimed, standing furiously and slamming his hands on Ning Yi¡¯s desk, his eyes burning. ¡°You will listen to what I have to say!¡± ¡°No need.¡± Ning Yi replied, never opening his eyes. ¡°You are the greatest scholar in Tian Sheng and His Majesty¡¯s most beloved minister. Since you chose to follow me all those years ago, you have devoted yourself heart and soul, blood and bone. Nothing you¡¯ve done and nothing you¡¯ve planned has ever gone wrong, and so you have nothing to explain and I have nothing to complain about. That is all.¡± ¡°Then I will complain about you.¡± Xin Ziyan said, his lips curving into a cold smile. ¡°Why have you forced Ning Cheng away? Do you not feel pity when he climbs walls and pacing the rooftops around your mansion everyday? Even if you are unmoved, I cannot be when he stops my chair everyday to cry. Let him back!¡± Ning Yi opened his eyes, his gaze cold and heartless. ¡°You are not my subordinate; you are my teacher and my friend. I will not move against you, and I do not intervene in your choices.¡± Ning Yi replied emotionlessly. ¡°Ning Cheng serves me, and he is under my power. Do not intervene in my matter.¡± ¡°Then if I were your subordinate, would you force me away as well?¡± Xin Ziyan demanded coldly. Ning Yi watched him silently. Xin Ziyan stared into the prince¡¯s eyes and disappointment filled his eyes. Finally, he spoke: ¡°If you are going to destroy yourself over a woman, unraveling the decades of pain and struggle when we are one step away from victory, then I can do nothing except admit my own blindness.¡± Why would I give up?¡± Ning Yi replied, finally opening his eyes and meeting Xin Ziyan¡¯s gaze, a mirthless, cold half smile on his lips. ¡°The world is strange, and no matter where you sit, there will always be matters that go against your will. Since this is so, I am even more curious of that unique and inimitable seat and whether it will allow me to do as I please.¡± Xin Ziyan could almost taste the loneliness and despair in Ning Yi¡¯s calm words and he stared at him silently for a long time before quietly sighing and saying: ¡°I would rather you restrain your heart¡­ some people cannot be but enemies, and now that we¡¯ve gotten to this point, refusing to accept this will only hurt you.¡± ¡°Am I not restrained?¡± Ning Yi smiled, the corner of his eyes arcing into a smooth and dazzling curve, cold and deadly. ¡°Have you not seen the gift I¡¯ve prepared for the Shunyi King?¡± He said, gesturing to a delicate gift basket. Xin Ziyan examined the elegant basket and its delicate wrapping, unable to decipher its contents. ¡°I am even preparing a letter in my own hand congratulating the Shunyi King and his Queen.¡± Ning Yi smiled, spreading the letter paper and wetting his ink stone. He lifted his brush, poising it while staring silently into Xin Ziyan¡¯s eyes. The scholar sighed, nodding and taking his leave, shutting the door behind him. The last rays of light narrowed and disappeared with the shutting of the door, and the world outside the thick curtain was now dark night. The man sat in the smoke of the room with brush in hand as he stared down at the exquisite white and gold paper. He stared silently, unmoving. As time passed, the ink on his brush¡¯s head pooled downwards on the brush tip and drooped, the black drop clinging to the delicate hair for a long moment before finally falling earthwards. ¡°Pa.¡± A drop of black ink sank into the soft paper and radiated outwards into a black sun. Ning Yi stared at the somewhat savage mark of ink. The days had been like nights¡­ since she had left. What was supposed to be a temporary separation had suddenly become a looming chasm filled with impassable mountains and vast, boundless seas, as if the unbreachable gates between life and death. Chapter 252 Ning Yi had thought she would meet him at Shang Ye for their return to Dijing, together in their joy and victory. He had planned to ask about his box of letters and whether she had liked the reed leaf and the coral, whether she wished to visit together the reed marsh as the passed through South Sea. He had wanted to see how she had changed in their months apart, whether she had thinned or grew curves, whether she had tanned in the salt of the sea, whether she had stayed well ¡ª it had been too long since he had left, much too long. ¡°Wait for me.¡± ¡°I have to wait for you so we can return to Dijing together.¡± ¡°I know what you look like. If you get skinnier when we meet again, I won¡¯t spare you.¡± ¡°How will you not spare me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, and we will never be reconciled.¡± Those teasing words had unfortunately come to pass. Their paths had forever diverged at Shang Ye port, and she would never again stand on those dewed green stones, her sleeves fluttering in the wind. She would never accompany him to the reed marsh, to see their blossom and their dance. She would never again care as he thinned or fattened, even if he shriveled into a sack of skin and bones. She would never forgive him ¡ª the two lives that she most cherished and valued would forever bar them from each other. They were irreconcilable ¡ª Princess Sheng Ying, Shunyi Queen, so determined and sure that she refused to give him even a single moment face to face ¡ª she had made her decision and words were useless. He understood. When he had stood outside the Tai He City Gates and stared off down the road, he had known he would never catch up and she would never let him. What could he say once he chased her down? That the order had not come from him? That Xin Ziyan had acted on his own? That Ning Cheng had stirred Xin Ziyan to act? That he had never thought of how to destroy her? Even he could not believe the words he would say. When they first met on that fateful day in Qiu Mansion, he had gone to meet with her Fifth Aunt. He had already asked the woman to steal the lockets of the outcast brother and sister, the main suspects in the Golden Feather Guard¡¯s long years of investigation. Feng Hao was of special concern, for Madam Feng¡¯s great protection and affection for the boy-child seemed inexplicable otherwise and even Ning Yi had been certain that they were after the boy. But after meeting Feng Zhiwei by the icy lake, she had caught his attention. She was so determined and so cold, so peaceful and calm, so many hints of a powerful and distant royal. Madam Feng had raised Feng Hao as a foppish young master, the heir to Da Cheng¡¯s history and their only hope of revival, while shaping her estranged and unloved daughter into a brilliant and extraordinary woman. He could not believe Feng Hao was the one. He had set a group of dandies on Feng Hao, stirring his vanity and baiting the boy into selling the treasures of his family. All members of the royal line possessed jade identity tokens, and Feng Hao had no understanding of a treasure¡¯s true worth and was clearly embarrassed by his poverty, so once he stole and sold the valuable without alerting Madam Feng, the case would be closed. While the playboys were tricking Feng Hao, his own attention had focused on Feng Zhiwei. Their accidental meeting at the brothel, their encounter at the Academy, the matter of the Crown Prince¡¯s rebellion, Shao Ning¡¯s attack, Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s birthday, the Fifth Prince¡¯s rebellion ¡ª as she shone and excelled again and again, he grew more and more certain that she was a fledgling phoenix growing in the wild, her calls crisp and clear. Though he was cautious, he could not help but approach her. He never knew when the reasons for following her had shifted from his duties to his happiness. Destiny. Fate. Sin. He could not stop himself from falling into the deep pools of her misty eyes, unable to free himself, unable to breathe without her. In a heavily curtained room cut off from any trace of the February spring breeze, Ning Yi leaned on his desk, calmly shifting the ruined letter paper aside. Spreading a clean sheet, he picked up his brush once more, dipping it into the fragrant ink and slowly writing. Letter to the Honorable Shunyi Queen The room seemed to blur before him and he once again saw the abandoned arc of the magnificent Da Cheng Bridge with them sitting together on the thin snow, leaning against the stone railing and sharing a bottle of cheap liquor. He had pointed proudly, ¡°That day, all of the surviving officials were grass in blowing wind ¨C all kowtowed to his feet.¡± She had smiled, cold, ¡°They bent to the bloody sword.¡± When the night finally died, she had poured out the last drops to welcome to first beams of dawn. ¡°The last drops I offer to a lonely bridge. All things must pass, but still this bridge remains.¡± Time swept onwards and dynasties rose and fell, but in that moment, names and status meant nothing. There was only the work of the past, the lonely bridge ever faithful in the cold wind. It has been long since we parted and I hope my Queen is well. He had leaned his cheek into hers, his fingers gently playing with her hand. He had lowered his head, twining their hair and tangling their breath, and with a slight shift, touched his chin to her cheek. Her skin had been smooth as jade and his heart had stirred as if a vibrant spring leave had fallen onto a pearly lake, gentle ripples that tapered and quietly faded.[1] My Queen, are you well? They had been so close, hearts beating loudly in a tantalizing moment that seemed to flirt with danger, but finally not to be as the heavy snows poured down from heaven and smothered out the flame. It is nearly half a year since we bid each other farewell at Longxi¡­ Pretty lanterns and colorful bands filled the palace as if so many bright pearls descending from the sky. Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s Birthday Feast, smiles throughout the Imperial Palace in celebration of new love, deaf to the weeping behind closed doors. In a dark and abandoned room as rain poured outside, she had stirred a fire into life and cared for him, and there was peace and warmth. ¡°Do you think you are so pretty that I will lose control?¡± ¡°I think I am.¡± In the darkness of that warm and fragrant room, he had tasted her sweet lips, fresh as a hidden spring. He had lost himself in her as their kiss deepened, and within all his careful walls seemed to unravel. Zhiwei¡­ Zhiwei, now that you set yourself against me, I find myself more pained than if all the world saw me as its enemy. Dijing is warm this spring; the wind is pleasant and the sun bright. How are the sights beyond the Great Wall¡­¡± The weather had been beautiful. A large, leafy banyan towered above and lent its shadow to the earth. She had stood there, hands clasped behind her back as she called out: ¡°Call His Highness Prince Chu and tell him to come here.¡±[2] He had went. No matter where they stood, he would never turn away her invitation. The tea had been delicious, her hands soft and delicate, and her words as sharp as a blade. He finally understood her unwillingness to bend her knee, and still he tried to smother his heart and deceive himself. ¡°No talk of advantage or disadvantage, no discussion of the future. Speak just of the heart. Your heart.¡± ¡°My heart is where it ought to be. Perhaps one day when the rivers and seas are overturned, my heart will be overturned as well.¡± ¡°Zhiwei, resign from office and return to the Qiu Mansion¡­ in the future, you will be mine¡­¡± ¡°Prince Chu Ning Yi does not pass!¡± [1] [Feng Zhiwei¡¯s secret meeting with Shao Ning, ambushed by Ning Yi] [2] [Crisis in the Academy, before leaving for South Sea] Chapter 253 Zhiwei, I am indeed unworthy. Before we had even truly begun, I had already pushed you away. The warmth of spring was once again upon Dijing, but with someone missing everything was different. Who would pass the fragrant tea as they relaxed under the great banyan trees? The northern lands are bitterly cold. Please do not forget to keep warm in the mornings and nights¡­ In Hua Yan Du Village, as a great man sacrificed himself to buy them time to escape, they had clung to the cliffside and she had gently hugged him from behind. ¡°For now, let me be your eyes.¡± When they had woken at the bottom of the cliff, she had lowered her head in focus and buttoned his clothes, her fragrance lingering by his nose. ¡°If I left Dijing and never returned, what would you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look for you.¡± ¡°What if you cannot find me?¡± ¡°You cannot escape me. All the lands under the heavens, all the wind, earth, water, and rain will be mine; even if you turn to ash, with nothing left but bone, you will still be mine.¡± Zhiwei. Even though all the wind and earth and water and rain will finally be mine, I am afraid that when I find you, you will not be the same person I knew. Out in the borderless steppes and the wide, blinding expanses of snow, the last page of the Thirteenth Year of Chang Xi turned, its bones crumbling to dust. You have lived all your life in the Central Plains, and I imagine that you are having some difficulty adjusting to steppe food¡­ That day, as his men guarded him from the angry commoners at the Yan Family Ancestral Temple, she had crossed through mountains for him, falling like a gentle cloud into his arms. That night as she lay unconscious and dying, he had sat by her quietly washing her waning body, his chest filled with pain and grief. He had feared then that everything would fall apart and all the bonds between men would shatter. Then he had left her side as she recovered, marching his army to Xita where he had found a feather and a reed leaf and invited her to one day come listen to the wind with him. He had crossed the sea at An Lan Valley, the clarity and peace of the waves around him as he thoughtfully attached a gift of coral to his letter. In that moment of quiet, he worried once more of how he had almost lost her forever and how it felt as if the oceans had been overturned. That night, he had not slept. As he sat blind, bright moon above and tranquility all around, the waves rocking underneath as he wrote, he imagined her as she found his letters and smiled quietly at her antics. When he finally entrusted the box of letters to Yan Huaishi, he heard the man¡¯s unconcealed happiness and he too began to feel as if the world was bright and the wind gentle. But now. That utter intimacy had only meant more violence and pain in the separation. Now what he could he write but meaningless nothings, worthless and tasteless greetings from Prince Chu to the Shunyi Queen? His brush stilled. He bit his lips. Suddenly, he began writing again, one line after the other flowing from his brush like so many galloping rivers. Zhiwei, it snowed so heavily in Dijing and the blanket on the ground was thick enough to bury my knees. I wandered outside the An Ping Palace because I heard you spent the night there and I found the finger marks on the short tree by the side palace. Was that you? In that moment, was I that tree? Why did you not wait for me to come so that you could use your hands to strangle my throat. My power had taken the lives of your family, and you only flicked your sleeves and left? Are you hiding in the steppes away from Dijing just so that you do not see me? This does not seem like you. Zhiwei, some people are fated to stand in your way and it matters not where under the heavens you hide. Are you then not hiding? Perhaps you are hiding your strength and biding your time, and maybe one day you will lay in wait on my road with a readied sword. If that is so, do not let me wait too long ¡ª the Imperial Edict Promotion for the great merits of Wei Zhi lays in my drawer waiting for you. You promised me once that you would always be waiting for me at the end of the road. Now that road has stretched too long, but still our travels can end as soon as we wish it too. I imagined that you must have trampled the box of letters or thrown it into a river, and it matters not. My letters were not yet practiced and when I have time I will rewrite them all. Xita¡¯s reed marsh, An Lan¡¯s coral, even Minnan¡¯s Phoenix Tail Wood ¡ª none of that is irreplaceable. The only truly unique thing is that emotion that wells up in your heart in a shared, unforgettable moment. I do not know where you have hidden those feelings, but mine are right here and I wait for you to come back and unearth them. Please, do not let me wait too long. Ning Yi set down his brush, sanded the ink, and folded the paper. Letter ready, he heated the wax and sealed the missive shut before placing it in a fine gift basket. He leaned back in his chair and looked out through his curtains. The setting rays of the sun shifted minutely behind those heavy barriers and finally they faded, leaving behind only frosty moonlight. Lonely wind hummed through the eaves of the palace and a deep, long night fell over Dijing. As the night stretched on, a conflicted and pained heart thought over a letter as night once again turned to day. ¡­ The sun was bright and fresh as King¡¯s Court celebrated, all the sadness and loss for a moment forgotten. Helian Zheng carried Feng Zhiwei as he dismounted amidst the cheering crowd, their long road of suffering finally ended as they stood under the gates of the palace. Sachets and waistbands and all manners of snacks hung around Helian Zheng and there were even some oily rice cakes balanced in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s arms. As soon as the two turned a corner and the crowd was out of sight, Feng Zhiwei slapped her palm into Helian Zheng¡¯s chest, using True Qi to force his hands apart and letting her fall and gently land on her own two feet. She used a moment to straighten her dress before, without a look back at Helian Zheng, turning and walking away. ¡°Ai ai are you mad?¡± Helian Zheng immediately cried out as he rushed forward to grab her sleeve. ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t be mad! Little Aunt, Little Aunt, it won¡¯t happen again.¡± The King cried out in hurried guilt and a long-suffering Feng Zhiwei finally turned to face him. ¡°You will not forget?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡± Helian Zheng explained, his eyes bright as he turned as if he could see the broad steppe skies through the palace walls. ¡°Zhiwei, I have finally returned from Dijing. Heaven knows how much I hate that city, stuffy and dreary and everyone¡¯s faces masked. Nobody can live freely and every third word is a lie. The steppes are the best, and even our skies are taller than Dijing¡¯s. Zhiwei, I only wanted to share my joy.¡± I only wanted you to know my joy. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s lashes trembled and her smile slipped ¡ª I know. I know. Yet even if you share enough joy to fill all the steppes, I have nowhere to put it. Her heart was frozen in time, locked away in the first snows over Dijing in the Thirteenth Year of Chang Xi, a long night that never ended. ¡°How lively!¡± Chunyu Meng called out joyously behind them as he approached with his guards. He called out loudly: ¡°I like these Hu Zhuo girls! I¡¯m going to make one my wife!¡± ¡°You do not wish to return?¡± Feng Zhiwei chuckled. As Chunyu Meng¡¯s smile disappeared, Feng Zhiwei eyed him with some surprise. ¡°You really do not wish to go back? Why? The Chunyu Family is now among Prince Chu¡¯s trusted followers; when you return, all the merits you¡¯ve earned on the trip to South Sea and through the steppes will surely lead to a great and powerful position in Dijing. You have a bright future, do not waste it.¡± Chapter 254 She had not mentioned Ning Yi since leaving Dijing and the brief words felt like a burning cluster of clouds pressing down on her heart and stirring it into a mess of a pain. ¡°I received a letter from His Highness at the steppe borders.¡± Chunyu Meng replied. ¡°The Prince said that as a member of a military household, military achievements are my foundation. Instead of returning to Dijing and idling in the Chang Ying Guard, he recommended that I reinforce the Da Yue Army and join their officer camp. I have decided to take his advice and once things are settled here I will leave for the Yu Zhou Camp and take the position of Vice General. I will trust in His Highness¡¯s plans; the Prince bas never been wrong.¡± Feng Zhiwei looked at him silently for a long moment before slowly smiling and agreeing: ¡°Yes, His Highness has never been wrong.¡± Chunyu Meng suddenly felt as if he had spoken wrong and his heart jerked painfully. He opened his mouth to speak but he could not utter a single sound. A giggling Mudan Hua finally squeezed out of the crowd and grabbed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hands. ¡°Quick, come, come, let me show you The Second Potala Palace. The Main Palace will be prepared for you and I will move out immediately.¡± ¡°That is unnecessary.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied as she let the woman drag her away. ¡°I¡¯ll just take any convenient room¡­¡± ¡°I insist I insist.¡± Mudan Hua cried out, cutting her off as she almost glided across the smooth white-stone floor. ¡°I already told people to prepare the Main Palace, and you just need to walk in. Wait till you see the room I¡¯ve decorated for you, you¡¯re going to love it hahaha¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei wailed silently inside. How could she possible love something a strange woman like Mudan Hua had designed? Beside her, Mudan Hua chattered tirelessly without pause, her lips moving so quickly that they almost blurred together. ¡°Rest well first and Ji Dog¡¯s Coronation will be held soon. We will need to wait for Dama Living Buddha to invite our God first, and I¡¯ll ask Mama Living Buddha to also read your fate. Xixi, it was only after I was chosen by that old man years ago that Kuku could make all those patriarchs shut up about making me Queen¡­¡± and on and on it went as the woman led her down seven or eight turns, waving at guards and calling out orders as they went. After a long, long walk, they finally turned onto a veranda and and Mudan Hua nearly trembled with excitement as she called out in onomatopoeic anticipation, her hands readied on the door. ¡°Dang dang dang dang[1].¡± Feng Zhiwei narrowed her eyes and she examined the room, mentally bowled over by the ¡°dang dang dang dang.¡± It was truly¡­ celebratory. Red everywhere. Red bed, red bed curtains, red vases, red felt rugs, and even red paintings. The room burned with red in every corner and Feng Zhiwei felt her eyes dazzled, her heart pound, and her head grow dizzy. Every item in the room bore the same pattern ¡ª two mandarin duck love birds tumbling merrily in water beside a peony flower. The ducks were green and the flower was yellow, and all around was green red and yellow wherever she turned. There was no escape from the horror, and Feng Zhiwei could only twitch as her mind began to shatter. ¡°Beautiful right?¡± Mudan Hua announced with great pleasure. ¡°Bright! Joyous! Spiritual! Prosperous! It took a long time for me to come up with this combination!¡± Truly, to imagine such a terrible and strange combination must have tasked Mudan Hua to exhaustion. But Mudan Hua was not yet finished as she happily pushed forward and opened a door to the left. ¡°This room was my youngest sons, but since he¡¯s probably dead it¡¯ll be just right for the little baby! We don¡¯t have too many rules in the steppes, and the baby is still small, so Yiyi can live here with her.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned mechanically, dazedly trailing behind Mudan Hua. An enormous room filled her eyes¡­ this room? Pink. Pink everywhere. Soft pink pads lining every wall. Soft pink cushions with decorative pearls the floor. Various nicknacks and strange belled whatever all around. Feng Zhiwei looked down at a strange contraption of pink and white piled in one spot on the floor, bending down to pick one up and examining it. It was stuffed with velvet cloth and cotton, and the shape¡­ She gestured with the five legged thing, one ear long and one ear short. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Rabbit.¡± ¡°Why does it have five legs?¡± Mudan Hua turned to eye Feng Zhiwei disdainfully. ¡°Look closely, that¡¯s a tail, a tail!¡± Feng Zhiwei stared down at the long tailed rabbit, her mind stuttering to a halt and her eyes glazing over as she examined the little monster. No matter how she looked, the ¡°tail¡± was even more leg-like than the four legs. ¡°Your work?¡± The truly astonishing craftsmanship reminded Feng Zhiwei of a particular chest wrap and she was certain that the masterpieces must have come from the same hand. Mudan Hua proudly squared her shoulders, her magnificent chest rising and falling like waves in the ocean. Feng Zhiwei turned a pitying eye towards Young Master Gu ¡ª he was probably going to have to sleep in this pink room filled with toy monsters. The man in question stood calmly behind her, his placid eyes taking in the room. To him, nothing seemed strange except Feng Zhiwei¡¯s weird expression. Done with this room, Mudan Hua grabbed Feng Zhiwei and Hua Qiong and pulled them a few steps away to another room. ¡°Qiongqiong, you¡¯re pregnancy is amlst over and you need to live close, this room used to¡­¡± She pulled up short, yelping in surprise: ¡°Yi?¡± Through the open door, a figure on the felt rug unhurriedly climbed to her feet, her chin high as she looked out at them. ¡°Medora.¡± Mudan Hua began, eyeing the woman. ¡°Why are you still here? Did I not tell you to move to the Back Palace with me?¡± ¡°I live here.¡± Medora smiled as she replied, gesturing with a pot in her hand. ¡°Queen, the buttered tea is still hot, come and have a cup, the servant girl just finished preparing it¡­¡± ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Liu Mudan repeated quietly, no sign of her smile as she ignored Medora¡¯s invitation. A sudden aura seemed to fall around her as her words turned cold, her usual vapid flightiness replaced entirely with a sharp, cold edge. Feng Zhiwei eyed the Queen Dowager, finally understanding how the curious and offbeat woman had ruled the chaotic King¡¯s Court. Medora stiffened, biting her lips before also repeating: ¡°I live here.¡± ¡°Even I don¡¯t live here, how could you live here?¡± Liu Mudan asked calmly as she stared at the woman. ¡°Do you think you are more noble than I?¡± Medora set down the pot and straightened, her voice clear as she calmly replied: ¡°I have lived here for more than a decade and have grown attached. I do not understand why I cannot keep this room once the King is crowned. If I must leave, then let the King be the one to tell me.¡± [1] imagine Beethoven¡¯s 5th Symphony. It functions as ¡®voil¨¤¡¯ in modern Chinese Chapter 255 ¡°The Second Potala Palace is mine and needs not my son¡¯s orders.¡± Liu Mudan replied, a furious smile twisting her lips even as her speech dropped into a solemn cadence. She clapped once, calling in a group of maid servants. ¡°You refuse to leave? Fine, stay; but your belongings were all gifted from my hand. Take everything away!¡± The strong and hardy female servants all immediately obeyed and Medora¡¯s futile attempts to stop them were brushed off and mercilessly ignored. Feng Zhiwei watched with quiet amusement and respect, her hands clasped behind her back as she nodded to herself. Although Medora considered herself the Dowager Queen, the true Queen Mother was still Liu Mudan. Medora was already crying out with steppe words, and though Feng Zhiwei could not understand, it was clear that the woman was cursing and throwing insults. Soon, Dowager Queen Mudan¡¯s fury had deepened until her eyes shone with the same rage that they had held when glaring at Kereyid. The noise soon pulled Helian Zheng away from whatever he was doing and he strode in, bewildered by the noise and chaos. As soon as he came into view, Medora threw herself into his arms and wept even louder: ¡°Ah-Ja, when I save you, you all said that you would repay me the rest of your life, but now I¡¯m not even allowed my room!¡± Feng Zhiwei frowned and glanced over at Hua Qiong. She saw the same disdain in her friend¡¯s eyes ¡ª demanding repayment again and again, ignoring the great respect and care she¡¯d lived on all these years? Helian Zheng caught Medora, awkwardly patting her on the back before holding her out at arm¡¯s distance, a strained smile on his face as he replied: ¡°What is the matter, you will always have a place here. It¡¯s just a small change, come, let¡¯s go look at the Back Palace together, you can even choose the best room!¡± ¡°I live here! I will only live here!¡± Medora cried out, stamping her feet. Helian Zheng furrowed his brows and turned inquisitively towards Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei smirked. Helian Zheng¡¯s manners truly were a bit on the crude side ¡ª after calling her ¡°aunt¡± all this time, he really had begun to treat her with that manner of respect, but she really did not want to play that role¡­ ¡°Fine.¡± Feng Zhiwei said calmly, nodded at Helian Zheng. ¡°You can stay here.¡± Everyone froze and Medora soon lifted her head from Helian Zheng¡¯s chest and stared at Feng Zhiwei in astonishment. When the woman¡¯s completely dry eyes met her own, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sneer grew wider. ¡°You are right, it is just a room. Since you¡¯ve grown attached, forcing you out is too much. Stay.¡± Medora¡¯s eyes widened with glee and she hugged Helian Zheng tightly: ¡°Ah-Ja, you¡¯re the best! You¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°But I do not want to live here.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued in a slow, lazy voice. ¡°I prefer the Back Palace. Helian Zheng, we will live there and the Dowager Queen and Medora can live here.¡± Dowager Queen Mudan laughed as Medora froze. ¡°Moreover.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued calmly, ignoring Medora as she turned and walked away. ¡°With the King¡¯s Court recent turmoil, we need stricter rules. My dowry guards will take charge of guarding the residences of the King and I. No strangers without mine or the Dowager Queen¡¯s permission will be allowed in our residence.¡± Obviously Medora was now one of those strangers. Feng Zhiwei swept out of the room, cheerful and thankful that she could escape the earth and heaven shattering, god and demon beweeping bedroom. Everyone else swiftly followed, leaving Medora alone in her room, dazed. A while later as she stood in her messy room, Medora screamed and kicked a small table. The table fell over and rolled aside before stopping by a pair of feet. The gentle hands awkwardly bent down and lifted the table upright. Medora turned, meeting the smiling eyes of the heavily pregnant Narta. ¡­ As they walked over to the Back Palace, Liu Mudan sighed heavily as she spoke: ¡°What a waste of my designs. Should we move those things over?¡± ¡°The patterns are so beautiful that I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose sleep admiring them day and night.¡± Feng Zhiwei hurriedly replied. ¡°Mudan Hua, you should keep them by your side.¡± Beside them, Young Master Gu carried Gu Zhixiao, the pink five-legged rabbit tucked under his arm ¡ª Gu Zhixiao liked it. Gu Nanyi seemed to float down the palace halls, his beautiful robes flowing around him, the strong and elegant lines of his face clear even through his veil, two small monkeys on his shoulders and a cheerful baby in his arms¡­ All the servant girls and slaves giggled as he passed, but Young Master Gu cared not ¡ª as long as Feng Zhiwei was fine with him, everything was well in the world. ¡°Ah ah¡­¡± Gu Zhixiao began babbling, suddenly stirring and twisting in Young Master Gu¡¯s arms. A female slave was approaching, the baby in her arms somewhat smaller than Gu Zhixiao. Gu Zhixiao gurgled excitedly at this rare encounter with her own kind. Helian Zheng had already happily rushed over: ¡°Trumpet Flower, is this my little brother?¡± Mudan Hua had stilled in a stunned daze, staring blankly as she murmured to herself: ¡°Ah? Not dead?¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed¡­ what kind of words? ¡°King, Queen.¡± The slave greeted, bowing. ¡°Tsamuttu is very well. This slave was just outside so he could look at the garden flowers. ¡°Tsamuttu?¡± Helian Zheng repeated, leaning in and tickling the baby with his fingers. The little boy grabbed a pinky, letting the young King swing his chubby arms here and there. ¡°Strong! Good!¡± The king scooped the baby up and walked over to Liu Mudan: ¡°You¡¯re still not taking him?¡± Liu Mudan stirred, stepping back a step before she caught herself. Her eyes never moved from the baby as she cautiously stepped forward, accepting the child into her arms. She stared down at the little bundle, her head lowered and her hair falling over her complicated expression. Feng Zhiwei could just catch the crystalline reflections around the corner of Liu Mudan¡¯s eyes. Gu Zhixiao began gurgling unhappily. She had been drinking Liu Mudan¡¯s milk recently and was now tyrannically demanding the mother over, struggling mightily in Young Master Gu¡¯s arms. Liu Mudan quickly stepped over, shifting her child into one arm while scooping Gu Zhixiao up in the other, smiling joyfully as she brought both babies¡¯ faces up against her own, giggling as she said: ¡°Together, together!¡± Finally recovered from her shock, she turned back to Helian Zheng. ¡°Stop wasting time, go and entertain the Patriarchs. Send out people to invite Dama Living Buddha over, and tell them not to allow that stubborn old man to refuse. Tie him up and carry him back if they have too! Go! Tell them to hurry! A long night is fraught with dreams!¡± ¡°Leave it to your son!¡± Helian Zheng smiled, reassuring the woman. As he left he turned to Feng Zhiwei: ¡°Trumpet Flower is tired; two babies are too much for her. Help her a little.¡± Chapter 256 Feng Zhiwei met Helian Zheng¡¯s eyes and nodded. Beside them, Mudan Hua¡¯s face went unnaturally still and she turned away. Feng Zhiwei followed Liu Mudan as they went off to choose rooms, arranging for her people to house close together. The steppes were not as prudish as the Central Plains and did not force men and women into separate yards, the barriers between rooms considered sufficient decency. Narta was thus fittingly crammed between Zong Chen and Gu Nanyi¡¯s rooms, much to her pale horror. Once everyone was settled in, Liu Mudan held her baby and turned to leave, but Feng Zhiwei called her back and invited her to tea. After some sips, the woman begged off to go to the bathroom, hoisting the baby once again and walking off. Feng Zhiwei chuckled and called out, telling her she did not need to carry off the baby just to use the toilet ¡ª what if the baby accidentally fell in? When the Queen Dowager returned, the older woman soon explained that she missed the pond in the back courtyard and wanted to check if the servants and dirtied it by washing clothes there. Feng Zhiwei smiled and scooped up the baby, easily offering to watch over Tsamuttu while she went to check the water. The mother-in-law and daughter chattered the evening away and finished dinner together. Liu Mudan seemed to sigh with some relief, hugging Tsamuttu once more as she said: ¡°I¡¯ve been here for most of the day, it¡¯s time for me to go back and sleep.¡± ¡°Take care, be well.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, noticing Liu Mudan¡¯s eyes gleaming as she left, hurrying away as if her butt was on fire. Feng Zhiwei sat quietly for a moment, listening to the fierce steppe wind outside, its howl like that of a tortured, lonely wolf. As the moment passed she stood, walking over to where Young Master Gu waited by the door, her cape already in his hand. ¡°How did you know I wanted to leave?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked with some surprise, tilting her head at him. Young Master Gu pondered deeply before replying: ¡°You are troubled.¡± Feng Zhiwei stared. The jade statue who had never cared for anything beyond the one and half feet before[1] him, never blinking even as people died around him, was now able to sense that she was troubled and understand that she wished to leave? When had this miraculous change begun? Feng Zhiwei pulled the warm, heavy cape over her shoulders and reached back to tie the bands. To her surprise, Gu Nanyi had also reached over to tie the bands and their fingers touched for a moment before he snatched his hands away. Feng Zhiwei was surprised again. He had moved away so much quicker than he used to; he had never had any problem sweeping his hands to check her entire body much less a simple touching of fingers. Was his newfound understanding of the world linked to her?[2] Feng Zhiwei bit her lips, her heart a mess of thoughts and emotions. She slowly finished tying the bands, not turning to meet the handsome man¡¯s eyes as she quietly spoke: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Gu Nanyi wordlessly followed. Since he had begun taking care of Gu Zhixiao, he had not been able to snack on walnuts, so now in this rare moment, he took one out and began slowly chewing. Perhaps the walnut had sat in the bag for too long, but for whatever reason the nut was no longer richly sweet, but rather unevenly bitter. The uneven bitterness reminded Gu Nanyi of South Sea moss as he slept on the rooftop in the rain while Feng Zhiwei lay in her sickbed below. It reminded him of snow as he followed her after the burial of her mother and brother, the trail of her footsteps and his against the vast white hills of snow stretching back to two lonely tombs. The walnut slowly grew tasteless, but he continued chewing. Finally there was only the few crumbs left on his fingers and he gently licked them off, ever so slowly. Behind the fragrance of the walnut lay another smell, faint like midnight mist, nowhere and everywhere at the same time. He carefully smelled his fingers, bringing them gently against his warm, red lips¡­ Feng Zhiwei never turned. Moonlight shone down on the pure white-stone path and he followed a step behind her, his slender shadow covering hers. The buildings of the Second Potala Palace were far apart and few guards manned the posts, fitting for the steppe people¡¯s generous customs and frank character. Each building stood almost alone, no true rule or discernible relation in their plotting; Mudan Hua¡¯s hand shone through. Past a section of short wall and down a turn, Liu Mudan¡¯s bright red bedroom and its tightly shut windows finally came into view. Mudan Hua loved openness and always threw open the windows wherever she went, but today she had closed her bedroom off from the world. Feng Zhiwei smiled at Mudan Hua¡¯s silhouette, lit against the paper windows by tallow candles. She held Tsamuttu and paced gently around the room, humming a quiet lullaby. A quiet fragrance spilled outwards, a blue flower that bloomed quietly in lovely and romantic blossoms. The moonlight was bright and true and the wind between the buildings brisk and refreshing, and the lullaby seemed to drift outwards from the room like a little boat floating in the breeze. It was beautiful and peaceful and for a moment Feng Zhiwei wondered if she had been to paranoid. Mudan Hua rocked Tsamuttu, her song never ending as she swept over to the bed, pulling the curtains closed. The melody drifted outwards and Feng Zhiwei could focus and make out the lyrics. ¡°Small little baby, like a daisy, blown by the wind, drenched in the rain¡­¡± The moonlight dimmed as clouds floated by overhead; the shadows of the veranda grew dark and long, but still the song rang out, muffled but true. The quiet lyrics swept by, unknowably eerie. ¡°blown by the wind, drenched in the rain¡­¡± As she sang, Liu Mudan reached up and grabbed the curtain band. ¡°drenched in the rain¡­¡± With one hand, she tied the band into a loop. ¡°drenched in the rain¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei lurched forward, slamming the door open and stepping inside. Liu Mudan froze, her song stalled as she looked up in shock from where she stood by the bed. Tears poured down her face as she readied the looped band. Trails of thick powder were washing away as fat, salty drops fell downward. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes flicked from the woman¡¯s face to the band to the sleeping baby suckling his fingers. Weeping, singing, readying a noose to hang her own son! ¡°Why¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei finally managed, barely recognizing the husky croak of her own voice. There are certain mothers who strike fear into hearts for their love cannot be understood. Chapter 257 Liu Mudan stared blankly at Feng Zhiwei for a long moment that seemed to stretch for eternity. Then suddenly it ended and her body sagged; the band fell aside from weak fingers and she carefully set her boy down before almost collapsing as she sat on her bed. The older woman buried her face into her hands, pearly tears dripping down her fingers. ¡°I cannot allow Tsamuttu¡­ none of my sons¡­¡± She gasped, choking on her words. ¡°Dama Living Buddha said that Jadran¡¯s fate will cause the deaths of his brothers, and if one day his fate fails, his brother must cause his death¡­¡± A creeping cold filled Feng Zhiwei¡¯s chest and she had to know. Her voice quiet, she asked: ¡°Your other sons¡­¡± Liu Mudan could only sob. Feng Zhiwei stepped back, staring at this always laughing, playful woman. For her eldest son, she had killed her other seven sons? ¡°The strange words of superstition cannot be accepted blindly.¡± Feng Zhiwei finally managed when she found her voice. Liu Mudan shook her head despairingly. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s not¡­ When Jadran¡¯s third brother was born, he was so adorable¡­ I could not bear¡­ and later that year Jadran fell off a cliff and almost died¡­¡± After another long moment, Feng Zhiwei spoke again: ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why Helian Zheng? The others are your sons as well.¡± ¡°In Hu Zhuo the Queen¡¯s firstborn son has the strongest claim on the throne.¡± Liu Mudan quietly replied. ¡°The United Twelve Tribes are complicated. Each generation sheds blood to become heir and disasters can last for generations. The firstborn son is the natural choice and the other tribes had already found him acceptable. Few want unnecessary war, so as long as the firstborn son is not a blatant fool, the throne will be his. Jadran was born under double rainbows, and Dama Living Buddha foretold an auspicious life and a natural born hero. Jadran cannot die.¡± The Queen Dowager spoke haltingly, her miserable voice creaking and cutting Feng Zhiwei to the heart. The younger woman stood apart, but finally sighed and stepped forward, pulling Liu Mudan into her embrace. Liu Mudan fell into her arms, sobbing silently, her thin shoulders trembling like a winter butterfly¡¯s dying wings. It was hard to believe that such thin shoulders had quietly carried the heavy weight of Hu Zhuo peace and prosperity, the willing sacrifice and murder of her own flesh. A morbid image ran through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind, a weeping Mudan Hua reaching out shaking hands to strangle her smiling babies. ¡°Tsamuttu¡­ he cannot¡­ Kuku¡¯s steppes cannot fall.¡± Liu Mudan wept into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s clothes, her voice growing certain. ¡°This child¡¯s fate¡­ when I carried him, his father died. I left him in a palace filled with enemies, but he rolled under the bed and survived. Later, the servant could not find him and were just about to leave, but then he cried out and they found him¡­ this¡­ tenacity¡­ Jadran¡­ he will not be able¡­¡± Silence once again crept over the room as Liu Mudan quietly wept. Feng Zhiwei hugged the woman tight, staring over her head at the red dome ceiling, her young eyes helpless and despairing. Gu Nanyi stood by the door, lost in his own thoughts. He could not understand why there were both mothers like Gu Zhuxiao¡¯s who had protected her baby with her own dying body and also mothers like Liu Mudan who could love their sons and consign them to death. ¡°No!¡± A loud cry rushed into the world like a whirlwind and strong arms lifted Tsamuttu from Liu Mudan¡¯s reach and placed him into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s arms.[1] Helian Zheng had arrived. ¡°Mother!¡± The young king cried out, falling to his knees and kowtowing violently against the bed¡¯s frame, his voice twisted with pain and lament. ¡°Spare Tsamuttu, my life does not need the death of my brothers!¡± ¡°Jadran.¡± Liu Mudan managed, her voice calming slightly as she wiped away her tears and snot. ¡°You must not stop me! I have gone so far, it is foolish to stop now!¡± ¡°No fate can kill me!¡± Helian Zheng cried out loudly. ¡°Never believe that!¡± ¡°I know. Ah, my child, this is the last one, the final one.¡± Liu Mudan replied soothingly, gently cupping Helian Zheng¡¯s face. ¡°No!¡± If her heart was not filled with sadness, Feng Zhiwei might have laughed. Liu Mudan spoke as if cajoling her son to eat dinner. The steppe¡¯s royal family, such bone shattering tragedy and despair¡­ ¡°This mother will not waste words on you!¡± Liu Mudan suddenly exclaimed, kicking Helian Zheng aside. ¡°I promised your father that I would guard his steppes and protect you! There is nothing I would not sacrifice! Brat, if you dare oppose me, I will divorce your father and abandon you!¡± ¡°If you dare, divorce a dead man!¡± Helian Zheng cried out angrily, unsheathing his sabre and placing its edge at his own neck. ¡°This elder is tired of sacrificing others. You can take my life if you must!¡± ¡°You!¡± Liu Mudan cried out furiously. ¡°I!¡± Helian Zheng roared. A firm hand reached out and snatched the blade out of Helian Zheng¡¯s hand. ¡°What is this fight.¡± Feng Zhiwei cut in, waving Young Master Gu back as she turned to Liu Mudan, blinking slowly. ¡°Queen, look at what a mess this is. Who would agree with you if you¡¯re screaming like this? We will discuss this matter later.¡± Feng Zhiwei then turned to Helian Zheng and eyed him meaningfully: ¡°If you lived a safe life, would your mother be afraid of your death? What are you doing here yelling like that.¡± Liu Mudan suddenly understood ¡ª her daughter-in-law was saying that though they could not kill Tsamuttu now, she would help her in the future. Helian Zheng suddenly understood ¡ª his wife was saying that as long as he had Tsamuttu around him, Liu Mudan could not kill his brother. Both of them relaxed and they both calmly stood, regarding each other. Feng Zhiwei lifted the child and slotted him into Young Master Gu¡¯s arms, patting him on the shoulder as they turned and left: ¡°Raise him with Gu Zhixiao.¡± Before the other two could speak, a sudden clamor filled the air. An old voice could be heard gasping: ¡°Quick quick quick, that Central Plain¡¯s Han Girl. Bring me too her¡­¡± And then Chunyu Meng¡¯s deep voice calling out over everything else. ¡°Prince Chu¡¯s Most Urgent Dispatch, presenting his gift to the Shunyi Queen¡­¡± The warrior¡¯s voice reverberated through the air and echoed through the night sky, filling every corner of the King¡¯s Court. Helian Zheng and Gu Nanyi both turned to Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei turned away, hiding her face as she stared out at the flowers outside the window. [1] It¡¯s not exactly clear what the author is imagining here since she does not actually have Liu Mudan drop the child as she collapses on the bed, and Feng Zhiwei is currently hugging the QD, but¡­ this is what is written. Chapter 258 An awkward air filled the room and everyone was silent except a confused and frowning Mudan Hua. ¡°Which Prince Chu? The most powerful man in the Imperial Court? Weren¡¯t all the Imperial Presents gifted before you left Dijing? Why would one be sent over such a great distance? And addressed to¡­¡± Her musings came to a screeching halt and her mouth snapped shut as she examined Helian Zheng with a curious eye. The young king turned away, sparing only a few simple words as he left: ¡°Zhiwei, take care of Tsamuttu.¡± Without a second glance, he marched outwards and began calling out orders: ¡°You, escort Dama Living Buddha to his quarters. Deliver the gift to the Queen¡¯s Residence in the Back Palace.¡± Mudan Hua listened to him go, ¡°murmuring¡± quietly beside Feng Zhiwei: ¡°My Doggy Ji truly has a generous heart¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, ignoring her words as she said: ¡°I¡¯ll be taking Tsamuttu, Mudan Hua. If you really trust Dama Living Buddha¡¯s words, don¡¯t have so many children.¡± ¡°You think I wanted this?¡± Mudan Hua snapped, immediately forgetting Prince Chu¡¯s gift. ¡°I was married for 25 years and I only had eight children! The steppe people think that a large family is auspicious and Kuku wanted many children. I did not dare speak of Dama Buddha¡¯s words, so I secretly found a Central Plain¡¯s birth control medicine, but Kuku still found out. He just thought that I didn¡¯t want anymore children so he would secretly change out my medicine or just throw it away, and since the recipe wasn¡¯t perfect to begin with, I still got pregnant.¡± ¡°Then the Old King didn¡¯t know that you¡­¡± ¡°I only told him the first half of Dama Living Buddha¡¯s prophecy so he believed that they died because of Jadran¡¯s fate.¡± Liu Mudan explained, her voice growing quiet. ¡°I didn¡¯t want him to hate Jadran, but I also couldn¡¯t bear hurting him¡­¡± And so you hid the truth from him, shouldering all the pain yourself. Feng Zhiwei eyed Liu Mudan, somewhat baffled by how much she had coddled her husband. In a certain way, Old King Kuku had been a very lucky man. ¡°You can go. You don¡¯t need to dawdle here.¡± Mudan Hua shooed her out the door. ¡°I don¡¯t talk with unsettled people.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled somewhat awkwardly and accepted the dismissal. As they walked back to her residence, she passed Tsamuttu to a wet-nurse and was just bidding Gu Nanyi a goodnight when the man stared into her eyes for a long, serious moment and said: ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Feng Zhiwei looked up at him quietly, forcing a weak smile. ¡°Everything is fine, why would I cry?¡± ¡°Your heart.¡± Gu Nanyi replied, pointing at her sternum. Feng Zhiwei had no response, so she just stood there in the quiet darkness as the cold wind blew around her. The breeze brought a pleasant fragrance that mixed with Gu Nanyi¡¯s pure, fresh smell and the young woman felt her heart grow warm. After a while, her weak smile relaxed into a more quiet, genuine curve. Gu Nanyi suddenly reached out, wrapping her in a stiff, awkward hug and stroking her hair and gently patting her back. He patted her in exactly the same way he patted Gu Zhixiao when he wanted to put her to sleep¡­ Feng Zhiwei relaxed into his hug, her nose souring even as she held back her laughter. He had never hugged her before, but it was obvious that there was no romance in the gesture, just the care and concern of a friend. To think that he finally understood¡­ it was beautiful. A peace and tranquility came over the air, as soft and gentle as a serenade. After a moment, Feng Zhiwei gently pushed herself out of Gu Nanyi¡¯s arms and looked up at his fine jawline. ¡°Nanyi, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s okay to cry. Everyone cares sometimes, and as long as you can smile again afterwards, everything will be fine.¡± Gu Nanyi stared down at her, his reply somehow still catching her by surprise: ¡°If one day I have to cry for someone, I will never be able to smile again.¡± Before Feng Zhiwei could react he turned and entered his room, his door clicking shut behind him, sending tremors through Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart. Without anyone noticing, Gu Nanyi had truly opened up to the world, little by little. For the first time, he had spoken in a complete sentence and clearly spoken his thoughts. But the meaning of his words shocked her heart. The young woman quietly retreated a few steps, her eyes locked onto the closed door. A moment passed and then she sighed into the quiet steppe night. ¡­ Seven steps from the hallway to the door; seven steps from the door to the hallway. Feng Zhiwei paced the distance again and again, counting her steps a dozen times. Everything was quiet, nothing like the powerful family estates in the Central Plains where there were servants waiting at every moment. Feng Zhiwei had always longed for this peace, but now that she had it she found herself unsettled. Feng Zhiwei looked up at the moon high up in the sky and sighed once more. Finally, the moment could wait no longer and she turned to her door and pushed it open. An intricate gift basket stood quietly in the center of the room, moon-white with light gold and black edges. Its style was immediately masculine. Feng Zhiwei lingered by the door before finally walking forward, her steps slow. She ignored the contents of the basket, bending down to pick the whole thing up. But to her surprise, the basket refused to move. Someone had stuck the basket to the ground. She cocked a brow ¡ª he had ordered Chunyu Meng to fix the basket to the ground so she could not throw it away? She pulled a little harder, popping the basket from the floor and dislodging a piece of paper. Feng Zhiwei looked down. The paper had been stuck to the bottom of the basket and only held a few words. Feng Hao¡¯s birthdate. Information inside. Feng Zhiwei frowned at the piece of paper, speechless. Ning Yi¡­ a truly extraordinary mind able to grasp a weakness and seal off all escape. He knew she would refuse to open the gift, so he had Chunyu Meng glue it to the ground; He knew she would pull the basket and find the paper he had secured at the bottom of the basket; and he knew that once she read those words, she would have to open the gift. Feng Zhiwei grabbed the paper and shredded it, destroying the words. Only then did she turn back to the basket. The customary fabric knot perched on top of the basket, but the little ornament attached to it made Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eye twitch. A small golden broom. The ornament was of intricate design, a long-handled winter broom for sweeping snow. Little bamboo joints were carved along the handle and no detail was spared for the little threads of the brush. A broom. The same broom that she had been using when they had first met by the icy lake in Qiu Mansion, the weapon she had used to send her Fifth Aunt to hell. Feng Zhiwei held the golden broom between her fingers¡­ if she had swallowed her anger and spared her Fifth Aunt, would she have never met him? If they had not met, would everything else have happened? Chapter 259 No¡­ their opposite fates were bound to clash, whatever the form. She plucked the golden broom off the knot and tossed it aside. The basket was layered with objects. First, a bottle of liquor. Poor, coarse clay pottery without even the lowliest restaurant¡¯s distillery sigil, only found in the smallest of slum bars. Ning Yi had sent a bottle of bad liquor a thousand miles? Feng Zhiwei stared at the bottle in confusion, the answer to her question dancing on the rims of her mind. She uncorked the bottle and carefully sniffed. Pungent and biting, a strong liquor suitable for laborers working in the cold of winter. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand shook. That night by the abandoned bridge they had shared this very bottle of cheap liquor. She had listened quietly to his stories about Da Cheng, his voice light even as secrets filled his mind; she had not noticed then, her mind occupied with her own future. So many words she had thought casual and meaningless now seemed filled with profound meaning and intent, as if just stepping onto that bridge and been part of a deliberate plan. To think that he had actually tracked down that nameless little bar that they had passed. Feng Zhiwei smiled quietly, lifting the bottle and tossing it back. The alcohol poured down her throat like a cutting knife, a fiery dragon roaring straight into her heart and setting her whole body ablaze. She coughed, her entire faze red and her eyes amaze as she stared at the empty bottle. To think that she had once drank this cheap shit so easily. Such a disgusting liquor, and she remembered how his noble highness had not even frowned at its taste. That man¡­ never showing even a hint of truth. Feng Zhiwei wiped her lips, swallowing the last drops, her mouth burning with old nostalgia. She had drank so many different excellent liquors, but this cheap swill was still the true taste of life. The second layer held a small, strangely crafted crossbow. A small crossbow of foreign style, its bows shaped like snakes and ending with red tassels. Beside it a small quiver of irregular arrows, each glittering faintly red. Feng Zhiwei was once again confused, and only after examining everything carefully did familiarity gradually dawn. The night before the Academy Exam, she had gotten drunk and stumbled upon a hidden yard, somehow managing to run right into Ning Yi¡¯s plot against the Crown Prince. His dark cape had fluttered in the night, golden mandala flashing, red crossbow bolts shooting towards her heart. She had rolled and fled, only managing a glimpse of the crossbow and the dull red gleam of its bolts¡­ If that bolt had found her heart, perhaps her mother and brother would still live. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s fingers swept over the little crossbow and its short bolts. ¡°Ka, ka, ka.¡± The crisp breaking cracks faded quietly into the dark night. Shattered bolts fell lifelessly to the felt carpet. The third layer ¡ª a bag of Golden Sand Crab Apples. At the Qing Ming Academy Competition, an assassin had served Golden Sand Crab Apples to His Majesty on a special soft sword disguised as a plate. The sword had pierced with sudden light, scattering the red apples with splattered blood, dying the ground scarlet. A self-harming scheme and a series of chained stratagems, and exhausting string of plots to usurp the Crown Prince¡¯s power allowing no mistake. How could he spare a pesky new National Scholar who had learned of his secrets? That day, behind the wall-screen, he had wrapped his bloody fingers around her neck and stared down at her with killing intent. And then he had let her go. Feng Zhiwei trembled. ¡°Today you let me go, so in the future, I will also let you go one time.¡± Words that seemed so casual at the time, yet afterwards seem as if long arranged by fate. She bit into the Golden Sand Crab Apple, the famously sweet tribute fruit somehow almost bitter in her mouth. So many memories hidden away and half-forgotten. The next layer, a green pill. As he lay drunk and wasted in Wei Mansion, Princess Shao Ning had given her this pill and told her to rub it into his skin. Helian Zheng would target Ning Yi the day after and the Prince would forever lose the Emperor¡¯s affection. She had taken his pulse and prepared a sobering soup, never using the pill. She had not trusted that a meticulous and careful man like Ning Yi would so recklessly drink in her mansion. She could not believe that Ning Yi would trust her so completely. And now she knew she had been right. He had seen and controlled everything and not even Shao Ning¡¯s pill had been hidden from his gaze. Ning Yi. Are you thanking me for not acting? Or are you telling me I can never escape your palm? The fifth layer held a transparent crystal, an irregularly shaped piece clearly part of a broken whole. That crystal beauty at the end of the hidden tunnel deep in the Imperial Palace, a lascivious statue posed in welcoming seduction. The prince had unsheathed his sword and destroyed the rare treasure, a piece of art that blasphemed his beloved mother. In the abandoned palace as the rain poured outside, he whispered his secret and she had felt the scar on his chest and known the scars cutting his heart. Now the cold crystal lay in her palm, as cold as her heart. As her heart¡¯s pain stirred, she gripped down on the crystal, but its edges did not cut. When she loosened her hand and looked down, she saw that all the sharp edges of the crystal piece had been smoothed down. Who had bent over the crystal in the depths of a quiet night, grinding the crystalline edges smooth, scattering glittering dust like so many tears. Thoughtful and caring, fearing that his love would hurt herself accidentally as she lost herself in memory. But though he could grind down the edges of the crystal he could not smooth out the cracks in her heart, but still he continued in the cold and desolate night. In the sixth layer, a gold-handled drum stick. Prince Helian had beaten out a tattoo as the young madams competed. Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s birthday banquet. She had composed poems and drank liquor, and though she had pretended to advise Hua Gongmei, she only had eyes for him. ¡°To seek perfection in all ten aspects is to die nine times for every life; it seems at first as awe and glory in all eight directions, but in truth it is a closing of all seven apertures; you will lose all six relations, and your five organs will be tortured until death; your four limbs will fall powerless, and your days will upend your nights as you forget your three meals; in the end, you stand on two lands sharing a gaze. How is it not better to throw away this one heart filled with love!¡± Chapter 260 In the end, you stand on two lands sharing a gaze. How is it not better to throw away this one heart filled with love. A quiet smile touched Feng Zhiwei¡¯s lips. Sometimes she impressed even herself with her wisdom. Even then she had already foreseen the pain and loneliness that came when happiness failed, wise even in her youth to the misery that fate had long since arranged. She gently lifted the drum stick, flicking her hand and sweeping the golden handle in a brilliant curve. ¡°Dong.¡± The muffled blow died powerlessly, covered by the weight of the night. The Seventh Layer, Crapapple Sauce Steamed Bun. The steamed bun she had hid in her clothes to save herself from the cunning, vicious Fifth Prince¡¯s blade. ¡°Who will you save?¡± Some questioned need not be asked for the answer is clear to all. The world or the beauty? ¡ª Ning Yi was not the storied Emperor Li who would lay waste to his empire for the woman he loved, and Feng Zhiwei was not some demonic concubine of legend to overthrow the world with her beauty. That day when he had first warned her so casually of the Golden Feather Guard. ¡°All ministers should tread carefully.¡± ¡°It has always been the case that anyone who wants to keep their life must be very careful.¡± Feng Zhiwei, you had still been too stupid, too foolish. You could see the uncrossable gap of the Chu River and Han Border between you and he, but still you were blind to the plotting by your side. Feng Zhiwei picked up the steamed bun and slowly chewed. Dijing was far away and the bun was already dry and stale and hard, but still she chewed, caught so deep in memory that she could almost see that veranda by the Imperial Study. Then, the steamed bun had been soft and her smile easy, memories of a different world. Slowly, she finished the bun. Tasteless. In the eighth layer, a pine cone. ¡°Let¡¯s talk to the neighbor above us and ask for something to eat.¡± The rightful owner of the lofty pine tree could only flee before Feng Zhiwei¡¯s glib tongue, abandoning its cache to the new king of the mountain. ¡°The evil of people is greater than that of animals. Beasts will rarely attack you unprovoked, or betray you, or humiliate you, or mock you, but people will.¡± Just as she had emptied the squirrel¡¯s winter stores, she too had all her treasures stolen by another. Such were the turns of fate; such are the laws of the world. The ninth layer, some dried fish. On arrival in South Sea when Zhou Xizhong had tried to cow them into submission, the dried fish the peasants had thrown that they had used to prepare dinner. ¡°His Highness will set the table, Master Wei will cook, and we invite Commissioner Zhou to tend the fire.¡± Setting the table and cooking dinner together was nothing but housework for an ordinary family, but for them it had been the most luxuriant dream. The tenth layer, pine-nut pastry and mint cake. These were two very ordinary desserts, and though she quite enjoyed them, their meaning did not seem equal to the other gifts. Feng Zhiwei frowned and fell into deep thought. Had Ning Yi just sent her southern food that she liked? But then her mind dredged up the image. A man and woman embracing by the window, his hand on her naked shoulder, her face by his exposed chest. Behind them on the table, dessert prepared for her return. Something she had barely noticed in the moment, yet her mind still remembered. He had prepared desserts for her after that seafood feast, but instead of welcoming her back, they had both stumbled upon a grave misunderstanding. ¡°One day, I will be that simple woman. But a simple woman is only suitable for a simple man and a simple life. When that time comes, I hope to have a small house and a few acres of fertile land and a simple, fitting man who still stand for me when I am downtrodden, who will take up a blade when I am betrayed, who will stay with me by the fire when I am down, and who will hate my tears and hold me when I cry.¡± Ah¡­ Ning Yi, we both knew what lies we spoke. You could never be an ordinary man, and I could never be an ordinary woman. All our lies we could only fake smiles, not even allowed to cry. Who can cast aside the concerns of men? Who can forget the long years? Eleventh Layer. Feng Zhiwei had almost expected the a Phoenix Tail-Wood box, but inside lay a short branch, withered and marked haphazardly by fingers. She studied it for a long while and eventually turned to the last layer. There at the bottom of the basket lay a letter. Feng Zhiwei stared down at the letter. She had read so many letters written in his hand, the warm South Sea breeze in her hair, her heart filled with delight. She had reread them so many times as they sailed out and destroyed the pirate coves. Letters that traveled a thousand miles to reach your hand, opened with such tender expectation, read with such longing and concern and wistful joy. Yet now, though the sights were the same and the letters changeless, her heart and long since left them behind. ¡°His highness has very deep feelings for you. But no matter how deep his attachment to you, it cannot be deeper than his attachment to the world. You must be prepared.¡± Clever, brilliant Hua Qiong, so wise, so unheeded. ¡°Hua Qiong, people who have died once already sometimes come back with different ideas and attitudes. She will try to live harder and better. She will want to cherish rare moments of kindness, and let go of all her restraint and sometimes just follow her heart.¡± So she had let go of the reins and trusted the world to lead her, throwing caution to the wind. Ning Yi, what more is there to say? An explanation ¡ª perhaps. A plea for forgiveness ¡ª impossible. Or just business between strangers? That seemed most likely. Feng Zhiwei smiled mirthlessly, picking up the letter and reading it by moonlight. But just as she was applauding herself for her guess, her expression changed. ¡°I saw these marks on the short tree outside the side palace. Were these by your hand? Did you strangle this as if it were me? Fine, but why did you not wait for my arrival so you could strangle me in person?¡± She looked down at the marks on the branch. On that snowy day she had wandered outside the side palace and lingered beneath a random tree. She had been mindless and soulless and had no idea what she had done to that tree. To think he had tracked down this random branch and managed to decipher the marks. Feng Zhiwei smiled, no happiness reaching her eyes. Chapter 261 On that day only one true mark was left behind, his name written in the heavy snow and quietly covered by more and more layers, later trampled by numberless feet, erased so well that even if he ascended to immortality he would never find it. A true secret never to be revealed. Traceless as melted snow. The basket sat empty, the twelve finely designed layers and their objects symbols of a journey. He was saying: never forget, and here she stood alone in the wind stepped steppes. Where had she hidden her heart? He asked, but she could not answer. Perhaps it was hidden in a bloody hole by her mother¡¯s grave, perhaps it lay in the coffin by Feng Hao¡¯s unclosed eyes; it even might lie hidden in a lonely wood at the foot of a mountain in Dijing¡¯s suburb, or perhaps it has long since fluttered away with the burnt joss paper[1] and was buried in the snow. Clouds shifted above and moonlight shone through, tinting her room with a quiet red. She sat on the ground, leaning against the windowsill. She turned her head and looked out at the horizon; dawn rose and the moon gave way to the sun. Eleven gifts and a letter, and the whole night slipped away. She bent and picked up the objects scattered across the felt carpet, returning everything to the basket. She could not help but smile ¡ª Ning Yi had tricked her again. Where was Feng Hao¡¯s birthdate? As the sun creeped up on the horizon and it fell on her face and lit up her cold, frosted smile, no longer soft and gentle. Unseen by the world, she slowly buried her face into her arms and curled up into a ball. The world was too much. She did not know. In the hallway outside her room a young man slept on the rail, his hands behind his head, his colorful diamond eyes wide as he watched the moon pass above. In the room beside hers, another man sat crosslegged, his palms pressed against their shared wall as if reaching out to comfort her. The sky brightened and King¡¯s Court woke, the restful night passing for all but three. Dama Living Buddha had rushed over last night, for a manner of rushed. Living Buddha¡¯s bones were weak with age and he had been carried over by Helian Zheng¡¯s men. The old man had tried to greet the king as soon as he arrived, but Helian Zheng had put off the meeting in fear that the journey had wearied the elder. Once the old man was resting in his room, he had forbidden anyone from disturbing him. Now as the dawn rose, Living Buddha woke and asked for Helian Zheng. The Front Palace began coming to life and Feng Zhiwei opened her door, only to pause as she looked down at Helian Zheng. The young king immediately jumped to his feet and offered his hand. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go see Dama Ala.¡± He smiled warmly, his eyes bloodshot from a sleepless night. Feng Zhiwei looked up at him and slowly grasped his hand. As they walked over to the Front Palace they could spot an energetic Mudan Hua calling out orders to servants as they arranged seats for guests. Countless felt rugs had been brought out before the palace and over a hundred people were already sitting in their seats; the celebratory noise reached up into the heavens. ¡°Where did these people come from?¡± ¡°Your grandfathers and grandmothers and uncles and aunts on your father¡¯s side, your uncles and aunts and my side, your brothers and sisters in law¡­¡± Mudan Hua gushed in a never-ending stream. ¡°Where did I get all these relatives.¡± Helian Zheng replied flatly. ¡°From now on they¡¯re all my subordinates, my people.¡± ¡°Jadran!¡± A man called out as he rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Is that your Han woman? Heavens, she¡¯s yellower than dirt!¡± Laughter boomed all around them as the men in Helian Zheng¡¯s family roared with mirth, powerful and powerless alike slapping their knees. ¡°She is your Queen!¡± Helian Zheng roared with fury, silencing the entire yard. ¡°If you want to laugh, get the hell out!¡± As he spoke, Chunyu Meng and his soldiers stepped up around the crowd, their weapon and armor clanging loud and crisp, their eyes colder than their gleaming blades. The crowd stilled and anger grew on several faces. ¡°Jadran!¡± The same man called out. ¡°Are you starting a fight in front of Dama Ala?¡± Helian Zheng sneered, rolling up his sleeves and just beginning to step forward as a hand pulled him back. ¡°Jadran is a steppe man; he cannot fight before the Living Buddha.¡± Feng Zhiwei patted Helian Zheng¡¯s shoulder as she stepped forward, smiling. The nameless man snorted disdainfully, not even looking at her. ¡°But this Queen and her subordinates are Han, so we need not follow the same rules.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued, pulling her sleeves straight and nodding to Chunyu Meng. Chunyu Meng stepped forward and kicked the man¡¯s table, a wordless battle cry on his lips. ¡°Fight me if you have the balls!¡± ¡°Bah!¡± The man cried out in anger, shooting to his feat. The two man began trading blows and Chunyu Meng¡¯s great skill began to crus the Kung Fu-less steppe man. Very soon Chunyu Meng had the man on his back and was beating him down without resistance. As the other men began stirring and muttering with anger, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s calm voice cut across the courtyard: ¡°You want a brawl? We¡¯re waiting.¡± A group brawl? She had three thousand guards and Chunyu Meng had already shown the disparity in skill. The others could do nothing but watch as their friend moaned in pain. After the rather grievous beating, Chunyu Meng grabbed a handful of grass and dirt and stuffed it into the bleeding man¡¯s mouth. ¡°Are you blind? Is this yellow? Is it?¡±[2] To the side, Mudan Hua was drooling as she watched Chunyu Meng manhandle the fool: ¡°How come I never knew this boy was so strong and handsome? Just listen to him? Yellow? Yellow? Yellow!¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced at the older woman¡­ did she really need to get so excited just at the word yellow[3]? ¡°Can your eyes see? Now f*** off!¡± Chunyu Meng roared, lifting the man by his robes and tossing him almost a dozen meters and sending him crashing loudly to the ground. The crowd watched in silence. ¡°Who is that man?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked quietly as she watched the man struggle to his feet. ¡°Kulcha¡¯s eldest, Gadd.¡± Mudan Hua whispered into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s ear. ¡°He¡¯s still refusing to surrender his twenty thousand men.¡± ¡°The King¡¯s Army is different than the tribal armies.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied. ¡°The Imperial Court has rewarded Hu Zhuo¡¯s loyalty with an autonomous army and Yu Zhou City provides half the military grain every year. He refuses to submit? No problem. Chunyu Meng will deliver a letter to Yu Zhuo City¡¯s Grain Official. The letter will inform the Grain Official of our stockpile of grain and our inability to hold more. He¡¯ll hold on to half of the next grain shipment in Yu Zhou. Then¡­ you know what to do.¡± [1] Joss paper ¡ª ¡°Joss paper, also known as incense papers, are papercrafts or sheets of paper made into burnt offerings common in Chinese ancestral worship¡± -wiki [2] Lol this insult makes no sense. [3] Yellow »Æ sometimes means salacious in modern Chinese. So FZW failed to understand. Chapter 262 Mudan Hua hesitated in her excitement: ¡°You mean, to subtract the grain for his twenty thousand? But what if we do not have enough grain when he submits his men?¡± ¡°Just ask for more.¡± Feng ZHiwei replied carelessly. ¡°Chunyu Meng is leading part of the bridal guards to Yu Zhou Camp, so all the Irgi Tribe needs to do is send a few people with him. We will be supporting the Imperial Court¡¯s Army and Yu Zhou City will not hold back grain.¡± ¡°Wei Wei my dear,¡± Mudan Hua began, patting Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand affectionately. ¡°Marrying you is truly a fortunate blessing for my Ji Dog¡­¡± As Feng Zhiwei smiled a white shadow flashed in the corner of her gaze. Zong Chen was calling for her. After a few more perfunctory words, she walked over to Zong Chen¡¯s corner. The man immediately began reporting: ¡°We¡¯ve investigated Kereyid. After leaving Bing River Valley he headed to Dama Living Buddha¡¯s Huyin Temple and made it to King¡¯s Court before you. He has been out and about since you¡¯ve arrived, but we¡¯ve had you guarded and he¡¯s never approached. He¡¯s acting very suspiciously, so be on your guard.¡± ¡°He is surely working with Hongji Le.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied. ¡°Guard the palace. I still have to deal with the old man and the relatives.¡± That patriarchs had already gathered in the inner yard and were acting as if they had seen nothing. The patriarchs knew that this woman was not to be trifled with; if some Irgi brat was setting their eyes on the throne, their dreams would be quickly crushed. With the Dama leaving his temple, the patriarchs had all risen early to pay their respects. The elder was the oldest man in the steppes, a wise ancestor a hundred and thirteen years old that had guided the steppes out of calamity many times, and his noble character was held in hide regard. Helian Zheng¡¯s coronation was to be officiated by the Dama. ¡°Ala!¡± The patriarchs called out, kowtowing towards the elder¡¯s room. ¡°Jadran! Where is Jadran!¡± A gasping voice called out for Helian Zheng. The young king took Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand and entered the room. Dama Living Buddha sat on a felt rug facing the door. Three large fire basins sat around him, warming him even in the relative warmth of the spring morning. His body was shriveled and the size of a child¡¯s and he stared out through a pair of binoculars. When Feng Zhiwei stepped through the door and saw the huge binoculars eyeing her, she paused for a moment in startlement. ¡°This woman¡­¡± Dama suddenly roared as he stared at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Get out¡­¡± Helian Zheng stalled in his stride. The patriarchs froze. Mudan Hua had one foot over the threshold and had suddenly forgotten how to take the next step. In the silence that followed only Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face remained calm. She straightened, her hands clasped behind her back and a hint of a cold side on her lips as she replied: ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You are a wolf hiding in the grass, every one of your hairs carrying an incurable poison.¡± The shriveled old man called out in his hoarse voice. ¡°The blood and fire of war follows you and burns its way to our soil. You are Jadran¡¯s calamity and his trap; for him to take your hand is like taking the hand of a walking skeleton.¡± Gasps filled the yard. Dama Living Buddha had lived a calm and peaceful live, prophesying the fate of countless people, but never before had he used such terrifying words. ¡°Oh?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied calmly, her eyes narrowed with her smile. ¡°We have just met, how can you see so clearly?¡± Dama stared at her unblinkingly, silent. Feng Zhiwei stared straight back, calmly eyeing the sack of old bones. ¡°You cannot be queen.¡± Dama Living Buddha finally said, his voice calming down. ¡°I can allow you to stay by Jadran¡¯s side as his woman, but that is my greatest grace. Now you will leave.¡± ¡°NO!¡± Helian Zheng had finally stirred from his astonishment. ¡°She is my Queen!¡± He shouted as he stepped forward, his voice certain as iron. ¡°No one else!¡± ¡°Jadran have you lost your mind!¡± Dama called out angrily, his dry bones straightening. ¡°Do you wish to court death?¡± ¡°So what? What wolf? What skeleton? What calamity? What trap? No one is more clear on Zhiwei¡¯s character. She is my queen, an eagle soaring high in the sky ¡ª Dama Ala, speak no more! Who even knows if your words are true?¡± ¡°King!¡± The patriarchs called out angrily. Dama was a god of the steppes, how dare Jadran question him! ¡°It is only a title.¡± A voice called out, assuming Helian Zheng was only defying Dama for fear of disobeying the Imperial Edict. ¡°The Imperial Court has granted Han women before and some of them were not queen. There is precedent. The steppe has its own rules and the Imperial Court has never intervened. The King does not need to worry.¡± ¡°I do not fear the Imperial Court¡¯s punishment!¡± Helian Zheng flicked his hand dismissively. ¡°I have spoken. There is no one else but her!¡± ¡°King! Defying Dama Living Buddha without cause demands a public whipping!¡± Word had already spread to the outer yard and a hundred steppe nobles squeezed at the door and burst out in an uproar: ¡°Kick the Han woman out!¡± ¡°Get her out!¡± ¡°The steppes have no place for a vicious wolf!¡± ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Get your grandma!¡± Chunyu Meng cursed, stepping forward and gesturing for his men. Feng Zhiwei turned calmly and signed for him to stand down. As she examined the crowd, everyone who met her cold, misty eyes shivered, their curses dying on their tongues, but none of them turned their hateful eyes away as they stubbornly blocked the door. Helian Zheng smiled coldly. As he stalked towards Dama Living Buddha, the patriarchs leapt up in fear and shock. ¡°King, stop¡­¡± Helian Zheng reached out for the whip the attendant bow lama held. The twig had followed the Living Buddha for many years and had never been touched, for the Living Buddha was sacred and honored by all the people of the steppes. No one dared think of defying him. Helian Zheng closed his hand around the twig, hesitating for a moment. He had always been loyal to the Living Buddha and had thought of the man as a grandfather; he had thought that the Dama would honor Feng Zhiwei as he had his mother, hoping that she would be accepted in full by the Steppes so that she would fall in love with his land. Chapter 263 But the world so rarely turned as people wish. His hesitation faded and he gripped the spiky twig, a cow skin whip wrapped around jujube plant¡¯s spiky branch. The spikes cut into Helian Zheng¡¯s palm and his blood dripped down to the floor. He paid no mind to the pain, grabbing Blue Bear Patriarch Hotega by the arm with his other hand and leading him out of the door, parting the stunned people before him. Feng Zhiwei stepped in front of him, blocking his way. ¡°Turn back. There is no reason to suffer for a vain name, queen or not is of no importance.¡± Helian Zheng swept her aside, smiling down at her. ¡°I have never sacrificed for you, you should at least give me the chance.¡± Feng Zhiwei stared in astonishment as Helian Zheng strode out through the door, his blood dripping down his hand as he walked out into the courtyard. The young king stepped up to his ceremonial high seat, idly kicking a tea pot to the ground as he handed the long whip to Hotega. He stripped down to his waist and knelt, baring his honeyed muscles to the world. ¡°Come!¡± His shout stirred everyone from their daze. The mighty steppe King was demanding that he be whipped before the crowd! Helian Zheng knelt, his tall, straight back to the crowd. He called out to the inner yard room: ¡°Any who defy the Living Buddha must suffer the twig punishment. You need not sentence me, I demand it!¡± He would not be turned from his defiance. The patriarchs could only stare dumbly, none of them understanding Helian Zheng¡¯s determination. In the end, the faith given to Living Buddha¡¯s prophecies and orders was not a law. Over the centuries, the people of the steppes had grown to honor religion, and its power had grown deep roots in their mind. They could not even imagine defiance. The Hu Zhuo rites spoke nothing about a whip punishment because no one had actually needed to be whipped before. Dama Living Buddha rolled his eyes, his breathing uneven and labored. Feng Zhiwei eyed the man coldly as if she could slaughter him with her gaze. ¡°Go stop him.¡± She finally said to Mudan Hua. ¡°There¡¯s no need to suffer for this dying man¡¯s nonsense.¡± Mudan Hua¡¯s face twisted strangely and she glanced at Feng Zhiwei before turning away and sighing. ¡°Fate¡­ let him go, you do not understand Dama¡¯s prestige¡­ there is no other way.¡± ¡°Pa!¡± The spiked twig ripped at flesh, flaying and tearing. The instant the spiked whip hit Helian Zheng¡¯s back, his skin shredded and blood flowed. The curved whip gouged deeply into his flesh and blood ran like a river through a gully, spilling down towards Helian Zheng¡¯s pants, staining the golden robe with spreading scarlet. Helian Zheng shuddered, his fingers clawing the grass before him. As Feng Zhiwei rushed over, he turned and smiled at her, calling out: ¡°Hey! I thought it¡¯d hurt a lot, but that¡­¡± ¡°Pa!¡± The second store fell, cutting away Helian Zheng¡¯s toughness. Feng Zhiwei stared into his pain stricken face and whispered gently: ¡°Don¡¯t speak.¡± ¡°Pa!¡± Helian Zheng tottered before catching himself on his elbow, grimacing before squeezing out another smile. Flesh and blood flecked the whip, splashing outward as it was readied once more. A drop of blood splattered onto Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face, and she stepped forward, grabbing the whip. ¡°Enough!¡± The bloody whip stabbed into her palm, cutting deep into her hand, mingling her blood with Helian Zheng¡¯s tattered skin. ¡°Zhiwei!¡± Helian Zheng called out, his previous stoicism vanished as he turned with shock, shooting to his feet as he worried over Feng Zhiwei¡¯s blood. The young king stumbled forward as Feng Zhiwei threw the whip aside to hold him. ¡°Three strikes is enough! He is your King!¡± Hotega silently retrieved the whip and backed away as Feng Zhiwei glared coldly at the blood on the ground. Helian Zheng gasped in his breaths and was just about to offer a joke when she whispered quietly: ¡°Who made religion more powerful than the Helian Zheng shivered at the cold ruthlessness of her voice as Feng Zhiwei fell silent, helping him back into the inner yard room. Once inside she tossed a calendar onto the felt rug and addressed the local Living Buddha: ¡°Helian has been whipped, words have been spoken, now I must trouble the great elder to choose an auspicious day for the coronation. As I see it, any of the next three days is fine, pick one.¡± With those words and nothing more, she supported Helian Zheng to the back palace and had her people bring out the medicine and bandages so that she could tend to the young king. The whip had not been normal and its heavy weight and spikes had mutilated Helian Zheng¡¯s back. The man in question lay silently on his belly, his head buried in his arms. Feng Zhiwei worked carefully and with gentle hands, but every time she touched him he quivered. ¡°You can scream if it hurts.¡± Feng Zhiwei suggested as she cleaned his wounds, plucking out spikes one by one. His beautiful skin would sadly scar. ¡°Even if you hold it in I¡¯m not going to admit your noble heroism.¡± ¡°I am¡­ afraid you¡¯ll be pained for me.¡± Helian Zheng turned his face towards her, revealing the layer of sweat coating his face. His pupils had darkened in his pain and blood dotted the corners of his lips, but still he smiled. Feng Zhiwei eyed the man as she finished with his back, gently patting his shoulder and forcing out a miserable howl. ¡°Pained? Maybe a little.¡± ¡°Never mind¡­ forget it.¡± Helian Zheng chuckled bitterly. ¡°I should hope that you never feel heart ache.¡± ¡°Heartache is useless.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned her face into the shadows. ¡°Rather than wasting time feeling pain, it is better to be useful.¡± Helian Zheng forced his head around once more to look at her. ¡°What will you do?¡± Feng Zhiwei did not reply. ¡°Zhiwei¡­¡± Helian Zheng reached out and grabbed her hand. ¡°You¡¯ve changed. When I first saw you on that carriage, you were fierce but your character still gave. Now it feels like you¡¯ve frozen yourself, and you leave no room for yourself or for others. This is not good.¡± Chapter 264 ¡°Why is it not good?¡± Feng Zhiwei looked down at him, her hand still in his. Helian Zheng felt as if he were holding ice, and though she sat right beside him, he felt as if she were on the farthest edge of the world. Her hand was here, but her mind and soul were not. A bitter smile lifted the corner of his lip as he gently replied: ¡°Life is bitter and short; why spend so much on hatred when you could let yourself be happy. I¡­ just want you to be happy.¡± He clumsily reached down into the medicine chest beside them and pulled out more cloth and ointment. As Feng Zhiwei watched without understanding, the young king turned her wounded hand towards him and carefully plucked the small spikes from her wound, applying the ointment and binding her wound even as every small move covered him with layer and layer of sweat. Feng Zhiwei stared down at him, finally reaching out with a handkerchief and wiping the sweat off his forehead. ¡°I am very happy today, for I finally understand how many people in this world have failed you and how many respect you. Helian, than you, but I truly do not think your wounds are worth a mere title of queen. You understand that being queen is not important to me.¡± Helian Zheng fell silent. He was not a fool and could hear Feng Zhiwei¡¯s warning reminder, but he still smiled as he replied: ¡°Yet I am still willing.¡± With those words, he turned away and closed his eyes as if to sleep, so Feng Zhiwei quietly packed the medicine chest and left. As the door shut behind her, Helian Zheng once again opened his eyes. His purple amber eyes stared up at the ceiling, pain flashing in them. After a long moment he murmured: ¡°Zhiwei¡­ even if it is an empty title, I still want it, because¡­ it is the closest we¡¯ll ever be.¡± Outside Helian Zheng¡¯s bedroom, Feng Zhiwei summoned Zong Chen and Gu Nanyi for orders, ignoring the circus in the front palace. Not long after, Mudan Hua found her and explained that the coronation had been settled for the day after tomorrow. She spoke of how the Living Buddha¡¯s spirits were not so good, after all he was 113 years old, and it looked like he would be giving way to the new Living Buddha when next he was needed. Mudan Hua was no longer as loud and boisterous as she usually was, a troubled expression on her face ever since the Dama had spoken. Feng Zhiwei watched as the woman¡¯s face shifted, and she suddenly asked: ¡°Mudan Hua, do you want to kill me?¡± Mudan Hua stirred with shock, her eyes widening as she stared blankly at Feng Zhiwei. Finally, she managed: ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very ordinary question.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, frowning at her goat milk. ¡°You believe in Dama¡¯s prophecies and have enough killed seven of your children for Helian Zheng, why would you not kill the wolf Feng Zhiwei?¡± Mudan Hua paused before smiling bitterly: ¡°Even so, I would need the ability.¡± ¡°You¡¯re honest.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled in reply, setting down her bowl. ¡°So easily admitting it.¡± ¡°That was my first reaction after Dama spoke.¡± Mudan Hua confessed. ¡°The Dama¡¯s properties are very accurate, at least those he spoke to me. I didn¡¯t believe before, but the old man convinced me.¡± Feng Zhiwei just smiled. ¡°But after more thought, I realized that perhaps we do not understand what the prophecy truly meant.¡± Mudan Hua chuckled. ¡°You carry poison all over, but if a woman is not poisonous then men will bully her. This is not a fault. You are followed by blood and war, but Da Yue and Tian Sheng¡¯s war still rages, meanwhile Irgi has been betrayed and many innocents lost their lives. The Da Yue debt must be repaid, and war is inevitable; this is not your fault. And as for Jadran¡¯s calamity¡­ love is a calamity.¡± Feng Zhiwei laughed. Truly the coarse and loud Mudan Hua had a brilliant mind. ¡°But in the end words mean nothing.¡± Mudan Hua continued, a frown covering her face. ¡°The real problem is that I cannot kill you, so it is better that we be friends. I cannot deal with you as my enemy, so it is better to be your ally. Zhiwei, my cheap duaghter-in-law, I am trusting you with Jadran.¡± The woman leaned back, her eyes narrowing as she continued: ¡°You can poison him to death and lead him to calamity. His fate will depend on his luck.¡± ¡°I feel as if the Queen Dowager is the most clever person in the steppes.¡± Feng Zhiwei quietly praised. Mudan Hua smiled with knowing agreement. ¡°It¡¯s late.¡± Feng Zhiwei sipped at her buttered tea, her smile as pretty as the night skies. ¡°Hopefully everyone will have a good rest.¡± Though of course there were many people Feng Zhiwei would never allow to rest easy. After third watch, [1]she swept out her door with Zong Chen, Gu Nanyi, and Hua Qiong. The Second Potala Palace had three different guards troops ¡ª the original King¡¯s Court guards, her escort team, and her own people led by Gu Nanyi. Last night, Mudan Hua had quietly shifted the guards throughout King¡¯s Court. The Data Living Buddha was no longer partially guarded by her bridal team, now fully protected by King¡¯s Court men. Feng Zhiwei knew that Mudan Hua was worried that the female wolf would target the Dama in her fury. But she had underestimated Feng Zhiwei. Murder does not require a blade. Through the back palace gates and inside the front palace, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s group stumbled upon Liu Mudan and her entourage of maids. The Queen Dowager smiled at her daughter-in-law as she called out cheerfully: ¡°It¡¯s a stuffy night, dear. I¡¯m out on a stroll, where is Weiwei heading?¡± ¡°It is stuffy. I¡¯m thinking about taking a walk by Dama Living Buddha¡¯s residence.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly replied. Mudan Hua chuckled and latched onto Feng Zhiwei¡¯s arm: ¡°Excellent, we can go together. I¡¯ll ask the old man to calculate Tsamuttu¡¯s fate.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Feng Zhiwei agreed easily, smiling. ¡°Ay yo!¡± As Dama Living Buddha¡¯s yard came into view, Hua Qiong cried out in alarm. Heads turned in worry as Hua Qiong clutched her belly, leaning heavily against a veranda pillar. The woman murmured quietly: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a bit of discomfort¡­¡± Zong Chen walked over and took her pulse before announcing: ¡°Lady Hua is nearing the end of her term. You must be careful or you may disturb your pregnancy, perhaps you should return to bedrest.¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately stepped forward: ¡°I¡¯ll walk you back.¡± ¡°No.¡± Hua Qiong protested, pushing her aside. ¡°Go and let Living Buddha read your fate, I¡¯ll¡­¡± [1] 11pm-1am Chapter 265 Hua Qiong leaned over and clutched Liu Mudan, grabbing her tightly as she said: ¡°I¡¯ll trouble the Dowager Queen to escort me back.¡± Liu Mudan paused, her eyes flicking over to Feng Zhiwei as she smiled obligingly: ¡°Of course¡­ of course¡­ I¡¯ll escort you back, and I¡¯ll stay with you until you¡¯re alright.¡± ¡°The baby is almost ready¡­¡± Hua Qiong whispered, leaning on Liu Mudan for support. ¡°Some things are best not said to an inexperienced girl much less a man, so I wish to trouble your since you are the most suitable¡­¡± With those words how could Liu Mudan refuse, so she hurriedly called a maid to help her as together they supported Hua Qiong back to her room. As Hua Qiong slowly stepped away, Feng Zhiwei smiled. No one could stop her now. With her two men in two, she stepped up to Dama Living Buddha¡¯s yard and called out, begging an audience. A worried boy lama approached, but since it was just the Queen and two men asking in the open, there was no reason to refuse. He had to invite her in. Silence filled the varnished corridor as oil lanterns flickered dimly on the walls. A shriveled old man the size of a child sat on a thick, colorful felt rug as he peered through binoculars at his visitors. A copper gilded Buddha statue stood behind him smiling mysteriously down at the graceful steps of the approaching woman. Feng Zhiwei left the front door open and the room in clear view to anyone peeking in. Zong Chen and Gu Nanyi stood by the door while the boy lamas waited outside, all of them staring inwards at Dama and Feng Zhiwei without blinking. ¡°Why have you come?¡± The old lama intoned, his thick eyelids drooping as he looked at the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve come to check on our Dama Ala.¡± Feng Zhiwei announced as she sat a distance away from the old man. Her words were kind and gentle, but her tone told a completely different story. ¡°I¡¯ve come to see why he¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°You want my death¡­¡± The Dama said after a moment of silence, a cold smile on his lips. ¡°You vicious wolf, do you think you can bite at the gods while in the steppes?¡± ¡°Decades of worship and you have truly deluded yourself. You think you¡¯re a god?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled mirthlessly, toying with an oil lamp on the table. The growing flame lit up her face, shadowing her eyes with her long lashes. ¡°In truth, the solid Buddha behind you is much more trustworthy. At least it never lies.¡± ¡°I never lie.¡± Dama replied in his hoarse voice. ¡°Lying is the greatest sin a disciple can make, and I have never dared.¡± ¡°Even if you mean your every word.¡± Feng Zhiwei said, leaning forward and staring into the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you dare claim that your reading was made with a just mind? Can you swear that you have not been swayed? Dama, a disciple must always preserve their just heart. Can you truly say that everything you¡¯ve done and said was with a spotless and clear conscience?¡± The Dama did not stir as he sat in his small blanket, his skin more wrinkle then flesh. A heavy weight seemed to fall over the tension in the room as weariness slowly emerged on the old lama¡¯s face. ¡°What did Kereyid say to you?¡± Feng Zhiwei finally asked, leaning back into her cushion, her face calm and emotionless. ¡°He has only spoken the truth.¡± Dama shook his head as he answered. ¡°It is not what you have guessed. He has not spoken poison, and even if he did, my calculations are of fates. No one can change what is spoken.¡± ¡°When you were reading, was he by your side?¡± A hint of a cold smile crept over Feng Zhiwei¡¯s lips. ¡°Dama, think carefully.¡± The old lama shivered as his muddy eyes focused. He thought back to the events of his calculation, a hint of doubt creeping over his face. Finally, he shook his head once more. ¡°He was far away.¡± ¡°Does distance mean he did nothing?¡± Feng Zhiwei pushed once more. The old lama fell into deep thought, hie face growing more and more confused. He ancient brain seemed especially dull tonight, and as he thought over what had occurred when Kereyid had entered his Huyin Temple, he found himself more and more unable to recall clearly. ¡°Old¡­ I¡¯m old¡­¡± He sighed and shook his head, but his voice was stubborn as he replied once more. ¡°The fate¡¯s are never wrong. You need not speak anymore, a disciple of the heavens never alters his calculation.¡± ¡°Who is asking you to alter it?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled lazily as she replied. She stood as she spoke once more, ¡°Dama Ala, you are not looking well. Perhaps you have been losing sleep? No matter, very soon you will be able to rest all you want.¡± She smiled and turned, her swift steps stirring the oil lamp¡¯s flames. The old lama starred out of his heavy eyelids, the light shivering around him as he murmured: ¡°A wolf comes to the steppes¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°What kind of cloth should I use for a diaper? Can I use cambric in the summer? Or should I use cotton? But won¡¯t that be too hot and muggy?¡± Hua Qiong chattered on, rubbing her belly as she peppered Liu Mudan with questions. ¡°Aiya¡­ he¡¯s making so much trouble tonight.¡± ¡°Cotton is fine. The steppes are not as finicky as the central plains¡­¡± Liu Mudan replied as she stepped into to gently cup Hua Qiong¡¯s belly. ¡°Should I call a physician? I know you don¡¯t want one, but I really think¡­¡± Footsteps approached. Liu Mudan straightened, her hand falling to her side as she turned. Hua Qiong stretched cheerfully, smiling as she turned to Liu Mudan, ¡°Why do we need a physician? I¡¯m fine.¡± Her eyes gleamed as she strode swiftly to the door. She tipped her head in gratitude to Liu Mudan as she exclaimed: ¡°Your words are more magical than a pill, I feel excellent!¡± Liu Mudan¡¯s face was a sight to see as the weak, powerless pregnant lady pranced through the room. ¡°You¡¯re good?¡± Feng Zhiwei called out as she stepped inside. ¡°You¡¯ve really troubled Mudan Hua, but as expected, with Mudan Hua¡¯s help no problem can stand.¡± ¡°It should be that with Hua Qiong¡¯s help, no one can stand.¡± Mudan Hua giggled as she climbed to her feet. ¡°Alright, she¡¯s recovered and I¡¯ve been used. You can finish your walk as I finish mine.¡± ¡°Please.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled obligingly as she escorted the Dowager Queen out the door. Once the older woman was out of sight, Feng Zhiwei turned to the pregnant woman proudly rubbing her belly and whispering praise to her son. ¡°I¡¯ll need to borrow your big belly tomorrow again.¡± When morning rose once more, it was to a bright and refreshed King¡¯s Court. Sunlight streamed down on the black tiles and white walls, and the Second Potala Palace stood on its high hill, brilliant and clear and ever so noble. Chapter 266 Only Helian Zheng was left idle that morning; everyone else was serving the patriarchs, preparing for the coronation, or otherwise arranging matters for the guests. The two queens rose early in the morning and attended affairs in the early palace and even Medora was summoned forth to help. Only the two pregnant women remained in the back palace with Helian Zheng. Narta exited her room for what seemed like the first time. Locked in between Zong Chen and Gu Nanyi, she had been much to afraid to step outside, and today she could finally come out for a breath of fresh air. The young woman made her way to the back palace¡¯s kitchen and poured out a bowl of buttered tea and prepares some ointment before heading for Helian Zheng¡¯s residence. As she walked down a veranda, she ran her hand against the wall to balance herself on the slippery ground, but just as she was reaching for the wall, she lost balance and spilled her buttered tea. A voice cried out in surprise. A figure had just been entering the veranda through the back palace garden, and though the woman immediately tried to dodge, the tea still splattered onto her dress. The buttered tea was very hot, and the unfortunate young woman quickly shrugged out of her outer garment. Narta of course recognized the pregnant Han girl that Feng Zhiwei had brought and was instinctively wary, but since she had spilled tea on the girl she could not just ignore her and leave. Narta stayed by the railing and calling for some maids, prepared to leave as soon as a helper came along. Hua Qiong completely ignored Narta and focused completely on arranging her clothes. With utmost care, she untied a small object and set it on the railing as if it keep it from getting dirtied. Narta glanced over and recognized a Huyin Temple amulet, a black and yellow piece, together with the highest grade amulet bag made only for the Dama Living Buddha. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Narta immediately asked as she reached for the amulet. ¡°Don¡¯t touch!¡± Hua Qiong cried out, grabbing the amulet bag out of Narta¡¯s hands. ¡°The Queen asked Dama Living Buddha for it last night, to bless me and my child and my grandchildren. Don¡¯t mess with it.¡± Narta had known that Feng Zhiwei had visited Dama Living Buddha, and her eyes flashed with interest. ¡°The Queen has great Face, the Living Buddha rarely grants amulets personally.¡± ¡°It was my request.¡± Hua Qiong explained, her lips twisting. ¡°Dama Ala is a just man and would not blame me because of his anger with the Queen. My child is¡­ complicated, so I asked the Queen to share my story with the Dama Ala and he gave me this.¡± Narta glanced down at Hua Qiong¡¯s belly. She understood Central Plains custom, and a pregnant woman following Feng Zhiwei to the steppes without a man at her side was most likely a rich, powerful family¡¯s abandoned concubine. The child¡¯s paternity was unclear and Dama Living Buddha was indeed a merciful man, so it was possible that the Dama had been stirred to compassion for this Central Plain¡¯s woman. Narta glanced at the silk bag, her heart growing covetous. This was a treasure that every person in the steppes desired, and to think it was in the hands of some Han woman! ¡°It blesses fortune.¡± Hua Qiong smiled as she held the amulet to her chest. ¡°As long as the correct birthdate is placed within, it will bless my child and any future children I have.¡± Narta was already longing for one from the Living Buddha, but she was not even allowed to leave the back palace and no one could ask for her. When Hua Qiong explained the function of the amulet, Narta¡¯s eyes almost glowed with excitement: ¡°It blesses any child¡¯s whose birthdate is placed within?¡± Hua Qiong glanced at her as she stored the amulet in a sleeve pocket. ¡°Why?¡± Narta hesitated a moment before tentatively asking, ¡°If my child¡¯s birthdate is placed inside, I imagine they will be blessed as well?¡± ¡°Helian Zheng¡¯s child?¡± Hua Qiong replied, hesitating as she looked down at Narta¡¯s belly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, the Living Buddha said that it will bless any children whose date of birth I place within. It might be better to ask for one yourself.¡± Narta shook her head unhappily. The Dama Ala¡¯s amulet gifting often came down to luck and fate, and she had already sent people hinting a desire for one of the gifts and had been turned away. ¡°Your child is not yet born, how can you know the birthdate?¡± ¡°The correct month will do, and then you write the name.¡± Hua Qiong explained. ¡°A mother should at least know the month her child will be born into.¡± Narta hesitated again before quickly saying: ¡°Wait for me.¡± Then she hurried back to her room and came back with a piece of folded paper. Hua Qiong accepted the folded paper and placed it within the silk amulet bag, murmuring all the while: ¡°I¡¯m not sure it will work for you, and I still think it best if you ask for one yourself¡­¡± ¡°No worries, if it works then all is well, and if not there is no loss.¡± Narta said determinedly, ever more insistent as Hua Qiong demurred. When Hua Qiong still looked reluctant, Narta quickly pivoted so as not to nag: ¡°Your dress is dirty, let me wash it for you.¡± ¡°I have maidservants.¡± Hua Qiong protested. ¡°It is not necessary.¡± ¡°The buttered tea stain will not come out easily.¡± Narta explained. ¡°But I have my methods.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s return to my room and I¡¯ll change.¡± Hua Qiong decided, taking Narta by the hand and leading the way. The steppe woman glanced down at the little amulet as they walked and could not help suggesting: ¡°Lady Hua, you should not keep such precious treasure on your person; it would be sacrilegious to dirty it or lose it. All the Hu Zhuo people place such things in a shrine within our residences.¡±[1] ¡°I see.¡± Hua Qiong nodded agreeably, and while Narta sat outside her room she followed the steppe woman¡¯s advice and stored the silk bag under her room¡¯s shrine before she entered a side room to change. As soon as Hua Qiong left, Narta immediately darted inside and exchanged her own similarly colored silk bag for Hua Qiong¡¯s and quickly hid her pilfered bag inside her robes. A cold sneer crossed her lips as she turned away. How could she possible leave her child¡¯s birthdate with this woman¡­ The steppe woman retook her seat outside and waited, slowly sipping at her tea. Soon, Hua Qiong returned and handed her dress to Narta, smiling as she bid her off: ¡°I¡¯ll be troubling you.¡± ¡°I will have it brought back when it¡¯s clean.¡± Narta replied, taking the dress carefully in hand and nodding in farewell. As Narta quickly retreated, a small smirk crossed Hua Qiong¡¯s lips, oh so similar to Narta¡¯s when the woman had been stealing her amulet. Not long after, Feng Zhiwei and the others returned and with them an increased presence of guards in the back palace. A drop of water could not leak out of the encirclement, and when Mudan Hua asked after the matter, Feng Zhiwei explained that with Helian Zheng¡¯s wounds and the coming coronation ceremony, nothing could be allowed to go wrong. Everyone had dinner together, though Narta sat restlessly and ate little. Near the end of the meal, Feng Zhiwei spoke: ¡°We should rest early tonight. Narta, you do not need to attend the coronation tomorrow, just rest and watch over your health.¡± Then she turned to Helian Zheng: ¡°Who do you wish to serve you in bed tonight?¡± [1] It¡¯s not clear whether the amulet is in the bag or what exactly is happening. If it is in the bag, at least a portion of the amulet showed through when Hua Qiong placed it aside as she took off her outer garment. The author treats the amulet and bag as if a single object when she describes it being put away, but here Narta is able to see the amulet from where Hua Qiong previously stored it away in her sleeve. Perhaps she was wearing the amulet, and thus Narta¡¯s advice? Chapter 267 Helian Zheng already had several concubines at King¡¯s Court. The various patriarchs had all followed steppe custom and gifted women to Helian Zheng when he had attained adulthood, and though Feng Zhiwei considered them all spies, if the big king wanted to have fun she did not care enough to interfere. Since coming to King¡¯s Court, she had been too busy to even meet these direct subordinates. Helian Zheng¡¯s expression turned embarrassed and he snuck a glance at her as he replied:¡± Queen, according to custom, the three days before and the three days after the Queen titling ceremony, you¡­ cough, cough, serve in bed.¡± A few coughs went around the table and someone accidentally bit down on a bone. Even Feng Zhiwei paused for a moment before replying: ¡°Ah? Me? Oh.¡± After those three sounds, she shut her mouth and continued eating, leaving king Helian Zheng cautious and uncertain. He glanced once more at the noble queen, but the woman in question seemed to have already forgotten the matter as she focused on eating. Big king Helian Zheng was so anxious that he twisted and turned as if suffering from hemorrhoids. He twisted and turned until the meal was finished and still the king did not hear the queen¡¯s explanation. As everyone departed, Helian Zheng followed Feng Zhiwei back to her room, but could only sigh sadly and retreat as she calmly shut her door. The King¡¯s Court palace was built in the steppe way with the King¡¯s palace surrounded by the residences of his women. Whoever the king required would come attend him in his room, including the queen. As a lonely Helian Zheng lay on his belly in his quiet room, he wondered if he should change this rule and make husband and wife live together like the Central Plains people. Suddenly the door opened. A quilt flew through, quickly followed by a pillow, and finally Feng Zhiwei stepped in with a silver edged black dress, calmly stepping over to her blanket. Helian Zheng immediately flew from the lowest vale to the highest peaks of heaven, and he excitedly pushed himself to his feet and called out: ¡°My queen are you joining me in bed?¡± ¡°The queen is here to sleep.¡± Feng Zhiwei declared, pointing a finger at the man. ¡°Just say another word.¡± Helian Zheng fell back down on his felt carpet, murmuring unhappily: ¡°This woman never lets anyway be happy for more than a minute.¡± Feng Zhiwei ignored his mumbles and spread her quilt on the felt carpet beside him. She lay down and said: ¡°Settle down. Sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day.¡± ¡°Can we start by doing something tonight?¡± Helian Zheng asked shamelessly. ¡°Something happy and relaxing that will let us both feel life¡¯s wonders?¡± He wiggled his way over to Feng Zhiwei, settling a hand on the corner of her blanket. ¡°We could.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied casually, her hands behind her head. ¡°But I can¡¯t guarantee that afterwards you won¡¯t feel depressed and dismayed, wishing you were never born.¡± Helian Zheng rubbed his face sadly against her blanket, flopping down bonelessly as if trying to smother himself. Only after a long while did he reply in a quiet, resigned voice: ¡°Never mind. I know it¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s already quite nice that you¡¯re willing to sleep here, at least you care enough to worry.¡± ¡°The queen likes clever boys.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied lazily, breathing deeply. Then she stirred in surprise: ¡°Yi?¡± ¡°Yi what?¡± Helian Zheng asked quietly as he slowly lifted her blanket and shifted himself inwards. Just as he was almost under her blanket, Feng Zhiwei grabbed her quilt on both sides and tucked the blanket under her back. Great king Helian could only watch sadly as Feng Zhiwei wrapped herself up. Feng Zhiwei ignored his little maneuvering, closing her eyes as she explained. ¡°I¡¯ve been holding my breath all this time, and just now I accidentally breathed in and to my surprise¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re wondering why it doesn¡¯t smell?¡± Helian Zheng¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°Since we met, I¡¯ve been washing my feet every day!¡± ¡°Then how often did you wash your feet before?¡± ¡°Let me think¡­¡± Helian Zheng replied as he fell into deep though. Finally, with complete seriousness he answered: ¡°I washed them in Gan Zhuo City once.¡± In other words, from Gan Zhou City to Dijing until meeting Feng Zhiwei, he had not washed his feet¡­ ¡°Ai, to be frank I see it as another weapon, one that Gu Nanyi could not even defeat.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, shifting onto her side. ¡°I thought that perhaps one day you would sleep by my side and I would regret it to my death if a small drove you away.¡± Helian Zheng casually explained. ¡°If you like someone, you have to bring out the best in yourself. A man unwilling to change his faults for a woman cannot be a good man.¡± Feng Zhiwei opened her eyes. The man before her lay on his belly, propping his cheek up on his hand, his amber eyes glowing quiet purple as he watched her in the moonlight. His sleeping robe lay ajar revealing his honey caramel chest. A great charm flowed within his diamond eyes, yet his expression was one of childish roguishness and joy, the two completely different temperaments mixing together in a unique atmosphere. This was the man who had climbed a wall in the dark of night, yet held no grudge for being paraded around as he sat stuck to the wall. He had defied the steppe gods for her and thrown aside his pride to suffer a public whipping. A tough, gentle man. ¡°You are a good man.¡± Feng Zhiwei said slowly, reaching out and touching the young king¡¯s brow. ¡°Yet I am not fortunate ¡­ you and your steppes took me in at my lowest, and you knew that I could not give you anything, but you still wanted me as queen. No matter what Dama says, I will protect your steppes as your mother protected your father¡¯s steppes.¡± ¡°Zhiwei, before we¡¯ve walked down the road, do not be so sure about the ending.¡± Helian Zheng replied, his eyes dimming a touch as he reached up and grabbed her hand. ¡°You owe me nothing. Accompanying me here has already give me life¡¯s greatest happiness. I do not want you to be like my mother and throw herself away to protect Kuku. I want you to love yourself, to protect yourself, or maybe one day to open your heart and let me protect you.¡± Feng Zhiwei silently pulled her hand away and closed her eyes once more. Helian Zheng lay back down, quietly watching her sleeping face. He murmured quietly, perhaps to himself, perhaps to her, his words as steady as the night sky. ¡°I will wait for you always. You will not come to me and refuse to let me go to you, so I will wait. When you are tired, you can always turn around and step back, and I¡¯ll still be here.¡± Chapter 268 Whether anyone actually got any rest that night, no one could say, but bodies lay breathing calmly, and when they opened their eyes, their gaze was bright and clear. The night had not been calm. In the depths of darkness, as people lay exhaustion lay heavily on every brow, a strange wind had blown through the yard walls. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes had opened, and though Helian Zheng had not stirred beside her, his fingers tightened around the corner of her quilt. But gradually the sun dawned and the clear bugle called out overhead, ushering in with the first beams of the spring sun a new day for a new Shunyi King. Helian Zheng slowly sat up and called out quietly: ¡°What will happen today?¡± ¡°Today.¡± Feng Zhiwei began, sitting crosslegged with her long hair draped around her like flowing water, a small, dazzling smile on her lips. ¡°Everyone will have their place, and sentences will be passed down. New blood will be ushered in, and dying blood will be cast out. The old and the ancient will be swept clean and the new and fresh will be brought in. Schemers will fall by their schemes, and traps will be sprung on those who set them.¡± It was a sunny day, brilliant and glorious and brooking no evil. The coronation ceremony was set on the grassland in front of King¡¯s Court. A platform and been erected and the various decorated tents already set. Ten thousand soldiers in the King¡¯s Army patrolled in a ten mile, so many red-armored guards on watch. Blue Bird, White Deer, and Fire Fox sat closest to the King¡¯s place, and in every direction basins the size of bathtubs stood boiling and cooking delicious lamb meat. Servants scooped out their treasure with long claws and cut them into huge head-sized pieces with great war blades. All manners of spices sat in huge wooden bowls and were mixed in with the enticing scent of meat and fire and smoke. Dish after dish was brought out to the tables for the patriarchs and nobility, and liquor flowed freely alongside the fresh wind, sending out an intoxicating breeze for miles across the steppes. People had come from near and far in their most beautiful clothing, and there was singing and dancing and music and song. The blossoms of so many flowery dresses dotted the fresh green grass. In the back palace, Feng Zhiwei set the Seven Diamond Golden Crown on Helian Zheng¡¯s head. She stepped back and admired the handsome, heroic man before her, dressed in his long golden robes trimmed in black with his colorful jade waist-band and his ceremonial blade. ¡°Far better than when we first met.¡± ¡°You have yet to discover how truly good I am.¡± Helian Zheng bragged easily. He turned to Feng Zhiwei and eyed her plain black dress and simple silver waist. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you changed?¡± ¡°King¡¯s Court has prepared a red dress, but I am still in mourning.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied calmly, taking the king¡¯s arm and leading him outside. ¡°And¡­ I may not need to change.¡± Helian Zheng turned to examined her but said nothing more. As soon as they passed through the door, Medora approached, calling out ¡°Ah-Ja, let me come with you!¡± and taking up his other arm. Helian Zheng gently pushed the woman back and eyed her red dress and golden waistband; it was flaming scarlet and decked with agates and ambers in a startling resemblance to the Queen¡¯s formal dress. Helian Zheng was already unhappy at missing out on Feng Zhiwei in steppe queen attire, and so when he saw what Medora was wearing a frown immediately crossed his lips. ¡°Aunt Medora.¡± He called out in warning. ¡°You can accompany my queen mother, but you cannot wear that dress or else people will misunderstand.¡± ¡°Misunderstand what?¡± Medora replied with a look of confusion on her face. The young woman was clearly hoping for just such a misunderstanding. Feng Zhiwei smiled, her eyes glancing down at Medora¡¯s tight grasp on Helian Zheng¡¯s waistband. ¡°You know what.¡± Helian Zheng retorted, pulling the woman¡¯s hand away. ¡°My Queen.¡± Medora turned and latched onto Feng Zhiwei¡¯s waistband, pleading. ¡°This is a new dress I made just for the coronation. I spent an entire month on it, do I really have to take it off?¡± Feng Zhiwei stared at her pleading face and could not help but recall her arrogance when they first met, and an amused chuckle bubbled forth. Though she laughed, Medora still spotted the steely glint flashing in her eyes and shivered, letting go of her waistband. Helian Zheng immediately took Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand and led her away. As Medora made to follow, Mudan Hua reached up and clasped her hand around the woman¡¯s shoulder, saying: ¡°Come, I have some good news for you.¡± Moments later, Feng Zhiwei could hear Medora¡¯s high pitched cry of anger and disbelief. Feng Zhiwei smiled cheerfully, signaling the nearby Zong Chen before accompanying Helian Zheng away. Just as they were reaching the final gate, however, a team of boy lamas darted over and blocked Feng Zhiwei¡¯s path. ¡°Dama Ala requests that you not attend the ceremony.¡± ¡°What?¡± Helian Zheng spat, his face falling. ¡°Dama Ala says that if you truly love the steppes as you say, do not cloud the King¡¯s auspicious day and this great ceremony. The harm it will cause the king will be most great.¡± The boy lama bowed as he recited the Dama¡¯s words. ¡°King, Ala says that if she attends, he will not.¡± ¡°Then he won¡¯t.¡± Helian Zheng immediately replied. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that the coronation ceremony cannot function without the Living Buddha¡¯s prayers!¡± ¡°King!¡± The various approaching patriarchs cried out in shock. ¡°Tengri¡¯s will guides the Dama Ala, and no Steppe King can be born without Father Ala¡¯s presence!¡± Blue Bear Hotega exclaimed, falling to one knee as he beseeched Helian Zheng. ¡°This is no longer a fight over her queenship, it is just a ceremony. Dama Ala has already compromised, please do not provoke him further!¡± ¡°King! A coronation without the Living Buddha will not be acknowledged by the people!¡± ¡°The confirmation of the Queen can be held on another day; the coronation is too important!¡± A clamor of voices fell over each other in their eager and anxious rush, and a few hands surreptitiously pulled on Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sleeve, begging her to excuse herself.¡± ¡°Your Living Buddha has insisted I not attend.¡± Feng Zhiwei finally spoke, her voice calm. ¡°Everyone has heard.¡± Every head nodded, all of them somewhat confused. ¡°Then I will not go.¡± She said casually, turning away. ¡°I must ask the good sirs to protect the King.¡± ¡°Zhiwei¡­¡± Helian Zheng called out after her but Feng Zhiwei strode away without looking back. To the side, the Dama Living Buddha¡¯s team had already begun carrying his ceremonial instruments out to the yard. Dama sat on his sedan chair and appeared even weaker than the previous day. He sat in a quiet slump, his golden sleeves fluttering powerlessly in the wind. As he passed Feng Zhiwei, his eyes flicking to her face, she smiled and mouthed something at him Chapter 269 The Dama stirred with confusion, but before he had made out what she had said, Feng Zhiwei had already disappeared. A Steppe Coronation Ceremony was not as intricate as one would be in the Central Plains. Soldiers from the twelve tribes stood in formation as the twelve Patriarchs offered their gifts; the Dama dipped his finger into the koumiss and pointed at the King¡¯s forehead while he prayed for abundance and prosperity. After that, the Dama would use his ceremonial instruments and speak the prophecies of the heavens, and then there would be singing and eating and drinking and dancing alongside a horsemanship and archery competition. The celebration would go on for three days and three nights, and then it was done. With the Blue Bear and Iron Cheetah Tribes at Helian Zheng¡¯s back and the extermination of the Pixiu still whispered about, none of the King¡¯s ambitious brothers dared make a move; and every power known or unknown was watched by a tight, impenetrable guard. The twelve tribe armies were now eleven, and every tribe¡¯s soldiers stood in a square, forming up under the high hill. So many colors of gold, indigo, white, red, blue, black, light and dark grey, yellow, moon-white, and green leather armor; every face was composed and set, and the military might shone like hard iron. All wore the same curved sabre, and every sabre gleamed in the sun, a sea of shining metal stretching out before the eyes, too dazzling to look upon. Golden-robed Helian Zheng sat on a black horse, his silver fox-fur coat fluttering behind his shoulders. He called out in laughter before galloping down the hillside, every person he passed falling to their knees and saluting him. Horse hoofs pounded, spraying grass and dirt. Each square Helian Zheng passed would clang as they unsheathed their weapons and thrust them upwards into the sky, so many uniform thuds as glittering weapons shot up like a forest of metal. Helian Zheng rode and a wave of weapons followed him, a sea of power and metal of which he rode at the head. The steppe men watched with subdued respect and all the steppe women¡¯s eyes gleamed. After the military inspection, the new King mounted his throne. Special golden teapots were positioned on the tabled red-felt carpet, and the patriarchs by age to present their gifts to their new ruler. The gifts were all in the vein of special local products representing the most valuable aspects of each tribe. Helian Zheng wore a dignified smile as he praised and thanked each patriarch, and a growing smile crept over the Dama Living Buddha by his side. Finally, Kereyid of Fire Fox approached with his gift. The young man wore a flaming scarlet leather robe edged with black fox-fur. His pretty face was completely different from the steppe visage with long, thin brows and smiling eyes. In his hand he held a tray carrying a flying eagle sculpture of black-gold. The other patriarchs could only watch on with envy ¡ª the Fire Fox tribe possessed a small dark-gold mine and were only second in wealth to Golden Lion. ¡°I present my tribe¡¯s precious treasure to the peerless, honorable King!¡± Kereyid called out with modest elegance, his hands lifting the sculpture high above his head. Helian Zheng¡¯s lips curled as he looked down at the man, and he calmly replied: ¡°Brother Kereyid need not stand on such ceremony. You are Hu Zhuo¡¯s youngest patriarch, and in the future this brother will rely on your support.¡± ¡°It is my honor to aid the King.¡± Kereyid smiled in reply and retreated. Finally, an attendant brought up a golden basin filled with koumiss and the Dama Living Buddha climbed shakily to his feet. Helian Zheng turned to the maidservant beside him and smiled, saying quietly: ¡°Go help the Dama Ala¡­¡± But before his words could fully exit his mouth, the King¡¯s face twitched and everyone watched in horror as a quiet blue/green color came down over his brows. As people cried in and exclaimed, Helian Zheng trembled and fell over! The immense crowd burst into a clamoring uproar and all the patriarchs scrambled forward to aid their King. Dama Living Buddha shuddered and almost knocked over the golden basin. ¡°King! King!¡± The patriarchs surrounding Helian Zheng called repeatedly as people ran off to fetch the physicians and witch doctors. All sorts of medicinal folk squeezed beside Helian Zheng and took his pulse, summoned gods and spirits, calculated his ailment or danced sorcerer¡¯s dances. In all the chaos, no one could say what exactly was wrong with Helian Zheng, and the Imperial Court¡¯s physician could only stammer to the demanding patriarchs: ¡°The King seems¡­ to be unwell¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± The crowd kept calling, and Blue Bird and White deer exchanged quick glances before ordering the King¡¯s Army to encircle the platform, blocking all the finagling nobles and curious bystanders. ¡°Let me look, let me see¡­¡± Dama Living Buddha panted and gasped as servants helped him forward. The patriarchs immediately gave way and the old Lama bent down to examine Helian Zheng¡¯s miserable, blue face, his old fingers shaking as he took the young King¡¯s pulse. After a long moment, the old man closed his eyes and sighed. ¡°My boy¡­ my boy¡­¡± The old Lama cried out in lament, tears dripping from his eyes like rain. ¡°This was not supposed to be your end, how did this happen? Has the cloud of misfortune already covered your head?¡± The patriarchs exchanged glances, all of them thinking back to how Helian Zheng had defied the will of the heavens and insisted on the whipping punishment. A hesitant voice asked: ¡°Is this the punishment of the heavens¡­¡± ¡°What punishment!¡± A voice called out in loud indignation as a man squeezed forward. ¡°Look at the King¡¯s face! He¡¯s clearly been poisoned! Check everyone who approached the King today!¡± So spoke Kereyid. ¡°My son¡­¡± Mudan Hua rushed forward with the Eight Valiants in tow, kicking and punching her way through until she could drape herself in a crying heap over Helian Zheng. ¡°What happened, you were fine this morning¡­¡± ¡°My Queen.¡± Gadd called out, his bruises from his beating at the hands of Chunyu Meng still fading. He flipped up Helian Zheng¡¯s eyelid and peered into his eyes, his voice filled with worry even as he said: ¡°Don¡¯t give up. Central Plains poisoners always carry antidotes; let us first find the poisoner and save the King.¡± ¡°Who did the King meet this morning?¡± The Irgi nobility called out from behind the guards. Another voice immediately joined the first: ¡°He came directly from King¡¯s Court, it could only be someone who lived with him!¡± A moment of silence cut the air before the crowd exploded like water in a hot oil pan. ¡°Who lives with the King? Only the queen can serve in his bed for the days surrounding the coronation!¡± ¡°Who walked with the King from the back palace?¡± ¡°The Queen!¡± ¡°The maidservants!¡± ¡°Maids would not get so close to the King!¡± ¡°Summon all the servants who attend the King!¡± Gadd called out, taking charge. ¡°Use torture if necessary!¡± Panicked maidservants were dragged forward, each a trembling heap on the ground. ¡°Tengri as my witness, the Queen arranged the King¡¯s clothes herself this morning.¡± Chapter 270 ¡°This servant brought breakfast, but everyone at everything together. The Queen cut a slice of meat for the King¡­¡± ¡°When the King came out, His Majesty did not want us. He walked only with the Queen, none of the maidservants knew anything¡­¡± The servants were interrogated one by one and each was searched. A pregnant silence hung over the raised platform; Kereyid did not speak, and the smallest hint of a silent smirk hung around the corners of Gadd¡¯s eyes. Blue Bird and White Deer looked at each other before the first called out in his deep voice: ¡°Queen Mudan, what are your thoughts¡­¡± Liu Mudan stared up with a dazed gaze, her whole body devastated and her mind clearly empty. She wiped her nose and then wiped her dirty hand on Kereyid as she quietly replied: ¡°Uncles take charge; this old woman knows nothing.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± The Eight Valiants protested. ¡°Why would the Queen poison the King? Don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± ¡°Nonsense or not, we must investigate. If the Queen is innocent, she will forgive our offenses.¡± Kereyid replied calmly. ¡°Guards!¡± Blue Bird called out, nodding. ¡°Invite the Queen!¡± White Deer called out for a thousand soldiers to ¡°invite¡± the Queen over, and mixed emotions filled every eye as they followed the King¡¯s Army soldiers off to the palace. Some were worried that this problem would burst once more into bloody war while others were holding back their excitement at the potential gain in the chaos that would follow. Blue Bird, White Deer, Blue Bear, and Iron Cheetah rallied the King¡¯s Army while the other patriarchs sent out secret summons to their own guards. In the shuffle, Gadd disappeared from the crowd. Dama Living Buddha had been in a bit of a state since the morning and now he just sat quietly by Helian Zheng. The King¡¯s Army marched upwards to the Second Potala Palace and the dancing and celebratory commoners stilled as they turned to watch the solemn soldiers. ¡°There is no need for an escort, I can come on my own.¡± A quiet, feminine voice cut over the crowd encircling the platform, the voice clear and calm. The crowd slowly made a path as a woman walked forward in an unhurried stroll. She was slender and tall, her black dress dignified and lent a touch of purity by the broad silver band edging her dress. The simplicity of her bearing seemed refreshing and noble against the color that surrounded her, and she passed through the crowd as if a goddess haloed in the sun, her dress floating behind her like flowing water. With such startling elegance, the yellowed face and drooping eyebrows seemed to fade away and every eye was bewitched. Feng Zhiwei had arrived. The patriarchs turned from the noble and elegant woman with a sense of pity in their hearts. Such a woman would have made a great, peerless Queen, and yet now¡­ ¡°The wolf of the steppes!¡± A voice called out in a grating yell. ¡°Dama Ala was right, incurable poison covers her every hair!¡± ¡°Dama Ala warned that you were the King¡¯s calamity and his downfall! To think our King was bewitched by an ugly woman and threw all caution aside!¡± ¡°Leave! Hu Zhuo needs peace and fortune, not the blood and fire that follows you!¡± The Dama¡¯s prophecy had been spread far and wide. Everyone knew that Helian Zheng had defied the Living Buddha for his Queen, and now it did not matter whether they had proof of her involvement; she was the easy target of all their rage. A lamb bone flew through the air, igniting a flurry of impromptu thrown weapons. Behind Feng Zhiwei Gu Nanyi calmly flicked his hand. All the random flying objects smashed into a transparent wall and tumbled to the ground far from Feng Zhiwei. None of the Hu Zhuo people had ever seen such mystical Kung Fu and all of their eyes fell open in wide shock and fear. The silence only needed a cry about ghosts¡­ ¡°Stop fussing.¡± Feng Zhiwei called out over the silence, a beautiful smile on her lips. ¡°Take care or I might have you eat everything you threw.¡± Her voice was light but her eyes piercing, and the retreating crowd knew she was not joking. ¡°Queen, it is good that you are here.¡± Blue Bird and White Deer began, stepping forward with some embarrassment. ¡°Something has happened to the King¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei looked up at the pair of loyal patriarchs, her eyes respectful. She nodded gently and walked over to Helian Zheng, frowning as she asked: ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± A cold voice smiled in reply. ¡°We were about to ask you, Queen.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Stop acting!¡± A distantly related cousin lifted his chin as he cried out: ¡°The King was with you the entire morning and now he is poisoned. You vicious wolf, laying in wait to get your claws on our King. Bring out the antidote!¡± ¡°Why would I poison the King?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked with a calm smile. ¡°How would his death benefit me?¡± The man choked on his words as the harried and confused crowd fell silent. In all the feverish confusion, none of them had thought clearly. Feng Zhiwei was Helian Zheng¡¯s Queen; without the King, the Queen was nothing. Kereyid began chuckling. ¡°Queen.¡± He casually called out. ¡°Irgi business should not be mine, but since this is a matter concerning our King, it is the business of the steppes. We all must take interest.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned and smiled at the man, meeting his gaze. Their gleaming eyes met, neither backing down. ¡°Gentlemen, my Fire Fox Frontier Guard recently intercepted a letter.¡± Kereyid declared, taking an envelope from his sleeve pocket. ¡°This letter was written by the Queen and addressed to the military grains officer in Shu Zhou City. It says¡­¡± He called out dramatically before slowly reading: ¡°¡®Recent matters in the steppes have temporarily relieved the need for military grain. Please set them aside until the Queen¡¯s Guards come to collect.¡¯ I wish for the Queen to explain this recent change in affairs you reference. Why have you stopped the shipment of army grain from Yu Zhou City? Why are your guards taking the grain meant for the King¡¯s Army?¡± A new clamor rose up both inside and outside the encirclement around the platform. None of the stunned patriarchs had known about this, and they all stared dazedly as Kereyid smiled elegantly and passed the letter around. All of the leadership knew Han characters, and though they were not familiar with Feng Zhiwei¡¯s handwriting, they knew the characters to be delicate and striking, the fine letter paper clearly a Central Plains product, not to mention the clear ¡®Sheng Ying¡¯ seal at the bottom. They knew of no-one in the steppes who could have written such a letter except Feng Zhiwei. Kereyid gestured and his men approached with a bound captive wearing the uniform of the Bridal Escort Team Guard, panic written all over his face. Chapter 271 ¡°This is the Queen¡¯s messenger, captured at the border of Yu Zhou City.¡± Kereyid explained. ¡°His skulking caught the suspicion of my men and his arrest revealed the letter.¡± ¡°Queen!¡± The man called out in pained regret as he kowtowed to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°The subordinate has failed! I accept all punishments!¡± A small, cold smile touched the corner of Feng Zhiwei¡¯s lips as she watched the show unfold, unmoved. Kereyid toyed with the envelope, his long lashed eyes glancing over the Queen. His smile was also cold as he spoke: ¡°Queen, what do you say of this. The King¡¯s only brother is still in his swaddling clothes and his firstborn is still in Narta¡¯s womb. No one in the direct line can inherit the crown. Were you thinking of taking up the duties of Dowager Queen Mudan and rule as regent, so at the right moment you can throw all of Hu Zhuo into the hands of the Imperial Court?¡± The patriarchs turned pale and grave. If the female wolf of prophecy was an Imperial Court saboteur, and assassin and a spy sent to destroy the freedom of the steppes, then she definitely had motive. All of the Living Buddha¡¯s warnings were proving true. ¡°No.¡± Liu Mudan cut in, stepping forward and speaking dazedly: ¡°Zhiwei has explained this to me. She said we should prepare for the possibility of bad weather in winter, and since we have enough grain stockpiled here, it is better to temporarily hold the extra grain at Yu Zhou City to protect it. She never planned for her guards to take the grain for themselves.¡± ¡°Dowager Queen, you¡¯ve been tricked.¡± A man laughed coldly, tossing the letter to her. ¡°It is only spring, who can say what will happen in winter? Who would ever say that our grain stockpile is enough? This woman has a vicious heart and a cunning mind, and she has taken advantage of the Dowager Queen¡¯s kindness.¡± Liu Mudan opened her mouth but could not speak. She could not say that the weather had only been an excuse so that they could threaten Gadd when he refused to surrender his twenty thousand men. The two queens had formed this secret plan to usurp the military power of Golden Lion, and explaining would not fix anything. Liu Mudan could only frown and read the letter. Feng Zhiwei glanced over at the letter, her eyes flashing. It was the message she had prepared and the messenger guard was her man, the Dijing accent not easily faked by the steppe tongue. But the contents of the letter had been quietly altered. Who knew where Kereyid had found such an expert capable of erasing and adding characters to the letter. With a few words taken away here and a few added there, the entire tone of the letter shifted. Her continued silence seemed to only deepen her guilt, and Liu Mudan turned and reached for Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Zhiwei, you¡­¡± But just as the Dowager Queen was moving, a figure behind Feng Zhiwei shifted forward and pushed her. As the young Queen leaned forward, Liu Mudan¡¯s hand missed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s sleeve and grasped onto her waistband, and as the two moved, the waistband ripped. A misty cloud erupted from the ripped waistband and Kereyid¡¯s face instantly fell. The young patriarch cried out in warning, stepping backwards and pulling people away from Feng Zhiwei. As the misty cloud fell to the ground, it turned the tips of the green grass yellow. ¡°Poison!¡± ¡°No wonder they found nothing in her quarters, she was hiding the poison on herself all along!¡± ¡°Guards!¡± Blue Bird and White Deer shouted, gesturing towards Feng Zhiwei. The King¡¯s Army swarmed forward, surrounding Feng Zhiwei. Blades were unsheathed and arrows knocked, and the King¡¯s Army pointed blades both without and within, pushing the onlookers away. Chapter 272 ¡°We are dealing with a spy. Everyone please step away¡­¡± Kereyid called out loudly, his voice sweeping across the grass into everyone¡¯s ears. A King¡¯s Army team leader rushed forward, a cow leather rope in his hand. Kereyid clasped his hands behind his back, a small smile hidden on the corner of his lips as he watched Gu Nanyi shift. All they need was a single death by Gu Nanyi¡¯s hand and then nobody could control what happened next. The leather rope tightened as the soldier approached Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei finally moved, stepping forward. The Team Captain¡¯s stride stuttered in confusion as the young Queen stepped towards him, and he could barely keep up as she turned away and called out: ¡°We are dealing with a spy. Unrelated people can leave¡­¡± With those words, she flicked her sleeve, sweeping the confused soldier aside. Noise began filling a section of the crowd as a small group approached. A big bellied Hua Qiong held hands with another big bellied woman ¡ª Narta. Behind them, Zong Chen dragged Medora forward. The curious, angry crowd watched with some surprise. Narta stared up at Kereyid with wide eyes and paled face, and the young Patriarch shifted his hands into his sleeve, his eyes narrowing as he called out pleasantly: ¡°Queen, is there not a saying in the Central Plains that a mad dog bites everything in sight. Have you gone mad?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the mad one?¡± Feng Zhiwei sneered, turning away and ignoring the man. She turned to the other Patriarchs. ¡°Honored elders, you were all present when Narta pleaded for Hongji Le¡¯s life for the sake of the child in her womb. She said then that the King impregnated her at Gan Zhou City.¡± Everyone nodded as Narta stepped back, her hands hovering protectively over her belly. ¡°The King spent time in Gan Zhou City in May of the previous year before the old King ordered him to Dijing at the end of June. If Narta were pregnant with the King¡¯s child, the baby would be eight months old and would be born next month, however Narta¡¯s child will be here this month. If the Patriarchs do not believe me, come have your witch doctors examine her.¡± ¡°Lies!¡± Narta screamed, hugging her belly. ¡°I got pregnant after visiting Gan Zhou City! You¡¯re framing me! Even if I give birth this month, it could be an early birth or you could have poisoned me!¡± She rushed forward towards the Patriarchs. ¡°Uncles! You¡¯ve all known me since my childhood, don¡¯t let this wolf abuse me!¡± Feng Zhiwei ignored the woman, reaching out and accepting a black and yellow silk bag from Hua Qiong. ¡°Your uncles may not allow you to be abused, yet you still lie to their faces.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, gesturing with the silk bag. Narta pouted, smirking faintly. ¡°What is that? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Did you think that you switched the amulet beneath the shrine?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked, shattering Narta¡¯s calm smirk. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that Lady Hua never put your amulet under the shrine. You took another identical silk bag.¡± Narta stepped back, her hands twitching towards her dress pouch, but as fierce eyes pinned her, she stopped her hands and froze. ¡°No need to check, I¡¯m not bluffing.¡± Feng Zhiwei called out calmly, unhurriedly retrieving a small piece of folded paper from the amulet bag. ¡°Queen, what is this?¡± The confused Patriarchs asked. Feng Zhiwei handed the paper to Blue Bird. ¡°Honored Elders, look for yourself. Narta has written the name of her child and the month of its birth. She herself claims that she was pregnant at the beginning of May, before the King had arrived at Gan Zhou City. In that time, he had never visited the Golden Roc Tribe.¡± Hua Qiong stepped forward, pleasantly explaining how they had arranged for Narta to write down the birth date of her child. As she spoke, Narta began screaming, ¡°Lies! You¡¯re lying! That never happened! I never wrote that! No!¡± ¡°Search her!¡± Zong Chen moved swiftly at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s command, retrieving an identical silk bag from Narta¡¯s waistband. He smiled as he spoke, ¡°This is the amulet you stole from underneath the shrine. You thought that you had stolen the Dama Living Buddha¡¯s amulet, but in truth you took the mark of the Queen¡¯s Seal!¡± He took out a folded piece of paper and unfolded the thin sheet, showing everyone the red mark peculiar to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°If we are lying, why do you carry the Sheng Ying Princess¡¯s seal?¡± ¡°Narta! How dare you pretend that your bastard is the King¡¯s child!¡± Kereyid angrily roared before anyone else could react. Narta stared at Kereyid in stunned amazement, and she trembled for a moment before collapsing. She was caught and slowly lowered, but when her pulse and breath was checked, a voice exclaimed: ¡°What? She¡¯s dead!¡± Astonished and emotional shouts cried out. No one had expected such a sudden turn of events, and Kereyid stepped forward to check her pulse himself. He waved his hand over her nostrils, his long hair hanging over his face and obscuring his expression as she looked down at the woman. Finally, he flicked his hand and called out, sneering. ¡°Suicide to escape punishment? Good riddance!¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled calmly at the man, unhurriedly replying: ¡°Patriarch Kereyid is too cruel. For better or worse, you grew up with Narta; how can you so mercilessly discard all attachment?¡± ¡°A crime is a crime, and friendship is friendship. Only you women mingle the two together.¡± Kereyid answered, his eyes narrowing. ¡°And Queen, speaking nonsense is a woman¡¯s speciality. Narta lying about her baby is the Royal Family¡¯s private business, it does not have anything to do with our question about you being a spy.¡± ¡°Of course it does.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled in reply. ¡°Most of these problems are caused by a traitor. These family matters have been caused by those who wish to influence the world¡­ I say, Patriarch Kereyid, perhaps you can explain away some of my confusion?¡± Kereyid eyed her with silent, glittering eyes, and the noisy crowd died down around them as they noticed something strange in the air. Feng Zhiwei smiled as she continued, never waiting for Kereyid¡¯s reply. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how, with the Steppe¡¯s lack of children, you can bear to have your firstborn child acknowledge another man as father?¡± The quiet crowd gasped and muttered while Kereyid smiled coldly. ¡°This is why they say the dead cannot bear witness! Narta has killed herself and now you can frame whoever you wish!¡± Chapter 273 ¡°Kereyid!¡± With a sharp scream, the ¡°dead¡± Narta clambered to her feet and lunged for Kereyid. ¡°You traitorous murdering child-slaying wolf!¡± Her large belly jiggled as her clawed fingers scratched angrily at the air, her fury so great that she truly wished to tear Kereyid to pieces. The young patriarchs eyes flashed with stunned alarm, and he frowned and swiftly retreated. Blue Bird and White Deer exchanged their usual silent glance and immediately gestured to the King¡¯s Army. Soldiers came forward to black Kereyid¡¯s retreat, but the young patriarch flipped over them and smoothly flashed through the crowd. But a cyan shadow shimmered through the air like a gust of wind, and when it once again materialize a jade statue stood in Kereyid¡¯s path. Kereyid dashed left and Gu Nanyi floated to follow; Kereyid dodged right and Gu Nanyi mirrored him. Gu Nanyi fluttered calmly and unhurriedly, but no matter what Kereyid did he maintained the same three-step distance and sealed every path to escape. Kereyid¡¯s eyes flashed as he cast a resentful gaze back over to Narta, confusion skimming his eyes. ¡°You cannot understand how Narta is still alive, right?¡± Feng Zhiwei casually explained. ¡°When we were at the Golden Alliance Meeting, you realized the situation was whirling out of control so you had Narta pretend your cheap son was Helian Zheng¡¯s. But you could not trust Narta so you cursed her with your steppe witchcraft¡¯s Black Bone Death Curse, allowing you to murder her with a single gesture. Unfortunately for you, your curse was detected and removed by an expert friend of mine, and we simply faked Narta¡¯s ¡®death¡¯ with Central Plains acupuncture. You have only learned the Kung Fu of the Steppe¡¯s Snow Mountain Wandering Witch Sect, so naturally you did not understand the subtly of the Central Plain¡¯s deep and profound medicinal arts.¡± As she spoke, Feng Zhiwei turned to meet Zong Chen¡¯s calm smile. ¡°You did not understand why Narta did not instantly die when you crushed the curse note in your sleeve, but now everything is clear. Narta¡¯s life and death is not in your hand, but in mine.¡± ¡°You might be controlling her every move. You cannot prove otherwise.¡± Kereyid calmly replied, even smiling. ¡°After all your words, you still cannot explain the letter, can you?¡± ¡°Queen. The matter continues to grow more complex. Please explain this matter to us. Narta and Kereyid¡¯s crime will be handled once everything is clear.¡± Patriarch White Deer called out in his deep voice. After all, Narta and Kereyid¡¯s crime was unrelated and did not answer the crimes Kereyid had accused her of. Feng Zhiwei calmly clasped her hands behind her back, smiling with some relief as she noticed a fast horse approaching in the distance. ¡°I can explain the letter now. The envelope Kereyid brought forth was indeed mine, as was the messenger.¡± The stunned crowd followed Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hand as she pointed to the distance, gesturing to Chunyu Meng and his approaching horse. ¡°Kereyid captured one messenger, but he missed the second. My Bridal Escort Team Leader, Chunyu Meng, brings with him the response from Yu Zhou City¡¯s grain official. Let us take a look at what it says.¡± The letter was soon presented and the patriarchs passed it around, frowns on their faces. The grain official¡¯s letter explained how the Hu Zhuo Tribe¡¯s grain had been prepared and that he would follow their request to temporarily hold it in Yu Zhou City and deliver it together with the autumn grain. Everything was in order, and letter paper and seals and stamps and signatures all confirmed the authenticity of the letter. Blue Bird had taken charge of these matters under the old king and could easily verify the matter. ¡°I see.¡± Blue Bird acknowledged, handing the letter to Feng Zhiwei and apologizing. ¡°We have misjudged the Queen, please forgive us for our crimes.¡± ¡°This misunderstanding is not your fault, but we cannot let the traitors who set up this trap escape.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly replied, smiling mirthlessly as she watched Kereyid. Kereyid cocked a brow, a hint of regret flashing across his face. He eyed Narta and shook his head, sighing. ¡°Women¡­ why are some so clever, and other so stupid¡­¡± Everyone could see that he was sorry she had not died. ¡°Kereyid ¡ª you heartless wolf ¡ª you will surely die a horrible death¡­¡± Narta screamed, her hair a mess and her eyes red as she struggled in Zong Chen¡¯s grasp, lunging forward against his hands as she tried to attack Kereyid, her loud cries sweeping across the steppes. ¡°I completely agree.¡± Feng Zhiwei quietly smiled. ¡°And not only him, but you as well¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei twirled, pointing at the Dama Living Buddha! ¡°You¡¯re insane, Queen!¡± ¡°Do not disrespect the Dama Ala!¡± Cries of reprobation filled the air as everyone stirred to action. The calm patriarchs immediately paled with anger as they cried out: ¡°Queen, do not speak such nonsense!¡± Feng Zhiwei laughed coldly, shedding her calm and casual demeanor. She ignored everyone else as she pointed at the Dama. ¡°Everyone can see that a trap has been set. Murdering the King and then framing and banishing me to seize the throne, toppling the peace of the steppes into another bloody war.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with Dama Living Buddha?¡± ¡°If he had not supported Kereyid and spoken his prophecy, how could anyone have believed that I would kill the King?¡± Feng Zhiwei sneered. ¡°Your God up in the clouds, relishing in your worship and sacrifice, refuses to bless the people of the steppes. Instead, he only supports the Patriarch of the Fire Fox Tribe!¡± Before anyone could stop her, she stood forward and grabbed the lama boy behind the Dama, seizing the copper ceremonial instruments in the boy¡¯s hands. She pulled a dagger from the food laden table beside her and scraped the copper metal, revealing the black gold underneath. The distinctive black metal was clearly not iron, and a gasp went through the crowd as they immediately recognized the same metal that Kereyid had presented. Black-gold was incredibly rare and the only mine was in Fire Fox territory. Only Patriarch Kereyid would have been able to access enough black-gold to make such a large ceremonial instrument! All of Hu Zhuo knew that Dama Living Buddha lived an ascetic life, never accepting private gifts from his people much less a priceless black-gold ceremonial instrument. They would not have complained if he had accepted such a gift, but for him to sneakily paint it over with copper? Such a conniving act stilled their respectful hearts. Chapter 274 The Dama lifted his head, his muddy eyes filled with astonishment. He opened his mouth to speak, but Feng Zhiwei was already sweeping past him and dipping the tip of a silver dagger into the pure white koumiss. She lifted the dagger up and turned to the crowd. The brilliant sun clearly showed the silver blade turning black under the koumiss! The crowd was stunned. Mouths fell open in disbelief, and the astonishment was so deep that only silence could follow. Feng Zhiwei turned to eye the Dama and smoothly asked: ¡°Dama Ala, if Helian Zheng had not fallen from poison, would he have escaped your poisoned koumiss? Such an elaborate plan you¡¯ve come up with to assassinate the King.¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± The Dama stuttered, his body trembling so hard that he seemed to shrivel up and shrinking into his robes. ¡°You accepted the Fire Fox Tribe¡¯s bribe and aided him in slandering the Queen, stopping the Queen from attending to coronation so no one would stop you from assassinating the King ¡ª Dama, are you truly a disciple? Are you really a monk? Are you worthy of the respect of all the Hu Zhuo people? Can you live with yourself and face the wide, boundless skies over the vast steppes?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The Dama gasped in anger, holding himself up with difficulty. He clearly wanted to argue back, but his old fingers could only powerlessly paw the platform, his body frozen and unwilling to move. ¡°You have claimed an ascetic life all this time, oil lamps in a small temple simple and unadorned, and your sacrifice has earned you the steppe¡¯s esteem, but to think that you were just a liar and a fake fooling everyone!¡± Feng Zhiwei stepped forward and ripped the Dama¡¯s sleeve, lifting it up so that the crowd could see the glittering black-gold threads on the inner layer. Feng Zhiwei called out with a loud voice: ¡°Brothers and sisters of the Steppes, were you ever moved by the Dama Ala¡¯s choice to wear a single cassock for over three decades? Today you see the truth! He has never changed robes in thirty years because there are no clothes more valuable than his!¡± The cassock¡¯s dark-gold threat glimmered in the sun and every eye closed, whether from the dazzling light or the heart-tearing truth. A firm spiritual mountain holding up the skies over the steppes had suddenly collapsed and the unbreathable walls of faith had suddenly cracked. Everyone was at a loss, and they did not dare to believe; they did not want to believe! Pleading eyes turned to the Dama Living Buddha ¡ª as long as he could explain, they would believe! But he said nothing. The Dama Living Buddha trembled, a weeping whimper in his throat. His muddy eyes were powerless, and he had no response to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s forceful questions. Kereyid¡¯s eyes glimmered and he opened his mouth to speak, but Gu Nanyi gestured warningly with the walnuts he was quietly eating. If Kereyid spoke a single word, a walnut would instantly fly into his throat. And so Kereyid shut his mouth and his face shifted anxiously. He was too afraid to even move his feet. ¡°Dama Ala.¡± Feng Zhiwei began once more, looking down her nose at the old man. ¡°You are the sone of sacred Tengri; your prescience is a blessing to the Steppes, a light Tengri has bestowed to this land. No demon or ghost can stand by your side, and no one can trick your wise eyes or pour muddy water on your head. Whether just or unjust, right or wrong, Feng Zhiwei stands here and waits for the father to answer.¡± Her eyes were bright and clear, her words filled with force of justice. With dark-gold threads classed in her snowy fingers, Feng Zhiwei stood like a windswept statue on a great mountain, firm and brave and steadfast. The men of the steppes looked at her with new eyes; this Han woman that they had disdained now seemed so noble and powerful. They had all seen her accused and slandered and humiliated, but she had always been calm and unhurried. As soon as she stepped forth, everything turned in her favor. She was sharp and cutting, but not overbearing; she was bold and forceful, but not oppressing. Even now, after all the trouble Dama Ala had caused her, she gave him the chance to defend himself. The men of the steppes admired frank and straightforward character. In their eyes, the godly Dama Living Buddha, silent as he sat on his felt rug, was too disappointing. The collapse of their faith would not happen all at once, but the seed of doubt had been planted. The steppe men waited silently, their eyes still almost disbelieving, yet the mood had shifted ¡ª even after Feng Zhiwei¡¯s increasingly violent accusations, no one called for her to stop. The Dama stared with muddy and bloodshot eyes at Feng Zhiwei. He saw not the honorable black dressed woman but a bloody wolf stalking towards the steppes. He had long since given up the trudge to speak ¡ª as soon as Feng Zhiwei had stepped forward, all the blood in his body had slowed into a thick molass preventing him from speaking or moving. He thought back to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s visit during the night¡­ she had adjusted the oil lamp¡¯s flame as she sat in the shadows across from him. Two men outside the open door with wind blowing in¡­ suspicion filled his heart, scattering the chaotic emotions running through him. She had been prepared. He did not how she had done it, but while distracting him, she had switched out his copper ceremonial instrument and shoddy cassock and poisoned him. The poison expert by her side had clearly frozen his voice, and everyone could only see that he refused to speak, acknowledging her accusations with silence. She had not thrown off all suspicions of her character and toppled him from his respected throne. This female wolf had long been suspicious of Narta¡¯s child and had set out the bait, luring her enemies to step into their own doom, dragging him down with them and eliminating every threat, catching all and sparing none. That the Living Buddha should accept bribes and collude with Patriarch Fire Fox to frame the Queen for the murder of the King¡­ the fallout would be unimaginable! The Dama lowered his eyes and breathed a deep, shuddering breath¡­ would the future of the steppes truly be held in this woman¡¯s hands? no¡­ no¡­ Chapter 275 ¡°My Queen, Patriarch Fire Fox cannot take the throne even if Narta¡¯s child is his. The Child would have been acknowledged as heir to the throne, but even then the future is unpredictable. Too many accidents follow the struggles for the throne, and this would not have been a worthy risk for Kereyid.¡± White Deer suddenly asked. ¡°And the Living Buddha has even less reason to help Fire Fox in this.¡± ¡°True¡­ waiting for the child to grow up is foolish, but who would take the throne today?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled mysteriously as she turned to look around. ¡°Yi? Where is Gadd?¡± The crowd stirred. They all suddenly remembered that it was Gadd who had first claimed that the King was poisoned and urged Queen Mudan to investigate, but no one knew where he had went. Blue Bird¡¯s face fell and he hurriedly sent off men to investigate. Soon, a subordinate returned and whispered into Blue Bird¡¯s ears and the man¡¯s face shifted again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled as she examined his expression. ¡°My guards have surrounded this place and the King¡¯s Army is already on watch for Gadd¡¯s movements. As soon as he moves out with this twenty thousand, we can rally behind the King¡¯s Arrow and meet him.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, noise was heard from afar. Blue Bird frowned and quickly left to take command of the King¡¯s Army to guard against Gadd¡¯s rebellion. ¡°Everything is clear.¡± Feng Zhiwei gestured for the guards surrounding the platform to part as she paced a circle beside them. ¡°Gadd, the former Golden Lion Patriarch¡¯s son, is a traitor. He colluded with Fire Fox and bribed Dama Living Buddha. The Living Buddha fabricated a prophecy to paint me with suspicion so they could frame me for their crimes and banish me without fearing Imperial Court interference or reprisal. With the King dead and the Imperial Court¡¯s influence gone, Gadd could usurp the throne by gathering his twenty thousand man army around the coronation ceremony. Once King, he would reward Kereyid for his support, but he did not know that he was the mantis stalking the cicada unaware of the oriole behind him. Kereyid¡¯s ambition was greater than just a reward ¡ª he wanted the kingship for his own family, and once Narta had given birth he would collude with his father-in-law Hongji Le to kill Gadd. Together they would support ¡°Jadran¡¯s firstborn¡± claim to the throne as the proper order of Heaven and Earth and neither the Steppes nor Imperial Court would be able to oppose them. Then, Kereyid would be the true power behind the throne and the true king of the steppes.¡± The straightforward and unwily steppe men listened, their eyes flashing with understanding as the Queen explained the twists and turns of the complex conspiracy, all of them impressed that their Queen could see through everything so clearly. ¡°I knew that Kereyid brat was nothing good. Someone from the Snow Mountain¡¯s Witch Sect is not one of us. To think that he had so many plots to gain the throne.¡± An enlightened voice murmured. ¡°Ai, no matter how many tricks how could he fool a Central Plain¡¯s mind. Look at that Central Plain¡¯s woman, truly impressive.¡± Some people murmured, impressed that their Queen had defeated the so-called number one fox of the steppes. ¡°But what about the poison in the Queen¡¯s waistband¡­¡± Earth Badger Yelye asked. ¡°What of it? It was bait.¡± A familiar voice called out from below them, and everyone turned to see Helian Zheng calmly sitting up, his hand lazily perched on his knee as he smiled at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°King!¡± The Patriarchs called out in astonishment, though the emotion in the voices were not all the same. With so many powers at hand, it was inevitable that they not be completely united, but at least for today, they could not act. Feng Zhiwei quietly unwrapped her waistband and tossed it at a figure¡¯s feet. Medora¡¯s face paled grey and blue. ¡°This morning, our noble and lofty Aunt Medora so eagerly grabbed onto my waistband and begged my approval.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled quietly. ¡°Many witnesses can testify to this.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± Medora lifted her chin, her face pale even as her mouth continued to speak. ¡°Just because I touched you means I put poison there? I¡¯ve risked my life to save the King before. Where were you when I almost died? Why would I collude with Kereyid to poison the King?¡± ¡°How many times do you have to remind us of your acts?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled lazily. ¡°Please, I¡¯ve only been here for a few days and I¡¯ve already heard this story so many times I almost have it memorized. The Central Plains has a saying: ¡®grace is favor without expectation of repayment,¡¯ but after coming to the steppes I¡¯ve learned that favor is given in expectation of repayment many times what is owed.¡± A few voices chuckled around them ¡ª Medora¡¯s domineering attitude since saving the prince¡¯s life had annoyed everyone, but since Liu Mudan and Helian Zheng said nothing, no one else dared speak. Feng Zhiwei was saying what most of them had thought before, and to finally have it spoken was incredibly satisfying. ¡°Your mockery means nothing!¡± Medora exclaimed furiously. ¡°I have committed no crime!¡± ¡°You said that you did not poison the King, but I did not accuse you of poisoning the King.¡± Feng ZHiwei calmly replied. ¡°The one you wished to poison was me. If I¡¯m not dead, how could Aunt Medora become Queen?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°How about we ask your new friend!¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled coldly, gesturing to the bloodthirsty Narta in Zong Chen¡¯s hands. ¡°Should we ask what she gave you?¡± Medora turned to stare at Narta but the pregnant woman paid her no mind. Narta sneered and she spat: ¡°What are you looking at me for? You had something you wanted just as I had something I wanted. We acted together, and we suffer together, nothing more nothing less!¡± The pregnant woman turned to Feng ZHiwei. ¡°You are right. Medora hated you for moving to the back palace so I taught her how to poison you. My child is not Helian Zheng¡¯s, and everything that happened in Gan Zhou City was because of Kereyid. I don¡¯t care if I die, I just want that bastard to die as well!¡± She glared at Kereyid, her eyes like a ravenous wolf¡¯s, her hatred so deep that she cared for nothing except the suffering of the heartless, merciless man who had betrayed her. ¡°Everyone will have their place, and sentences will be passed down.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°That¡¯s only if you can follow through.¡± Kereyid finally spoke, his smiling eyes on the heavens. Above them, the sky darkened. Chapter 276 A heavy darkness fell over the land as if an iron lid slapping down over the skies. The pleasant smell of meat and herbs vanished, and in its place a strange fishy stink seemed to taint the edge of every breath. A great furor filled the crowd as panicked voices cried out: ¡°The magics of hell!¡± Feng Zhiwei was confused. She had heard that Kereyid was related to some cult in a far off mountain, and her people had been watching him to investigate his strange Kung Fu, but this? Was this his final gambit? If the countless cries and screams were anything to go by, the steppe people were truly terrified of this mysterious cult. Some less hardy figures had already fled into the chaotic night, and even the Patriarchs were panicked, some of them stepping down from the platform as if to hide from the skies. Helian Zheng rushed to Feng Zhiwei¡¯s side as the queen stared out into the sudden night, her eyes gleaming. She could taste the opportunity in the air, and soon she was gesturing with her sleeves and calling out: ¡°Brother Gu take care, do not pursue a desperate enemy¡­¡± In all the chaos, nobody noticed a silent figure flashing onto the platform, slipping by the sightless Patriarchs as he made for the seated Dama Living Buddha. A few moments later the darkness disappeared like a curtain torn aside to let in the great rays of the sun; the smell of fish and iron vanished and the heat of meat, herbs, and liquor returned; but in those moments of darkness, many figures had vanished from the high platform. Narta and Zong Chen were nowhere to be seen, while Helian Zheng clutched Medora and Feng Zhiwei in either hand. Of the eight Patriarchs only five remained, with the other three surrounded by the King¡¯s Army on the ground below. In the distance, Gu Nanyi and Kereyid had both disappeared. ¡°Dama Ala!¡± A panicked exclaim stirred the crowd from their astonished daze and necks whipped around. The Dama Living Buddha¡¯s head was hanging limply from a soft neck. ¡°Ala!¡± A golden light flashed from the heavens, soaring above the clouds. Eyes turned to see a great eagle far overhead. A strangely pleasant smell suddenly filled the air as the Dama Living Buddha shifted in place, his hand slowly lifting and pointing in the same direction that he leaned in. The crowd fell to its knees with pale faces, all understanding in that moment that the Living Buddha was gasping his final breath. An extraordinary scene always accompanied the death of a Living Buddha, and sometimes they would prophecy and other times simply gesture into the distance to where they would find the next Living Buddha. The teachings of the steppes documented two types of Living Buddha inheritance ¡ª reincarnation or body possession, but for both there was always a sign before death. The strange aroma thickened as the Patriarchs smoothly knelt. All the previous Living Buddhas had passed away quietly in the retreat of Hu Yin Temple, and this Dama was the first to die in public. Yet the sacred worship and respect of the moment was peculiarly absent as most of the crowd silently thanked the heavens ¡ª with the Living Buddha¡¯s sudden death, the steppes would not have to handle the difficult accusations the Queen had levied against the great religious figure. This timing seemed perfectly appropriate. No one thought too much of the sudden affair. Everyone had seen that the Dama Ala was a candle guttering in the wind, and no one had expected him to survive until the next spring. With the grievous attacks on his heart and mind today, it seemed perfectly ordinary for his body to pass. The strange aroma continued to grow and the crowd was soon holding its breath; here in the silent gathering of the steppes, an era was coming to an end. Various figures kowtowed, touching their foreheads to the ground; the boy lamas began reciting sutras as attendants lit incense, and watching it all through the rising incense mist was Feng Zhiwei, a joyless half-smile on her face. The Dama¡¯s name had soared above the steppes like that of a god, and today she had shown that even a man whose words were heeded by so many could himself be controlled. His life or death had been at her hands, not his heavens. As the misty white smoke rose up around him, the Dama struggled one last time to crack open his eyes, focusing his thin slice of vision on the blurred figure of Feng Zhiwei. A son of Tengri, teacher and leader of the steppes, at the end of a life of peace and tranquility finally felt his soul tinge with hatred and anger. An uncontrollable fury¡­ He pressed against his unwilling body to move his finger; he knew that direction was not his next self¡­ not there¡­ All the gathered people knelt, face to the earth. None dared to profane the last breaths of the holiest man of the steppes, and only the one woman stood, her chin high and her lips curled as she watched him struggle. She watched as if he were a caged monkey, grabbing here and scratching there, scrabbling around desperately but never able to escape its torment. Even his death had been turned to her profit¡­ The Dama pushed and pushed, ever so slowly curling his finger and bit by bit turning it back to King¡¯s Court. But then a quiet crack sounded at the edge of his hearing. It was like a joke played by the heavens at his final end. Or perhaps his god had finally let the last gasps of his servant fade¡­ There was a collapse, a shattering, a sinking, and with great unwillingness a life turned forever into ash. Dama¡¯s finger no longer twitched. His head silently fell to his chest, drooping on limp bones. The thick aroma slowly faded. ¡°Ala!¡± A single cry called forth a rising wave of a sound as so many souls straightened from their bows and stared in astonishment at the final figure of their Dama, the final gift he had left them. For all the limpness of his head and body, his finger and arm remained firm, pointing for everyone to see. King¡¯s Court, Back Palace. Everyone knew that there in the King¡¯s residence, an unborn child gestated. The succession to the Seventeenth Living Buddha would be possession. The doctrines claimed that the Living Buddha¡¯s should would most likely choose a child¡¯s body, and as soon as the Dama passed, even before the crowd had fully stepped forth to prepare the last rites of the Dama¡¯s Dharma Body, a group was already rushing to Hu Yin Temple to report the news and request the presence of the Dharma Protector Lama to oversee the ceremony and cremation of the Living Buddha. Hu Yin Temple was not far and a fast horse could make a round trip in half a day. As the anxious crowd shifted, eyes kept turning towards the back palace. ¡°Find Brother Gu.¡± Feng Zhiwei commanded Chunyu Meng, some worry in her eyes. ¡°That Kereyid has an eccentric art, bring more people and stay on guard.¡± As Chunyu Meng nodded and marched off, Helian Zheng looked Feng Zhiwei over from side to side. The Queen cocked her head, smiling with some amusement as she asked: ¡°What?¡± Chapter 277 Helian Zheng was quiet for a long moment, his eyes lidded over the colorful gems of his eyes. He had a bellyful of questions. How had the Dama died? Why had the Dama¡¯s finger shifted? But as the words reached his mouth, he swallowed them. Why ask? She was acting for his benefit; he trusted her. No one knew what thoughts lay behind her misty eyes, but he was sure that in that ever turning mind there was a place for him and his steppes. Even if raging winds and bloody rain followed her as she grasped the world in her plots, he would still choose to be the silly man who never plumbed the cold truths in the dark waters. He liked her and would give her anything. In the vast heavens and wide earth, she was free. ¡­ A group approached; Hu Yin Temple¡¯s four great Dharma Protector Lamas had arrived, their faces unsettled. ¡°Where did the Living Buddha point?¡± The first Lama called out upon nearing. Everyone silently pointed at the King¡¯s Court The four Lamas stirred, exchanging surprised glances. When he had left the Hu Yin Temple, the Dama had warned that he may not return. In his parting words, he had entrusted the Dharma Protector Lama with the task of finding the next Living Buddha. To think that they would be looking in the King¡¯s Court. In all of their history, the Living Buddha had never reincarnated to a body so close. But the Dama¡¯s finger was clear for all to see, and none could change the obvious truth. With their disciples in tow, the four great Dharma Protectors lifted the Dama¡¯s dharma-vessel and strode to the back palaces. Helian Zheng and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s residence was surrounded by large courtyards with many relatives. At the moment they had two infants, Tsamuttu and Gu Zhixiao. Liu Mudan trailed behind them as they entered the back palace, happy hope glittering in her eyes ¡ª if the Living Buddha possessed Tsamuttu then all her torment and heartache would be solved. A door was opened and the one year old Gu Zhixiao and six month old Tsamuttu slept soundly in the arms of the wet-nurse. As the large entourage murmured, the two infants woke, and when Tsamutta opened his eyes and saw the many serious strangers staring at him, tears filled his eyes and he began to cry. Gu Zhixiao was more calm, her dark eyes measuring each of them as she sniffed with her little nose, a surprisingly contemplative look on her young face. The leading Dharma Protector knelt by the door, gently laying down the Dama¡¯s eaglewood Buddha Beads and his dark-gold Dharma-Vessel. The Hu Yin Temple Lamas and the various Patriarchs knelt outside, their breathing shallow as they silently waited. The surprised and terrified wet-nurse gently lay the baby¡¯s on the felt carpet. Tsamuttu gradually cried himself out as the strangers made no move to approach, and ever so slowly he began to climb to his feet. Tsamuttu was a particularly strong baby and even though he was only 6 months old he could already slowly clamber his way towards the Dama¡¯s relics. Happiness lit every face. Feng Zhiwei stood in the distance paying little attention to the occasion, frowning into the distance as Little Dummy Gu still did not return. Tsamuttu climbed forward and grabbed the Buddha Beads. The Head Dharma Protector Lama¡¯s lips quivered and he spread his arms in happy and joyous welcome. But then Tsamuttu let go with his little fist and the Buddha Beads clattered to the ground, stubbing his toe. The little boy began crying once more and clumsily kicked at the Buddha Beads. The Lama snapped out with his hands and rescued the Buddha Beads, disappointment covering his face. Tsamuttu was clearly not attuned to the beads, but the Lama did not lose faith, shifting the Dharma Vessel in the boy¡¯s direction. In the end, Tsamuttu paid the last relic no mind as he rushed back into the comforting embrace of his wet-nurse, weeping loudly as he ignored the Dharma Vessel. Everyone sighed with disappointment. The leading Lama looked down at the Dharma Vessel, hesitating as he exchanged quick glances with other Dharma Protectors. They were all in agreement, and the Lama quickly reached out to recover the two relics. Behind them various eyes gleamed with thought, but no one spoke. Clearly the Lamas did not want to give Gu Zhixiao a chance with the Dama¡¯s relics. Not only was the little child of uncertain origin, she was the adopted daughter of the Queen. If the next Living Buddha acknowledged this young Queen, no one could stand in the woman¡¯s way if she wished to sweep the steppes. A female Living Buddha was a rare sight, but not unheard of, and nobody dared risk it. So the relics were to be taken away. The scared wet-nurse obediently reached for Gu Zhixiao. Off in the distance, Feng Zhiwei turned to watch, her hands clasped behind her back and a quiet smile in her eyes. Gu Zhixiao had been staring at the relics as Tsamuttu fumbled around, and now she suddenly began to giggle. She struggled and twisted in the wet-nurse¡¯s arms, stretching out her hands towards the head Lama, her intentions clear. As the wet-nurse hesitated, Gu Zhixiao reached up to pull her hair. Murmurs immediately filled the air as everyone noticed the young child¡¯s actions and the head Lama could no longer ignore the infant¡¯s existence. He had not choice but to stiffly lower the relics. Gu Zhixiao twisted and turned, forcing the wet-nurse to bring her forward. When she finally neared, she giggled once more and lowered her little face into the Dharma-Vessel. Gu Zhixiao shut her eyes as if luxuriating in contemplation. The censer¡¯s incense rose up around her, and her little face took on an air of peace and tranquility like a pure lotus flower blossoming in the white smoke clouds. The head Lama immediately recited ¡°Namo Amitabha Buddha.¡± His attendants and fellow protectors began chanting the sutra. Arrayed behind them, everyone quietly knelt once more. Gu Zhixiao giggled once more as she breathed in the scent of the Buddha Beads, unknowingly shifting the entire future of the steppes. Feng Zhiwei watched with a calm and relaxed smile, cunning and conniving hidden in the shadows of her eyes. Chapter 278 When Feng Zhiwei had visited the Dama the previous night, she had quietly swapped the Dama¡¯s Dharma Vessel while she adjusted the light of the oil lamp. Inside the counterfeit vessel, she had placed a fragrant powder that Zong Cong had made to smell like walnuts, the aroma of Gu Zhixiao¡¯s beloved Gu Nanyi. Feng Zhiwei had hatched the plan after noticing how reliant Gu Zhixiao was on Gu Nanyi, though even this was just a backup in case Gu Nanyi was unable to attend this important event. The little girl had a surprisingly sensitive nose and had always been especially attentive to Gu Nanyi¡¯s smells, and so she easily smelled the walnut fragrance as soon as the Dharma Vessel appeared. While the ceremonial Dharma Vessel typically carried by a boy Lama could be easily tampered with, the Buddha Beads were by the Dama¡¯s side day and night and could not be easily reached. And so the giggling Gu Zhixiao clutched the Dharma Vessel while the head Lama lifted her with trembling hands; all the Lamas in the courtyard knelt and kowtowed as they chanted their sutra, a wave of deep rhythm like a gust of wind sweeping over the vast steppes. New blood will be ushered in, and dying blood will be cast out. The old and the ancient will be swept clean and the new and fresh will be brought in. Hoktu, the Eighteenth Living Buddha, was born. When Gu Nanyi returned from chasing Kereyid, his Gu Zhixiao had already taken on a new identity. Gu Nanyi listened quietly as Feng Zhiwei explained what had happened, and his reply cut straight to the heart: ¡°You sold her.¡± Feng Zhiwei had no response. Who had thought this young master was stupid? What incisive words. Meanwhile Gu Zhixiao played guilelessly in Gu Nanyi¡¯s arms, sniffing the holy Dharma Vessel as if it were a toy and pawing the Dama¡¯s Buddha Beads without any trace of respect. If the head Lama were still here, he would have instantly realized that this successor baby was fake. Gu Zhixiao was originally supposed to leave for the Hu Yin Temple immediately, but when the head Lama had tried to take her away, Gu Zhixiao had struggled and cried. Finally, Helian Zheng had stepped in and suggested that since the successor was still an infant she could stay in King¡¯s Court for the moment, after all the Living Buddha Succession Ceremony could not be held until the Imperial Envoy arrived. When the ceremony was finished, they could reconvene to discuss whether the new Living Buddha¡¯s should leave for the Hu Yin Temple. The head Lama could do nothing but agree, and he turned away to organize the Dama¡¯s funeral while Helian Zheng sent messengers to the Imperial Court. The Coronation Ceremony was still in limbo; the koumiss had been poisoned, the Living Buddha was dead, and the new successor was too young to officiate. The curious attendants and guests had not yet dispersed, and soon Helian Zheng was mounting the platform, a bright smile on his face as he loudly announced: ¡°This King has received the Mandate Of Heaven and his heart is filled with a great brilliance. The enlightenment has arrived and everything is settled.¡± With those simple words, he placed the crown on his head and immediately set off to take command of the King¡¯s Army and their suppression of Gadd¡¯s rebellion. As he left, he turned and met Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes with a deep contemplative look, but in the end he said nothing. Feng Zhiwei sighed to herself. Helian Zheng was also a very clever man, and for him to still allow her such freedom in her affairs, he truly trusted her to an almost unimaginable degree. The man had a heart greater than the heavens and vaster than the earth; when weak, he would protect you with all his loving heart; when strong, he would set aside everything to assist you. Feng Zhiwei stared off after Helian Zheng for a long moment, lost in her thoughts. Finally, she reined in herself and turned to Gu Nanyi. ??¡±Kereyid escaped?¡± Young Master Gu ignored her, unhappy. Zong Chen was the one to explain: ¡°Kereyid really is a disciple of a cult. I¡¯ve only heard of the Humo Sect in Mount Gedamo; they¡¯re said to trace back to a religious group some centuries ago. The Humo Sect was a branch that fell into a dark path ¡ª all their Kung Fu is eccentric and of myriad origin, and their disciples excel at illusionary arts. The black mist before his escape was one of their tricks. Kereyid must have been exiled to the snow mountain when he was a child and found his way to the cult.¡± ¡°Even Brother Gu lost him?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked with amazement. ¡°I called him back. These border sects have tricks that the Jiang Hua has never heard of, and¡­ I could not allow him to risk himself alone.¡± Feng Zhiwei nodded. ¡°Did Narta flee with Kereyid?¡± ¡°No.¡± Zong Chen answered. ¡°I was focused on Nanyi, but I¡¯m still certain that Narta went nowhere near Kereyid. Someone among the guests had rushed for Narta, and we think it was Hongji Le¡¯s spy taking advantage of the black mist to save their master¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°Her rescue is fine.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled. ¡°Narta hates Kereyid now, and Hongji Le will soon understand what had happened. Kereyid must have promised him a lot for this alliance, but now his true viciousness has been revealed. Hongji Le will be unable to trust Kereyid in the future, and Golden Roc and Fire Fox can fight amongst themselves.¡± As they spoke, Gu Zhixiao shuffled around in Gu Nanyi¡¯s arms. The little child offered the Buddha Beads to her papa, but how could Young Master Gu take such a filthy object? The Buddha Beads dropped into his hand and he immediately let it drop to the floor. A disappointed Gu Zhixiao stared teary eyed at her heartless father. But her dad was completely unmoved, calmly enjoying his walnuts. Soon distracted, Gu Zhixiao reached up for this mysterious treasure, begging in a wordless coo until her daddy offered her a piece of shell¡­ The Gu Family baby refused to give up, and after some struggle to recover the Buddha Beads, she turned and stuffed them into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s hands before pushing those hands towards Gu Nanyi. Feng Zhiwei had to hold back her laughter as she let the little baby push her over. Gu Nanyi stared at her, cocking his head in confused hesitation before finally pinching the string of Buddha Beads with great disgust and forbearing. Zong Chen smiled beside them, his eyes glittering behind his dark mask. ¡°Nanyi treats you differently. Even Zhixiao has noticed.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused as she pulled her fingers out of the little baby¡¯s grasp, smiling easily as she replied: ¡°Perhaps it is because I am very gentle.¡± Zong Chen smiled and shook his head, calmly answering: ¡°I have watched him grow, and even people who have been by his side for decades are not allowed so close.¡± Feng Zhiwei had no response, so she quickly changed the subject: ¡°Zhixiao is almost a year old, why is she not speaking?¡± But Zong Chen refused to be distracted. ¡°In truth, to live a life without understanding, without emotion, may be a blessing. The cruelest thing would be to open up only to be rejected.¡± Feng Zhiwei lowered her eyes. She stared at her hands ¡ª had she pulled him out of his peaceful world not into a color and beauty, but rather more pain and torment? Gu Nanyi sat peacefully beside her with Gu Zhixiao lying prone on his knees. Feng Zhiwei looked up and into his white veil, almost able to make out the man¡¯s bright eyes and the smiling curve of his lips. Such tranquility¡­ even the reserved Zong Chen felt pushed to preserve it. Feng Zhiwei shifted, straightening and moving aside, but Gu Nanyi immediately noticed and met her eyes, very naturally shifting with her to keep them side by side. Feng Zhiwei stiffened and stilled, and Zong Chen sighed quietly before silently taking his leave. As he opened the door, the hinges creaked sharply, and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart ached¡­ In the awkward silence that followed, Feng Zhiwei was almost glad to hear a sudden shrieking. ¡°I¡¯m not going ¡ª I¡¯m not leaving! I¡¯d rather die here than leave¡­¡± Chapter 279 Medora. Feng Zhiwei sighed before climbing to her feet and stepping outside. As she had expected, Medora was running around in the front palace, hair scattered and dress askew, barely escaping the grips of a group of sweating guards. Clearly her years in King¡¯s Court had lent her some power and the guards did not dare harm her, so she was able to run around and shriek all she wanted. ¡°I saved the King! I have nothing! You can¡¯t do this to me!¡± Medora ran around hysterically before spotting Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Feng Zhiwei you bitch! It was you! You entrapped me! Just kill me! Kill me¡­¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Feng Zhiwei easily agreed, staring down from atop a few stairs, her hands clasped behind her back. ¡°You want to die? That¡¯s easy!¡± Feng Zhiwei gestured for Hua Qiong to approach, and the pregnant woman smirked as she tossed three objects onto the ground. A dagger; a white silk band; and a medicinal bottle. ¡°In our Central Plains, those who wish to die can use these three methods.¡± Feng Zhiwei explained, smiling. ¡°One is a fast death, the other is a tight death, and the final is an organ death. These are only prepared for those with a certain amount of status, to leave your noble corpse intact. This is a just reward for your sacrifices for the King, and you can choose which you¡¯d like.¡± Medora stared dazedly, the unexpected move throwing her. She froze, uncertain. ¡°Please. Please.¡± Hua Qiong offered coldly, kicking the suicide weapons toward the older woman. Medora quivered, retreating a step. ¡°Your merit in saving the King,¡± Feng Zhiwei began, her eyes apathetic. ¡°The King¡¯s Court has long since repaid by honoring and respecting you. Even if you disagree, your assassination attempt has destroyed all debt. You have been treated well, but you have no propriety or tact and have chosen to court death ¡ª you have never saved my life, but you have tried to poison me. If I demand justice, who will stop me?¡± Medora looked down at the terrifying objects lying on the ground before once again meeting Feng Zhiwei¡¯s cold, deep eyes. There was nothing the Queen did not dare, and nothing outside her power. ¡°Ah-Ja!¡± Medora began screaming. ¡°Come and save me! Come save me! I raised you! You can¡¯t let this wolf send me off and marry me away! I don¡¯t want to marry some greasy old man!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a horse farmer in De Zhou City. Forty years old, with three sons and one daughter ¡ª an honest, wealthy man.¡± Feng Zhiwei spoke unhurriedly, straightening her sleeves. ¡°This neither fat nor greasy farm owner is one I chose from a dozen or so names, and a person the King has also approved.¡± With those words, Medora stilled as if struck by lightning. ¡°This is an opportunity the King has granted because of your past service. If you refuse, good. This Queen prefers your refusal.¡± Feng Zhiwei continued, calmly pointing down. ¡°Pick one. Quickly.¡± Medora dropped to her knees, her hand shaking as she reached for the dagger. Feng Zhiwei watched with cold eyes, her gaze unmoving. After another long stretch of indecision, Medora gritted her teeth and grabbed the dagger, clutching it tightly as she lifted her chin to stare up at Feng Zhiwei. The young Queen waited, a small expectant smile on her lips. The two warred with their eyes, silence in the air. But finally metal clanged to the ground once more. Medora let the dagger slip from her hand and fell to the ground, covering her face and loudly weeping. Feng Zhiwei flicked a hand. Servants immediately arrived with a red sedan chair while others quickly changed Medora into a bright red robe. A pair of short, fat, and elderly women stuffed her into the chair before climbing in beside her, seating on either side like two shriveled guardian angels. Chair bearers immediately shouldered the sedan chair and marched off, while a man rushed for the door and set off a firework. ¡°Congratulations Aunt Medora.¡± Feng Zhiwei exclaimed placidly. ¡°Send a thousand guard escort!¡± The bridal team marched out of the Second Potala Palace, carrying a weeping Medora off to the Central Plains. Meanwhile, news from the Tian Sheng ¨C Da Yue battlefront arrived. As Medora¡¯s Bridal Team was marching off, Feng Zhiwei had turned her attention to the secret reports Zong Chen had compiled. Feng Zhiwei had never questioned how large her organization was, but she had obviously noticed how well informed Zong Chen was. Clearly only a portion of her men stayed around her while the others were scattered across the lands. She knew nothing of identities and occupations and everything else. Zong Chen had claimed that the less she knew the better; in front of the truly cunning, her safety would rely on true ignorance. Feng Zhiwei completely agreed, though she was privately certain that Zong Chen was descended from the Xuanyuan Clan, one of the Four Great Clans and renowned for their skill in healing. One of Central Plain¡¯s old dynasty founders, the Cheng Qing Empero[1]r Xuanyuan Yue had once used the alias Zong. The little journal Zong Chen had given her so long ago had helped her rise rapidly in the world, and that book¡¯s author had once written: ¡°Zong Yue, Zong Yue, my only hope is that flowers blossom and life is constant, our confidence together never failing.¡± A hope for constancy, for a long life by each other¡¯s side, but in the end the brilliant and talented Xuanyuan Emperor only sat his throne for five years. When Feng Zhiwei had left Dijing, she had scoured the records for history on the Da Cheng Dynasty and uncovered important information. Da Cheng flourished in the five lands under Empress Meng Fuyao, alongside the Da Han, the Xuanyuan, the Fufeng, and the Da Yan Dynasties. Under the Empress¡¯s rule, the Fufeng Dynasty had already joining their dynasty to hers, ministering their joined land. Legend had it that Four Emperors all romanced the Great Empress, and a pact of peace that lasted while Shen Ying Empress, Meng Fuyao of Dacheng, lived. But as the generations passed, Da Cheng grew stronger and stronger and the alliance of the outer dynasties weakened, and eventually, all submitted. Year 127 of Da Cheng, the Da Yan Dynasty pledges allegiance. Year 215 of Da Cheng, Emperor Xuanyuan Jing last of the Xuan Yuan Dynasty abdicates. Year 329 of Da Cheng, Da Cheng¡¯s mighty Emperor Xuan Jing breaks down the walls of Da Han¡¯s capital, destroying their dynasty. Over the years, the world was unified, and the same flaming red Trumpet Vine Flag flew over all the lands. That oath of peace ushered in by the Legendary Empress so many centuries ago on the peaks of Evergreen Holy Mountain had finally been washed aside by the flows of time. The stirring stories and fabulous tales of romance between rulers faded away, buried in history and forgotten by the people. [1] ³ÐÇìµÛ Cheng Qing Emperor; ´ó³ÉµÛ Da Cheng Emperor. ³Ð =/= ³É. QED Chapter 280 It was said that the successors of the Emperors and Empress of Peace had wondered how long their oath of peace should last. The Da Han Emperor had laughed, saying: ¡°Whoever wants to world, take it.¡± Emperor Xuanyuan had coughed politely as he answered: ¡°Don¡¯t bother me with such a boring question.¡± The Da Yan Emperor had looked to the south and calmly replied. ¡°To gain, my fortune; to lose, my fate.¡± Empress Da Cheng had stood beside Emperor Da Cheng on the highest floor of their palace, calmly looking down at the world, and she had said: ¡°Today, we may rule the world, but it will not last. No dynasty lasts forever, and neither will our Da Cheng. We are powerful and prosperous today, but we cannot stop our children and their children from their mistakes, so why worry?¡± Such was the story in the unofficial histories, and the tale went that the Shen Ying Empress had left a solemn law for her descendants on the snowy peaks of the Evergreen Holy Mountain. What that law was, only the direct blood of Imperial Da Cheng could know. Those peaceful heirs had surely passed down the secrets of the Great Empress, but time and conflict and all the travails of life worried away at tradition until only the Xuanyuan Clan remembered the old ways. Zong Chen, descendant of the Xuanyuan Emperor, had once quietly hinted at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s powers as she mourned the death of Madam Feng ¡ª his men would obey her in all her orders, sworn to protect her at all costs. Whether she wished to use them as a shield for her own or a sword to cut down others, was entirely up to her. Feng Zhiwei had not replied. In the end, she knew, she would act under the force of necessity, not with some illusion of free will. ¡°Qiu Shangqi died to sever injury. Chunyu Hong has been promoted to Chief General. Imperial Court may send military inspectors.¡± Feng Zhiwei skimmed the secret report before turning to Zong Chen. ¡°Qiu Shangqi¡­ was it really a battle injury?¡± Zong Chen was silent for a moment before replying: ¡°No.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned away, her heart chilling. With the Da Cheng Royal Orphan matter settled and Feng Zhiwei safe, Zong Chen must have tidied up all loose ends. Madam Qiu soon fell sick and could not speak, and now Qiu Shangqi had been hit by a stray arrow on the battlefield. To protect her, so many lives were sacrificed, and she could not order them to stop. She carried so many lives on her shoulders. ¡°Da Yue has switched their Chief General¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei read from another report. ¡°The war was in a stalemate and the Da Yue Emperor was unhappy; Third Prince, Prince An had been dispatched to inspect the army, and to widespread surprise, slew the Chief General and assumed command himself!¡± Feng Zhiwei clucked her tongue with admiration. ¡°Nice, impressive. He dared risk widespread condemnation and killed their Commander in Chief? Who is this man? I¡¯ve never heard of him?¡± ¡°He is a main-line prince, and the rumors say he is the Emperor¡¯s most beloved son. The Da Yue have never had a Crown Prince, and he has the most support for succession.¡± ¡°And his character?¡± Zong Chen paused, and only after some time did he reply: ¡°Difficult to pin down.¡± Zong Chen had incredibly sharp eyes. For this new Chief General to be beyond his grasp spoke greatly of the man¡¯s complexity. Feng Zhiwei smiled as she turned to another report. ¡°Yi? Emperor Xi Liang has passed and his infant son has taken the throne. The Dowager Empress is regent from behind the scenes.¡± Feng Zhiwei read with astonishment. ¡°Yin Zhiliang is dead?¡± ¡°As far as I can tell, he has been dead for some time but Xi Liang has kept it a secret.¡± Zong Cheng answered. ¡°Only after their government was decided could the young Crown Prince ascend to the throne.¡± ¡°Why keep it a secret?¡± ¡°Hard to say. Chaos seemed to follow Yin Zhiliang¡¯s death, but everything was carefully covered up. With the war against Da Yue in the North and the Chang Family Rebellion in the South, we have paid less attention to unusual happenings in Xi Liang. Most of our news comes from people near the Minnan border by Xiliang. We can only be certain of the date the Crown Prince ascended.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled as she tossed the letters aside. ¡°In the end that is the foreign business¡­ and what is this?¡± A few sheets of paper lay underneath, not of Tian Sheng design. ¡°These are copies of the spy documents sent out of Xi Liang. This is how we were able to deduce that Xi Liang had covered up their Emperor¡¯s death.¡± Feng Zhiwei turned to words, but at that moment Gu Zhixiao clambered over, stole the papers, and began rubbing them in her chubby hands. Feng Zhiwei reached out to take the notes back, but Young Master Gu was already playing along and helping his little baby fold the paper. Soon, the two Pen Monkeys were also playing, each gripping a corner as they merrily ripped a sheet of paper in half. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s willowy brows rose and she was just about to spank all of them when Zong Chen quickly stepped forward to mediate. ¡°It¡¯s fine, they were just some additional notes, nothing important.¡± ¡°Children should not be spoiled.¡± Feng Zhiwei sighed, trying to explain the matter to the stubborn Little Dummy Gu. ¡°If you spoil the girl now, there¡¯ll be a lot of trouble when she is older.¡± How is this indifferent and apathetic man so interested in spoiling his child?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t need to copy you.¡± Little Dummy Gu explained as he focused on folding paper for Gu Zhixiao. ¡°Zhixiao just needs to be happy.¡± Gu Zhixiao waddled over and climbed atop the jade statue, gnawing at his finger until he pushed her away. Feng Zhiwei lowered her eyes, gently biting her lips. Was he saying that she did not want Gu Zhixiao to be like her, to have to wear a mask all her life, never able to be free? Since when had the solid jade statue begun to see so clearly, and so able to pity her fate? While Feng Zhiwei pondered her life, Gu Zhixiao giggled and Little Dumby Gu finished folding the paper. He had made something very simple, thin and long like a leaf. Feng Zhiwei jerked slightly as she recognized the leaf flute that she had taught Young Master Gu all those days ago. There were few trees in the steppes and it had been a while since Young Master Gu could play his leaf flute; he missed it, so he folded a new one. Gu Zhixiao gurgled and reached up for the little piece of paper, but Young Master Gu dodged her hands, his eyes fixed on the flute. Chapter 281 As he stared at the leaf flute, Gu Nanyi was brought back to that night in Longxi Province. There in the Ji Yang Mansion, she had sat next to him folding the leaf in her soft fingers, gleaming stars in her eyes. He though back to that day he truly began to understand death and loss as he lay on the rooftop in the rain, playing the flute until his mouth bled. The cold and salty taste in his mouth seemed to echo the bitterness of life. He was unsure whether he preferred his old tranquility or this new desire to learn. He knew bitterness, and he knew the sweet happiness that came after bitterness fled. Gu Nanyi stared down at the paper leaf flute for a long moment before standing and finding a box to safely store it in. Meanwhile, Gu Zhixiao pattered around on the felt carpet, completely baffled that her father should make her a toy only to take it away. Someone who did understand silently lifted Gu Zhixiao, leaning her face into the infant¡¯s smooth cheeks. Her face was fine and smooth like a spring flower, but her heart was already old in the rivers of time. Unspoken affection spread from heart to heart in one ripple of the flowing river, and in the distance another stretch of time tensed as it readied to explode. ¡­ In a little border town. To the North the Steppes and to the South the Central Plains. Tomorrow, this little town named Hui Yao would receive Medora¡¯s Bridal Team and the De Zhou City horse farmer would bring home a new wife. Helian Zheng had sent Blue Bird guards to escort Medora. Golden Lion men had all frequented King¡¯s Court and many had suffered from Medora¡¯s rampant arrogance, and so the King had sent unfamiliar guards with his Aunt to prevent any unfortunate incidences, not even allowing Medora¡¯s maidservant to accompany her. The huge bridal team had booked all the inns in town, with Medora¡¯s room in a central location and guarded through the night. Lights were lit and many formidable women watched her at all times. Even if Medora wanted to die, she was not given space to even speak to others, much less attempt suicide. Feng Zhiwei has spoken, asking them to respect the honorable Medora as she had been in King¡¯s Court; and so that nothing bad should happen to her, no one was to speak with her. Whoever violated the rule need only bring back their head. After all that had happened, none of the steppe people dared offend this Central Plains woman, none of them even thinking of disobeying their formidable Queen¡¯s commands. Medora sat quietly in her room, staring numbly into an oil lamp. Her eyes were swollen like peaches from weeping the three days they had been on the road. She had thrown tantrums, attempted bribes, begged, faked illness, and done everything she could think of, but nothing worked. The people surrounded her like iron walls and were silent like stone mountains; wherever she turned and ran, she would find only an impassable barrier. In the coming day, all the dust would settle. De Zhou City was far from King¡¯s Court and the journey back would be difficult, and once she was married to this other man, she would have no face to return. Medora grit her teeth and desperation filled her eyes. She thought and plotted, unconsciously gripping her belt. One of the older women watching her immediately stepped forward and sat next to her, burning eyes glaring at Medora¡¯s offending hand as if afraid that Medora would take the band and hang herself if she blinked. Medora smirked with bitter amusement, letting her hand fall loose. The door squeaked open and another woman walked in. The woman on watch sighed in relief, smiling as she called out: ¡°You¡¯re here. Then I¡¯ll be going to rest.¡± The new woman nodded as the other one yawned and exited. This new woman came to sit beside Medora, her limbs stiff. Medora sighed once more, despairing as she left the desk to lay down on her bed. ¡°Do you still want to return?¡± An almost recognizable man¡¯s voice shocked Medora, and she trembled and turned. There was only the elderly woman watching her, but when she met the woman¡¯s eyes, the woman squinted. As her eyes narrowed, a flash of gold filled the room and the illusion shattered. Medora immediately recognized the man. ¡°Ke¡­¡± Medora began calling out before her words died at the man¡¯s gaze. ¡°Feng Zhiwei truly is impressive¡­¡± Kereyid said, stretching out the discomfort from his attire and disguise. ¡°Almost all of my sect has come, following you from King¡¯s Court. So many different people trying different arts, and only today were we able to find a weakness to exploit¡­¡± ¡°You came to rescue me?¡± Medora said in disbelieving excitement. She had never spoken with Kereyid, and somehow this man who cared nothing for his wife and son had come to save her? ¡°You could say that.¡± Kereyid chuckled in a quiet voice. Medora immediately turned to pack her things and called out happily, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°No.¡± Medora¡¯s head whipped around in astonishment as Kereyid smiled, meeting her eyes. ??¡±Truthfully, I cannot get you out so easily. We are strangers, and I am not going to lose my people just to bring you away.¡± Medora¡¯s face darkened and her hands stilled. Her voice was cold as she replied: ¡°Then why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve brought you a way to return.¡± Kereyid answered, taking a small paper bag from his robes. ¡°This is a special medicine that my sect has invented. When you take it, bruises will slowly appear over your body as if you had been abused. Your pulse will weaken, but your body will not suffer. When you find a way to escape, you can present yourself in this manner to Jadran. With your relationship with him, just imagine what he will¡­¡± Kereyid smiled. Medora was pleased, but suspicion still remained. She loved her beauty and was unhappy with the effects of the medicine, so she asked: ¡°How can I be sure you¡¯re not plotting against me? What if the medicine¡¯s effects never wear off¡­¡± Kereyid easily held out another small bottle. ¡°The antidote.¡± Medora silently looked at the bottles while Kereyid raised an eyebrow. The man calmly continued: ¡°The medicine takes effect slowly, so if you take it now, the bruises will gradually appear after your marriage. This way, you¡¯ll gain Jadran¡¯s belief more easily and he will understand that Feng Zhiwei arranged for you to marry a ruthless man and suffer at his hands. If you want me to take the medicine to prove its effects, I cannot. Whether or not you believe me is up to you. If you cannot take the risk, then that is fine. With those words, he began to put away the medicine. Medora immediately stepped forward and grabbed the paper bag and the antidote, her gaze glittering sharply as she slowly replied. ¡°I have never been pushed so hard¡­ what does it matter if it kills me? If I did not long to see Jadran and speak to him face to face, I would have stabbed myself in the heart that day!¡± Chapter 282 Trigger warnings: implied drugging & rape in the first portion of this chapter. A long ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª will mark the end of the problematic section, or alternatively you can find a brief translator synopsis at the beginning of the next chapter in case you wish to skip this one. Kereyid glanced casually over her face, a hint of a sneer flashing over his eyes before he turned away. His eyes narrowed with thought. That smiling, tallow-faced woman at the Golden Alliance tent door had easily solved the Succession Crisis and managed to kill at least five birds at the Coronation Ceremony ¡ª himself, Gadd, Narta, Medora, and Dama, all in one stroke. He could not stop himself from wondering over the exquisite features of her face and her delicate eyes and nose¡­ how could a woman with such features end up so ugly? He smiled to himself, his eyes gleaming with cunning¡­ Ruling the Steppes was unimportant ¡ª life needed challenge and troubles, and if there were none of the beautiful blood and bones to color it, what was the point? He was in fact rather happy that the game continued¡­ Smiling, he pushed a cup of tea over the table. Medora grit her teeth, her eyes gleaming. Kereyid spoke once more: ¡°The medicine has another benefit. With all those bruises, the widower will not touch you, and so you can return to Jadran with an untouched body.¡± Finally overcoming her hesitation, Medora swallowed the grey powdered medicine and swallowed down the tea. As she drank, Kereyid¡¯s smile thickened. Medora stood silently as a blush came over her, and she held a hand to her chest as she gasped quietly: ¡°Your medicine¡­ this medicine¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you.¡± Kereyid replied lazily. ¡°I¡¯ve added some aphrodisiac.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Medora gasped, her eyes flying to Kereyid¡¯s face as she began to stumble, her legs soft and powerless. Kereyid walked up and gently picked her up. He carried her to the bed, whispering in her ear. ¡°Feng Zhiwei surely told that old widower to keep you on a tight leash, but with how much the Central Plains values purity, when he discovers that you are no longer a virgin he will pay little attention to you, and then you can find the opportunity to escape. Medora struggled weakly, not even able to speak as her strength drained out of her. The bed curtain fell down around them as clothes were peeled away. Through the sheer red yarn, a man¡¯s tall and slender body slowly covered a woman¡¯s soft curves¡­ The candle flickered dimly. Finally, a quiet, miserable moan filled the room. The heart-tearing howl was quickly covered as the cotton blanket was stuffed over her mouth, locking all that pain away. The bed trembled with a woman¡¯s pain and a man¡¯s delight. The candle¡¯s flame flickered and died. A low chuckle finally filled the room. ¡°Aunt Medora, Aunt Medora¡­ when you drag your ragged body to De Zhou City, what do you think the widower will think? That the Shunyi King tossed him a used woman? Will he resent Jadran and Feng Zhiwei? With this horse farmer¡¯s connection to the Grand Official in Yu Zhou City¡­ Aunt Medora, many thanks for your sacrifice. Many thanks.¡± The scent of blood and sex filled the room as Kereyid swept the bed curtain aside and calmly walked away. He took a moment to renew his disguise, wiping a finger on the door as he passed. Only a scarlet stain remained. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª While Medora continued her journey in misery and hatred, her heart filled with sorrow and gloom as she entered the horse farm, the steppes was entering a new era under the new King and Queen. Gadd¡¯s rebellion had been crushed by Blue Bird, White Deer, and Golden Lion. None of the steppe soldiers were willing to kill their brothers, so when Gadd¡¯s cries about the King¡¯s assassination at the hands of the Queen proved completely false, his twenty thousand soldiers turn on him. Gadd was trapped and encircled by the men of the three tribes, fighting to the death. In the fallout that followed, the Golden Lion Patriarch¡¯s Family was officially banished from the steppes. Gadd¡¯s death left Helian Zheng¡¯s restless relations in fear and awe. Now that the powerful Kulcha Family had failed, no one else dared to dream of power, for they knew now that road only led to death. On a lonely night, a group of uncles, cousins, and brothers had gathered to have a secret meeting. The next day, the King had summoned everyone who had attended and read to everyone the words each had spoken, punishing and pardoning according to what they had done. Some were allowed to remain seating, some had to stand, others knelt, and a few were dragged out and executed. After that, the proud Irgi nobility was as silent as cicadas in the cold ¡ª they had been so sure of the secrecy of their meeting, with no room even more a ghost to slip through. How had the King known all the details of their conversation? The power in the King¡¯s Court stabilized ¡ª with the Eighteenth Living Buddha born within the King¡¯s Court Palace, it was clear to all that this generations Shunyi King would be unrivaled. Godship had been born into the arms of the King, and so when people kneeled to the Living Buddha, they kneeled to the Shunyi King as well. What more needed to be said? The Fire Fox Tribe gained a new patriarch, but were punished for Kereyid¡¯s treachery. The dark-gold mine was seized, and a distribution of the precious metal would be assigned according to the contribution and merit of every tribe, defusing the chaos that might have followed greed. As soon as stability and peace returned to the steppes, Feng Zhiwei began training the Irgi warriors. The steppe men had excellent horsemanship and strong lower body Kung Fu, but compared to the Central Plains experts, their arts were lacking in subtlety and skill. Zong Chen had the experts among his men teaching the Irgi warriors, and the strongest and most loyal three thousand Irgi men were used to form a new ¡°Shunyi Steel Battalion.¡± When Young Master Gu was in a good mood, he would occasionally carry out his Living Buddha Daughter and teach personally. Gu Zhixiao was a calm and curious child, happily clinging to her daddy as he leapt here and dashed there. Zong Chen spent time studying the plants, foods, and habits of the steppe people and soon came out with a prescription to nourish the body. With his help, infant mortality dropped to nearly nothing. As Helian Zheng¡¯s kingship stablized through the lands, the new Steppe Queen gained more and more prestige, her name quickly becoming as respected as the Queen Dowagers. As the ¡°Shunyi Steel Battalion¡± trained, a young man by the name of Wei[1] gradually took command. And so this new character readies himself for the stage. [1] Wei from κ Wei Zhi. FZW¡¯s old alias. Chapter 283 On the last episode of Rising Phoenix: Kereyid lied to Medora. The medicine he gave her included aphrodisiac. It is not yet clear the medicine actually causes bruises. Kereyid knows about a secret relationship between Medora¡¯s husband-to-be and the Grain Official of Yu Zhou City, the man principally in charge of the military grain shipments to the steppes. Kereyid rapes Medora so that her future husband will be unhappy with Helian Zheng and FZW for disrespecting him. Kereyid is gleeful at the chaos that will follow. Back home in the Steppes, HLZ and FZW have easily put down Gadd¡¯s Rebellion now that the King has obviously not been murdered by the Queen. The ambitious relatives of HLZ are wrangled, and Patriach Kereyid is deposed in absentia. Fire Fox suffers land confiscation, with the precious Dark-Gold Mine seized by HLZ. Zong Chen improves the lives of the steppe people through his medicinal knowledge. FZW and HLZ become widely respected. Feng Zhiwei has Zong Chen and Gu Nanyi train the Irgi men in Central Plain¡¯s martial arts. 3000 of the best are chosen for a new ¡°Shunyi Steel Battalion,¡± which Feng Zhiwei ends up leading under a male alias Wei κ. Dramatic intro-music¡­ On a day of no particular note, the widely admired and respected Hero Gu brought a young, blue-robed Han man to watch the Steel Battalion train. The Irgi warriors all felt as if they had improved to an incredible extent and they wanted to show off a little, performing for this slender and short man, hoping for astonishment and praise. But the young man watched unperturbed, and only had three comments. ¡°Stupid moves! Weak! Poor reaction time!¡± None of the three thousand warriors were spared. The young, blue-robed man quickly gestured for the eight leaders of the Steel Battalion to come forth for duels ¡ª the Eight Valiants, bodyguards to the King. The Steel Battalion could only watch in silent disbelief as their formidable leaders were slapped around and destroyed. The Eight Valiants lay prone, groaning and moaning and silently applauding themselves for their great acting. When the King and Queen said fall here, they fell; and if they were needed to play dead, then dead they played; if they were needed to roll more than two times but less then four, by all the heavens they would¡­ And so this Wei youth easily won over the respect and admiration of the steppe men, and in the following days he would frequently show his face on the training grounds, eating and sleeping together with the rest of the warriors. He was soon known to be both kind and incredibly talented, and was very quickly familiar with everyone. As time went on, his pitiable story slowly spread. He had lost his memories in an attack and had wandered until he found the steppes. He knew not where he came from or where he ought to go, only barely remembering that his last name was Wei. The mighty steppes welcomed this lost wanderer, and the Queen even organized a feast to entertain this Wei youth with proud and generous steppe hospitality. And so the months passed and it became August. Early spring had come to the steppe grasslands, and an Imperial Envoy had arrived for the Living Buddha¡¯s enthronement. The Hu Ying Temple had prepared a great celebration for their new Living Buddha, but there was one sticking point. Gu Zhixiao had rarely been forced to leave her doting father and so was unruly and unwilling to cooperate. Feng Zhiwei was forced to threaten and bribe the little infant, warning the young baby that if she refused to listen, she would have to sleep alone in the future, and only by obeying would she be able to sleep with her daddy. Such was the story of the Eighteenth Living Buddha. It also happened to pass that the Imperial Envoy was a very familiar face ¡ª Xin Ziyan. Thus it was amidst the incense smoke of the sacred Enthronement Ceremony within Hu Yin Temple that Imperial Envoy Xin Ziyan and Shunyi Queen Feng Zhiwei met once more on this fateful Autumn of the thirteenth year of Chang Xi, their first meeting since the tragic seven days in Dijing. They smiled politely and bowed with courtesy and delight. ¡°I pray the Queen is well?¡± Xin Ziyan offered as he bowed deeply. Feng Zhiwei looked down at his temple, spotting a creeping whiteness over his hair that he had not had half a year ago, and she could not help but remember his moon-white butt as he clung to the tree beside Lan Xiang Brothel. She had saved him from his shrewish wife, and he had repaid her by taking the life of her brother and the joy of her family. Enemy. But she had always known how to smile for her enemies. ¡°Many thanks for Master Xin¡¯s regard.¡± She replied elegantly. ¡°All is well. And you, Master Xin? Life in Dijing is not easy, but by your honor¡¯s radiant looks, it seems like things have been going your way.¡± Xin Ziyan straightened and examined the formidable woman before him, his eyes gleaming. He was not privy to the knowledge that Feng Zhiwei was in fact Wei Zhi, so all he knew was what she had shown at Noble Imperial Consort Chang¡¯s birthday feast, and the indifferent and calm bearing she had shown when accepting the title of Sheng Ying Princess before leaving with Helian Zheng. Now, after half a year, the woman still seemed as calm and at home, but that sharpness she had displayed at the feast seemed sheathed and in its place was a gentle warmth like a mild, slow breeze. Yet for all that warmth, Xi Ziyan felt cold, as if he was before a phoenix perched high on the tip of a snowy mountain, a small creature pinned by gleaming eyes. How calm and imperturbable those eyes, and how great the destruction that would follow their fury. ¡°I cannot claim such grace.¡± Xin Ziyan dipped his head and retreated a step. ¡°All I have is by His Majesty¡¯s grace and His Majesty¡¯s kindness. Ziyan has been honored by the attention of his masters, and my only distinction has been my attention to details big and small, while my masters focus on larger matters.¡± Was he suggesting that the Da Cheng Royal Orphan case was his, not Ning Yi¡¯s? Feng Zhiwei quirked her lips in a calm half-smile. If Ning Yi had wanted to protect her, he would never have trusted Xin Ziyan with the Golden Feather Guard. If Ning Yi had never planned to move against her, the Golden Feather Guard would have never continued their investigation of the Feng Family. If Ning Yi had not given his silent consent, how could things have unraveled so quickly? His was the invisible hand over everything, and whether he had stabbed or had loosened his grip to drop the knife, the end was the same. ¡°Yes, all fortune comes from a master¡¯s grace.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, her smile growing more and more gentle. ¡°It seems that His Highness Prince Chu is now deeply trusted by HIs Majesty, and surely the Crown Princedom will be his. When your honor returns to Dijing, please pass on my congratulations.¡± Xin Ziyan looked up, hesitating a moment before replying: ¡°I will not be returning immediately to Dijing, so perhaps my Queen should convey such congratulations in person.¡± Feng Zhiwei paused in sudden thought ¡ª was Xin Ziyan being dispatched to the northern battlefields? Was Ning Yi sending his most trusted subordinate to take total control over the Tian Sheng Military? But Xin Ziyan was just a scholar, what could he do? Play the role of military inspector? ¡°Your honor jests. Thousands of li stretch between Dijing and the steppes. There are no relatives for Zhiwei to visit, and it is hard to say whether I will ever return in this lifetime. I do not believe I will have the privilege of greeting His Highness, how tragic.¡± She lamented her loss without emotion, finally smiling and turning away in dismissal. Though she had not expected Xin Ziyan¡¯s arrival, she could work with it. As she stepped away, Xin Ziyan felt a sudden need to speak, but as the Queen determinedly left, he could only close his mouth. It was fine¡­ she would find out eventually. An so the Enthronement Ceremony came to a successful close, and before they knew it Gu Zhixiao was two years old. Only Feng Zhiwei knew Gu Zhixiao¡¯s birthday, having spotted the delicately hidden characters on her locket on day. Fine holes had been drilled throughout the locket to show the calligraphy only when light shone through and projected the details on a wall; such intricate design was obviously out of reach of even conventionally wealthy families. The wealthiest and most noble families of the Central Plains kept the exact details of the Birthdate a secret so that ill-wishing individuals could not attack their children. [1]As soon as Feng Zhiwei discovered this secret, she changed Gu Zhixiao¡¯s public birthday to further hide the matter. As they celebrated Gu Zhixiao¡¯s maturation into the night, the family and friends gathered in the King¡¯s Court garden and sat around bonfires and slow-roasted whole lambs dripping with fragrant oil. Gu Zhixiao smiled up at her dad so sweetly that her eyes seemed to blossom like little flowers. [1] What has been sometimes translated broadly as Birthdate is in fact a more complicated Eight Character Bazi (°Ë×Ö) or Four Pillars of Destiny. Such a Birthdate references the: birth year, month, day, and hour. It is widely accepted that this knowledge can be used to calculate fortune, and as a focus for curses or witchcraft. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Pillars_of_Destiny Chapter 284 Helian Zheng quietly bumped his shoulder against Feng Zhiwei¡¯s, waggling his brows as he said: ¡°She only ever smiles that beautiful for Gu Nanyi.¡± Feng Zhiwei was slightly disgruntled as she replied: ¡°And I was the first to hold her, truly an ungrateful little brat.¡± ¡°All women are this way.¡± Helian Zheng sighed loudly. ¡°I was the first to propose to you, and even now ou do not allow me in your room.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already gone to your room, and you¡¯re still not satisfied?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, calmly cutting her lamb leg. ¡°If you climb on¡­¡± Helian Zheng began, but his words were swiftly interrupted by a huge piece of meat Feng Zhiwei shoved into his mouth. ¡°I mean¡­ do you truly wish¡­ to go to the battlefield¡­¡± Helian Zheng said as he chewed. Feng Zhiwei lidded her eyes, hiding away her gleaming gaze. After a moment, she asked: ¡°Helian, the steppes should be yours and only yours. Whether or not Wei Zhi returns should have nothing to do with your steppes, so why do you insist that I lead the Shunyi Steel Battalion?¡± ¡°My steppe is yours.¡± Helian Zheng replied, swallowing the meat and patting his belly. ¡°I cannot say what will happen in a hundred years or in a hundred generations, but as long as I live, you will have to suffer my protection.¡± Feng Zhiwei fell silent, her eyes misty under her long lashes. Helian Zheng knew that if she stepped onto the battlefield as Wei Zhi, she would be reentering the Imperial Court. There would be no reconciliation as she fought against Ning Yi for the world; no matter what happened after, no matter what risks or what evils had to be done, there would be no turning from that road. A King who clearly loved his lands should never step into such muddy water. But he did not hesitate in supporting her. ¡°Don¡¯t say you do not need my protection.¡± Helian Zheng said, cutting some meat for her and calmly pushing away Dowager Queen Mudan as she came to steal some slices. ¡°And don¡¯t say you are not lonely. Zhiwei, my only hope is that when you walk through this night, you will not choose to do so alone.¡± He stabbed a slice of meat and chewed it thoughtfully, before suddenly tossing the knife aside and shooting to his feet, stretching his arms to the sky as he roared: ¡°Feng Zhiwei, this man will always be yours!¡± The unexpected roar astonished everyone as surprised eyes turned to stare. Dowager Queen Mudan gaped in shock, some chewed up meat dripping down her chin with lines of saliva. ¡°Daddy!¡± A higher voice roared, delicate and lovely yet just as imposing as Helian Zheng¡¯s. ¡°Yours!¡± Everyone turned to stare in stunned amazement at little two year old Gu Zhixiao. She either never spoke, or her words startled the heavens. The Gu Family¡¯s little Zhixiao stood beside Helian Zheng with her little belly thrust forward, her arms thrust in the air like Helian Zheng¡¯s as she roared again: ¡°Daddy! Yours!¡± She did not need a full sentence, just the two words were enough. She clearly had the same intent as Helian Zheng. A large man and a small girl stood in the breeze, their faces solemn and serious, and everyone could only stare at them like so many frozen statues. Zong Chen coughed. Feng Zhiwei stared dumbly, a slice of meat halfway into her mouth. The Eight Valiants rolled around in the back, barely able to muffle their laughter. Dowager Queen Mudan quickly pulled Tsamuttu over and hurriedly said: ¡°Son, look, don¡¯t copy them, that¡¯s not the way you should¡­¡± Hua Qiong was struggling to shift her large belly away, afraid that her son would be infected¡­ Only Young Master Gu was calm, the stay at home dad to this tough little baby. He calmly picked up his little girl and wiped away some spit from her mouth before pointing at Feng Zhiwei. ¡°Hers.¡± ¡°Yours.¡± Gu Zhixiao insisted. Feng Zhiwei was finally recovering, coughing as she signaled for Young Master Gu to shut up, but the little dummy never understood her hints. He lifted his baby girl so they were face to face as he calmly explained: ¡°I am hers, you are mine, so you are hers.¡± Helian Zheng spat out his buttered tea. Feng Zhiwei clutched her forehead¡­ please, Young Master Gu you don¡¯t have to speak so fluently. Gu Zhixiao did not understand, so she thought that her daddy was abandoning and began weeping and screaming. Tsamuttu immediately joined in for a duet, and Feng Zhiwei could only helplessly plug her eyes and stare up at the bright moon in defeat. All around, quiet smiles crept over every lip, and all the people she cared about surrounded her. In the distance, someone began playing a long, hanging melody on their Dongola. When the sun dawned, Feng Zhiwei opened sleepy eyes to find herself leaning against Gu Nanyi¡¯s leg, Helian Zheng leaning against her¡¯s, Dowager Queen Mudan snugly against Helian Zheng¡¯s belly, and Tsamuttu balancing atop her¡¯s. Gu Zhixiao was a koala bear against Gu Nanyi¡¯s waist, traces of tears still on her face. The young man who used to shun everyone now slept so calmly in a huge pile. But across the steppes, far from the happy family, a wave of horse hoofs pounded across the land, blades clattering against armor and long, sweeping trumpets filled the air. ¡­ In August of the Fourteenth Year of Chang Xi, the Hu Zhuo Tribe, avenging the tragic deaths of four thousand Irgi Warriors, dispatched ten thousand soldiers to the northern battlefront between Tian Sheng and Da Yue. That same month, the Shunyi Queen was said to be pregnant, and because of the abnormal position of the fetus, she had sealed herself in the palace to care for the fetus. When the news spread to Dijing, the Imperial Court immediately had the border Li County send a huge supply of nourishing medicine. In August of the Fourteenth Year of Chang Xi, the Da Cheng army were forced back time and time again. The Tian Sheng Imperial Court had dispatched a military inspector alongside the Li, Ping, Yu, and Y¨¹ county forces and the Mobei Province¡¯s twenty thousand strong army, sending them to the decisive battlefield by White Head Mountain outside Yu County. Northern Expedition General of the Army Chunyu Mung paced restlessly in his tent. Generals and lieutenants from every camp sat before him, watching their leader with eager eyes. The war had lasted for over a year, and Tian Sheng and Da Yue both had victories and defeats. The tide seemed in Tian Sheng¡¯s favor as they forced Da Yue out of the five border counties the enemy had gained, but in defiance of tradition, the new change in the enemy General of the Army had lifted the enemy morale. The new overall leader, His Highness Jin Siyu, fought with eccentric cunning. He had turned the Hu Zhuo Golden Roc Tribe and acquired a military map for the East ¨¦ Pass, completely annihilating a contingent of Hu Zhuo cavalry on a scouting mission. This destabilized the formation on Tian Sheng¡¯s left flank, and so the left wing armies had to retreat out of the Qi County they had just reclaimed. Afterwards, Prince Ji Siyu suddenly attacked Liu Jia Gou, and in the battle of Shuang He Valley, General of the Army Qiu Shangqi was injured gravely and forced to return to Dijing.[1] [1] Didn¡¯t Qiu Shangqi die? Chapter 285 With Prince Jin Siyu opposing them, the war did not look good for Tian Sheng. All the Imperial Courts plans relied on a sure victory, so the new General of the Army Chunyu Hong was under incredible pressure. Letter after letter came in from the Imperial Court, urging this and suggesting that, but Chunyu Hong knew that the time had not yet come. After successive defeats and most of their cavalry, scouts, and messengers dead, another loss would tip the war into an impossible situation. ¡°General! Let me take three thousand men to raid Qi County! Jin Siyu must be low on manpower, and he even has men stations to guard Mount Gedamu. There¡¯s no way he has many soldiers in Qi County, if we attack now we will surely win it back!¡± The clean faced young man was neatly dressed and freshly rested, nothing like the weather-beaten veterans who knew the northern border well. Before he could even finish speaking, many eyes had already flicked away dismissively. ¡°Young Master Yao,¡± A smiling voice yawned, ¡°While it is true that the Qiu County is not heavily manned, their neighbor Qiao County is close to their north camp and heavily guarded. As soon as news spread of the Qi County attack, they would immediately cross the Gedamu Mountains through Qian Jin Ditch. You would find yourself between an anvil and a hammer¡­ hehe, Young Master, you are young and fresh and excited, eager to achieve merit. We all understand, but a war is not a story, brute courage is not enough¡­ haha.¡± The calm man smiled, rubbing his knee as he left the final words unsaid as everyone else smiled in agreement. ¡°Vice-Commander Yao has set down his pen to pick up the sword, his bravery and patriotism is admirable. The Grand Secretary has raised an honorable son.¡± Chunyu Hong quickly offered, mediating. ¡°A group of suspicious mountain bandits have been spotted in the Gedamu Mountains, and we suspect them of colluding with Da Yue. Vice-Commander Yao can take a battalion of soldiers to spurred the bandits, clearing away one of our worries.¡± Vice-Commander Yao was Yao Yangyu, one of the Young Masters of Qing Ming Academy. Everyone who had joined the venture to South Sea had been greatly rewarded on their return, and Yao Yangyu had even been offered an office in the Kung Fu Department of the War Ministry, but he had refused and asked for a position on the battlefront alongside some of his classmates. In the eyes of Chunyu Hong and the various veteran Generals and Lieutenants, these young men were treasured porcelain ¡ª too delicate to offend and too precious to use. These youths had all come to gather military merit for future promotion; in what world would Chunyu Hong actually use them to fight a desperate war? ¡°Suppressing bandits!¡± Yao Yangyu cried out angrily, his white face distorted with fury. ¡± You want me to take a battalion to handle a few hundred bandits? To use a cow cleaver to kill a chicken? Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± The young man jumped to his feet, kicking over his stool as he slapped open the tent¡¯s curtain-door. With a bellyful of anger, he ignored the disdainful eyes behind and and charged up a tall hill before lifting his chin and screaming into the clouds: ¡°AAAAAAHHHHH!!!¡± His angry shout startled a soaring eagle but did little else, and once it was over, the Dijing Young Master slumped his shoulders and stared off into the desolate autumn landscape, grass withering as frost crept over everything. In the blink of an eye, a year had passed since the South Sea expedition. In that year, seas had transformed into mulberry fields, and mulberry fields into seas. He could not forget how they had swept through South Sea, defusing unruly crowds, helping after tragedies, pitting wits against the entire South Sea government, and even destroying the cunning Chang Family¡¯s rebellion. Danger and excitement and greatness! But all gone in the blink of an eye, and the young man he so admired now vanished. On their return to Dijing, everyone had changed. Even His Highness had transformed, his playful philandering replaced by silent gloom. Just thinking about those days brought an ember of fervor into Yao Yangyu¡¯s eyes ¡ª those had been the most exciting days of his life, but with his leader¡¯s disappearance, nothing could remain. Footfalls crunched behind him and heavy hands patted his shoulder. Yao Yangyu did not need to turn to recognized Yu Liang and the other Qing Ming students who had accompanied him to the northern battlefront. They were all the same, safely bundled away in the Tian Sheng Army Camp, wiling away their days in frustration. ¡°I say,¡± Yao Yangyu said suddenly, stirring from his daze. ¡°Do you remember what Master Wei once said?¡± ¡°What¡± ¡°When the Yan Family were causing trouble at their Ancestral Temple, Master Wei ordered Prince Helian and I to the neighboring county to steal their grain. Prince Helian asked what they should do if the official refused to obey.¡± Yao Yangyu replied, his voice cold and biting. ¡°Master Wei said, them we could kill.¡± Yu Liang, Huang Baozi and the others chuckled, quiet yearning on their faces. ¡°Now I want to ask, if they refuse to let us fight, what should we do?¡± He spun on his feet and laughed, striding down the hill. ¡°This war we can fight!¡± ¡°Yangyu, you must be cautious¡­¡± ¡°Yangyu, disobeying military orders is a capital offense¡­¡± Yao Yangyu wore his armor and mounted his horse by the camp gate, chuckling at his friends. ¡°When have I disobeyed a military order? They want me to suppress bandits, then I¡¯ll go suppress bandits. If we chase the bandits too far, then that¡¯s hardly a crime is it?¡± ¡°You want to retake Qi County with a thousand soldiers?¡± Yu Liang guessed, his eyes gleaming. ¡°I said nothing!¡± Yao Yangyu swatted with his horsewhip, leaving behind clouds of dust as he led his soldiers to the field. Yu Liang and Huang Baozi exchanged looks before mounting their steeds and following. That night, Yao Yangyu swept through the Gedamu Mountain Range, routing a couple hundred bandits and hunting them down before slowly edging into Qi County. When the cow cleaver was unsheathed, a few chickens would not satisfy it. Yao Yangyu was a gifted strategist, and used the night as cover instead of charging through the county. His men began digging pits every couple hundred meters, each about the size of a fire pit for cooking meals, dotting twenty miles of land from the Qianjin Ditch border into Qi County. Da Yue had retaken Qi County a few days ago, and the current intelligence suggested that Tian Sheng was busy mustering armies at their main camp. Both sides were preparing for a final engagement, so the Da Yue soldiers in Qi County were more lax, trusting in the protection of the neighboring Qiao County and assuming that Qi County would not be the main battlefield. The county rested under the peaceful moon, a few spearmen guards atop the main city wall almost drifting into sleep. They were completely unprepared for Yao Yangyu¡¯s men sneaking through and quietly picking off their sentries. The surprise attack went smoothly. The Tian Sheng soldiers climbed over the city walls, quickly isolating various enemy squads in the poorly garrisoned city. By the time Garrison Commander Fang Dacheng realized something was happening, Yao Yangyu had already conquered the entire city and was besieging Fang Dacheng¡¯s headquarters. Chapter 286 Fang Dacheng hurriedly assembled his guards and fought his way out of the surrounded mansion, holding out for the Qiao County reinforcements, but reinforcements would not be coming ¡ª the Qiao County Garrison Commander had discovered the countless fire pits by Qianjin Ditch and was too afraid of an ambush to advance. Most of Fang Dacheng¡¯s guards died covering Fang Dacheng¡¯s escape and Yao Yangyu had his great victory. Yu Liang and the others tried to dissuade the young master from pursuing a desperate foe, but the vigorous youth refused to listen, believing that true military merit came only when the enemy general was beheaded, and so he took a hundred soldiers to chase Fang Dacheng down. When Qianjin Ditch came into view, Yao Yangyu hesitated, but when he spotted Fang Dacheng fleeing to the border, his confidence soared. He reasoned that since he himself had come from this direction there would not be an ambush waiting, and so he chased. The Qingjin Ditch road was narrow and surrounded on both sides by cliffs, twisting and turning through the mountain and cutting off any line of sight. After chasing down three such turns, Yao Yangyu and his men burst out onto a flat stretch of ground surrounded by countless soldiers. A man stood watching them in indigo armor and a white cape, a warm and gentle smile on his face. Above him fluttered a large standard with the huge character ¡°Jin.¡± Yao Yangyu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately called a retreat, but the man before them was already gesturing. A rain of arrows fell on them and half of Yao Yangyu¡¯s soldiers fell to the ground. Yao Yangyu knew he had screwed up and retreat was impossible, so with a mighty battle cry, he unsheathed his blade and charged forth. Spears twisted and lunged, blades flashed and stabbed, weapons tangling and flesh and blood dripping down into the dirt. Man¡¯s killer instincts roared forth amidst the clangs and screams, and with death certain and no escape possible, battle fury filled hopeless eyes. Strong limbs, supple muscles, and bright vibrant eyes were all cut down by cold, bloody metal until they lay lifeless and ignored. The numbers were too great, and Tian Sheng soldiers soon littered the ground with only a few guards tottering in front of Yao Yangyu, protecting their leader. The young master himself was covered in blood, leaning heavily on his blade as he gasped, his back protected by Yu Liang and Haung Baozi. All of them were injured, and specks of flesh and blood dotted their eyelashes. The smiling man under the flag had never moved, watching the battle with a mixture of amusement and boredom. ¡°Take them alive.¡± The man suddenly called out, pointing out Yao Yangyu and his friends. The man¡¯s calm, clear voice cut across the battlefield. Yao Yangyu shut his eyes in shame ¡ª Jin Siyi would never have risked himself for a mere battalion; he had come for Yao Yangyu, the son of Tian Sheng¡¯s powerful Minister. His capture would strike another heavy blow to the weakening Tian Sheng morale. He had failed to attain merit and was now to be captured, his life used to threaten Tian Sheng. He would be tied up and carried around until the final battle, his shame paraded before thousands and thousands. With such a life, how could he lift his head high and face the world? Yao Yangyu chuckled bitterly, tightening his grip on his blade. ¡°Brothers,¡± He slowly began, ¡°I was too eager for success and have dragged you down. Let us¡­¡± He choked on his words, tears filling his eyes. Yu Liang and Huang Baozi quietly held his shoulders as they had so many times before, and together they finished Yao Yangyu¡¯s sentence. ¡°Let us meet in the next life.¡± The three brothers smiled at each other, lifting their blades. As he held his cold, gleaming weapon against his own throat, Yao Yangyu¡¯s weary mind once again lamented: ¡°If only Master Wei was here¡­¡± He smiled sadly, smirking at his own absurdity. Their dirty blades reflected their steady, desperate eyes. None of their foes had thought these foolish, foppish Dijing young masters would value their lives less than their honor, and shocked soldiers were rushing forward, spurring their horses to ever greater speed. Blades touched throats. ¡°Clang¡­¡± A small stone shot out and shattered their weapons, and then the broken pieces floated up and arced through the air, shooting towards the Da Yue Commander-in-Chief. Jin Siyu had been so focused on the three young masters as he rode forward to stop their deaths and was completely unprepared for the strange attack he now faced, but even in his shock he remained composed and leaned backwards, flicking his spears up to knock aside the shattered weapons. But right as he slapped away the broken metal, a horseman appeared behind him, black robes over black stead, white arrows nocked in a bone-white bow. His attacker had five arrows readied in his hand, and the figure chuckled as he called out: ¡°Watch my chain arrows!¡± Jin Siyu was shocked once more; now that he was off balance from deflecting the blades, a Kung Fu expert capable of shooting chain arrows would destroy him, so he could only push off of his horse and flip away towards his guards. He landed and retreated behind his bodyguards as his precious stallion was quickly seized by the three young masters. His mysterious attacker smiled at him, toying with his five arrows as he smirked and asked: ¡°How do you shoot chain arrows?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Da Yue soldiers were too furious to speak, their faces pale with angers. The new figure lifted his eyes, his delicate face almost shining in the moonlight. A pair of misty eyes graced his face like the hidden realms of immortal saints, indescribable by earthly pens. Jin Siyu glared up at the young man, and when their gazes met, the prince felt as if the sky¡¯s moon dimmed and the autumn winds froze. An exuberantly excited shout filled the valley. ¡°Vice President Wei!¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, turning her confused face to eye Yao Yangyu and the others. Yao Yangyu and his friends felt as if they were doused with freezing water, immediately sobering and exchanging glances. They carefully examined Feng Zhiwei¡¯s face, confirming that it was in fact Wei Zhi. Then they glanced over at Master Gu and his signature cyan-blue robes, in many ways the symbol of Wei Zhi¡¯s power. Chapter 287 After a pause, Yao Yangyu spoke once again: ¡°Vice President Wei, have you forgotten? Why are you here?¡± Feng Zhiwei cocked a brow and smiled. ¡°Have we met before? I have forgotten many things, and I am here because of fate. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have questions for you later, but right now there is a more urgent matter ¡ª you are His Highness Prince An? I¡¯ve heard much tell of your name; it is nice to finally put a face to the stories.¡± Jin Siyu had remounted and gazed across the battlefield at the composed young man. Nowhere was safe in war, and there were few competent figures who would act as casually as this new figure. The same twists and turns that had hid his men now hid his enemy¡¯s forces, and Jin Siyu had no idea how many soldiers were marching towards him. When his scouts reported that Yao Yangyu was marching out to suppress bandits, Jin Siyu had guessed that Yao Yangyu¡¯s true target was Qi County. He had immediately arranged for a trap to capture the three young masters, setting out with a small contingent to escape notice, not even alerting the troops in Qiao County. The prince brought only enough men to securely capture the three hostages and convey them back to Da Yue¡¯s Camp as quickly as possible, but now an unexpected development had occurred. Qianji Ditch had peculiar terrain. To the East and West, the land gradually widened and many cliffs blocked the western stretch. No cavalry charge could make it over those cliffs, but Jin Siyu could not be sure about the enemy numbers. Any fight would be against unknown odds. The prince examined the young horsemen¡¯s composed face and calm breath and his mind blared with doubt and suspicion. The man¡¯s timely appearance was truly too strange. Neither early nor late, just as the hostages had been about to commit suicide¡­ just as he himself had been startled by the young masters¡¯ courage, dashing forward without care. The young man¡¯s attack had almost killed him, and as a result he had lost his hostages and his horse. Was it just coincidence, or had the man timed it? A lucky coincidence was nothing, but if he had purposefully arranged for that exchange, this young man was terrifying. Clearly Yao Yangyu and the others were familiar with him, but the mysterious man had coldly waited as Yao Yangyu¡¯s men were cut down, only striking moments before their deaths. Jin Siyu stared at the smiling young man, and then he suddenly noticed that his captured horse had disappeared. Anxiety rose within him ¡ª he had not been so unsettled since he had killed the previous Supreme Commander and taken charge over the Da Yue armies. His horse was too important. Capturing enemy horses was a common occurrence on the battlefield, but Jin Siyu¡¯s steed was no regular warhorse. His was a mighty Yue Horse, considered extremely rare even in the rich lands of Tian Sheng. Every Da Yue prince raised a Yue Horse from their youth and trained with them all their life, cultivating a strong connection and familiarity. Such a horse was irreplaceable. The Da Yue people held the powerful Yue Horses in almost spiritual esteem. Such a horse could save their rider in battle, and often such a deep connection to this horse was more useful than a hundred guards. That year, he had used a horse of this breed to plant doubts between the Tian Sheng Emperor and his Third Son, forcing the Third Prince into rebellion that ended in the man¡¯s tragic death at Dijing¡¯s Wang Du Bridge. Now ten years later, fate had turned and his own horse was now captured. Even if it were just a coincidence and another necessary casualty of war, his heart was deeply unsettled. It would have been better if his horse had died rather than be captured, especially in an ambush he had set for the enemy. Once news of this spread, he would lose a lot of face. And the young man had not even shot a single arrow¡­ Jin Siyu¡¯s eyes gleamed, killing intent whirling in the pools of his eyes. No matter what, he could allow this to be the end! He lifted his arms, an order on his lips, when suddenly horse hoofs clattered behind him. A harried messenger galloped forward, whipping his horse until it frothed from the mouth. The man cried out: ¡°General! It¡¯s bad! The Eastern Army¡¯s military grain¡­¡± ¡°Cha!¡± The voice died, the messenger stared in wide-eyed astonishment after his hundred-mile gallop, his throat gurgling as his gaze slipped from the cold eyes of Jin Siyu. The soldier clutch at his throat before toppling from his horse, a bloody throwing arrow wrapped in powerless fingers. The corpse thudded to the ground as Jin Siyu slowly swept his eyes over his men. The soldiers turned from the dead messenger, shivering and looking away as they met Jin Siyu¡¯s eyes. A quiet smile gleamed in Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes. Such fast reactions, Prince An. He had guessed at the message before the messenger could finish speaking ¡ª the Eastern Armies military grain had been burnt. Before the messenger could confirm his suspicions and devastate his men¡¯s morale, he executed the man. Torches fluttered in the wind, and the dark cliffs loomed around them like lurking beasts. Half of Jin Siyu¡¯s face was hidden in the night, obscuring his expressions. Finally, the man lifted his horsewhip, pointing at Feng Zhiwei. The horsewhip curved at the end of his straight arm like a venomous snake eyeing the black robed young man. Feng Zhiwei smiled, gesturing for the prince to make a move. Jin Siyu glared before turning his horse away and riding away. Shadows shifted along the road as the Da Yue men swiftly turned in orderly retreat. Feng Zhiwei watched with narrowed eyes, a few hints of praise in her gaze. A general¡¯s ability was measured not only by how his men fought, but also by how they retreated; such an orderly and disciplined retreat in this strange situation showed the prince¡¯s control over his subordinates. When the Da Yue army disappeared, Feng Zhiwei called for Zong Chen to come forward and tend to Yao Yangyu and the others. With the battle over, Yao Yangyu stared blankly at his soldiers, all of them dead. He walked amongst their corpses, bending down and straightening each of the twisted bodies, his sad face shifting between moonlight and shadow as he moved through the bloody grass. Feng Zhiwei never moved from her horse as she quietly watched Yao Yangyu. Yu Liang and Huang Baozi silently followed their friend, stepping forward and grabbing his arm. ¡°Yangyu¡­¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t need to die.¡± Yao Yangyu replied hoarsely. Yu Liang was just about to comfort him when Yao Yangyu continued, whispering: ¡°Master Wei must have waited until we decided to commit suicide¡­ before he made his move.¡± Chapter 288 Yu Liang froze, immediately understanding Yao Yangyu¡¯s assessment. Shivers ran down his spine as he turned to look at Feng Zhiwei. Wei Zhi sat in the moonlight, he and his horse unmoved as they looked down at the corpses, his gaze so calm that Yu Liang could not help but doubt Yao Yangyu¡¯s suspicions. ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Yu Liang murmured. The Master Wei he knew was so brilliant and friendly, how could he be so indifferent if he had let a hundred men die? But Yao Yangyu had already turned to Feng Zhiwei. ¡°You¡¯ve been here for a while, right?¡± His voice was hoarse as he gestured around him with weak limb. ¡°You¡¯ve been following us since we attacked the bandits? You waited for us to fall into the ambush so that you can ambush Da Yue in turn, and we were your bait, right?¡± Feng Zhiwei said nothing, her eyes clear and placid. ¡°The war is bigger than us, so fine, I¡¯m your bait!¡± Yao Yangyu spat angrily, leaning against a new blade. ¡°But they didn¡¯t have to die! Not all of them! You just watched, watched as they were cut down and butchered, slaughtered by those Da Yue wolves! Their heads rolled by your feet, eyes uncut, and you just watched it all while doing nothing! You did nothing! You¡¯re so strong, so fierce, so vicious ¡ª we just played in front of you until no one would have ever guessed that we were bait, and all of that just for Jin Siyu¡¯s horse?¡± He threw the scavenged blade down in front of Feng Zhiwei, his hoarse voice tearing with his sad, angry roar: ¡°A hundred lives for a horse!¡± Feng Zhiwei looked down at the bloody blade, the metal flecked with Yao Yangyu¡¯s life-blood and the deaths of his enemies. None of the original color could be seen, and as she stared down at the piece of deadly metal, she thought back to the playboy she had first met as he played around in Dijing¡¯s brothels. Finally, she stepped aside. Zong Chen and Gu Nanyi silently shifted. Yao Yangyu could only stare in stunned disbelief. There was nothing but shadow and night in the paths behind the three saviors, trees and grass and not a soldier in sight. They¡¯d been rescued from a small army by three men! ¡°You were our bait.¡± Feng Zhiwei finally said, her voice calm. ¡°When we discovered your army, we also saw Da Yue¡¯s men sneaking out. The Hu Zhuo Steel Battalion separated, one half attacking the Eastern Road Army¡¯s rations, the other setting an ambush for Jin Siyu¡¯s path back to camp. Hu Zhuo¡¯s main infantry is still marching, and Hu Zhuo Steel Battalion only has three thousand men. We could not split them three ways, so there were only three of us following you. I believed that the only way to force Jin Siyu¡¯s retreat was by attacking this Eastern Army, and this area¡¯s terrain could hide our lack of men. Jin Siyu is a cautious man, and this was the only way I could imagine stopping him. I apologize, but we could not act earlier. Once they discovered that we had no soldiers, they would have never retreated ¡ª even the greatest expert cannot defeat ten thousand arrows raining down from the cliffs. Yao Yangyu and his friends stared down the empty paths as their sweeping eyes looked for more men. Only now did they understand why Master Gu had not attacked Jin Siyu ¡ª with such limited forces, if they had assassinated the enemy general, they would not have been able to save Yao Yangyu. Master Wei had chosen their lives over that of the most important man in the enemy army. Yao Yangyu had been bait, his soldiers allowed to die in heartless calculation. But then their lives had been saved and the enemy general allowed to escape in defiance of cold calculation. Yao Yangyu could only stare in a dumb daze, a mess of emotions battling within him and his mind utterly blank. He did not know whether to feel gratitude or resentment, whether to approve or scream in dismay. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s calm voice turned harsh. ¡°A proud, arrogant army is sure to lose! Before today these were only words in your books, so take these hundred corpses as your lesson. If you cannot remember this, you will never be able to lead Tian Sheng¡¯s armies!¡± Feng Zhiwei leapt from her horse, kicked Yao Yangyu¡¯s scavenged blade into her hand and snapped it in half. ¡°Hear this last lesson ¡ª life is like a broken blade, you cannot piece it back together! This blade has slaughtered cut no fewer than ten heads, and so it has fulfilled its purpose! Men are the same! A ruler can never shirk from sacrifice as long as the sacrifice is worth it! The broken blade clattered at Yao Yangyu¡¯s feet, and by the time he looked up from it, Feng Zhiwei was already leaving. ¡°Master Wei!¡± Knees thudded to the ground. Feng Zhiwei turned back, cold moonlight gleaming down around her. She looked down at the proud, arrogant Dijing young masters kneeling in blood and death. The autumn moon was white as frost, but the young face¡¯s before her were paler still. Feverish eyes stared up at her, pained and deep and full of emotion. ¡°My life in service of a great man! I am forever your servant!¡± In August of the Fourteenth Year of Chang Xi, Wei Zhi reappeared in Qianjin Ditch after a half-year absence. He only rescued Yao Yangyu and his two friends from honorable suicide after they fell into an ambush, but also destroyed the Da Yue Eastern Army¡¯s grain supply while ambushing Supreme Commander Jin Siyu on the Lijiao Flatlands on his way back to camp. Wei Zhi¡¯s valiant Hu Zhuo Steel Battalion fell down the hill like a wrecking ball, smashing into Jin Siyu¡¯s army and bleeding the Da Yue soldiers until their blood flowed like a river. Nevertheless, Jin Siyu displayed his impressive talent, managing a decisive escape down dangerous mountain paths, leaving behind rearguard sacrifices to lure the ferocious Steel Battalion astray. In a miraculous escape out of certain defeat, Jin Siyu managed to return to camp with most of his twenty thousand men alive. Such was the first defeat of Da Yue¡¯s Prince An, a defeat that cost not manpower, but the morale he had built on his series of victories. It was said that His Highness Prince An had his men wash and clean themselves before calmly returning to camp, but nothing could hide the standard warhorse that the astonished soldiers saw His Highness riding. Rumors spread like wind, and it quickly known that their seemingly omnipotent Prince An had suffered a humiliating defeat at Qianjin Ditch, losing three valuable hostages and his irreplaceable warhorse to a seventeen year old youth named Wei. Prince An had been forced into retreat without a single arrow being loosed. Jin Siyu had the three most prolific gossips executed, but the falling heads could not stop living tongues, and soon morale was plummeting everywhere. By the time the news of the Eastern Army¡¯s military grain debacle, the Da Yue soldiers were ready for a full-blown panic. Chapter 289 Burning the enemy¡¯s rations was always a powerful stratagem, and thus typically the most difficult plan to pull off. Both sides understood the importance of supply, and so the ration and logistics train were always planned with the utmost care. True reports were mingled with false information, and prince Jin Siyu had always been exceptional at plotting, and in the long year of war, Tian Sheng had never managed to gain such an upper-hand. So despite the seeming ease and simplicity behind Jin Siyu¡¯s ambush and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s counterattack, a hidden battle of spies and scouts and disinformation underlay everything. Jin Siyu¡¯s Eastern Army had won their previous engagement, but Tian Sheng had gained intel on the enemy grain storage. The retreating Tian Sheng army had rallied and organized a raid on the San Po Village based on intel that the Da Yue military grains had been moved from East Hill Town. To Tian Sheng dismay, San Po Village revealed not grain, but a hidden army ready to fight. Tian Sheng did not engage and quickly retreated. On the night of the Qianjin Ditch ambushes, Feng Zhiwei had directed her Steel Battalion towards San Po Village before having her men veer off and strike a location between East Hill Town and San Po. As Feng Zhiwei had expected, the Hu Zhuo Steel Battalion successfully uncovered the Da Yue military grain at Feng Li Valley. To Jin Siyu¡¯s astonishment, Feng Zhiwei had easily deduced that both East Hill Town and San Po Village were decoys. The prince was completely unaware of the detailed study Feng Zhiwei had already made on his personality and the numerous battles he had overseen. If you know the enemy and know yourself, you can fight a hundred battles without danger of defeat ¡ª and Jin Siyu knew nothing about her. From that day forth, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s Steel Battalion met Jin Siyu¡¯s army again and again. The battalion¡¯s horses ran roughshod over the Hu Fun Steppes and the Gedamu Mountain Range, spreading their raids and skirmishes across multiple battlefronts, not allowing her men to focus their anger on the Eastern Army that had massacred the four thousand Irgi warriors. The Steel Battalion would sweep in and cause chaos and destruction before slipping away, harassing all three of Da Yue¡¯s army camps. They could not be caught, and their attacks could not be prevented, and very quickly the Da Yue men were harried and tired, unable to sleep well or relax and eat. Feng Zhiwei did not even need to have her Steel Battalion make attacks, sometimes just lighting bonfires on distant hilltops or disturbing large nests of birds from copses of wood. Her people slept in sound peace, while the Da Yue soldiers constantly jerked awake in worry. Before the month passed, she had already gained the title ¡°Steppe Fox,¡± and Da Yue soldiers could only shake their head and curse the name Wei Zhi, their legs softening with fear whenever they saw the ferocious Hu Zhuo horsemen on the horizon. Jin Siyu hatefully added Wei Zhi¡¯s name to the list of Wanted Tian Sheng Generals, her head joining Chunyu Hong¡¯s at the top of the bounty, both their heads worth ten thousand gold tael each. When Feng Zhiwei heard the news, she only smiled. The Dijing Young Masters were now her subordinates, all of them willingly requesting demotions and accepting field officer positions in her Steel Battalion, much happier than when they were Assistant-Generals in the Tian Sheng Army. She had already been in active combat for over a month, and though the Tian Sheng Army knew of her existence, none of their people had come face to face with her. Feng Zhiwei wanted to render some merit first and return to camp with a string of victories, so it was only after the month passed that she stepped into the Tian Sheng main camp. Supreme Commander Chunyu Hong was incredibly excited. The famous young minister had reappeared in a display of incredible military talent, sealing up the unstoppable Da Yue with a few thousand Hu Zhuo horsemen; when the time came, he had all his generals and lieutenants come out to welcome Wei Zhi¡¯s arrival. But the proud generals were somewhat unwilling ¡ª no matter how talented or famous Wei Zhi was, he was still just a minister with no military titles. His troops were just steppe barbarians! Why did Wei Zhi deserve such a respectful welcome? Quartermaster Zhu Shirong was the unhappiest ¡ª this Master Wei had already sent over a demand for the best grain, arrows, armor, shields, etc. etc. Who did he think he was demanding so much? All manners of discontented thoughts ran through the minds of the generals and lieutenants as they stood before the camp gates. In the distance, dust soared to the heavens as horse hoofs shook the earth. It was as if a black cloud had suddenly appeared on the horizon, a hazy line connecting the heavens and the earth. The black cloud spread and grew as it approached, and large hoofs ate up the dirt as the horses swept forward in a mighty wave. The dust cloud whipping in the army¡¯s wake seemed about to rush forward and whip through the Tian Sheng officers, and just as the shocked commanders were about to cry out, a sharp, clear whistle blew over the army. ¡°Cha.¡± As one, the black cloud pulled up and the ten thousand horsemen stopped in place, a clear and uniform clang sounding out as armor rustled in saddle. Extraordinary horsemanship! Chunyu Hong had been suspicious of the reports detailing the extent of the Hu Zhuo military achievements, but now his doubts were settled. This batch of Hu Zhuo cavalry was even more fierce and powerful than those they had lost. The startled generals finally began to react, their faces flushing with anger, and the more irascible among them were just about to cry out in fury when every eye gleamed. A single horseman approached. The man riding the black horse was easily distinct from the forceful horsemen around him. He wore a black robe under simple navy leather armor, a black cotton waistband around his thin body. He was slender, but his body was coiled with power; he rode his horse calmly and almost carefree, a harmless smile on his face, but his misty eyes were colder than winter and any who met his gaze felt their hearts freeze as if ripped out and hidden away in a ten-thousand-year-old glacier. This was minister Wei Zhi, the first National Scholar and the infamous Steppe Fox? Eyes shifted to the three young masters trailing Wei Zhi, the foppish young men who had once given all of Dijing headaches were now serious soldiers attending their commander. Somehow, without anyone¡¯s knowledge, the arrogant and irreverent young masters had become solemn guards. Chunyu Hong¡¯s eyes gleamed ¡ª killing was easy, but to bring these unruly young masters under control was a sign of something truly unusual. Chunyu Hong could not help but smile at that thought, his mind leaping back to his son¡¯s request. As soon as Chunyu Meng had heard that Wei Zhi had returned, the young man had put in a request to transfer from the Yu County garrison to the main camp, claiming that joining the Hu Zhuo Cavalry would be worth getting demoted. Chunyu Hong stepped forward, a sincere and welcoming smile on his face as Feng Zhiwei dismounted. The two exchanged some courteous words before Feng Zhiwei cut to the chase: ¡°This minor minister has come to ask for equipment. It is getting cold and my brothers are still wearing our autumn clothes, and our weapons and leather armor needs replacing. The wear and tear from our battles across the northern lands has been great. We ask for only necessary supplies, and thank the Supreme Commander for his understanding.¡± ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Chunyu Hong easily agreed, calling Quartermaster Zhu Shirong forward. The officer soon arrived, ignored Feng Zhiwei as he assured Chunyu Hong: ¡°Yes General, everything is prepared!¡± Chapter 290 ¡°We will collect the supplies.¡± Feng Zhiwei signaled for Yao Yangyu and the others to step forward and follow as Chunyu Hong called forward a vice general. ¡°Brother Wei must be tired after a long month of fighting. Will you come into camp and rest? The Military Inspector from the Imperial Court may be arriving tonight, and perhaps we can prepare a dinner to welcome you both together.¡± ¡°We will see.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied lightly. ¡°We never planned to stay in the main camp. It is not convenient for us, and we have set up our own camp to the north.¡± Chunyu Hong knew that when the Hu Zhuo Tribe¡¯s men had been betrayed, a Tian Sheng spy had played a role. It was very natural that the Hu Zhuo army would be suspicious of Tian Sheng hospitality, but how had an outsider like Wei Zhi managed to gain control over the ferocious Hu Zhuo soldiers? The questions whirled around inside him, but he chose to hold his peace, returning to his post in his tent as Feng Zhiwei followed Zhu Shirong to the warehouse. A couple piles dotted the area around the warehouse entrance, and Yao Yangyu was having his people loading the supplies when he cried out in surprise. He lifted a piece of leather for Feng Zhiwei¡¯s inspection and easily rubbed a hole through the armor. Rotten leather. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes gleamed. Yao Yangyu¡¯s face turn icy, and he picked up a spear, gently shaking it and dislodging the spear-tip. The metal clattered loudly to the ground, and Yao Yangyu slowly turned to stare at Zhu Shirong. The Quartermaster awkwardly met their gaze. A good portion of the supplies he had prepared was indeed of poor quality despite Chunyu Hong¡¯s orders to provide the best they had. Zhu Shirong was a selfish man, and his brother-in-law, Vice Minister Hu Shengshan¡¯s Second Son, was serving in the Yu County garrison as vice-general. This brother-in-law had asked Zhu Shirong to keep some of the high quality equipment for his vanguard while he prepared a formal request to the Supreme Commander. Zhu Shirong had mixed in bad with the good, thinking that the Hu Zhuo horsemen would be fighting across hundreds of miles in different fronts and would not come after him for a few dozen pieces of poor armor. He had not expected the young master to check over everything so carefully, inspecting every single piece of armor. As he met Yao Yangyu¡¯s icy eyes, Zhu Shirong¡¯s heart pounded, but he still thought little of what he had done. He forced a smile and began explaining: ¡°BRother Yao, all the good leather we have is here. We don¡¯t have enough to meet your request, what with every camp asking us for supplies, I have difficulty¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei cut in, her voice indifferent as she asked: ¡°All the good armor is here?¡± Her eyes made Zhu Shirong¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he gritted his teeth and loudly replied: ¡°Yes!¡± Entering the supply warehouse required the Supreme Commander¡¯s approval, and if he insisted that all the good leather armor was already prepared for them, Wei Zhi could do nothing. Feng Zhiwei eyed the man before tipping her head towards Young Master Gu. Young Master Gu waved a sleeve and sent out a cold light, shattering the huge lock on the warehouse gates, a large piece of which fell down and almost smashed Zhu Shirong¡¯s foot. The shocked Quartermaster cried out: ¡°What are you doing! Forcing your way into the warehouse is a capital crime¡­¡± The vice-general Chunyu Hong had dispatched hurriedly stepped forward to stop them, but Feng Zhiwei only smiled as she replied: ¡°Who said we would go in?¡¯ Both of them men could only watch in stunned shock as Young Master Gu floated forward and gently pressed his hands into the air, pushing open the heavy doors. Leather armor was stacked on the nearest wooden shelf, and Young Master Gu waved a hand and pulled one of the pieces into his hand. Zhu Shirong¡¯s face paled like ash at the casual display of telekinesis, while Feng Zhiwei casually continued: ¡°We never entered¡­¡± Young Master Gu flexed the leather armor, its luster bright and its strength pliable and tough. Yao Yangyu kicked Zhu Shirong to the ground! ¡°What are you doing!¡± Zhu Shirong yelled loudly, ¡°I am the Quartermaster! Arranging military supplies is my jurisdiction! You stinking, sweaty barbarians are not worthy of the good armor¡­¡± ¡°It was these stinking, sweaty barbarians who killed over ten thousand Da Yue soldiers this past month!¡± Yao Yangyu shouted, slapping Zhu Shirong¡¯s teeth out of his mouth. ¡°More than you all have achieved this past year!¡± Zhu Shirong spat blood, mumbling and yelling through the pain as Yao Yangyu grabbed a piece of rotten leather and jammed it into his mouth. ¡°The Da Yue horsemen neared us to the east of the dam, and we did not have enough good armor for everyone! Everyone wanted someone else to take the protection, and in the end they had to settle the stalemate by wrestling, and everyone tried to lose!¡± Yao Yangyu almost screamed as he stepped onto Zhu Shirong¡¯s chest, spitting into the man¡¯s face. ¡°In the end a squad leader abused his position to give others his armor, and in the battle a spear went straight through his chest as he took down the enemy with him ¡ª a motherf***er like you only knows how to hide away like a turtle, and you dare to give bad armor to the steppe brothers who bleed for you!¡± Yao Yangyu¡¯s bloodshot eyes gleamed like daggers as he eyed Zhu Shirong with the furious gaze of a wolf. The Hu Zhuo horsemen around them held back tears, gritting their teeth as they thrust their chest out proudly. ¡°Why explain?¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s cold voice cut through the silence, her smile nowhere to be seen. ¡°Must I remind you how we deal with those who disobey military orders?¡± Yao Yangyu¡¯s eyes flashed and Zhu Shirong felt his soul shuddering with fear. The man blustered, ¡°I didn¡¯t disobey military orders! I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t! You aren¡¯t the commanding general, you have no right to kill me¡­¡± ¡°General Wei!¡± Chunyu Hong¡¯s vice general called, stepping in front of She Zhirong. ¡°You cannot just kill him! This is the Tian Sheng Camp, and if Zhu Shirong¡¯s crime must be judged by the Supreme General! Killing him without orders is a capital offense!¡± Yao Yangyu hesitated, turning to Feng Zhiwei. He cared nothing for his career, but he would not cause trouble for Wei Zhi. ¡°Master Wei!¡± A second vice general came, having heard about the altercation. The man whispered quickly into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s ear, ¡°He is Grand Secretary Hu¡¯s son-in-law¡­ and His Highness Prince Chu¡¯s¡­¡± But the vice general found that before he could finish explaining, Wei Zhi had stepped forward, smiling. His smile was thin and cold like moonlight on the horizon, and the young, seventeen year old general spoke slowly and with great power: ¡°He is His Highness Prince Chu¡¯s man?¡± The vice general stared blankly at the curve of Wei Zhi¡¯s eyes, bewildered at the sudden change as he nodded. ¡°Very good.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s smile gentled. ¡°His Highness is wise, how could he allow such scum be his subordinate? We ministers cannot allow this trash to besmirch His Highness¡¯ august name. Since His Highness has not been able to act, we must act for him¡­ Yangyu!¡± Chapter 291 ¡°Here!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± A sword gleamed and blood sprayed Yao Yangyu¡¯s face. Zhu Shirong howled in misery before collapsing, twitching a little before he stilled. Blood pooled, and silence filled the air. No one had been able to accept that this newly famous young general was truly as fearsome as the stories said, but now they saw indisputable proof of his character. He sought his enemy¡¯s death, and they died; the Supreme Commander¡¯s name could not stop her, and His Highness Prince Chu¡¯s name only goaded her forward. The officers and soldiers stared down at the spreading red, their minds still as if the blood was pooling in their lungs, sealing their voices and hindering their thoughts. Feng Zhiwei watched as the blood spread until it almost touched her feet, her gentle smile never shifting. Now that she had made her return, she would not be an aimless Wei Zhi hiding his ability and biding his time ¡ª she was now a powerful Wei Zhi who would overturn the rivers and seas! She would not be satisfied by one death or a thousand, for her aim was to step into the heavens until she stood above all powers, everything would change, and all would be beneath her feet! The intercepted Imperial Orders showed the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s growing discontentment with Chunyu Meng¡¯s reticence; if Wei Zhi bared his fangs now, he would surely catch the Emperor¡¯s eye and contribute merit for promotion. And this bastard just happened to offer himself up for her sword! ¡°Alright, that¡¯s that.¡± Feng Zhiwei casually clapped her hands. ¡°Yangyu, replace the bad pieces and then we¡¯ll head back.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As Wei Zhi was preparing to leave, the poor vice general had to stop them once more, but as he looked down at the cooling corpse, he did not know what to say. Feng Zhiwei glanced at the man, suddenly asking: ¡°It is said that the honorable Military Inspector will arrive soon?¡± The vice general looked up in confusion, not understanding the question. ¡°You can step aside.¡± Feng Zhiwei eyed the man, a faint smile on her lips. ¡°The Military Inspector will arrive with Imperial Orders tonight, and if I am not wrong, I will be promoted at least to vice general. So, my vice general peer, please step aside.¡± Halfway through her words, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes had already dismissed the man, flicking away. The vice general could only shiver under his cold sweat, his eyes glancing over the ferocious Hu Zhuo horsemen behind Wei Zhi, the burly men all staring with killing intent, hands on their blades. If he insisted on stopping them, Vice General Wei did not mind taking another life. This vice general understood the favor Wei Zhi held with the Tian Sheng Emperor ¡ª the man was a teenage hero who had rendered extraordinary merit as the South Sea Imperial Envoy, and his sweeping return to the battlefield revealed an equally impressive talent in war. This was excellent news for Tian Sheng, for the dynasty¡¯s old generals were dying and no talented youngsters had risen to replace them. With such great past merit and such clear talent, even if he added the murder of a vice general on top of Zhu Shirong¡¯s execution, no one would dare stir against him. And so the vice general retreated, watching silently as Yao Yangyu finished his work and followed Wei Zhi away. By the time command had sent others to investigate, Feng Zhiwei had already left. Just as Feng Zhiwei and her cavalry had exited the camp¡¯s north gate, a cloud of dust swept in from the west, a long, snaking team marching for that very same northern gate. Above the men, a huge apricot-orange banner soared, emblazoned with the name Ning. The two groups brushed past each other. Underneath the apricot-colored flag, a man in leisure robes eyed the rising dust behind the Hu Zhuo horsemen and smiled, calmly calling out praise: ¡°What fierce some horsemen!¡± Chunyu Hong stood by in welcome, nodding and stroking his beard, ¡°His Highness is wise, able to understand strength by the size of the dust cloud. Such vision is truly beyond our ability.¡± All the other generals and important officers joined in the ass kissing; all of them understood that Prince Chu was the most powerful prince, and if they did not take this time to suck up, when would they? ¡°Who led those horsemen?¡± Ning Yi calmly replied, his faint smile never changing as the others heaped praise upon his shoulders. ¡°Just this good soldier¡¯s skill in training is deserving of meritorious mention to the Emperor.¡± ¡°That was the Hu Zhuo Shunyi Steel Battalion, a cavalry regiment with many recent military distinction.¡± Chunyu Hong obediently explained, ¡°Their leader is the returned Master Wei.¡± Ning Yi fell silent, his smile freezing. The officers were all experienced men, and as this imperturbable prince revealed clear shock through his legendary pokerface, they all wisely sat back and shut up. Only Chunyu Hong failed to understand, and the man continued explaining the distinctions the cavalry troop had won. Only when he began touching on Wei Zhi¡¯s title of ¡®Steppe Fox¡¯ did he realize Prince Ning Yi¡¯s strange silence, and the Supreme Commander of the Northern Expedition fell into awkward silence, his words dying on his tongue as Prince Chu stared off into the fading dust cloud. When the words stopped, Ning Yi immediately recovered, smiling quietly as he replied. ¡°Your story of the battles between Master Wei¡¯s Shunyi Steel Battalion and the Da Yue are truly stirring. I am deeply moved, and I will ask the Emperor to record these meritorious deeds. Your camp has clearly ordered things well, and I will mention your achievements to His Majesty as well.¡± The officers stirred with excitement and Prince Chu¡¯s words filled them with happiness. All of Prince Chu¡¯s rumored wisdom and sophistication seemed now to be proven fact, and though the main camp had not fought any battles recently, his words lifted them up with pride. Chunyu Hong thought rapidly; he was in Prince Chu¡¯s faction and held the role of Commanding General ¡ª the unspoken balance of the Imperial Court dictated that Prince Chu should not be the Military Inspector for his own man, and Chunyu Hong had even heard rumors that the Seventh Prince was to be chosen for the role, but Prince Chu has still arrived. To have two powerful positions in the army held by the same faction was greatly disapproved by the Emperor, and the heavens only knew how much His Highness had maneuvered to take on this role. With Xin Ziyan at the Yu County Camp as military advisor, Chunyu Hong guessed that His Highness had played his hidden trumpet card. Xin Ziyan had always positioned himself to oppose Prince Chu in the Imperial Court, and His Majesty valued Xin Ziyan greatly as one of the people most able to balance Prince Chu¡¯s rising power. This was Xin Ziyan¡¯s greatest strength in Dijing. His Majesty had accepted Prince Chu¡¯s position as Military Inspector, but had dispatched Xin Ziyan to monitor him. Although His Majesty had fallen for His Higness¡¯s trap, this move did in fact harm Prince Chu¡¯s plans, removing his most valued subordinate from the snake pit in Dijing. With faction¡¯s main forces deployed to the northern border far from Dijing, any misfortune would make retreat difficult and ensure a terrifying future. Dijing¡¯s political climate could easily shift, so why would Prince Chu leave without Xin Ziyan at home protecting their interests? Why had he come to the northern border to act as Military Inspector? Chunyu Hong¡¯s thoughts went round and round, and he could not help but think that this wise and brilliant Prince Chu had made a mistake. This move did not seem advantageous for their faction. Perhaps His Highness had a profound reason for this move? But no matter the angles Chunyu Hong, the situation seemed to only have ills. Chapter 292 While Chunyu Hong was considering the right time to tactfully voice his concerns, a figure rushed forward, yelling as he ran, ¡°General! General! It¡¯s not good¡­¡± ¡°Calm yourself! What are you doing, yelling here!¡± Chunyu Hong¡¯s face fell with icy anger. Yelling like a fool in front of His Highness, abandoning all decorum and composure, was this vice general trying to embarrass him by showing a lack of training in his subordinates? Chunyu Hong¡¯s rage swelled, and he was just about to order the fool whipped when Ning Yi raised a hand and stopped him. Ning Yi was still considering the empty horizon that Feng Zhiwei and her Steel Battalion had rode down ¡ª the same direction the vice general was rushing from. ¡°What happened?¡± The vice general finally recognized Ning Yi and the man¡¯s face abruptly shifted. Ning Yi watched as the officer¡¯s expression changed, and the prince¡¯s eyes narrowed. It was at this moment that soldiers carried in Zhu Shirong¡¯s corpse, and Chunyu Hong¡¯s face fell even further. The vice general quickly explained what had happened, his eyes constantly darting over to examined Ning Yi. Chunyu Hong swiftly pulled the man aside, whispering quiet curses as he said: ¡°Idiot! Why did you no explain that he was Prince Chu¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I did!¡± The vice general whispered back in a bitter voice, ¡°But as soon as I said that¡­¡± He turned to glance at Ning Yi again, no longer daring to speak. Chunyu Hong stilled, turning to eye Ning Yi. Ning Yi sat calmly atop his horse, seemingly ignorant of their whispered exchange, his eyes on Zhu Shirong¡¯s corpse. Zhu Shirong was his man. Grand Secretary Hu had introduced him, and Ning Yi had arranged the easy and prestigious post of Northern Expedition Camp Quartermaster. And just as before he arrived, the man had died. Was this a message? A single stab through the heart. He could just imagine her unhesitating voice as she ordered the vicious execution. When the blade punctured the chest, was she imagining his face? Her swift departure¡­ not from fear, but because she had no desire to see him? Ning Yi gazed down at Zhu Shirong¡¯s bloody wound, slowly lifting a hand and placing it on his own chest. He suddenly felt as if a bloody hole had appeared inside him, and the fierce steppe wind was howling through. Pain, emptiness¡­ and memories fading into dreams. ¡­ In the end, Wei Zhi was not punished for Zhu Shirong¡¯s death. Ning Yi later said that General Wei¡¯s merits far outweighed his crime, and Zhu Shirong would not have escaped death for his defiance of military orders. Ning Yi only had Chunyu Hong dispatch a message, ordering Wei Zhi to return to camp to receive an Imperial Order and accept a small scolding. But Feng Zhiwei did not show her face even for the Imperial Commendation promoting her to vice general ¡ª Chunyu Hong¡¯s scouts could not even find her camp. Wei Zhi sent back word that his men had discovered a mountain pass in the south of the Geda Mountain Range, and he planned to develop the pass until he could move his men to attack the rear of Da Yue¡¯s main camp. Such an important and urgent mission could brook no delay, and he would return for the Imperial Commendation when time allowed. When Yao Yangyu delivered Feng Zhiwei¡¯s message, Ning Yi could only smile helplessly and silently set down the Imperial Order. ¡°If His Highness has no other orders, this humble officer begs leave to withdraw.¡± Yao Yangyu said, all of his youthful playfulness gone. The young officer made a clean, vigorous military salute and hurriedly turned to his escort. ¡°Yangyu.¡± Yao Yangyu stilled by the tent door. Small motes of dust flew inside the tent, obscuring Ning Yi¡¯s face; Yao Yangyu could only see His Highness toying with a brush, seemingly troubled with a difficult decision. Yao Yangyu waited, but his heart was already on his brothers miles away. Anxious, he began to open his mouth. But Ning Yi had made his decision. ¡°General Wei¡­ is well?¡± Yao Yangyu let out a relieved breath, his imagination running wild at what manner of question His Highness could struggle with for so long. The young man smiled in relief, easily answering: ¡°The General is doing very well.¡± ¡°Well in what way?¡± Ning Yi asked after some hesitation, silently cursing Yao Yangyu ¡ª the brat used to be such a gossiper spouting the most inane and trite words, and now he decided to be as miserly with words as Feng Zhiwei? ¡°Ah? He is just well.¡± Yao Yangyu replied without understanding, his eyes widening with his surprise at the question. ¡°I mean!¡± Ning Yi exclaimed with some anger, slapping his brush down on the table, ¡°How are her spirits? Is she eating willing? Has she thinned or gained weight? Is she wounded? Where is she?[1]¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Yao Yangyu nodded, frowning. He knew that His Highness was often concerned with the wellbeing of his subordinates, but he had never known the prince to be so wordy. Ning Yi met the young officer¡¯s eyes, the prince¡¯s expressionless face sending shivers down Yao Yangyu¡¯s spine. Yao Yangyu hurriedly replied: ¡°His spirit is high, but he does not eat much. I do not think that the general enjoys steppe food, but he has never complained. It only happened once, when a new grain supply arrived. Our quartermaster handed out cheese bannocks, and the general broke off half a piece to eat in front of everyone before disappearing. I was a little worried and followed, and it turned out¡­¡± at this, Yao Yangyu hesitated. ¡°It turned out what?¡± Ning Yi pinned the man with a glare. This brat had been by Feng Zhiwei for so long that he had even picked up her habit of hiding her words? ¡°It turned out that the general was kneeling behind a hill, gripping his neck so that he wouldn¡¯t vomit. He¡­ it looked so painful, that I felt terrible just watching¡­¡± Yao Yangyu bit his lips, his eyes red. Ning Yi fell quiet, slowly leaning his head into his hand. You¡­ you¡¯ve never forced yourself to eat things ou did not like, but now¡­ even in such a small thing, you¡¯ve learned to force yourself. Or has someone taught you that you must be ruthless even to yourself? Ning Yi leaned his elbow into his desk as he listened to the wind outside, his chest filling with hollow pain. His long, dark hair draped around him like flowing water, covering half his face. Yao Yangyu fell quiet, barely daring to breath in the heavy silence. After a long moment, he heard a quiet sigh, and a light voice once more sounded in the incense smoke. ¡°And then¡­¡± ¡°And then Master Gu came,¡± Yao Yangyu replied after another moment of silence. ¡°Master Gu patted the general¡¯s back, and¡­ and then I left.¡± Somehow, Yao Yangyu felt that he should not describe the easy and well-practiced manner in which Gu Nanyi had comforted the general. [1] in case you¡¯ve gotten this far without realizing, Ëû he and Ëý she are pronounced the exact same way Chapter 293 Though Yao Yangyu said no more, Ning Yi could guess, and the prince fell silent, his eyes gleaming quietly in the darkness within the tent. After another long stretch of silence that seemed to hollow the chest, Yao Yangyu spoke to fill the uncomfortable and strange air, forcing a false cheer as he said: ¡°This is just my conjecture, the general has great physique. He does not thin, and he does not tan, and he sleeps later then anyone but wakes earlier. A few days ago, the Da Yue cavalry blocked our way and General Wei even fought personally, and then¡­¡± Yao Yangyu¡¯s words died on his tongue. Ning Yi¡¯s eyes snapped up to pin the young officer once more. ¡°It was nothing¡­¡± Yao Yangyu stammered, silently beating himself over the head. ¡°Little Huang fell off his horse and his horse fell on him, and General Wei went to help him and took an arrow¡­¡± As Yao Yangyu spoke, his voice became quieter and quieter. Even though His Highness said nothing, Yao Yangyu felt the air chill around him, pressing down on him as if a rope tightening all around, the bindings dipped in cold water cutting him to the bone, almost smothering him. Yao Yangyu¡¯s lips twisted as he pondered the strange conversation. Everyone had taken General Wei¡¯s injury poorly, and Master Gu had punished himself by staring at a wall for three days, not voicing a single word. In the end, General Wei had to apologize¡­ what a strange mess. ¡°Pass these words to your general.¡± Ning Yi spoke just as Yao Yangyu was about to flee from the tent. ¡°Your great enemy is before you, and you are bound to kill him sooner or later. Do not be anxious, for some things cannot be rushed. Jin Siyu may appear warm and gentle, but he is cold and vicious to the core. If General Wei wishes to kill the enemy, he must not act until he is sure of success. Rashness and blindness is forbidden. Remember this.¡± Yao Yangyu stilled at Ning Yi¡¯s serious tone and nodded, but the prince did not immediately dismiss him. Ning Yi thought for another moment before continuing: ¡°The Hu Zhuo horsemen are valiant warriors, but their leaders are young and they do not understand the art of war. They will likely fall into the traps of ambition and aggression. Take Wei Yu with you.¡± Yao Yangyu paused once more; he knew of this Wei Yu, a Field Officer in the Yu County Seventh Squad. The man¡¯s father was the butler of Prince Chu¡¯s Mansion and a true Servant¡¯s Child ¡ª the purpose of such a man¡¯s presence in Shunyi Steel Battalion could not be more obvious. General Wei smiled gently in the face of everything, but was in truth tough and proud; would he allow a spy to join his army? But Yao Yangyu could do nothing as Ning Yi dismissed him with a wave. Yao Yangyu could only exit, glancing back only once. Ning Yi still sat at his desk, leaning heavily onto his arm, his other hand idly tracing some unknown figure; the prince¡¯s long eyelashes hung before his eyes, hints of exhaustion across his face. Pale moonlight briefly shone through the parted curtain door, sweeping in with the distance sounds of whetstone against blade. The prince sat in the darkness listening to the cold cries of metal, pillowed by the lonely moonlight. As he sat in a desolate, pale pool of light, she was on a distant, tall hill with the wind all around her. Feng Zhiwei and Hua Qiong lay beside each other on the slope outside their camp, stretching their limbs under the starry sky. Hua Qiong had sat idle for the month after her son¡¯s birth, but finally she had begged Helian Zheng to watch over the child as she left King¡¯s Court to join Feng Zhiwei on the northern border. The intelligent young woman had a strong, tough body used to the hardships of farm work, and with Zong Chen teaching her horse riding and Kung Fu, she progressed a thousand li every day. She took to the battlefield with fierce, determined attacks, quickly establishing herself among the most valiant warriors under Feng Zhiwei, and there were even rumors that Da Yue had titled her Black Widow. The title was not because the enemy had realized that she was a woman, but rather a comparison between Hua Qiong¡¯s use of twin blades and the pincer fangs of a particularly notorious venomous insect only found in Da Yue. Feng Zhiwei thought the name quiet fitting as Hua Qiong charge her enemies, twin blades ready, dark hair shining. ¡°Are you not happy?¡± Hua Qiong asked, certain of the answer she would receive. Feng Zhiwei smiled around the sweet grass in her mouth, but just as she was about to speak, Hua Qiong interrupted her. ¡°Enough, you¡¯re going to try to say that Prince Chu¡¯s spy is bugging you, but Zhiwei, if you really think you can distract me with such a silly excuse, you are not taking me as a good friend.¡± Feng Zhiwei laughed merrily before she replied: ¡°You¡¯re getting sharper and sharper, I don¡¯t even need to speak before you cut down my words¡­ Fine, it is not Wei Yu; he is nothing. I don¡¯t understand what Ning Yi is doing, but he should know that placing his man here will accomplish nothing.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Hua Qiong began, sighing, ¡°You¡¯re always so calm and collected, but whenever it comes to Ning Yi you lose all composure.¡± Feng Zhiwei did not reply, turning over the words Yao Yangyu has passed to her: ¡°Your great enemy is before you, and you are bound to kill him sooner or later.¡± Yao Yangyu had thought Ning Yi was speaking of Jin Siyu, but only she understood what Ning Yi was actually referencing. He waited calmly for her to come kill him, and somehow that thought disturbed her more than anything else. ¡°How long do you plan to hide from him?¡± Hua Qiong¡¯s voice floated by once more. ¡°There¡¯s no need to hide.¡± Feng Zhiwei calmly replied, ¡°Winter is soon upon us, and the next large battle will be the last. The weather will be too harsh for our men, and even if we struggle through winter, the roads will be too muddy come spring. Just watch, if Da Yue does not retreat, Ning Yi will force a final engagement.¡± ¡°Then you¡­¡± ¡°I will steal the highest merit.¡± Feng Zhiwei announced, sitting up and looking up at the white tipped mountain before her. Helian Zheng had delivered a herder with knowledge of a secret pass through the harsh cliffs, a road that would lead them to Jin Siyu¡¯s camp. Feng Zhiwei lifted her fingers and began ticking off Tian Sheng¡¯s military strength: ¡°In the main camp, Ning Yi has ten battalions of infantry, four archer and crossbow battalions, a shield battalion, and two logistics battalion, with about the same numbers in Yu Zhou. ¡°Many of his generals and officers have rendered no merits since Qiu Shangqi¡¯s defeat, and even Prince Chu¡¯s trusted followers and subordinates in the various camps have accomplished nothing. They wish to solve all of this in one huge battle. ¡°Our Hu Zhuo Cavalry is just a tributary contingent, and our recent fame only makes the Tian Shang officers more unsatisfied. When the final battle begins, we will be relegated to some unimportant position far from the important battlefields, and so it is better to just ignore the main camp and fight on our own grounds. If we followed their orders, we would have no opportunity to show our prowess.¡± Chapter 294 ¡°But once the battle starts, you must obey the main camp¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°That is why,¡± Feng Zhiwei explained, biting her lips, ¡°That is why I cannot allow this final battle to begin. I am going to seize victory with only the Shunyi Steel Battalion. With Chunyu Meng here alongside Yao Yangyu and the others, we have assembled a group of Dijing Young Masters. When we single handedly win this war, they will soon become the most powerful men in the Tian Sheng Army. This is a rare opportunity.¡± Hua Qiong fell silent, and when she finally spoke it was in a murmur: ¡°Too risky¡­¡± ¡°The greatest opportunities always come with risk.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, chuckling. Hua Qiong thought for a moment, but soon she was laughing brightly as she said: ¡°I will always follow you.¡± ¡°It is best if you stay away this time,¡± Feng Zhiwei replied. ¡°Your son is young, and Helian Zheng says that he is learning how to smile¡­¡± At the mention of her son, Hua Qiong¡¯s bright eyes softened with maternal tenderness, and she smiled gently as she said: ¡°I just finished his undergarment two days ago and sent it back with the King¡¯s messenger; maybe he¡¯s wearing it right now. I made one for Zhixiao as well, but I hear she¡¯s growing so fast that it might already be too small.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention Zhixiao.¡± Feng Zhiwei whispered urgently, covering Hua Qiong¡¯s mouth and glancing around nervously, afraid that Young Master GU would materialize out of the darkness. ¡°Don¡¯t remind Nanyi. He¡¯s all silent and grim, but he misses her so much. The other day I saw Zhixiao¡¯s bottle in his bag, and he carries it around everywhere.¡± Hua Qiong giggled before replying: ¡°That¡¯s good. The jade statue is becoming a person. Missing her is a good thing.¡± ¡°Oh? So every person knows longing?¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced over mischievously. ¡°Do you long for someone?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Hua Qiong replied innocently, gathering her hair and rubbing her nose, ¡°Of course, I miss my Hua Changtian.¡± Feng Zhiwei¡¯s strange smile deepened. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Hua Qiong asked with a surprised look. Feng Zhiwei ignored the woman and looked through her pockets. After a moment, she pulled out an envelope and pressed it to her heart with a dramatic sigh, ¡°Ah this poor man, he¡¯s been missing his love every day and every night, tossing and turning and searching every corner of the Central Plains, but this woman is the most heartless woman in the world! She never speaks of him, only ever thinking about another man!¡± Hua Qiong¡¯s eyes gleamed, her hands darting forward, ¡°Show me!¡± Feng Zhiwei eyed Hua Qiong¡¯s delighted expression with a rare brightness in her heart, and she playfully snatched the letter away, chuckling, ¡°Ah? What? This is a military correspondence. Shoo, go away, don¡¯t distract this general while she¡¯s planning military orders.¡± ¡°Military orders your ass!¡± Hua Qiong cried out, leaping on top of Feng Zhiwei and pinching her face. ¡°Bad woman! If you hide my letter from me, see if I don¡¯t tear you apart!¡± ¡°Your letter? Your letter? Woman, love has scrambled your mind!¡± Feng Zhiwei cried out, hiding the letter and running away. Hua Qiong roared, grabbing Feng Zhiwei¡¯s waistband and bringing both of them down; the two young women tumbled in the grass; clear, bright laughter reaching skyward, disturbing the aloof peace of the crescent moon. The bright moon peeked from behind passing clouds at the peerless woman as she forgot her troubles and laughed with joy and happiness. ¡°You¡­ shrew¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei gasped on the slopes of the hill, waving the letter in exhausted surrender. ¡°I should have¡­ said nothing¡­ and let you worry¡­¡± Hua Qiong rolled her eyes and grabbed the letter, smiling cheerfully as she pranced back to camp for light. Feng Zhiwei sat up and rolled her eyes as well ¡ª this woman¡­ hiding away to read the letter in private. Feng Zhiwei fell backwards, pillowing her arms in the comfortable grass. She smiled up at the smiling eye of the crescent moon, and the moonlight felt especially bright and the breeze more refreshing than she remembered; the quiet fragrance of gentian root and gal sang flower wafted by, and the wonderful night filled Feng Zhiwei with an urge to sing. She thought she could guess the contents of the letter ¡ª that clever, sensible young man had convinced himself he was not in love, and a sudden promise of marriage had only confused him even more, but once she left him, he finally understood. While everything was going smoothly, he did not notice the precious treasure by his side, but once he lost it, he could not help but notice the painful emptiness she left behind. Yan Huaishi spent the year searching for her, and finally he tracked her down to the far-flung steppes and the battle-stricken border. Only the heavens knew how much trouble Yan Huaishi went through to find her, and now he used all that effort to prove his heart. Footsteps approached once more and Hua Qiong strode up to her with big steps, her pretty face blushed and her eyes gleaming, the thin letter still clutched in her hand, dancing in the wind like a butterfly. She ran up to Feng Zhiwei and stood looking down at her, her chest rising and falling. She seemed about to speak, but no words could come out of her mouth, and then she suddenly turned around and ran back down towards camp Feng Zhiwei sat up in astonished merriment, confused laughter bubbling inside her. Her friend was happy beyond words, and seemed almost about to explode with enough joy to shake the skies. Feng Zhiwei smiled, happy for her friend even as a dim mist of gloom pooled in the depths of her eyes. The pitter patter of footsteps came again and Hua Qiong once more rushed up to her. Feng Zhiwei was just about to tease the young woman as Hua Qiong carefully placed the letter in her chest pocket, but before she could speak, her friend was throwing her arms wide and screaming into the boundless heavens: ¡°Ahhh!!!! I¡¯m so happy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so happy I¡¯m so happy I¡¯m so happy I¡¯m so happy¡­¡± Her joyful voice echoed in the mountains, rising up all around them and chaining together to fill up the skies above the earth. Tears rushed out from Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes. ¡­ The winds blew with fail, and the two lay with their heads together and listened to the song of the night. Hua Qiong¡¯s hand rested above her chest pocket, her eyes closed. Suddenly, the young woman sniffed and asked: ¡°Feng Zhiwei, how many days have you not showered?¡± Feng Zhiwei did not move as she lazily replied: ¡°The same as you.¡± The two women sat up and looked at each other. They had not showered for a long time, and after rolling around their hair was covered in dirt. They had gotten so used to ignoring it, but now that one of them had brought it up, the dirtiness seemed unbearable as if they might die if they did not get clean soon. ¡°I saw a river over there,¡± Hua Qiong pointed westward. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go bathe!¡± Feng Zhiwei immediately declared before standing up and speaking to the air. ¡°Brother Gu, I¡¯m going to wash, it¡¯s nearby, don¡¯t worry.¡± Hu Qiong giggled as she replied: ¡°You should worry whether you might be examined all over, he¡¯s definitely going to follow.¡± Chapter 295 ¡°Men and women should never cross the bounds of propriety.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied in a solemn voice. ¡°He understands this.¡± ¡°Right. He always washes Zhixiao, is Zhixiao not a woman?¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled awkwardly and grabbed her friend¡¯s hand, confidently declaring: ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. Let¡¯s go!¡± The small river curved around a small copse of scattered trees, but the clear water gleamed in the moonlight. As they looked down at the clean water, the itch and dirt and sweat clinging to them seemed all the more unbearable, and Feng Zhiwei had to throw hurried hand signals as Hua Qiong peeled off her clothes. Young Master Gu obediently turned around. Gu Nanyi sat facing a large rock by the river, his back to the river. Their clothes piled onto the rock, and Feng Zhiwei calmly peeled off her mask and walked into the cold water. She had not been able to really sink into water since coming to the northern border, and Feng Zhiwei took the rare opportunity to give her hair a good washing, unbinding her long hair and methodically combing her knotted, dirty hair. Moonlight shone down like rays of milk as graceful and exquisite feminine bodies washed in the river by a large white stone. Young Master Gu before that stone, obediently watching over their clothes. The white stone was almost a mirror in the light of the moon, reflecting the sights of the river behind him. Pretty curves and delicate muscles filled the white stone; hair fell down like a flowing waterfall, tracing gorgeous limbs down to just above the knee. Thin, straight legs like jade bamboo, thighs round and smooth like a slender Pipa, the curve of round hips and a tight waist of flat muscle giving way to perfect little mounds¡­ Gu Nanyi hurriedly looked away, and the moonlight around his veil shone down on his blushing ears. His first blush from a woman¡¯s reflection on white stone. Gu Nanyi gripped the grass around him, his confused heart pounding, stirring from almost two decades of peace, like a neighing stallion beating faster and harder and louder as if it were about to gallop out of his chest. His mind was in chaos, his heartbeat loud in his ears, the world¡¯s sounds seemed to fade away, and his eyes blurred. Gu Nanyi grasped his pounding chest and thought he was about to die. His first touch taste of desire raged through him like a wild horse, and he failed to spot a faint noise behind him, a quiet rustle in the woods across the river. There, behind a messy pile of stone, a figure watched quietly, thin, bright eyes glowing like ghost-fire in the darkness. He stared at the women washing in the river, his eyes locked onto Feng Zhiwei. The river gurgled under the bright moon, the sounds of water warding off the noise of the world. Feng Zhiwei was still carefully combing her messy hair, her skin white as snow, the otherworldly beauty of her face clear in the moonlight. The pale light gleamed over her long lashes, casting gentle shadows across the lines of her face. Her makeup was washed away and her mask peeled off, and all the remained was her smooth crystalline skin, her long, beautiful brows, and her misty, soulful eyes. Strange light filled the eyes watching her, and the gaze turned to the face-mask resting on the stone by the riverbank. A quiet smile filled the man¡¯s face, a satisfied steely smirk sharp as a wire slicing through the peace of the night. Time passed; Feng Zhiwei and Hua Qiong finished washing and returned to the riverbank while Gu Nanyi sat frozen, never daring to shift his head. The shadow in the woods waited until the trio had left before finally disappearing into the night. ¡­ The sun rose above the steppes watching over a long train of carriages moving across the land. The transportation of the Shunyi Steel Battalion¡¯s military provisions was vital to their battle readiness. The Hu Zhuo Tribes always sourced their grain from Yu Zhou, and though the Shunyi Steel Battalion could technically request grain from the Northern Expedition Main Camp, Feng Zhiwei fought most of her skirmishes farther to the north and kept no fixed camp. Since she did not really trust the main camp anyway, she decided to take the Yu Zhou grain. Yu Zhou City would ship the grain to Helian Zheng, and then she and Helian Zheng would decide on a rendezvous point for the king to deliver the grain to the battlefront. This way, the Hu Zhuo people¡¯s familiarity with the land would also defend against Da Yue sabotage. But this particular provision-logistics team looked somewhat different from usual and was clearly more solemn and heavily guarded than ever before ¡ª the Shunyi King rode with the grain. Feng Zhiwei had not shared her battle plans with Helian Zheng, but with the battle reports he had been able to guess at the huge risk she was about to take. Worries filled his heart, and finally he had entrusted the King¡¯s Court to Dowager Queen Sudan and joined the provisions team to meet up with Feng Zhiwei. If she was rushing into danger, he would be right there beside her. Even in the worse case scenario, the steppes would still have Dowager Queen Sudan and ¡®Living Buddha Zhixiao.¡¯ Helian Zheng smiled brightly as he rode forward, clearly looking forward to seeing Feng Zhiwei again. But suddenly the train halted and noise filled the air. Helian Zheng straightened to attention. ¡°King!¡± A soldier called out, his expression shellshocked, ¡°The front¡­ the front¡­¡± Helian Zheng frowned, kicking his horse forward. Helian Zheng¡¯s horse was Feng Zhiwei¡¯s gift to him, the captured Yue Horse that she had stolen from Jin Siyu. Jin Siyu had been the man behind the death of Helian Zheng¡¯s father, and though the young king had to expend great effort to tame the beast, every minute had been worth it. Helian Zheng¡¯s swift horse flew through the team¡¯s men, and very quickly he spotted a messy-haired woman dressed in rags. Helian Zheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he feared terrible news from the Steel Battalion, but then he took another look and had to blink away his astonishment. ¡°Mei¡­Mei¡­¡± Helian Zheng stammered in his shock. The woman lifted her eyes, only those bright orbs recognizable through the bruised swelling of her face. The woman froze at the sight of Helian Zheng, her gaze dazed as she stared blankly at Helian Zheng for the longest moment. When recognition finally dawned, tears covered her face. She wept without sound, and water poured forth like an endless fountain, dripping down her cheeks without pause or end. She cried until she began to shake, silent tears flowing down her bruised swelling, cutting trails through the as he and dirt on her face. Only the deepest and most heart wrenching pain could cause such tears. No one was unmoved. They had all known Medora, the proud and arrogant princess of King¡¯s Court, and none of them were happy to see how far she had fallen. Chapter 296 ¡°Medora! What happened!¡± Helian Zheng cried out, leaping from his horse to gather her into his arms, ¡°How¡­¡± His voice stilled as his eyes fell upon the tail of Medora¡¯s dress and the ripped undergarments underneath her tattered leather robes, with the stink of blood and rot staining her clothes. Helian Zheng¡¯s face fell. ¡°A-Ja!¡± Medora quivered and trembled, and as Helian Zheng froze, she finally managed to scream. ¡°A-Ja¡­¡± She cried out in a hoarse, broken voice, the pitch full of misery, ¡°If you want to kill me, then kill me, why do you hurt me, why¡­¡± She struggled in weak fury, throwing herself at Helian Zheng, her nails scraping at his arms as she banged her head into his chest again and again, screaming all the while: ¡°Just kill me just kill me kill me kill me¡­¡± Helian Zheng never moved as he silently let her cut and hit him, blood soon covering his arms and dripping down into the grass, his fierce gaze warning his guards away. ¡°Aunt Medora¡­ what happened?¡± Helian Zheng asked gently, a comforting hand on Medora¡¯s back as he turned away from the green and purple bruises covering Medora¡¯s exposed skin. ¡°You ask me? Why don¡¯t you ask yourself?¡± Medora cried out, lifting her bloodshot eyes. ¡°You searched far and wide and found an old pervert for me! Your bridal team raped me on the way! That old pervert hated me for not being a virgin, and he hit me, abused me, locked me in a dark basement, withholding food, and using a stick to¡­ to f*** me! Jadran! JADRAN! Why didn¡¯t you just kill me? Why did I save you all those years ago?¡± She screamed with sad, impotent fury, and bit down on Helian Zheng¡¯s arm. Blood gushed forward, but Helian Zheng only moved to wave back the guards. Finally, Medora grew limp and leaned powerlessly against him, her teeth still in his arm. Helian Zheng held her, holding her up as he stared up at the heavens, his face hidden from everyone. Finally, he called out: ¡°Find the maid, bring her over.¡± Since Feng Zhiwei and Hua Qiong were both women, excuses had been arranged to bring a few maids to accompany the train, and guards ran off to fetch one of them. Helian Zheng had carried Medora and placed her in one of the carriages before sitting and letting a guard tend to his wounds. As the maid approached, he called out coldly: ¡°Look over Aunt Medora¡¯s body and tell me what you find. Remember, you will take the things you see to your grave.¡± The terrified maid trembled as she nodded, shaking as she entered the carriage. When she finally exited, her face was filled with sympathy and horror as she whispered into Helian Zheng¡¯s ear. The young king said nothing as he dismissed the maid. He sat for a long time just staring up at the bright sky, but finally he stood and entered the carriage. Medora lay in clean clothes, the madness on her face calmed, and she even managed a smile at the sight of Helian Zheng. She opened her arms to the young king as she spoke quietly: ¡°A-Ja¡­ A-Ja¡­ I thought I was going to die¡­ when I saw you, I lost myself¡­ I didn¡¯t hurt you did I? Show me¡­ let me see¡­¡± Helian Zheng¡¯s eyes grew red as he looked down at her haggard face, tears pooling in his gaze. He gently extended his bandaged arm and forced a smile: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a flesh wound.¡± Medora touched the white cloth, tears falling from her face once more. After a moment, she spoke once again: ¡°A-Ja¡­ it wasn¡¯t you, was it? I watched you grow up, your heart is not more vicious than a jackal¡¯s!¡± Helian Zheng had no response, and when he spoke it was with great difficulty: ¡°Aunt Medora¡­ perhaps there was a misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°Misunderstanding!¡± Medora cried out with agitation, struggling to sit up and peel aside her clothes, ¡°What kind of misunderstanding leads to¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Helian Zheng hurriedly exclaimed, using his hand to still hers, ¡°Stop! Aunt Medora, don¡¯t move¡­ let¡¯s just talk about it¡­¡± Medora shut her eyes, her chest flying up and down with her heavy breaths. Her voice was cold when she spoke again: ¡°The great Shunyi King does not believe me. Send me back to that farm with some of your men! Your people can look for themselves who is lying!¡± ¡°Aunt Medora¡­ don¡¯t say that, I believe you.¡± Helian Zheng replied gently, ¡°But I also know that Zhiwei is not that kind of person. Something must have gone wrong. Look, I still have matters I must handle; I will send an escort to take you to King¡¯s Court, and we can talk about all of this when I return, okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to toss me back to King¡¯s Court by myself?¡± Medora demanded, opening her eyes once more, ¡°You¡¯re going to leave me to face that vicious, conniving Queen alone? You want to throw me into the fire pit once more?¡± Helian Zheng opened his mouth helplessly, but he could not explain that Feng Zhiwei was not even there. He could only say: ¡°Then no King¡¯s Court. I can trust you with Patriarch Blue Bird, and he will take care of you¡­¡± ¡°Forget it, King!¡± Medora smiled coldly, ¡°Your people are already that Queen¡¯s dogs! Just watch, if you send me away today, tomorrow I¡¯ll be sent back to De Zhou!¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Helian Zheng asked, frowning. ¡°I want to be with you!¡± Medora answered immediately, ¡°Wherever you go, I go, A-Ja¡­ look at me, who can I trust now? If you won¡¯t take me, I¡¯ll just jump down and die underneath your carriage¡¯s wheels!¡± As she spoke, she climb to her feet, struggling to throw aside her blanket as she struggled with the carriage door. Helian Zheng pulled her into his arms, his voice steady as he replied: ¡°Aunt Medora, no matter what happened, no matter the wrongs, please wait until I return. I cannot bring you with me, this trip¡­ is very important.¡± With those words Helian Zheng turned away, exiting the carriage with Medora in his arms and calling out: ¡°Bring a squad of twenty, escort Medora to Blue Bird Tribe!¡± With the orders given, Helian Zheng remounted his horse and rode off, refusing to look back. But he had only rode forth a few steps when cries filled the air behind him. He had to turn to investigate, and he saw Medora shaking off her guards and running for the rolling carriages. Her shoes were still inside the carriage and her feet left a trail of blood on the sand and stone beneath her, but she charged forward as if unable to feel pain, leaping with startling strength and grabbing onto the low hanging carriage shaft in the last vehicle in the train, hanging on with a death grip even as the wheels trundled forward, dragging her behind it. Chapter 297 Helian Zheng immediately hollered: ¡°Stop the carriages! Stop!¡± The drivers all immediately pulled up, and curious eyes turned as Helian Zheng rode back down the line. Medora gripped the shaft, clinging to it with miserable strength. When Helian Zheng came into view, she looked up and cried out: ¡°A-Ja¡­ even if you don¡¯t want me¡­ my corpse will still follow you¡­¡± Helian Zheng pulled up at the unexpected words, freezing in the bright daylight. ¡°A-Ja, what are you afraid of? How could I compete against your Queen? When I am like this?¡± Medora smirked sadly. ¡°I know you protect her, and even though I¡¯m like this you still protect her, but since you believe in her no matter what, take me with you. Ask her, ask your pure ice Queen whether my words have wronged her?¡± Helian Zheng stared silently, his solid expression showing hints of cracks. Medora clung to the carriage shaft and stared up at Helian Zheng with teary eyes as she continued gently: ¡°A-Ja, my A-Ja¡­ you were always so strong, when you were two¡­ while I held you hiding in the haystacks, you never cried, and you even said, Sister Medora, we don¡¯t need to be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid¡­ you were so small, but when I held you, you stopped shaking. If you weren¡¯t afraid, why should I be? Your Uncle¡¯s spear stabbed into the haystack and cut your palm, but you never moved, so why should I be afraid? It was just an icy lake¡­ nothing much¡­ A-Ja look¡­ even like this I haven¡¯t died¡­ my A-Ja¡­ in this world I have nothing, I only live¡­ for you, and I die also for you¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Helian Zheng roared, the sudden shock from his word stilling Medora¡¯s tongue, her teary eyes suddenly filled with fear. Helian Zheng turned away from her as he paced angrily. Medora sobbed quietly, her bloody feet trailing behind her, the object of many a piteous look. Helian Zheng had brought only Irgi Warriors; all of them knew Medora, and all of them had been varyingly discontent with her old arrogance, but who among them could be unmoved by a woman in such distress. In their view, with so many guards in the train and Medora clearly miserable and weak, why not bring her along? They were just delivering provisions. ¡°King¡­¡± Four of Helian Zheng¡¯s Eight Valiants stepped forward; Big Roc spoke to plea for mercy, while San Sun was confident that his righteous and virtuous King would not force Medora away ¡ª he must respect her for saving his life and taking care of him in his youth even if she were not in such a tragic state. And so San Sun stepped forward and helped Medora to her feet while Helian Zheng paced silently, ignoring them. Medora¡¯s tears stilled and she glanced quietly at Helian Zheng¡¯s back. When he made no move to stop them, the hint of a smile flickered over the corner of her lips, and she followed San Sun and a maid as they helped her into a carriage. Helian Zheng still did not react, and all of the guards let out a breath of relief, happily returning to their pasts. When Medora was firmly seated in her carriage, Helian Zheng leapt atop his horse once more and called to Big Roc, the most experienced driver among his Eight Valiants. ¡°Take care of Medora¡¯s carriage.¡± Big Roc nodded respectfully and climbed atop the carriage while Helian Zheng shut the carriage door ¡ª it was a vehicle for transporting grain and had only the single door and no windows. To protect the grain inside from any mishap while they traveled, the door was sealed with a large metal bolt. So Helian Zheng shut the door, swiftly locked it in place with the bolt, and then lifted his horsewhip and slapped the horses driving it. The horse neighed in alarm and began galloping forward; Medora cried out in shock, and Big Roc stirred with some surprise as Helian Zheng called out: ¡°Watch the carriage, send her to King¡¯s Court!¡± Big Roc hurriedly brought the horses under control, working hard to calm them and stabilize the carriage. Medora¡¯s loud tears and cries filled the air alongside the pounding on the door, a tattoo cutting the hearts of all the gathered guards and drivers. Helian Zheng quickly turned away, his fists tight and his eyes closed. All his men had stopped in their astonishment, and no one dared break the dazed moment. They all just watched as Da Peng barely managed to stop the carriage from overturning, finally relaxing even as their hearts still clenched at the dull thuds on the carriage door. ¡°King!¡± The straightforward steppe men called out in disapproval. How could their King be so biased! So cruel! Was this their righteous, kind King who was always so clear on the debts of love and hate? ¡°The squad of twenty, protect her.¡± Helian Zheng called out weakly, and though he heard and saw the discontent of his men, he could only bring himself to gesture wearily as he rode forward. The guards all stared at him as if at a stranger and nobody moved. San Sun stared blankly after the carriage rolling away, and he had to shake himself from his daze, stamping his feet and slapping a nearby guard with his whip. ¡°The King ordered you to move, so move!¡± Twenty guards kicked their horses and chased after Big Roc. Everyone else exchanged quiet glances with no trace of their previous cheer and laughter. San Sun focused on moving the train¡¯s teams, ignoring everything else. Helian Zheng rode along silently. He was not stupid, and he clearly felt his men¡¯s disappointment. They had worshipped him as a god, and with a decision of what they saw as causeless cruelty, they felt like their god had fallen from the heavens. An idol can only be built over long years of steady respect, but ruin and destruction needed only a moment. Men of the steppes did not understand conniving and cost benefits or the greater good; they only thought in honor oaths and tribal compassion. Helian Zheng had never experienced such hostility and dissatisfaction from his people, and only now did he understand the difficult burden. He lifted his eyes to the heavens and sighed. Dense clouds floated above like ten thousand galloping horses, and for a moment Helian Zheng felt as if he saw in the skies the black armored, blue robed Shunyi Steel Battalion, bright sabres in hand as they charged across the bloody battlefields of the northern border. In the lead, a youth in black armor, a graceful and confident smile on her face. Zhiwei. I cannot bring to you even a hint of danger, no matter the fading likelihood, I cannot. Even if I must suffer the condemnation of thousands. I can bear it! Chapter 298 ¡°The White Head Mountain trail is almost cleared.¡± Feng Zhiwei began as she convened with her subordinates in a secret staging ground under a short hill. ¡°The last parts are cliff ground, but the way is not too steep, though it will still be difficult to travel quietly. We¡¯ll bring only the most elite in our sneak attack; I will lead our attack on Jin Siyu¡¯s tent. The others will follow Chunyu and Yangyu to White Spirit Lake, five miles from their camp. Wrap your horse¡¯s hoofs with grass and shut their mouths with wooden sticks. Your signal will be a red flare, and once we¡¯ve secured the main tent, you will storm the camp.¡± ¡°I will follow you!¡± Yao Yangyu called out loyally. ¡°No.¡± Feng Zhiwei refused cleanly, ¡°Your Kungfu is not good enough.¡± The various young masters stiffened with offended pride and glared like so many roosters, but Feng Zhiwei ignored them all. Meanwhile, Chunyu Meng was taking pleasure in their shared misfortune, gleeful that everyone else were also being left behind. ¡°We will be very careful!¡± Yao Yangyu promised eagerly, but as he looked up at White Head Mountain some anxiety filled his heart. ¡°You will only be burdens.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, sparing no feelings, ¡°Do you think storming the camp will be easy? They have a hundred thousand soldiers!¡± ¡°Then why are you bringing her?¡± Yu Liang nodded unhappily at Hua Qiong. The young woman unsheathed her twin blades and displayed them for Yu Liang: ¡°Why? Unsheathe your blade and see!¡± Yu Liang eyed Hua Xiong silently; though they had both began practicing Kung Fu after leaving their childhood homes, she was still his superior. Black Widow!¡± ¡°Boy toy!¡± And so they fought like angry chickens, bristling and showing off their flashy feathers as Feng Zhiwei continued the meeting. ¡°Mister Zong will accompany your team.¡± Feng Zhiwei said calmly, pointing at a map, ¡°The terrain has been studied. There is a hidden hole by this cliff, and if anything happens we can always retreat here; we will be safe. Your team will be outnumbered ten to one as you fight your way forward, and your task is much more difficult. You need not worry for me, Brother Gu will be by my side.¡± Yao Yangyu was about to speak again, but Feng Zhiwei had already stood, ending the conversation. They all turned as a human shadow flew through the air and thudded on the ground beside them. A miserable man was stuck face down in the mud. Some distance away, Young Master Gu clapped his hands clean and said: ¡°Eavesdropping,¡± before leisurely strolling off. The man struggling to pry his face from the ground was Ning Yi¡¯s man, Field Officer Wei Yu. Under no circumstance would Feng Zhiwei have ever allowed him to join their top secret military meeting. ¡°General¡­¡± Wei Yu croaked, climbing to his feet and meeting Feng Zhiwei¡¯s half-smiling eyes. A shiver ran down his spine as he hurriedly continued: ¡°Your plan is too risky¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to report this to Prince Chu?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked, ignoring his warning. Wei Yu nodded honestly, his eyes sincere as he stared at her and said: ¡°General, His Highness has personally asked me to say: no matter what the plan, you must listen to the message Field Officer Yao passed to you. He also said that every matter must be relayed to him no matter what. This is an Imperial Order, I¡­ cannot disobey.¡± ¡°Then go report.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied to general surprise. She clapped her hand, and Young Master Gu appeared beside her with a crippled donkey. The donkey was extremely old, extremely ugly, and extremely weak, with gunk-filled lifeless eyes. Feng Zhiwei eyed Young Master Gu with admiration; she had only said to find a donkey, and he had actually found such an unbelievably terrible specimen. Wei Yu stared askance at the donkey¡¯s skinny back, his face twisted with bitter suspicion. Riding this donkey over a hundred miles? When he made it to the main camp, the war would have long since ended. ¡°Go.¡± Feng Zhiwei urged kindly, personally helping the man mount the donkey. Once he was secured, she patted the donkey¡¯s ass and the old animal began swaying forward. ¡°Send my regards to His Highness, and don¡¯t bother returning the donkey. Just say that it¡¯s my gift for His Highness health ¡ª fresh flowers for beauties, and treasure donkeys for virtuous princes. Wei Zhi¡¯s kindness, please urge His Highness to accept.¡± And so Wei Yu went in sad dismay, riding off to ¡°report¡± to the prince. Feng Zhiwei turned her eyes to the heavens and continued: ¡°Helian Zheng¡¯s military provisions will be here soon. Let us eat and then depart. Success or failure will be known tonight at second watch! ¡­ Autumn wind swept waves through tall grass, brushing through again and again, carrying off little dying sparks from a camp fire. Beside the fire stood a carriage, and inside lay a woman weeping. Big Roc sighed as he carried a piece of roasted lamb leg over to the carriage, his voice gently as he said: ¡°Aunt Medora, you should eat.¡± His only reply was a louder, more miserable cry. ¡°The King is too cruel!¡± A guard sitting by the fire complained, ¡°Why does he refuse to take Aunt Medora along? She cannot even move right now, so what is the King afraid of?¡± ¡°Truthfully I believe Aunt Medora is correct; she cannot be sent back to King¡¯s Court.¡± Another guard added, furrowing his brow. ¡°The Queen, you all know, is very formidable; if Aunt returns like this, I¡¯m afraid the the Queen may immediately send her back to De Zhou.¡± ¡°How could she return to that place!¡± Another man yelled angrily, ¡°Look what they did to her!¡± ¡°Central Plain¡¯s women truly have scheming minds, easily keeping the King¡¯s favor!¡± ¡°Too true!¡± ¡°Stop gossiping about royals!¡± Big Roc strode over and yelled at them. The guards all shut up, but after a moment one of them could not resist saying: ¡°Master Big Roc, just look at Auntie¡¯s state. If she does not eat or drink and just cries, I¡¯m afraid that before we reach King¡¯s Court, she¡¯ll¡­¡± Big Roc¡¯s face fell. The guard¡¯s words were deeply concerning; the King had entrusted him with Medora; if anything happened, how could he face the King? ¡°I¡¯ll convince her.¡± Big Roc returned to the carriage side. ¡°Aunt, you must eat. For better or worse, you must hold on until the King returns.¡± Big Roc urged honestly as he squatted by the carriage door. ¡°Will I live to see his return?¡± Medora stilled her weeping to quietly whisper. She finally spoke! Big Roc continued delightedly, saying: ¡°You must hang on. The King will return soon, it will only be half a days journey¡­¡± Medora was silent, and after a moment she quietly whispered: ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to King¡¯s Court.¡± Big Roc rubbed his hands together helplessly, but Medora was already continuing: ¡°Can we just wait here for him?¡± Big Roc hesitated, his voice stretching: ¡°This¡­¡± Medora could sense his hesitation so she immediately added: ¡°We are on the road back to King¡¯s Court, and you can just say that we were delayed. The King forbid me from following him, but he never said I could not wait for him. I¡­ I don¡¯t dare return to King¡¯s Court¡­¡± At that, she began weeping once more, her pitiful cries cutting deep into Big Roc¡¯s heart. As he breathed in the herbal medicine and faint sense of rot, Big Roc¡¯s felt a sour weight on his chest. Several eavesdropping guards approached Big Roc and lent their words to support Medora, and finally the Valiant nodded. Medora¡¯s weeping slowly faded and Big Roc sighed in relief. He strode off to find a good place to wait and quickly investigated a small, nearby stone mountain, and he had the guards drive the carriage to a cove at the foot of the mountain. Medora¡¯s mood seemed to improve, and she even left the carriage to sit by the fire. She talked a little with the guards, helping to cook the lamb meat and handing it out to the men. When the guards saw her sincere eyes and weary face, their hearts grew tender and pitying, and none of them refused her cooking. Chapter 299 Meanwhile, Da Peng was far from the fire and away from Medora, always keeping watch from some vantage point or another; though the steppes were united, Helian Zheng¡¯s personal bodyguard clearly understood the dark currents flowing within Hu Zhuo, and Da Peng did not dare take security lightly. Medora suddenly called to him, and when Da Peng turned it was to the astonishing sight of all the other guards sleeping around the bonfire. His astonishment was so great that for a moment his mind blanked, and he could not react as a force shoved him from behind, and his mind was a dizzy whirl as he fell from the tall stone he was perched on. A different figure quietly leapt from the stone, casually standing on Da Peng¡¯s back as he smiled at the standing Medora: ¡°It¡¯s good that you are clever, knowing to stop here. A little further ahead and the King¡¯s Army patrols would be too frequent for me to casually move.¡± Medora looked at the man with sharp venom flashing briefly in her eyes, and she turned away and ignored him. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that.¡± Kereyid chided, chuckling as he floated forward and cupped her face, ¡°You should be happy. Very soon your King will return to your side.¡± Medora pulled away, her voice filled with disgust as she cried: ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Her eyes found the body of Da Peng hanging from Kereyid¡¯s grasp, and she asked: ¡°Why did you have me find where the King was heading? Are you trying to harm him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions.¡± Kereyid smiled as he replied, ¡°In the end, if you listen to me, you will return to your King¡¯s side; but Helian Zheng really is cruel, even looking like this and begging for aid he rejects you. While I was following him, I was almost spotted by Wei Zhi¡¯s secret agent, so it¡¯s good that you found me an opportunity here.¡± ¡°I asked these guards.¡± Medora said, ¡°None of them know where the King is heading. Every time the provisions train near wherever they are, Wei Zhi¡¯s people come and take the grain, but I think Da Peng should know.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Kereyid began in reply, his thin eyes gleaming with a heady excitement, ¡°I have a lot of good news, and I¡¯m certain that the Da Yue Prince An will find them very interesting¡­¡± ¡­ It was almost dark when the noise of carriages and horses found the Feng Zhiwei¡¯s staging ground by White Head Mountain. ¡°King¡¯s Court has sent the stuff.¡± Feng Zhiwei heard, happiness in her eyes as she hurried out to meet the team. As she walked, she heard a voice laugh: ¡°Fortunately Helian Zheng has fulfilled his mission and arrived on time.¡± ¡°Why are you here personally?¡± Feng Zhiwei asked, happy and surprised. Helian Zheng did not immediately reply, pacing around the guards as he called out order to unload the goods from the carriages, before saying: ¡°There is grain from Yu Zhou, and also dried beef, lamb, and cheese, and these are blades from Hu Zhuo¡¯s forges. Hu Zhou men will fight best with our steppe¡¯s food in their stomachs and our weapons in their hands!¡± ¡°To think you are so thoughtful.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled teasingly, ¡°Our grain stockpile is managing, but we welcome more. The dried beef and lamb and cheese can be directly handed out, let everyone have their fill!¡± Yao Yangyu and the others did not have much of a reaction, but the Hu Zhuo horsemen were already cheering. After so much time on the battlefront, all of them had long since grown were of Central Plains¡¯ dry bread, and they were gleeful at the thought of the home food. Meanwhile Helian Zheng was examining Feng Zhiwei, frowning as he asked: ¡°You¡¯ve thinned?¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced at Yao Yangyu and the others, worried that King Helian would say something strange and inappropriate to General Wei Zhi, so she hurriedly said: ¡°Why are you all still lingering instead of preparing food for the others?¡± Yao Yangyu glanced at Helian Zheng and muttered an ¡°Oh,¡± before dragging his brothers away, murmuring to himself, ¡°The General is really popular with men¡­¡± Helian Zheng caught the quiet words and burst out laughing while Feng Zhiwei spat: ¡°Brat bastard, lawless and unbridled!¡± But though her words and tone were harsh and resentful, her eyes gleamed with amusement. When Helian Zheng looked into those gleaming, misty eyes, all his words died on his tongue. He had planned questions, but now they seemed so uninteresting and meaningless ¡ª why ask? A person with eyes like those could never do something so vicious. She may scheme, and she may employ devious tactics, but all her evil had reasons and principles. Helian Zheng smiled brightly, and his body grew light as a heavy weight lifted from his heart, but that was exactly when the perceptive woman asked: ¡°You wanted to say something?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± Helian Zheng shook his head as he looked down at Feng Zhiwei with sincere eyes. ¡°I only feel that your presence is very relaxing.¡± ¡°Fool.¡± Feng Zhiwei chuckled quietly, quiet happiness in her eyes. Young Master Gu finally appeared, and as soon as he spotted Helian Zheng he floated right in front of him, his eyes gleaming through his veil. Helian Zheng brought his hand to his forehead, smiling as he said: ¡°You want to ask about your Zhi Xiao, right? Well¡­¡± The King hesitated, and Young Master Gu immediately stepped forward, and even Feng Zhiwei turned to listen more closely. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Helian Zheng hurriedly explained, ¡°A few days ago she had a small fever and some diarrhea and was a little grumpy. The King¡¯s Court Physician examined her and said she was fine, but the fever had not broken yet when I departed.¡± Young Master Gu immediately turned to Zong Chen, and the medical master frowned as he asked: ¡°How hot? Did you check her dorsum? Was there a cough?¡± Zong Chen asked a quick series of questions, and Helian Zheng answered every one. Zong Chen¡¯s frown deepened. Feng Zhiwei finally asked: ¡°Could it be smallpox?¡± Zong Chen thought silently before replying: ¡°I cannot be sure without seeing the patient.¡± At those words, everyone grew solemn. Young Master Gu did not understand the significance of smallpox, so he turned to Feng Zhiwei. She could only comfort him by saying: ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing, but we should ask Mister Zong to return and examine her.¡± ¡°No, we need Mister Zong¡¯s assistance here, he cannot leave.¡± Helian Zheng immediately objected, and even Young Master Gu shook his head.¡± Feng Zhiwei glanced at Gu Nanyi, and though the man shook his head, his eyes were staring off in the direction of King¡¯s Court. He clearly understood that danger was upon Gu Zhixiao, but for her safety, he refused Zong Chen¡¯s assistance. Others might not understand, but Feng Zhiwei knew the place Zhixiao had in his heart; she was Gu Nanyi¡¯s first conscious attachment, his first true experience with a child, and the key to his opening soul and the doorway to his heart. It was from her that he learned warmth and happiness and pity, and he cherished the child¡¯s life as much as he valued his own. Chapter 300 ¡°Helian, Zhixiao was born in the south and her physique is not as strong as your steppe¡¯s children; your physicians are not as experienced as Han doctors. If she really has smallpox, this is not something that should be overlooked. I think Mister Zong should make a quick trip there before returning.¡± Helian Zheng did not reply; he could not refute her logic, so he just stood with a heavy frown. Young Master Gu was still shaking his head, but his eyes were still locked on the horizon. While the two men were frozen, Feng Zhiwei pushed Zong Chen off, and Helian Zheng finally sighed and offered his Yue Horse, saying: ¡°Then we can only trouble Mister Zong, a speedy journey and a quick return.¡± Zong Chen removed a bag of medicine and offered it to Feng Zhiwei, saying: ¡°This is my Wan Ling Pill, and it can counter most poisons. Keep it close.¡± The trio nodded and watched Zong Chen hurry off. Feng Zhiwei held Young Master Gu¡¯s hand as the worried man tiptoed to keep Zong Chen in view, her voice soothing as she said: ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It might not even be smallpox, and even if it is, with Mister Zong there why worry?¡± Young Master Gu thought for a moment before patting her hand, saying: ¡°You are here, everyone is here, there is nothing to fear,: Feng Zhiwei stilled before chuckling quietly and tightening her hand around his: ¡°Relax, we are all here.¡± Meanwhile, Yao Yangyu had left them to check on the army cooks and the beef sizzling in the giant army woks. The smell was a little too gamey for Central Plains¡¯ taste, but the steppe men were already surrounding the fires and drooling. Yao Yangyu frowned at the smell, suddenly thinking of General Wei struggling to swallow cheese; if the General could not stand the smelly cheese, then he would probably be unaccustomed to the beef as well? ¡°Why are you cooking the stored grain? Don¡¯t we have new grain?¡± Yao Yangyu asked, eyeing the yellow millet in the pots. ¡°This millet is damp from the heavy rains a few days ago, and it smells strange.¡± ¡°General¡¯s orders,¡± the cook smiled as he explained. ¡°Don¡¯t waste, finish the stored grain first.¡± ¡°Then just cook a small pot of millet porridge.¡± Yao Yangyu said, hesitating for a moment as he looked over the new food. He exclaimed joyfully: ¡°Vegetables and eggs! Pick some good ones and starry some dishes for the General¡¯s tent. If he asks, just tell him it was my orders.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The military cook moved quickly, chuckling as he replied, ¡°Field Officer Yao is so considerate, but truthfully the General has worked hard¡­¡± Yao Yangyu laughed, smelling the vegetables again before leaving to join the line of soldiers waiting for the lamb and beef. When the dishes arrived at her tent, Feng Zhiwei frowned, but she glanced at Young Master Gu and did not comment. Poor Dummy Gu disagreed with the lamb even more than she did, squeezing his eyes closed every time he needed to swallow. Since they had come to the northern borders, he did not even have a walnut supply, and Feng Zhiwei felt her heart sour every time she glanced at the empty bags hanging from his waist. He could not hold his daughter, could not enjoy his walnuts, so if she still refused to let him eat vegetables, Feng Zhiwei really would not be able to forgive herself. ¡°You should go eat lamb,¡± Feng Zhiwei said, pushing Helian Zheng. ¡°We¡¯ll have this porridge.¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± Helian Zheng replied firmly, sitting his butt by her side and taking a bowl of porridge, ¡°You won¡¯t be eating without me.¡± Feng Zhiwei smiled, placing some vegetables in the bowl Young Master Gu had buried his head in. ¡°You should return after dinner. King¡¯s Court cannot spare you for even a day.¡± Helian Zheng ignored her, taking some vegetables and maneuvering them into her bowl. Feng Zhiwei pulled her bowl away. Helian Zheng refused to remove his chopsticks, glaring at her with his forceful, gleaming dark amber eyes. ¡°Mister Zong has left, I cannot just leave you.¡± He replied. ¡°I¡¯m staying.¡± ¡°Your status is too high¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei tried to protest, but Helian Zheng had already turned to focus on his porridge. Feng Zhiwei sighed, knowing that even eight oxen could not budge him from his decision. The three ate quickly and the dishes were soon demolished. Young Master Gu had eaten the most, having deeply missed Central Plains¡¯ food. A fully armored Chunyu Meng walked in after the meal. ¡°General, we¡¯re departing first.¡± ¡°See you under White Head Cliff.¡± Feng Zhiwei replied, smiling. ¡°Under White Head Cliff.¡± Chunyu Meng answered firmly, his eyes gleaming as he turned. A powerful and deep trumpet filled the air, and nine thousand horsemen rode for White Spirit Lake. ¡°We should also prepare.¡± Feng Zhiwei found a private place to change into tight black clothes, and when she returned she was surprised to find both Helian Zheng and Young Master Gu in similar uniform. Feng Zhiwei knew that the tight, scratchy material must be torture against Young Master Gu¡¯s skin, and she hurriedly protested: ¡°Brother Gu, you don¡¯t have to change, your Kung Fu will not be detected¡­¡± ¡°Your safety, most important.¡± Young Master Gu replied evenly before disappearing into the night. Three hundred handpicked warriors were assembled under Hua Qiong, waiting for Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei looked to the sky. A Stygian darkness blanketed the night, and a slow mist was filling the air. Before Zong Chen had left, he had informed Feng Zhiwei that tonight¡¯s rising mist would be the best time for her attack. Through the tall and unruly grass was a small, treacherous mountain path plunging into the depths of the mountains. Eyes burned expectantly as the assembled warriors awaited Wei Zhi¡¯s battle speech, but Feng Zhiwei was silent, only letting her open palm fall in a cutting arch towards White Head Mountain. Her move was filled with power and killing intent, and her black sleeves sliced through the night like a cold bolt of lightning! Blood pounded in ears and silent determination soared! Hua Qiong signaled to her men, dashing forward and taking the lead. The three hundred soldiers formed a swift snake, black sheathes and black clothes and soft padded shoes, long ropes prepared in bundles around their waists as they moved forward almost soundlessly. Black shadows faded through the grass, their movements through the night like quiet wind. By White Head Cliff, Feng Zhiwei gestured for everyone to halt. She lay on her belly by the edge of the cliff, examining the enemy camp below. Jin Siyu¡¯s army was ten miles away with dim torches and never ceasing patrols. Every tent looked the same, with no command center distinguishable. Feng Zhiwei shut her eyes and concentrated, a memorized map of the terrain unfolding in her mind. A moment later, she opened her eyes and pointed. Chapter 301 Helian Zheng nodded and signaled to the others, and everyone swiftly climbed down the cliff. Feng Zhiwei and Gu Nanyi took the lead, their moves quick and silent. Feng Zhiwei rolled soundlessly through a gap between patrols, slipping behind a tent and out of sight before dashing forward through another opening. The last soldier in the patrol felt the lantern in his hand quiver before a dark shadow slipped through the corner of his vision, but before he could turn to investigate, a cold pain cut through his throat. His body lost all strength and he collapsed into Feng Zhiwei¡¯s arms; Feng Zhiwei quickly dragged him out of sight and gently lowered him to the ground, stripping him and changing into his clothes, only adding a thin red cloth tied around her upper arm. They would know their own in the coming chaos. Two more corpses were laid down beside hers, and Helian Zheng and Gu Nanyi quickly changed as well. Finally, the three gestured silently and then split in different directions. A patrolling soldier saw a man holding a lantern approach, but the light obscured the details of the face. Just as he was about to call out for the night¡¯s code, light dazzled his eyes. When the light was gone, only an eternal darkness followed. In another part of camp two soldiers had deserted their post and were hiding by a mountain stone eating dried food they had hidden away, and as light flashed over them, they hurriedly hid the dried food, but to their surprise their vision toppled and their eyes turned to their headless bodies beside them. The heads rolling on the ground were astonished that their dried food had not even fallen to the ground and was caught by the tip of a sword. Three demons carried death through the night, soundlessly picking off many patrolling soldiers around the command tent and the quarters of important officers. Finally, Feng Zhiwei returned to the cliffside and signaled. Hua Qiong landed beside her with a quiet rustle, and the three hundred soldiers quickly landed around them. Quiet rustles faded into the night as Young Master Gu quietly shifted any bad landing onto tall grass. Feng Zhiwei pointed out several tents, and with the targets assigned, the soldiers quickly split into squads and advanced. Three hundred reapers walked the night, their dark blades mercilessly cutting flesh and letting blood, quiet blows covered by the loud insects of the autumn night. Meanwhile, Feng Zhiwei¡¯s trio approached Jin Siyu¡¯s tent. The Prince¡¯s tent was identical to all the others, but some differences in the number of guards and the optimal location all came together ¡ª this tent was the most heavily protected in the whole camp. The tent was brightly lit, and only a single long shadow lay against the tent cloth. The bright tent made any hidden approach impossible, so Feng Zhiwei¡¯s trio crawled along the ground and took fifteen minutes to cross the short distance, slaying all the hidden guards in their way. They lay on their bellies, their muscles poised and ready. Feng Zhiwei and Helian Zheng were in the middle of a silent hand-signal conversation about the best approach when the sound of hurried footsteps filled the air. The trio tensed, lowering themselves as much as possible. Helian Zheng signaled a question: ¡°Abort?¡± Feng Zhiwei shook her head, telling him to wait. But when she shook her head, she felt her vision fill with black. She jerked, and though her first thought was that she was too nervous, she was soon sure that something had gone wrong. Her head felt heavy and her limbs soft as all her strength seemed to fade away as if she were weak and limp floating through water. Even worse, the ancient burning of her Dantian burst forward through her weak body, flaming through her meridians and sending sweat pouring out of her pores. Feng Zhiwei instantly reacted in three ways. First she looked around to Hua Qiong and the others, confirming that they had not been affected. Secondly she examined Helian Zheng and Gu Nanyi. Neither of them showed any strange reaction, and so Feng Zhiwei deduced that the problem was not in the environment, but in what they had eaten. There may not have been poison in the vegetables and porridge, but something was definitely wrong, and since all three of them had eaten, none of them would be spared. Gu Nanyi would be struck the hardest from the quantity he had eaten, and she was only showing the symptoms first because of her chronic illness. Thirdly, she struck out, chopping the back of Gu Nanyi and Helian Zheng¡¯s heads. Her silent surprise attack immediately knocked out the unsuspecting pair. After that, Feng Zhiwei struggled to push herself up out of the grass, her eyes already locked onto an approaching figure. The man was dressed like a general, and some sort of hurry seemed to possess him so that he did not notice the missing guards. Behind him trailed another somewhat unsteady man, his body shifting in a peculiar manner. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s mind roared as she saw those strange movements, and in her hurry she threw away all caution to creak like a cricket. The agreed call for an immediate retreat. Hua Qiong and the Eight Valiants immediately appeared by her side, and Feng Zhiwei quickly signaled for the bodyguards to take Helian Zheng and Gu Nanyi. She gestured: ¡°Unexpected! Retreat!¡± The Eight Valiants were still from their shock and only Hua Qiong could react ¡ª she called out in the song of a cricket, and all the shadowed warriors stopped and gathered around her like black sand flowing back into a bottle, and in the next moment they were retreating to the cliffside and climbing. Feng Zhiwei could hear an indistinct conversation inside the tent, and could only make out Jin Siyu asking: ¡°What now¡­¡± A voice quickly answered: ¡°Something went wrong. Tangled¡­ quickly¡­¡± The voices were muffled, and then Jin Siyu was striding for the curtained door and exiting the tent. Just as he was about to speak, the camp¡¯s gate burst into an furor, and Feng Zhiwei could see a figure bursting into camp and guards moving to stop him. The man jumped and roared, yelling something, but he was too far away to make out words. A panicked soldier soon rushed towards the command tent and was soon reporting that several generals had been found dead in their tents. As Jin Siyu was stunned and still, Feng Zhiwei shoved San Sun and whispered: ¡°The plan has changed. Quickly take the King and Master Gu away!¡± Chapter 302 Second Tiger and Third Falcon[1] grabbed Gu Nanyi and Helian Zheng and ran for the cliffs, clambering up ropes the others had let down. Hua Qiong did not move, clutching her twin blades and staring at Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei barely held on to her composure, managing a smile as she said: ¡°I suddenly had a better idea. Did you see that man by the camp gate, he¡¯s also a part of my plan, you¡¯ll see!¡± Hua Qiong examined Feng Zhiwei without understanding, completely unable to process why any of this was happening. Cold sweat dripped down Feng Zhiwei¡¯s back, and she casually leaned against her sword to support her trembling legs, smiling around clenched teeth: ¡°Go quickly, don¡¯t ruin my plan!¡± With that, she lifted a hand and sent the flare signal. Feng Zhiwei shot the flare and kicked Hua Qiong towards the cliffside, and even though the loud noise and sudden brightness summoned wary enemies from their tents, all of them were momentarily blinded by the light. Shocked by the sudden move, Hua Qiong instinctively moved as Feng Zhiwei intended and was soon climbing up the cliff. Jin Siyu and Kereyid stood together before the main tent, their faces ghastly pale. When the brightness faded, Jin Siyu turned and spotted the shadows on the cliffs; Second Tiger and Third Falcon were both carrying people and were only halfway up the cliffside. Jin Siyu smirked coldly and with a flick of his hand, a bow appeared in his grasp with a thick, black arrow already knocked. He slowly drew the bowstring, the bow creaking calmly as he aimed for Helian Zheng¡¯s back. Jin Siyu¡¯s eyes were sharp, and though there were many silhouettes climbing the cliff, the ones being carried had a higher probability of importance, and so he did not even stop to think as he aimed at the faceless and unrecognizable Helian Zheng. Feng Zhiwei immediately shot another firework, aiming it at a torch in front of the tent. The makeshift flare shattered into the torch letting fly errant flame and sparks, the loud sound and bright light forcing Jin Siyu and Kereyid into alarmed retreat and throwing the heavy arrow off its course. The Da Yue camp was in full chaos with clueless people rushing around and no real command structure; Jin Siyu had to calm his men and rally his officers before he could pay any attention to the people escaping over the cliff. Kereyid finally spotted Feng Zhiwei, his eyes gleaming as he turned to speak to Jin Siyu. The prince was grabbing a sabre from a nearby soldier and moving to cut a rope dangling from the cliffside when they were all interrupted by a sudden masculine roar: ¡°Kereyid!¡± Kereyid turned right in time as a blood covered man pounced forward, grabbing him and biting down on Kereyid¡¯s neck. Kereyid cried out: ¡°You again!¡± Chaos reigned and everyone was variously stunned, horrified, surprised, and confused. Only Feng Zhiwei retained her calm, and she ran behind the cliff while Kereyid and Jin Siyu were distracted, pressing through the tall grass and fumbling her way into the secret retreat that they had prepared for just such strange misfortune. Once sequestered within the hole, she peeked out and recognized the bloody man as one of Helian Zheng¡¯s Eight Valiants, Big Roc[2]. The man¡¯s robes were covered in filth and his expression was torn with madness as he latched onto Kereyid with a death grip. Feng Zhiwei had no idea where he had come from or why he was here or why he had such great hatred for Kereyid. Kereyid was bemoaning his fate; he had used mind control witchcraft to extract Helian Zheng¡¯s destination from Big Roc, and when he had guessed at the plan he had hurried over to inform Jin Siyu, not expecting Da Peng to be strong minded enough to regain consciousness on his own. But Big Roc had not fully awoken and was possessed with only the most recent memory of his failure in protecting his King, and so it was under a haze of regret and resentment and hatred for Kereyid that he had chased the man across many li. He was the strongest of the Eight Valiants, and in his mad recklessness his strength had only grown; Kereyid could never throw him off and had been delayed time and time again, and it was in this way that Big Roc had unwittingly bought time for and saved Feng Zhiwei and her people. In the chaos, Big Roc had forced his way into camp, recognized his master being carried up the cliffside, spotted Kereyid, and felt a new burst of anger and hatred fill him ¡ª everything leading up to a sudden attack and him biting down on Kereyid¡¯s throat! Kereyid managed to jerk his head, but Big Roc¡¯s sharp teeth still dug a hole into his throat. Blood spurted as the deposed patriarch¡¯s rage soared, and the man tightened his grip on his blade as he whacked and stabbed, but though Big Roc roared and grunted with pain as his flesh was torn and his bones crushed, he refused to let Kereyid loose, biting and gnawing and tearing with teeth like a crazed beast. The two fell to the ground and rolled around like fighting animals; blood flowed and flesh flew loose, leaving great scarlet marks on the ground. The sudden and terrible fight left even Jin Siyu stunned. ¡°Big brother!¡± A heart-ripping roar came from the cliff as Second Tiger and Third Falcon finally turned and saw what was happening. Their eyes were bloodshot and tense and their hands twitched as if to let go of the cliffside and rush back to camp, but they forced themselves to continue forward, their nails cracking against the stone with the tightness of their renewed grips. ¡°Shoot!¡± Jin Siyu called out, pointing to the cliff. Feng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes snapped upwards; Third Falcon and Second Tiger were only an arm-length from the top of the cliff, but they would not make it in time. Without hesitation, she tore off her mask and unraveled her neat hair before running out of the hole. At least she tried to run, but in truth she rolled weakly, all her strength drained out of her even as her meridians burned. She could only push herself to roll and roll again, moving for Jin Siyu, causing him to flinch back and draw his bright blade at the unexpected approaching shadow. Jin Siyu still maintained his awareness despite the shock, and he leapt upwards to dodge the coming attack, but Feng Zhiwei moved as if she could anticipate his every thought. After her initial horizontal strike, she shifted the angle of her blade and thrust viciously upwards at Jin Siyu¡¯s crotch. An alarmed Jin Siyu hurriedly pulled away, flipping backwards and barely keeping his feet as he landed, his sword immediately ready for the next attack, but Feng Zhiwei was collapsed on the ground and weakly waving at him as if saying ¡°you can rest now.¡± Jin Siyu¡¯s face paled and he turned back to the cliff. Second Tiger and Third Falcon had already disappeared over the cliff edge and vanished into the darkness. The prince snorted angrily and strode forward, his sword gleaming coldly as he struck down at Feng Zhiwei¡¯s heart! Feng Zhiwei lay motionless, no strength left within her. The ground beneath her shook with the galloping hoofs of ten thousand horses, but she could not tell if that was her pounding heart or Yao Yangyu¡¯s cavalry. The night had been filled with unexpected misfortune, but the plan had not completely failed. The only pity was that she would not survive. A heavy weight had lain on her heart since her mother¡¯s death, and as she thought of letting it all go, Feng Zhiwei did not feel sad or reluctant, but relieved ¡ª death was good, freedom from painful heartache and difficult decisions. And so she smiled as the snowy gleam of the sword fell towards her, and she saw a solemn palace perched atop a thousand levels of jade stairs. On high in place of honor sat a golden throne carved with flying dragons and soaring phoenixes, and a luxuriantly gorgeous and elegantly enchanting man was slowing sitting ¡­ [1] Er Hu = Second Tiger; San Sun = Third Falcon. Eight Valiant naming scheme is ofc genius. [2] Da Peng = Big Roc; the ¡°Big¡± valiant AKA the FIRST valiant. Chapter 303 She saw a young man in a watery sky-cyan robe atop a snowy white mountain holding hands with an adorable young girl, smiling together and looking out at the broad, vast world. She saw a handsome and bright man atop a handsome horse galloping across the endless steppes¡­ ¡°Clang!¡± Metal screeched against metal and sparks flew before her, the dazzling light forcing her to narrow her eye. A person rolled over beside her, gasping. Feng Zhiwei turned her head to look into Hua Qiong¡¯s mud covered face. She stared at the young woman, no words on her lips. Hua Qiong smiled fearlessly, her bright voice unmarred by the mud and dirt as she said: ¡°Hey, playing hero without me?¡± Feng Zhiwei stared at her and the two mud and blood splattered woman smiled at each other; blades ringed them from above, swords aimed at their hearts, but they only had eyes for each other. Some of the soldiers who had not yet made it up the cliffside looked back and saw Feng Zhiwei and Hua Qiong surrounded, so they cut their ropes and leaped down. Feng Zhiwei clenched her teeth and climbed to her feet with Hua Qiong¡¯s assistance, the two women supporting each other, leaning on their weapons, determined smiles on their lips as they faced their thousand enemies. With brave blade they struck. Blood splashed as they trades a slash for a life, every step reaping another death. Feng Zhiwei knew in her heart that the cavalry was not yet here, but if the enemies caught up to Helian Zheng and Gu Nanyi, the steppe elites would not be able to guarantee their lives. She never loved the desperate fight, but for now there was no choice. Her body was strengthless, so she feinted and baited enemies in for Hua Qiong to finish them; the pair fought as one, and soon corpses were piled up around them in little hills. Blood and flesh and brain and shit splattered their faces, but there was no time and no spare strength to wipe the filth away. Around the camp, Hu Zhuo corpses piled up as men charged forth. Just as Hua Qiong and Feng Zhiwei fought past their exhaustion in the vain hope of escape, their Hu Zhuo brothers threw their lives behind their blows to cut a way through to them. The Hu Zhuo elites pressed through the Da Yue soldiers, paving a way with blood and bone, inching closer to Hua Qiong and Feng Zhiwei. No one backed away from death. Bodies pressed through sword and sabre, fear of cold metal death trampled and ignored. They fought a miserable and terrible battle unto heroic death. ¡°Good sister¡­¡± Feng Zhiwei leaned slightly and gasped whispers in a momentary lull. ¡°Chunyu Meng and Yao Yangyu will be here soon. Hold on¡­ the cave, wait for opportunity¡­ hide¡­ there will be a turn¡­¡± ¡°If we go it will be together, if we stay we will stay together.¡± Hua Qiong replied, parrying a stabbing spear with the rest of her strength, leaving a gap for a biting sabre the cut forward like a pouncing snake. Feng Zhiwei slashed out, slapping the blade away. Feng Zhiwei smiled around a mouthful of blood, teasing: ¡°What poor¡­aim.¡± Hua Qiong took advantage of the soldier¡¯s stunned pause and chopped the man¡¯s arm off. Her sabres hung limply from her hands as she coughed up exhausted flecks of blood, laughing heavily: ¡°My blow was true!¡± Jin Siyu stood in the distance watching the two women, too enraged to order archers forward. He had not thought the exhausted pair would fight with such courage and ferocity, putting many men he knew to shame! When did Tian Sheng raise such heroic women? Jin Siyu stood in the flickering light, his heart wavering like the dancing flame. He was shocked by the fearless Hu Zhuo warriors pushing forward to their deaths and astonished by the almost gentle smile on the bloody women before him ¡ª such determination, and such fearless, sad eyes. Finally he stepped forward, wielding his sabre with blade edge facing backwards. ¡°Pa!¡± He struck Feng Zhiwei¡¯s temple with the back of the sabre. Pain was followed by darkness, and Feng Zhiwei¡¯s last sight was Hua Qiong at her side and horsemen charging through the camp gates. As darkness took her, she swore to herself. I have to live. ¡­ In the Fourteenth Year of Chang Xi, at the turn of September, the world-famous battle of White Head Cliff was fought. The Ten Thousand Horsemen under Wei Zhi made a pincer attack through the impassable White Head Mountain and White Spirit Lake, attacking from within and without in a surprise night raid on Da Yue¡¯s Main Army Camp. The elites were daggers in the night while the Steel Battalion was a charging lance, and every steppe soldier fought ten enemies. Fearless courage met shaken panic, and blood flowed from the Shunyi Steel Battalion¡¯s sabres until countless dark pools lay scattered in the dirt, reflecting the moon. Horsemen ran roughshod over the ten mile stretch of camp, throwing the enemy into chaos, leaving behind countless bodies wherever they rode. That night in the most decisive victory of the entire war, eleven enemy generals were slain, thirty thousand soldiers were killed or injured, and twenty thousand were captured. It was the most important battle since Tian Sheng¡¯s defeat half a year ago, and the Tian Sheng forces followed the battle with hot pursuit, taking back all their lost land in a series of quick victories. Da Yue had no choice but to retreat to their border Pu City, and the decisive battle of the war seemed to have been won. A group of brilliant young generals emerged from the Battle of White Head Cliff, and among them were prominent members of the Dijing upper class: Chunyu Meng, Yao Yangyu, Yu Liang, and Huang Baozi. The previous foppish philanderers stunned the world with their magnificent military talent and peerless courage, washing away the notorious reputation of Dijing¡¯s worthless young masters. After the battle, these young leaders of Shunyi Battalion were dispatched to important posts in the various armies, young rising stars that stirred the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s desire to unify the world. The eyes of Tian Sheng youths gleamed at the stories and honors won by their compatriots, and for a long time after, Dijing young masters streamed in to join the army. When the commoners heard the news of the great victory, excitement and cheer swept away yesterday¡¯s worries and gloom. For many days, people swarmed to the Country Protecting Temple and the Thanksgiving Temple to offer a trio of incense, wishing for peace across the lands, praying for the war to end quickly, and honoring the brave and heroic slain that they may rest in peace. But though joy filled the eyes of the common people, the happy songs in the streets did not pass into the depths of the glorious Imperial Palace or touch the vast borders. In the lofty Imperial Palace, the common servants walked with light feet and quiet smiles, but the door to the Emperor¡¯s Imperial Study was sealed shut. The great Son of Heaven carefully pored over the previous years letters and documents the archive office had pulled for him, and atop the pile sat a letter written in a delicate and heroic hand: ¡°Suppressing Yue Dual Stratagem.¡± The Tian Sheng Emperor carefully read every word of the Memorandum to the Throne. After much thought, he took up his brush and wrote: Da Yue will soon be defeated, and the time is ripe. The Suppressing Yue Dual Stratagem is a fine and sound strategy proposed by Minister Wei. The Cabinet shall make it the highest priority, and set out a plan for the border cities to implement. An attending eunuch respectfully accepted the Imperial Order, placing it in a golden casket before hand delivering it to the Cabinet in the Hao Yun study. With that done, the Tian Sheng Emperor sat motionlessly, thinking over what he had just read, his eyes glancing again and again to a military report laying in his desk. The Emperor sighed. ¡°What a shame¡­¡± Chapter 304 In Tian Sheng¡¯s army camp on the northern border, happy soldiers packed and prepared to depart. The war would cease for the moment; Da Yue was too weak for a threatening offensive and the coming winter would bog down all movement, so Tian Sheng¡¯s main forces would retreat south to De Zhou and Yu Zhou. Passing soldiers curiously eyed the lonely, utterly silent tent of the Military Inspector. Even though there would be no conflict for the foreseeable future, His Highness had begged leave to stay on the northern border in case Da Yue attempted subterfuge, and His Majesty had agreed. And so instead of returning to colorful Dijing, Prince Chu would remain in the frigid north; no one understood what His Highness was thinking. No oil lamp lit the tent, and the curtain windows and door were closed on all sides. The sunlight piercing the cloth only lit the tent into a grey and indistinct dusk. A man sat by his desk facedown, his head supported by arms crossed atop the table. He had sat like this for the entire night never stirring, as if time would not pass and the days did not turn. Wind snuck throw a gap in the tent walls and a thin military report almost fluttered free of the desk. This report was a twin to the one that had sat on the Tian Sheng Emperor¡¯s desk. Tidy words spelled out the sorrow and sacrifice and glory and joy of Tian Sheng. ¡°Battle of White Head Cliff. Three hundred Shunyi men climbed down a cliff behind the Da Yue camp and snuck into camp, assassinating eleven Da Yue Generals and thirty-six guards, paving the way for Tian Sheng¡¯s great triumph. One hundred and forty of these men died under the enemy¡¯s counter attack, their corpses badly mutilated and many bodies remain unidentified¡­ Field Officer Hua Qiong and Vice General Wei Zhi were killed in action.¡± ¡­ Da Yue, in the Twentieth Year of the De Hua Dynasty, Winter, the Pu Border City. Pu City was the richest and most prosperous border city along the Da Yue borders, and it was here that the Da Yue army retreated after the Battle of White Head Cliff. Orderly tents had been set up around the city walls, and though discipline still remained, the sadness and dismay on the soldiers¡¯ faces could not be hidden. Early one morning, a light mist covered the Pu City gates and a large line of commoners waited to enter. There was still a quarter hour before the gates would open, so the group chatted and gossiped. ¡°I heard there was a great defeat!¡± ¡°No, the soldiers only withdrew.¡± ¡°I heard that we were about to win the war when a brave enemy general attacked our camp in the night, and ten thousand soldiers killed a hundred thousand of our men!¡± ¡°Bullsh*t! That¡¯s not possible! They killed at most ten thousand. I heard it was the Hu Zhou Tribe¡¯s Steel Battalion, a cavalry group famed for bravery and ferocity. This is revenge for the time our Prince An ambushed and killed the Hu Zhuo elites several months ago.¡± ¡°They struck back so quickly. This new Hu Zhuo King is even more fierce than the last one, incredible. ¡°If we had known, we would never have offended those steppe barbarians, but I heard that the general who led them was from Tian Sheng.¡± ¡°Who? Who is so fierce? Even our wise and brilliant Prince An lost to him!¡± ¡°He died! I heard the battle was terrible, and the enemy team that snuck in were trapped and surrounded by over ten thousand soldiers. Over a hundred bodies piled up around Prince An¡¯s feet, but a group of their soldiers refused to retreat. In the end our soldiers killed until their hands grew weak, and because the General was personally leading the sneak attack, he saw firsthand all his men die. He hugged the corpses and cried out, saying: ¡®My brothers¡¯ corpses have formed a mountain, how can I live without them!¡¯ And he cut his throat. Look there, that¡¯s his head hanging from the city gate.¡± The people looked up at the two heads hanging above the city gates, filthy hair fluttering limply in the wind; the dark hair covered the blood spattered faces, obscuring all features from view, and it was only clear that the beheaded people had been quite young. The commoners stared with conflicted gazes, shaking their heads in sorrow. One of them murmured: ¡°What a pity, not even great heroes can die with their bodies whole¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Another voice scolded, ¡°They are the leaders of our enemy!¡± The crowd fell silent and the gathered group slowly scattered, none of them noticing the lurking men in the dark corners of the mist, some of them quivering, others clenching their fists. Further away, a man leaned against the inside wall of a coach, quietly listening to the crowd¡¯s gossip. The dull sunlight was obscured by the curtains and the man¡¯s features were indistinct as he lifted the curtain beside him and looked up at the hanging heads. He examined the ugly sight very carefully, studying the strange and unclear features, carving them into his memory. Finally he shook his head and let the curtain fall, a joyless smile on his face. ¡°Is that you¡­¡± A faint voice murmured and died within the walls of the carriage. There was no one to answer him. ¡°If it were you, how would you die on the hill of your brothers? Would you not say, My brothers have died and I will avenge them. You would hide your knife, and when they came to inspect your corpse, you would cut their throats.¡± ¡°That is who you are¡­ Zhiwei.¡± Fingers gently drummed the coach wall, and a quiet reminiscing smile bloomed on lips like a cold mandala flower blossoming in water. ¡°Feng Zhiwei.¡± ¡°Before I die, how could you bear to pass?¡± More and more people gathered to wait outside the closed gates, and a distant group was soon approaching, a great banner fluttering above them bearing the name: An. All the commoners made way for their prince. Even though this prince had lost a great battle and been forced to retreat, Prince An had not lost any Imperial affection. The Da Yue Emperor replaced the Vice General but Jin Siyu remained in overall command. The army quartering at the border city also declared for all the hear that the prince was unwilling to leave and accept the humiliation. He waited here for winter to end so that the fighting could renew come spring. The prince¡¯s train never slowed, and the city gates opened to welcome him in while all the commoners knelt by the road to greet their lord. Some people seemed to move a little slower, and guards turned to examine them with unkind eyes. Compatriots hurriedly pulled these men down, and their knees landed on the hard ground with audible thuds. ¡°Retards.¡± A guard cursed disdainfully before turning and ignoring them. These foolish men lifted their eyes to follow the passing train, eyeing Prince An¡¯s luxurious carriage before settling their focus on the last two coaches. These coaches looked like every other standard Da Yue passenger carriage, but they were guarded incredibly heavily; steel bars covered every opening and doors were bolted shut; the windows were closed and covered with thick curtains, and not even a shadow could be seen from within. Chapter 305 Translator: Aristophaneso A few of the men gathered outside the gate exchanged glances. One man¡¯s sleeve shifted. A black shadow flashed on the dirt below them, and a hurried voice immediately cried out: ¡°Aiya, snake!¡± The crowd reacted and everyone was jumping here and dodging there, and in the chaotic shuffle a man was squeezed and pushed and shoved and ended up stumbling over to the carriage train and falling under one of the coaches! The crowd cried out anew. The man underneath the wheels of the carriage seemed to be in a full blown panic, yelling and kicking and punching, generally making a lot of noise and pounding on the bottom of the carriage. He reached up to grab onto the sides of the coach¡¯s underbelly as if it steady himself. His flailing hid the shimmer of dark light flashing in the crook of his arm. A loud clatter followed the dark light, and an old clothes vendor stand by the road suddenly collapsed, its contents scattering and falling to the ground. The vendor owner cried out and hurried forward to collect his clothes, afraid that they would be tramped by the carriage wheels, his hands flashing forward to gather up all his wares. And it was in this way that the man underneath the carriage and the vendor lifted their arms in unison. But a moment later, the stand owner moved away. The carriages stopped and a guard rushed forward from the train¡¯s head. The man covered in dirt climbed up from beneath the coach, cursing loudly all the while: ¡°Which son of a b*tch pushed me! I almost died!¡± Meanwhile the stand owner hugged his clothes meekly, bowing and nodding and smiling for Prince An¡¯s guard, ¡°Honorable guard¡­ this peasant was also pushed by someone, please pardon this peasant¡¯s offenses..¡± The guard sneered at the two, ungently shoving them away and telling them to piss off. An order came from the team leader and the train began orderly rolling forward. It was only when Prince An¡¯s entourage passed out of view that the commoners could breath freely and make their way into the city for their various purposes. The blue-robed man who had rolled underneath the coach slapped dust away from his clothes as he joined a group of several other men. They bought some rolls of baked biscuit1 and squatted by the roadside, the exact image of some burly laborers. ¡°What happened?¡± A man in a wide black robe asked. ¡°I was stopped.¡± The blue-robed man replied, his eyes unfocused and covered in gunk. As he spoke, his hand rose to rub at his eyes before he remembered himself, smiling sheepishly when the black robed man glared meaningfully at him. ¡°Still not used to it¡­¡± ¡°Who were they? Why did they stop you?¡± ¡°When he stopped me from cutting open the carriage bottom, he only said ¡®No. Don¡¯t stir the snake in the grass.¡¯¡± The blue-robed man replied. ¡°His voice was earnest, and I also felt that something was wrong. The carriage was too heavy, and so I pulled back. I don¡¯t know who this person way, but I did not sense any hostility; many people did not believe the news, and we are not the only people trying to save her.¡± The black-robed man hmmed his assent and fell silent. Beside him, the man squatting in the coarse yellow robe stirred uncomfortably, shifting here and there as if lice were creeping over him. He paid no attention to the conversation beside him as his eyes swept over the area around them, and suddenly he plucked a leaf from a nearby tree and announced: ¡°They also have them here.¡± He folded the leaf and placed it in his lips, playing a faint tune swiftly lost in the noisy market. His companions said nothing, quietly watching him as he focused on the leaf flute, blowing without ever tiring. The men listened and listened until they could no longer bear it, and just as they were going to open their mouths to ask the yellow-robed man to stop, the man lowered the flute and gently murmured: ¡°Play the flute, and I will find you.¡± The blurry eyed, blue-robed man turned away. The black-robed man¡¯s ordinary tallow face looked up at the heads perched above the city gate as he thought; the blue-robed man gestured, dissatisfied as he said: ¡°Why are you staring, don¡¯t look at it!¡± With those words, he turned away, determined to ignore the heads. The yellow-robed young man also ignored the heads as he slowly chewed on his baked biscuit. ¡°It¡¯s not her.¡± The blue-robed man turned, suddenly attentive. He leaned down and hurriedly asked: ¡°How can you be sure?¡± The yellow-robed young man shoved the other man away. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡± The black-robed man said, his eyes still fixed on the decapitated heads above. ¡°Did you never wonder, if she is still alive, why would Jin Siyu keep it a secret? If she¡¯s alive, why does he not know her true identity? What exactly happened that night?¡± The others fell into solemn silence, and finally the blue-robed man replied with heavy bitterness: ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± The yellow-robed young man flicked his sleeve and the baked biscuit crumbled to dust. He stared quietly at the disintegrated baked good before turning away, facing the wall. The blue-robed man stared in disbelief, grabbing the young man and turning him from his silent self-punishment, scolding him all the while: ¡°This is not Tian Sheng. You are not by her side. We are in enemy Da Yue; she is in danger, her fate unknown! You need to get a handle of yourself! You need to speak clearly and act normally! You have no choice! If you get us killed, you will get her killed!¡± His words and tone were harsh, and the man in the wide black robes was about to protest, but just as the black-robed man opened his mouth, he stopped himself and sighed. The yellow-robed young man showed no anger, not pushing the blue-robed man aside. He seemed to think for a moment before lifting his head solemnly and asking: ¡°If I am normal we can find her? If I don¡¯t act like you, she will die?¡± ¡°Aiya, yes, just speak like that!¡± The blue-robed man nodded hurriedly as if scared any delay on his part and the young man would lapse into abnormality once more. The yellow-robed man squatted once more, nodding after a moment as he spoke: ¡°She wants me to leave my shell. She¡¯s said that if she could see me like that, she would be very happy to come see me.¡± He spoke slowly with many a pause as if pondering deeply and laboring carefully before a single fluent, connected sentence. The other two men exchanged happy looks, and the black-robed man could not help but murmur: ¡°Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise¡­¡± ¡°His heaven and earth is only her; without her, he cannot even return to what he was before.¡± The blue-robed man muttered enviously as he squatted. ¡°I am also to blame.¡± The black-robed man sighed before continuing: ¡°I should not have left, how else would you have been poisoned?¡± ¡°Enough!¡± The blue-robed man replied grumpily. ¡°All the blame is mine! I was too soft-hearted to be great! That mother****** from De Zhou and the Yu Zhou Grain Official. Medora escaped, so they drugged the new grain. Who knew that everything would go wrong? We never eat the new grain, but suddenly we were eating fresh porridge!¡± Chapter 306 ¡°No one is to blame, it was just accidents of fate. We already went over this when Little Yao wanted to die to repay his crime, and you punish yourself even now, but for what?¡± The man in the large, black robes said calmly. ¡°It is in the past and regret is useless. We must turn now to correcting the mistake.¡± ¡°F*** why did she knock me out she should have f***ing¡­¡± The blue-robed man murmured, angry at the world as he squeezed the sesame seeds off his baked biscuit. ¡°She promised to protect you and protect your steppe, she could not allow you to fall into danger.¡± The black-robed man sighed. ¡°And all her secret guards died that night, so some matters only she knows¡­¡± The trio fell silent as they turned to look off where the carriages had disappeared from view. Where are you? ¡­ In Pu City on that day, some people sat in coaches and some people squatted by the road. So many different characters from far flung lands had gathered here, sleeping beneath dewed leaves and dining with the wind. Meanwhile, the person at the center of the whole commotion slept under a silk blanket in a many courtyarded mansion with very high walls. This ¡°Pu Yard¡¯ Mansion sat in the eastern sector of Pu City, and its painted pillars and carved beams flaunted taste and beauty to any who passed through the strong gates. This was the home villa of the wealthiest family in the city, and the Liu Family had vacated it for the use of His Highness Prince An. Heavy curtains were rolled back and tied to the sides of windows, and a tall, thin figure strode quickly, the rustling wind in his wake stirring his sleeves and curtains alike. Servant girls and footboys busied themselves here and there, bowing and retreating and waiting on their betters. The figure made directly for the third courtyard, and after many turns and a hidden gate covered by flowers, he stopped before a set of doors. ¡°How is she?¡± The man asked the female physician stationed by the door. The woman quietly replied: ¡°She should be waking soon, but I do not know what she will be like when she does¡­¡± The man¡¯s expression grew ever more solemn, and it was a moment before he replied: ¡°You can leave. Watch over the other one, take care. Allow no accidents.¡± The female physician calmly accepted the order and left as the man quietly stepped into the room. A calming incense burned inside, its fragrance fresh and pleasant. On the silk sheets, a person lay sleeping, and a blanket covered her from toe to jaw, leaving only the delicate and pretty palm-sized face open to the air. Her skin was smooth and a touch pale as if long untouched by the sun. Faint scratches were visible on her cheeks and temple, and the faint crescent of a healed scar sat on her forehead, a not at all unpleasant mark that only added to her air of mystery. Between her brows sat a faint red dot, almost like blood pooling underneath her skin. Regardless, her breath was even and smooth, and she seemed to be in a deep and restful sleep. The man stared at her for a long time, quietly remembering the chaos of that night¡¯s attack. An unfamiliar woman had leapt forward, presumably a Tian Sheng warrior more ferocious than any man he had ever seen; expression unperturbed by the ten thousand men surrounding her, she slayed dozens and vomited blood, yet even in her deepest exhaustion her smile never faded. Her misty eyes were like pools of autumn water, but they held a tenacity and determination that could not fail to impress. He examined her face, pondering her identity. Many waves had charged to save her, charging forward to death; she had to be important, but though he had inquired everywhere and investigated through every channel he possessed, he could not uncover her identity. Her companion, however, was the easily recognizable ¡®Black Widow¡¯ Hua Qiong. He had seen first hand the faith these two women had placed in each other, a complete trust that hinted at a special camaraderie¡­ the man frowned, a bold, vague thought cutting through his mind. This guess was why he had held his tongue, allowing the infamous Black Widow to live. He could never admit that he had spared Hua Qiong¡¯s life because he had been moved by the mysterious woman as she clutched Hua Qiong¡¯s hand before she fainted. Who is she? Thoughts clouded his mind and pressed down on his heart, and the man kept his silent vigil, his expression shifting with his thoughts, but when the sunlight chased away the room¡¯s shadows and reached his face, the face of this elegant and mild featured man held only frightening cold. Da Yue¡¯s Prince An, Jin Siyu, stared down at the sleeping woman, deep in thought. The woman shifted in the bed, beginning to stir. Jin Siyu immediately stood, parting a hidden door. Light flickered in the dark space, vaguely glinting over blood stained instruments along the wall, iron bars, and rotten straw. Under the luxurious room lay a dungeon. Jin Siyu grabbed the stirring woman and carried her into the dungeon, pushing through an iron-barred door and tossing her into the rotten straw. Across the dark dungeon room, a few shadows stepped through another entrance. jin Siyu silently glanced at them before turning back to the woman before him. After his less than gentle toss, she woke. And so it was to the dim oil lamps of the dark room that she once again opened her eyes. Mistiness like autumn rain shone in her softy eyes, their beauty unmarred by bloody conflict, and once again Jin Siyu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The prince shifted his gaze, his eyes calmly examining her expressions. The woman had just woken from a coma, and for a moment she could not make sense of her surroundings. She slowly pushed herself up in the straw, moaning as she trembled, grasping at her head as if dizzied. After a moment, she lifted her eyes once more. Light flickered on the edges of the scar on the corner of her forehead, and the faint redness between her brows deepened. She looked around with confusion before focusing on the man in front of her. Jin Siyu had not moved. His position was perfectly calculated for safety, and an untold number of experts hid in the darkness to protect him. If she dared attack, her fate would be more tragic than death. But the woman did nothing. She sat numbly and stared blankly before turning her attention to the straw in which she lay, shifting the rottener offenders away and tossing them aside before calmly lying back down on the somewhat fresher straw. She shifted a little to find a comfortable position, finally murmuring: ¡°Why do I feel like the straw used to be softer and warmer¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jin Siyu stared in disbelief. He had considered a dozen scenarios for this woman¡¯s waking, from wild attacks to feigned innocence, but he truly had never imagined this. The woman seemed tired, and so she lay still, her eyes lidded as if she were about to drift off into sleep once more. Jin Siyu had been waiting for too long already, his belly aching with questions. After another moment, he lost his patience and stepped forward, kicking her. ¡°Wake up!¡± Her body flew across the room and audibly slapped into the wall, and Jin Siyu frowned at the sound. Chapter 307 - 307 Chapter 307 307 Chapter 307 The woman thudded against the wall and fell to the ground coughing, the dull rasp of her exhalations filling the dungeon and echoing unpleasantly. For better or worse, her tone was casual and collected. Jin Siyu frowned down at the woman, his eyes cold as he solemnly replied: ¡°You are not asking the questions. Who are you?¡± The woman narrowed her eyes at the prince, her expression indeterminable, containing neither the ferocity that she wore in battle nor any discernible emotion. Her face carried only a hint of confusion as she repeated back: ¡°Ah? Who am I?¡± Jin Siyu¡¯s eyes flicked to the scar on the woman¡¯s forehead and barked a cold laugh: ¡°Faking amnesia? To this Prince?¡± ¡°You are a prince?¡± The woman cocked her head at the man, a shade of delightful cunning touching her pretty face, causing a light to flash in Jin Siyu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did I offend you? Is this your mansion¡¯s dungeon?¡± The woman murmured as she looked around. ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± She paused in thought before slumping in exhaustion and lying back down, murmuring: ¡°My crime was not small, and your eyes wish to kill me. Let¡¯s not waste time; I¡¯m tired. If you¡¯re not going to give me food, then let me rest before you kill me.¡± ¡°You can choose to sleep forever, or to answer my questions.¡± Jin Siyu demanded, moving forward and grabbing the woman¡¯s jaw, shifting her gaze to the cold torture implements along the dungeon wall. The woman smiled helplessly, pondering the various hooks and blades and screws before cocking her head again and saying: ¡°Yes, I did not lose my memories. My name is Wang Shaoyao, and you are my enemy. I dressed as a man to get close enough to kill you for revenge, but I failed and was captured. That¡¯s what happened.¡± ¡°Why am I your enemy?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an evil tyrant, abusing good and virtuous people. You kidnapped peasant girls and stole land.¡± The woman paused to think as she spoke, her face utterly serious. ¡°You thought my Ancestral Home had good Feng Shui, and you wanted to take it for your Ancestral Burial Ground. You killed my dad by drowning him in the river and you forced my mother to death, making her hang herself¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Jin Siyu cried out with amused fury, cutting off her spiel of nonsense. The woman stopped, clutching her head and sighing. ¡°Hua La¡± Terrifying torture instruments were piled up in front of her. ¡°I am giving you a chance, but if you do not know what is good for you, you cannot blame this Prince for lacking mercy.¡± Jin Siyu said, quirking his lips in a joyless smile. ¡°Any of these eighteen tools can turn the rest of your life into pain and suffering picks one.¡± The woman lifted her eyes, her gaze flicking over the pile as she examined the instruments. Finally, she replied: ¡°Since a prince has come personally to question me, I must be a serious felon. I should be treated like such a felon, with white silk or poisoned wine or arsenic.¡± ¡°You want to die?¡± Jin Siyu¡¯s eyes chilled even more. ¡°I simply do not want to be tortured to death.¡± The woman smiled as she replied. ¡°I cannot answer your questions, but you will not accept anything else. You will torture me if I do not speak, and you will torture me if what I say dissatisfies you. The end result will be the same no matter what, so why waste time?¡± Jin Siyu fell silent, frustrated. His eyes touched her forehead scar again, confused suspicions filling his mind. The physician had examined her, and the strike to her forehead had been heavy. A brain injury was indeed possible, and that was on top of the clear evidence of an unfamiliar poison and illness in her meridians. He had examined her himself and had not been able to make sense of her eccentric pulse, and the only thing he had ascertained was that almost all of her True Qi was gone. Her Kung Fu was ruined. Everything he knew said that such a courageous, skilled female expert would be unable to suppress her grief and despair when she realized her Kung Fu had been destroyed, but this woman did not seem to care at all, as if she did not even remember that she had been an expert. ¡°Your Highness.¡± The Guard Leader stepped out of the shadows as Jin Siyu hesitated, ¡°With Sanmu Torture, there are no questions that remain unanswered¡± Jin Siyu turned his eyes to the pile on the ground, some of the tools used to burn skin, others to slowly dig out the spin, some to flay the skull, and even more tools to dislocate joints and separate bones Jin Siyu bit his lips; though he had never been bothered by these instruments, today he found them twisted and hideous. His eyes moved away and landed once more on the skinny and weak woman before him. As she lay curled, she seemed almost a child, her back small and the protruding curves of her bones thin like a butterfly¡¯s wings. Her fragility seemed so great that even his gaze might be too heavy. Hidden under his sleeves, Jin Siyu clenched and unclenched his fingers again and again. After a moment of struggle and indecision, the prince finally pointed to the smallest finger puncturing tool and said: ¡°That one.¡± A guard lifted the instrument and stepped forward. The woman looked down at the row of needles and smiled bitterly as she said: ¡°I really wish I could explain everything about my origin and the generations of my family.¡± ¡°I wish so as well.¡± Jin Siyu replied in a composed voice. ¡°Do not think that your fate is surely death. You are just a woman, perhaps you have been forced. If this Prince is willing, saving your life is an easy matter. Your life is in your hands, and if you do not know good or ill, you will only court death. ¡°I want to say that I¡¯ve been forced but you probably won¡¯t believe me.¡± The woman smiled bitterly, compliantly stretching her fingers forward even as she remained lying on the ground. Her fingers perched on the dirty straw, thin calluses on her knuckles barely marring the crystalline beauty of her nails. When the guard looked down at the elegant fingers that he was to destroy, he began to feel some reluctance. The woman¡¯s face was also dismayed and sympathetic as she examined her hand, turning her fingers before her eyes as she murmured: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve failed you, now we¡¯ll have to bid farewell to such perfection¡± Jin Siyu turned away. The light of the oil lamp flickered and shadows danced across the dungeon walls, dark reflections of looming guards and delicate instruments. Slowly, forcefully, almost delicately, and the smell of fresh blood slowly wafted upwards into Jin Siyu¡¯s nostrils. His face remained expressionless and emotionless, but his heart clenched in anticipation as he waited for a sound. He did not think the tender, formidable woman would cry or beg, but still he waited and waited, waiting in vain as a barely audible sigh passed through the quiet dungeon. Shaoyao is a type of peony, a sort of sister to Dowager Queen Mudan¡¯s name. ,three wood Chapter 308 - 308 Chapter 308 308 Chapter 308 The quiet, almost relieved sigh seemed to drift in from afar. Moments later, a guard was reporting: ¡°Your Highness, she¡¯s fainted.¡± Jin Siyu turned back to look at the woman laying in the straw, her forehead tight over her closed eyes and her face covered with crystalline sweat. Jin Siyu¡¯s eyes moved slowly downwards, stopping at the edge of her sleeve before he reached down and flipped the cloth back. A figure emerged from the darkness, clasping his hands and bowing to Jin Siyu before he said: ¡°Your Highness, this woman is quite strange. Has she really been struck stupid by the head blow?¡± Jin Siyu quirked his lips as he replied: ¡°We will see. No more questions today. Let us begin again tomorrow, and if tomorrow fails we will continue again the next day. I will have my answers.¡± ¡°I do not believe that Your Highness needs to waste such efforts.¡± The man smiled as he replied. ¡°She is just a woman, her Kung Fu is ruined and her hands are crippled, what trouble can she make? If Your Highness does not protest, perhaps it is easier to leave her for the camp¡¯s Red Tent.¡± The Red Tent brothels for the army camp. ¡°Fine.¡± Jin Siyu agreed easily. But the man who had made the suggestion was not finished, and he hurriedly added: ¡°Your Highness, this minor minister has reconsidered. The woman¡¯s identity is still unknown, and if we place her in a complex situation, we cannot be sure what problems she might cause. Perhaps it is best for Your Highness to spend some more effort and keep her around to interrogate.¡± ¡°What should we ask her?¡± Jin Siyu cocked an impatient brow, ¡°She killed so many of my Da Yue soldiers; so much so that even cutting her into pieces is not too heavy of a punishment. I do not think we need to continue questioning, just drag her out and execute her.¡± ¡°The woman¡¯s identity is still unknown.¡± The man smiled again as he answered. ¡°Even if she truly lost her memories, perhaps we can recover them with the right treatment. She may be important to Tian Sheng, and she may even have military intel. Killing her would be waste.¡± Jin Siyu thought over the matter and reluctantly agreed, ¡°Then keep her prisoner for now, and after we figure out her identity we will decide.¡± The man smiled again before begging his leave. Jin Siyu watched as the strange man departed, his eyes gleaming ¡ª this man was a new military counsellor dispatched by His Majesty, a military inspector disguised in an advisory role. After the great defeat, even though the Imperial Court still chose to favor him publicly, Jin Siyu knew he had lost some of His Majesty¡¯s trust. As he thought back to the Battle of White Head Cliff, darkness pooled in the depths of his eyes. The supposedly 17 year old Wei Zhi had made a daring attack with a mere three hundred sacrificial troops, destroying all of Jin Siyu¡¯s triumphs and almost ruining the foundation he had so laboriously built. It was said that Wei Zhi had been killed by a stray arrow in the night, but his corpse had never been identified. Too many corpses had been mutilated by enraged Da Yue soldiers, and in the end he simply chose two youngish bodies and hung their heads on the city gates to save face and bolster morale. He had been defeated, but at least the enemy general had been slain, and so he could still maintain his position. Jin Siyu stood silently, his hidden fingers clenching once more, his knuckles cracking with the tightness of his fist. Wei Zhi! ¡­ Early Winter was sweeping into the northern lands with snow on the horizon. The wind was harsh and cold, howling like the dying roars of warriors. Images; leaping fire¡­ neighing stallions¡­ the gleaming light of rising and falling blades¡­ blood spilling and spurting without end¡­ a chaos of footfalls and they were encircled¡­ protected only by hills made of flesh and bone¡­ a figure smiled coldly in the distance, moon white sleeves fluttering over a black horse¡­ snow was suddenly falling¡­ and she kneeled by lonely graves in the deeps of a woods¡­ She moaned, stirring. A pair of hands were instantly there, wiping her sweat with a fine silk handkerchief. A happy voice chirped: ¡°The girl¡¯s awake!¡± Rapid footsteps brought with them an unfamiliar aroma, comforting masculinity. She lay on something soft, and a smooth blanket covered her. A quite fragrance filled the air, and she could barely hear the tinkling of chimes in the wind. She did not need to see to know she was no longer in the dungeon. She stilled, her eyes shut as she quietly organized her thoughts. A rather secretive chamber in a mansion of wealth¡­ the room is sealed¡­ someone sits beside me¡­ they smell expensive¡­ the contained breaths of experts around us¡­ further off, gears turning¡­ poorly assembled, or poorly maintained. ¡°If you¡¯re awake, why don¡¯t you open your eyes?¡± The man¡¯s voice was gentle, but of course she would never be deceived by that. She opened her eyes and looked at the princely-robed man, staring blankly for a moment before recognizing him. She carefully lifted her bloated, bandaged hands and gestured weakly before saying: ¡°I¡¯m in pain. I don¡¯t want to talk.¡± Jin Siyu paused, surprised again by this woman¡¯s words. He looked at the returning sheen of sweat on the woman¡¯s forehead and thought of her head injury, her battle wounds, her internal injuries, and then her torture ¡ª what a pitiful woman. His heart softened, and he nodded to the servant girl to gently wipe her sweat away. ¡°A new place today?¡± The woman murmured as she shut her eyes, enjoying the soft ministrations of the servant girl. She spoke lazily: ¡°I have to tell you, I still remember nothing. If you get mad and angrily throw me into the dungeon, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to hurry or else I might fall asleep, and it¡¯ll be even more painful when I wake again.¡± Jin Siyu could not help a smile, though he quickly hid it as he replied in an indifferent voice: ¡°You seem to want to be tortured.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want to have to go back to torture after enjoying a few good days.¡± She replied. A frown crossed her brow and she opened her eyes once more, ¡°You¡¯re not going to send me there? Can I make a request then? Do you have food? I¡¯m hungry.¡± Jin Siyu paused once more. As a noble prince, he had met his fair share of women, but truly he had never known anyone like her. She was both heroic and casual, bold and prudent, cunning and honest. She spoke truths as if they were lies, and lied as if they were truths. She was lazy and shameless, but still carried herself with an awe-inspiring nobility. Truly a special woman, complex beyond compare. He gestured for the servant girl to bring some warm porridge. She ate with great enjoyment, fully focused on the simple meal and asking for seconds. The prince watched her eat for a while before finally saying: ¡°Later I will send you to the Red Tent.¡± The servant girl trembled, but the bedridden woman paid him no mind. ¡°Aiya, bring it back, I¡¯m not finished.¡± She focused on the returned food before casually asking: ¡°What is the red tent?¡±