Reign of the Phoenix

Chapter 11 – Biwu
Murong Zhining put the phoenix leaf jade in her palm and gazed at it, her eyes gentle. The leaf was a pure shiny green, smooth and translucent. At the tip of the leafstalk, there was a small hole tied to an intricate string made of red silk threads. The string had turned pink in some places, causing the necklace to seemingly to have quite a long history.

Murong Zhining used a silk handkerchief to rub the jade pendant, before carefully wearing it on her neck. Cai Sang rested her head in her hand and asked, “This is the maple leaf left for you from your mother? It doesn’t look like something a commoner family could have.”

Murong Zhining smiled. “This isn’t a maple leaf, it’s a phoenix tree leaf. A little big brother gave it to me when I was very little. I call it ‘Biwu.’”

Cai Sang grinned wickedly. “Ohh, so our Zhining already has someone she likes!”

Murong Zhining’s small face blushed a little. She slightly smacked Cai Sang’s forehead with her knuckle. “What are you thinking about now? I’ve been looking for that little big brother to return Biwu to him.”

Behind the two girls, Yan Feng stood with an icy face. Every time he visited Qixiang Palace, he would dismiss the eunuchs and maids first, because he didn’t want to disturb Murong Zhining. He had heard very clearly the conversation between the girls just now. Yan Feng was furious; Murong Zhining was keeping a token that someone else had given to her.

When the girls saw Yan Feng behind, they hastily knelt to pay their respects. Yan Feng’s icy face was expressionless. “Didn’t this emperor tell you already? No need for formalities.”

With a dark face, Yan Feng sat down at the table. Cai Sang tactfully withdrew to make tea.

Yan Feng extended his hand and grabbed Murong Zhining’s arm, his eyes overrun with murderous intent. “Take that stone off your neck and let me see it.”

Murong Zhining looked at Yan Feng in confusion. She couldn’t understand why he was angry. She gently freed her hand from Yan Feng’s, then slowly took off “Biwu” and delivered it to his hand.

Receiving the piece of green jade, Yan Feng carefully sized it up. His brows knitted as he found this jade piece somewhat familiar. However, he couldn’t remember where he had seen it.

What made Yan Feng furious was when he suddenly related this to the sky lantern in the courtyard several days ago, and the phoenix leaf picture along with the small handwriting on it: ‘Lil’ Big Brother, where are you? How can I find you and return Biwu to you?’ This proved that Murong Zhining already had someone else in her heart.

“Who’s the man who gave it to you?” Yan Feng asked in a chilling tone. Murong Zhining twirled the hair that fell on her chest, her eyes downcast. “How does it concern Your Majesty who gave it to me?”

At this moment, Cai Sang returned with the tea. Seeing Yan Feng’s face clouded in rage, Cai Sang was terrified. She only handed the teapot to Murong Zhining with a drooped head and quietly retreated.

Murong Zhining took the teapot to Yan Feng and offered with two hands. “Your Majesty, please have some tea.”

Yan Feng swung his hand. The pot fell on the ground with a crunchy sound and shattered. In that moment, the courtyard went dead quiet. No one spoke.

After a long time, Yan Feng was first to open his mouth, his voice chilly as ever. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll smash it.” He lifted his hand and pretended to throw Biwu on the ground.

Murong Zhining gently tugged on his sleeve. “This servant doesn’t know why Your Majesty is angry. When I was little, my nanny and I were taken by some brigands. In their lair, we rescued a kidnapped boy. When that boy escaped, he gave it to me, and told me to use it to find him should I have the chance.”

Yan Feng’s face relaxed a little. “Is that true? If so, I will help you keep it safe. I shall have my people find the owner of this jade piece, and then, I shall return it to him in your stead.”

Murong Zhining snatched Biwu from Yan Feng’s hand. “I won’t trouble Your Majesty. I will go find Little Big Brother myself.”

Yan Feng knew that he had overdone it just now, but he didn’t let his anxiety show. He reached out his palm. “What ‘Little Big Brother’? This emperor will not allow it. Hurry and give me that stone. I’ll help you return it.”

Murong Zhining ignored him. She put Biwu back around her neck and carefully slipped the jade pendant into her lapel. Trying to suppress his fury, Yan Feng glared with wide eyes and growled. “Murong Zhining you are becoming more and more unruly these days. Don’t think that I can’t do anything to you. I have plenty of ways to deal with you!”

Murong Zhining pouted. “This servant is used to being wild and ignorant of the rules. I ask Your Majesty to expel me from the palace and spare me from angering you every day!”

Yan Feng found her pouty face extremely adorable. Seeing as the surroundings were completely quiet and empty of other people, he pulled Murong Zhining into his embrace. “You think you can still leave my palace now?”

Yan Feng’s sudden actions scared Murong Zhining. She tried to push him out, but the more she pushed, the tighter he held her. Yan Feng lowered his head and whispered into her ear. “Don’t you know how audacious you are? If this emperor really wanted to fuss about it, your head would have rolled many times already.”

Murong Zhining was tense and terrified at the same time. This was the first time she was hugged so tightly by a man. She was so embarrassed that her face flushed beet red. She could think of nothing else but hung her head, wanting to avoid Yan Feng’s burning gaze. She might have the guts to stare straight into his furious eyes, but at the current moment, she knew not how to face them.

Desperate to evade Yan Feng’s overbearing momentum, she covered her face with both hands and buried her head deep in his chest.

The emperor’s warm breath wandered between the nape of her neck and her ear. Embarrassed and scared, Murong Zhining shrank herself as much as possible. By her ear, Yan Feng threatened in a low voice, “If you dare to act like that again, you’ll see just how I’ll handle you.” Then, he pressed his lips on the back of the girl’s burning neck.

Yan Feng let go of the appalled Murong Zhining and turned around to leave. He laughed as he walked, his voice booming, “Murong Zhining, this emperor just kissed your neck. Aren’t you scared that you’ll get pregnant? Hahahaha…”

Murong Zhining never thought Yan Feng would use this old story to tease her like this. In a mix of mortification and anger, she stood there covering her face without any other reaction for what seemed like half a day.

The next day, Yan Feng sent a eunuch to announce a verbal decree: Yan Feng wanted Murong Zhining to bring Cai Sang and Chun Xing to stay in Wan’an Palace for a few days to help him sort out his books.

Murong Zhining expressed gratitude for the favor. Then, she brought Cai Sang and Chun Xing to Yan Feng’s quarters.

The three girls stayed at the Imperial Study to sort through stack upon stack of books. Cai Sang and Chun Xing sort of considered Murong Zhining their master and couldn’t bear to let her work, so they made her sit aside to read any book she took an interest in.

The Imperial Study was located at the east of Wan’an Palace area and very close to the emperor’s sleeping chambers. Most of the time, Yan Feng would be present in this room, either handling reports or reading books. The Imperial Study held a large number of books, but there were eunuchs to take charge of sorting and arranging them, so there actually wasn’t much for the girls to do. Yan Feng had called them here per Qi Shangming’s idea, so that he could see Murong Zhining every day without the need to find an excuse.

After attending to the court, Yan Feng returned to the Imperial Study to go through the reports. Feeling strangely reassured with Murong Zhining nearby, his report handling efficiency was greatly boosted.

During his leisure time, Yan Feng would make Murong Zhining accompany him to study the music books or play Go. Murong Zhining seemed to be frightened by his hug last time, so she now acted a bit cold toward him. Yan Feng didn’t mind, though. He felt that, with his charm, Murong Zhining’s heart would be his sooner or later. He was in no hurry at all.

At night, after Yan Feng was done with work or reading books, he would return to the sleeping chamber for sleep. From the empty side rooms in Wan’an Palace, Yan Feng chose the one nearest to his sleeping chamber for Murong Zhining. Sometimes, Yan Feng used the excuse there weren’t enough servants at night in the evening to call her over to serve him tea and such. Every time, Murong Zhining would pouted and made a face as if she had been greatly wronged. Upon seeing her like that, Yan Feng was both angry and amused at the same time.

Yan Feng was a reclusive and eccentric person; he rarely visited the concubines’ sleeping quarters, and he never ordered to have them over at Wan’an Palace for copulation. There were occasions in the past when he had stayed the night in Chiyun Ping’s Minghui Palace, but only did so with the unwillingness to fulfill a duty. He only felt that he should treat Chiyun Ping a little better, nothing more. But recently, he wouldn’t visit even go to Minghui Palace.

Yan Feng’s eunuch-in-waiting, Qi Shangming, found this extremely perplexing. Yan Feng was still in the prime of his youth; he shouldn’t be so unresponsive towards women. Several times, the eunuch would ask Yan Feng if something had gone wrong with his body and if he needed the physician to come take a look, Yan Feng would refuse and forbade him from mentioning it again.

Yan Feng himself had thought he had some kind of difficult-to-mention disease, until only recently, he finally realized that it was all because he hadn’t yet met the right person. And, Murong Zhining was that right person; she was his cure.

Her every move made him fall madly in love and adjured him to keep thinking about her. For her, Yan Feng would blush and his heart would beat fast like a hotheaded youngster stuck in the net of love. For her, he finally felt what they called “one day apart seems like three years.” This was something Yan Feng had never experienced before. It had always been the other women trying everything to fawn over him, but now, surprisingly, he needed to put aside his ego to please a girl. Thinking of this, Yan Feng helplessly shook his head and smiled.

Sitting on the Dragon Bed, Yan Feng casually flipped through an entertaining book. Reading a book before sleep was a habit of his. Murong Zhining was standing straight at the side. Yan Feng turned to her. “I feel a bit hot. You help me fan.” He handed her a folding fan.

Murong Zhining slowly fanned Yan Feng even though the expression on her face screamed unwillingness. It wasn’t that she feared working, she was only afraid that they’d get too close. Murong Zhining mumbled with displeasure, “Doesn’t Your Majesty have many maids and eunuchs serving you?”

Yan Feng stood up and looked at her at a close distance. “Are you really so unwilling to be around me? You don’t want to serve me?”

As she stood in front of him, Murong Zhining had to bear the pressure Yan Feng imposed on her due to their height difference. She pouted and weakly protested, “This servant doesn’t dare!”

“There’s actually something you don’t dare to do?” Angry, Yan Feng snatched back the fan from her hand and began to fan himself.

Murong Zhining’s face was full of nothing but grievance. “This servant is too clumsy, I’m only afraid that I will spoil your mood.”

Those words contented Yan Feng. He stepped closer and grabbed Murong Zhining’s small hands, then pressed them to his chest. “I don’t know why, but whenever I see you, I would feel very happy!”

Murong Zhining wanted to retract her hands, but Yan Feng pressed them too tightly. Her embarrassed face was dyed with the color of pink blossoms. “Your Majesty, please conduct yourself! While this servant is of lowly origin, I still have my own dignity!”

This wasn’t enough to get Yan Feng to let her off. He smiled sinisterly. “It’s not like I’m doing anything to you. Holding hands won’t make you pregnant after all.”

Murong Zhining angrily glared at him. “Your Majesty, do you plan to keep using that to make fun of me? When I said it, at most I would be laughed at for being uneducated. But, Your Majesty is erudite and informed, and you still made the same mistake, didn’t you? When Your Majesty laughs at me, don’t you feel embarrassed yourself?”

Seeing Murong Zhining really angry, Yan Feng let go of her hands and laughed merrily. “Wow! Isn’t this the legendary ‘fly into a rage out of humiliation’? Every time, it’s always you who makes me angry and still pushes the blame all one me. Ai… Maybe I owed you money in our previous life and didn’t pay it off!”

Murong Zhining pouted. “If Your Majesty hates me for being so stupid, you can expel me from the palace instead of mocking me like this!”

Yan Feng pulled her into his embrace and declared, “In your dreams! If you ever think of leaving again, this emperor will definitely teach you an unforgettable lesson.”

Inside Minghui Palace, Chiyun Ping lazily leaned back on the couch, her bitter and forlorn eyes glistened with tears. Over a month had passed without Yan Feng coming to her palace. Since Cai Qin knew what the imperial noble consort thought, she felt that this would be the perfect time to use Chiyun Ping to deal with Murong Zhining. A cruel plan quietly formed in Cai Qin’s mind.