Reign of the Phoenix

Chapter 20 – The Emperor’s Love Wound
The woman looked to be around thirty years old and was the wife of the local official who Chiyun Yuexuan threw out the window. The woman was called Mrs. Wang, and her husband was Fang Sheng, an official registrar of Yulian County. This small position, something that the pair of husband and wife had exhausted their family savings to buy, was only local-appointed and couldn’t be considered a court official in any way.

Fang Sheng was a trusted confidant of the county magistrate and often helped the magistrate carry out utterly unethical things. At the same time, he also had administered the list of officials taking part in the embezzlement of the relief silver.

One time, Fang Sheng got drunk at home and complained about how vicious and greedy the magistrate was. He mentioned to Mrs. Wang about the court sending relief, saying that when the silver arrived at Yuliang County, the majority had been withdrawn layer after layer and was less than one-tenth left. The county magistrate snuck the most of this one-tenth into his own pocket and only took out a small portion for his subordinates. Because Mrs. Wang’s husband was only a small official, he only received fifty silver taels.

That day when Chiyun Yuexuan held a party to treat the local officials, squires, and merchants, Mrs. Wang’s husband also came. When the magistrate saw that it was impossible to get out of trouble, he forced her husband to make a fuss. As a consequence, the husband was thrown to the lower floor by Chiyun Yuexuan in his rage.

The next day, Mrs. Wang’s husband was carried home. Because the restaurant wasn’t too high, his injury wasn’t too serious; he only broke a leg, lost some teeth, and bled a little bit. The doctor checked and said he would fully recover after being nursed for a while.

Several days later, the magistrate brought his other trusted confidants to see Mrs. Wang’s husband. Seeing the magistrate’s sinister face, Mrs. Wang hid outside the door to eavesdrop. She vaguely heard the magistrate say that the matter had gotten too big and everyone could not untangle themselves, the higher-ranked officials feared that they’d be pulled into hot water and wanted to push all the blame on him, the magistrate. With his back against the wall, the magistrate had no choice but to sacrifice a pawn.

Hiding at the door, Mrs. Wang could only watched helplessly as the magistrate’s underlings used the blanket to suffocate her husband to death, while she didn’t dare to even utter a sound. She still had a two-year-old child to take care of, she was afraid of retaliation. When he left, the magistrate threatened her, “If someone asks, say that your husband was heavily injured by Chiyun General and died right after he came home.” Then, the magistrate tossed her five silver taels.

Mrs. Wang was extremely aggrieved. “While my husband was rightly punished for his crime, he lost his life for a mere 55 taels of silver. Now that my family’s pillar of support is gone, how would I raise my child from now on? This woman has mustered the courage to testify only because I heard that Your Majesty is the one in charge.”

The male witness was a clerk in the county office. He held a good number of records of the county office’s dealings with the prefecture officials and even the high-ranking officials in court.

Yan Feng pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling tired in both body and soul. Apparently, the underground organization in this case was like an old tree’s roots, tangled and had already penetrated deep into the court; cleaning it out wouldn’t be an easy task. Yan Feng declared the witnesses to be temporarily placed in the custody of experts, while the case continued to be under the imperial envoy’s charge and the prime minister’s supervision. With that, Yan Feng dismissed the court and returned to the Imperial Harem.

In low spirits, Yan Feng went on a walk toward the direction of Qixiang Palace. Qi Shangming, several eunuchs and palace maids followed close behind. Yan Feng had everyone wait outside the door as he stepped into Qixiang Palace.

Qixiang Palace was deserted, the stone path in the yard covered in fallen leaves, giving it a bleak mood as the sound of cheers and laughter that used to be here was no more. “Sonorous” quietly lay on the stone table in the pavilion as usual, but next to it, there was no longer the graceful posture of the girl playing music.

Yan Feng walked over and caressed “Sonorous” ever so gently, as if afraid to shatter a crystal dream. Weren’t for this qin still here, Yan Feng would have felt like Murong Zhining had been only an illusion of his mind and never truly appeared in his world.

Yan Feng sat alone on the steps and caressed his lips, where a small wound that had grown scabs was visible and the faint fragrance inside those lips of Murong Zhining’s still lingered. All of this was proof that she had been a real existence and not an illusion, but he lost her, and never to be able to find her again. Yan Feng buried his head into his knees, emitting faint muffled sobs. Even if he was an emperor of an entire kingdom, he still couldn’t pass this little love trial.

When he left, Yan Feng took “Sonorous” with him. He decreed Qixiang Palace to be sealed off and without his order, no one was allowed to take half a step in there.

Chiyun Yuexuan was sitting by himself in the General Estate’s assembly room. In the past few days, he had requested Yan Feng for a meeting several times but they were all denied. Outside from the court affairs, Yan Feng refused to see him in private. Chiyun Yuexuan felt terribly guilty toward Yan Feng.

Deputy General Wu Siyuan quietly came in. He walked to Chiyun Yuexuan and patted his shoulder in consolation. “Since the matter has come to this, General shouldn’t blame yourself too much. His Majesty is only feeling lost for the time being and will forget this after some time. His Majesty and General are as close as real brothers. He definitely won’t hold a grudge against you.”

Chiyun Yuexuan looked disheartened. “His Majesty is wise in keeping business and personal separate, I’m not worried he would oppress me because of this. Only that he will never consider me his friend again.”

Wu Siyuan soothed him, “Since ancient times, there has been only ruler and subject. An emperor is destined to have no friends, General shouldn’t be bothered by this. Also, should I arrange for Miss Murong to be formally taken in for you? I know that General already has someone in your heart, but it is reasonable to have a concubine first.”

Chiyun Yuexuan punched the table. “I will not give her anything, she isn’t worthy to even be a little concubine. If it wasn’t for her, the relationship between His Majesty and me wouldn’t have to come to such a state.”

Cai Sang and Murong Zhining sat side by side on the stone steps before the room. Murong Zhining rested her head on Cai Sang’s shoulder and stared blankly at a parasol tree in the corner. As the scene evoked her feelings, she touched the pendant hanging on her chest. Slowly taking it off, she caressed it in her hand.

Cai Sang didn’t know how to comfort her. “Are you thinking about that ‘little big brother’ again?”

Sorrow descended on Murong Zhining’s face. “I’m no longer qualified to think of him, I feel ashamed. I only want to return Biwu to him as soon as possible and fulfill this wish of mine.”

Recalling the black spot on Biwu under the moonlight, Murong Zhining held the pendant to the noon sunlight and carefully observed it. There were indeed black dots on Biwu, but they were distributed in the veins of the leaf, so it was hard to make out what it was. Murong Zhining moved it closer to her eyes, and on the sunken vein texture on the leaf, she found a row of extremely fine words carved into it.

Murong Zhining once heard that there were experts capable of carving words on rice grains. To see clearly, a processed glass piece made by a specialist was required to enlarge the characters. Could it be that this jade pendant is hiding a mystery? Thinking of this, Murong Zhining was a little dismayed. What did this have to do with her anyway? She only wanted to find Little Big Brother and return Biwu to him. She and Little Big Brother were like a meridian and a parallel, only destined for a brief intersection.

An idea of escaping was birthed in Murong Zhining’s mind. She often had such thought back in the palace, but she simply had no chance as it was guarded too heavily. However, the General Estate didn’t have as many soldiers as the palace. She planned to take Cai Sang and start a new life.

Murong Zhining and Cai Sang put their plan into action in that very night. Cai Sang packed up a small bundle. Under the cover of the night, the girls crept towards the courtyard doors. Unlike before, the doors weren’t locked and opened with a slight push.

Hiding themselves in the shadows of the tree, they slowly crept toward the grand entrance. Just in that moment, a team of patrol guards passed by. Murong Zhining quickly pressed Cai Sang’s head down low; the two squatted down and disappeared behind a row of neatly trimmed bushes. When the guards were gone, Murong Zhining could hear Cai Sang’s “ba-dump, ba-dump” heartbeat. To relax her, she rubbed Cai Sang’s head, then chuckled and teased in a small voice, “Look at this gut of yours. If you were to ever be a thief, you’d really starve to death.”

Cai Sang huffed and covered her chest. “Yeah, and your gut is so big. Aren’t you scared?”

Murong Zhining shook her head. “Every time I’m scared, I think of my nanny. As long as I think of her, I would forget all the fear and the pain.”

Cai Sang seemed to think about something as she nodded. “I miss Brother A’Niu.”

Using the tree shades to cover them, Murong Zhining and Cai Sang successfully crept their way to the grand entrance of the General Estate. Trying to suppress the joy going wild in her heart, Murong Zhining slowly slid the huge latch.

The gate creaked open as Murong Zhining pushed it out from inside. The two lifted their feet for the first step out of the General Estate.