Rising Phoenix

Injured people naturally tried to balance their pain with revenge — 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 — 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 —

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 — 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 ——

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!