Rising Phoenix

Feng Zhiwei stepped back in stunned disbelief — 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 — 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 — 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 — 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 — his youngest aunt had lied again! Her liquor capacity was not just two bottles — 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…"