Rising Phoenix

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 — 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] 碧翎 Green plume