Rising Phoenix

Gu Nanyi wrapped Feng Zhiwei into his embrace and said coldly: "Move, impediment."

Ning Yi stepped back and leaned against a pillar. He looked into Feng Zhiwei's face and suddenly felt that any explanation was unnecessary.

His words would not change her mind and what she thought of him whether good or ill.

He waited for Feng Zhiwei to speak. A smart person like her would definitely understand that his calculation had been without flaw; if the accidents in the end had not occurred, he would definitely have been able to save her.

But Feng Zhiwei did not meet Ning Yi's gaze and rather turned obediently towards Gu Nanyi, lazily lying in his embrace.

Ning Yi's face fell. The sun had set, and he could only smile bitterly, unmoving.

He did not know —

It was only after Feng Zhiwei turned towards Gu Nanyi that she allowed her pain to surface.

Her hand pressed gently against her waist. Under the red crabapple, blood flowed quietly.

After all, a pancake would not stop a dagger.

The Fifth Prince had shown no mercy in his attack.

She had moved around her padding and prepared for the Fifth Prince's moves, but she was still injured.

She could have been saved, but unfortunately things did not work out.

Feng Zhiwei's face fell. The sun had set, and he could only smile bitterly. The conversation in the Academy seemed to ring through her ears, and sure enough, she had predicted correctly.

She did not look back.

And she did not know —

Only the Tian Sheng Emperor saw the truth, his stunned gaze on his son's back.

Wei Yong lay dead, satisfied in his final act, his sword thrown forward.

Ning Yi stood straight backed, clutching the pillar beside him.

A sword jutted out from his back, drenching his robes with blood.

…

The Thirteenth year of Chang Xi was an eventful year.

The Crown Prince's Rebellion was followed by the Fifth Prince's Great Rebellion.

The Imperial Edict was vague and ambiguous — officially, the Fifth Prince had held grudges and hatched a sinister plot, and as punishment he would be stripped of his rank, reduced to a commoner, and banished; but everyone knew that the last Chang Family Prince with any hope for the throne had fallen.

Noble Imperial Consort Chang was naturally implicated as well. Even though the investigations concluded that she was not involved in her son's schemes, her position in the Imperial Harem could not be preserved. She was downgraded to Imperial Concubine and moved to the Sixth West Palace.

Thought the Fifth Prince had not defended his mother while he was threatening the Tian Sheng Emperor, she paid the greatest price for his actions.

While the matter of the Crown Prince's Rebellion had been swiftly concluded, the Tian Sheng Emperor was not so lenient this time around. He entrusted Prince Chu with a deep, unrelenting investigation into the matter and all its tangents.

As the investigation into the Pen Monkey deepened, their origin was discovered. In order to fulfill Marquis Gao Yang's request, Minnan Commissioner Gao Shan had desecrated the Minnan Mountain Range, tracking down and massacring the famed Shou Wu[1] beast tamer clan. The precious Pen Monkeys had belonged the Shou Wu Clan Chief.

As the Minnan Commissioner came under scrutiny, his crimes of corruption were brought to the light — bribery, injustice, tax evasion, and purchasing of official positions from Marquis Gao Yang. Gao Shan was stripped of his powers and sentenced according to his crimes, and Marquis Gao Yang was stripped of his title.

—

Two weeks ago, the Emperor had hosted a great show for Noble Imperial Consort Chang's birthday, and two weeks later he began viciously attacking the Chang Family's power base.

The Chang Family refused to fall over, and when the Tian Sheng Emperor sent out an Edict stripping the Chang Family's Minnan General of his power and commanding there surrender of their military forces, pirates immediately appeared in the South Sea and dealt great damage to the fishermen in the area. Marquis Gao Yang claimed that he could not surrender his power when pirates attacked his people and refused to accept the Imperial Court's Edict.

The heavens were high above and the Emperor far away. This matter could not be forced, and the Edict was momentarily forgotten. While this drama unfolded, the Tian Sheng Emperor refused to be intimidated and still presided over the Imperial Court, dealing with all the restlessness and ambition that had fermented as he lay resting in bed.

The Second Prince was not forgotten. After being seen frequently drinking in the Hu Wei Camp and constantly in talks with the generals there, the Second Prince was dispatched to Minnan to placate the native victims of Gao Shan's sins. There, the Second Prince would be forced to drink wine made by monkeys with the half-naked mud clan, only ever able to talk with the black-teethed, big hipped clan women.

Some thought the Second Prince very unlucky, while others thought him rather fortunate. Apparently, the same night that the Fifth Prince headed out for business, the Second Prince was in the Hu Wei Camp. Half of the camp had been assembled and readied in the black of night, fully armed for a march, but after a short ten-mile stretch the army was blocked and turned back. If they had refused to turn, the Second Prince might not have had any wine left to drink.

The ministers who had strived so hard to establish the Virtuous Prince as the Regent were all transferred or fired. Even Chief Minister Yao Ying had colluded with the Seventh Prince's brother-in-law to give out high interest loans in six different counties in He Dong Province. His Majesty published an Imperial Edict scolding the powerful minister and stripped him of a year's salary.

The quarreling Ministries immediately quieted. Prince Chu was dispatched to personally handle the matter: the Revenue Minister was punished with a salary fine, and the Works Minister became Assistant Minister of Rites. His Highness Prince Chu said: since you have failed to manage the Ministry of Works, go manage singing. If you cannot manage singing, then you will be sent to manage aboriginals.

Though both ministers were punished, it was clear to any bright eyed fellow that Prince Chu's Ministry of Revenue had not suffered, but that the Ministry of Works outside his command had been greatly abused. The Tian Sheng Emperor had decided to allow Ning Yi complete freedom in the matter — while the Emperor had maintained caution towards his son after the Crown Prince's Rebellion, it was clear that he now had great faith in Ning Yi.

While His Majesty recovered, Ning Yi was stationed at the Imperial Palace every waking moment. The Tian Sheng Emperor seemed to trust only this single son, as if he could only sleep well in the faithful Prince's company.

As a side note to the Imperial Harem, the Tian Sheng Emperor conferred the title Imperial Consort to the dancer who had performed during Noble Imperial Consort Chang's birthday.

The day only dawned on the smiles of the newcomers, never to see the weeping of the old. This matter could only create waves in the Imperial Harem, and nobody else seemed to pay any attention because it was none of their business.

As the matter began to settle, some old, factionless ministers presented a written statement to the Tian Sheng Emperor, recommending that he appoint a new Crown Prince as soon as possible. These ministers argued that a period without a Crown Prince could only ever be an impermanent interim, and that for the sake of the Dynasty his Majesty needed to make a decision.

The Tian Sheng Emperor did not voice an opinion, leaving the memorandum in his Palace but not issuing any directives. Rumors had it that His Majesty had offered Prince Chu the Crown Prince title, but that Prince Chu had firmly declined. No one was sure whether this rumor was accurate.

Time did not stop, and Ning Yi swiftly and decisively settled all Imperial Court matters. The Tian Sheng Emperor was finally free to turn towards the Chang Family, but just as His Majesty was preparing to deploy the South Sea Troops to conquer the pirates and force Marquis Gao Yang to surrender his forces, Feng Zhiwei visited the Emperor in the middle of the night with her South Sea Yan Family in tow.

[1] 兽舞 Beast Dance