Rising Phoenix

"Your Majesty…" Madam Feng began again, kowtowing heavily in the dirt. "You eyes are brilliant torches. Mingying has no words, but please allow Mingying one final request… the child knows nothing… other than his blood, he is nothing… the Golden Feather Guard must have already investigated him. He is an ordinary child raised in an ordinary family… he, he will do nothing Your Majesty…"

"If you cut the grass without dealing with the roots, you will end harming yourself." The Tian Sheng Emperor coldly replied. "Mingying, this is what you said to me so many years ago when you led the army to hunt down the remaining Da Yue generals after their defeat."

Madam Feng trembled violently as she fell flat against the ground, crying out bitterly.

The Tian Sheng Emperor stared silently for a long moment before finally speaking again: "That organization, where is it?"

Madam Feng shook her head. "Your Majesty, you know. That year, they were hunted by the Crown Prince's army over a thousand li and then ambushed by Prince Chu in the Valley of a Thousand Trails. Their whole team was destroyed… even Hao er was only found because I stumbled upon him in that valley. My heart softened and I kept him, and after all these years, no one from that organization has been discovered. If any of them truly survived, they should have appeared by our side long ago… but after so many years, we still live like this… you understand…"

The Tian Sheng Emperor paused. He knew of the poor life Qiu Mingying and her children had lived, his heart moved as he fell silent.

As His Majesty was deep in thought, Madam Feng retreated and unsealed her son's acupuncture point.

Feng Hao slowly woke, stirring blankly before screaming: "Ah, I know nothing! I know nothing! Don't kill me! Don't kill me!" His eyes filled with fear as if in the midst of a nightmare.

"Good boy." Madam Feng comforted him, shutting her eyes as she hugged him tightly in her arms.

The Tian Sheng Emperor stared silently, shadowed in the darkness. After a long moment, he quietly turned.

"Good boy…" Madam Feng repeated, never turning from her son, tears pouring from her shut eyes.

"Don't be scared…"

…

Yesterday.

A short band of light cut the dark, iron wall, and even as the sun set and rose up above, the light only ever grew to a finger's length.

Madam Feng stared at the light, her expression blank. She stared as if she would never see light again, and if she missed this moment, she would never have another chance.

Feng Hao clutched the iron bars of the cell door, asking: "Mom, when I woke yesterday, I saw someone leaving. Have they interrogated us? When are they letting us go? When are they letting me out?"

"Soon." Madam Feng replied faintly. "It'll be over soon."

"That's great!" Light filled Feng Hao's eyes as he gushed. "Mom, relax, I'll definitely find a way to save you!"

"You're a good boy." Madam Feng replied with a small smile. "Mom believes in you."

Feng Hao pulled his heavy chain over, his voice childish as he complained: "It's too heavy, I can't even sleep."

"It'll be over soon." Madam Feng replied, grabbing the chain and holding some of the weight for him. "It'll be over soon."

Heavy footsteps thudded down the stairs until a group of figures appeared by the cell door, their red plate armor engraved with golden feathers. Two man loomed in front of the others, their faces cold and solemn as they held forth two trays.

"Are you here to let me out?" Feng Hao cried out excitedly, rushing over to the iron bars.

Madam Feng trembled quietly behind him.

Metal clattered and chunked as gears spun, thirteen clear clanks filling the air as the huge, masterfully crafted lock opened. Finally, the two men holding the trays entered.

One tray carried a cup of liquor.

The second tray carried a medicinal pill and an Imperial Palace Dress.

"Madam." The leading man said emotionlessly. "His Majesty says that you will understand, and has requested that you offer the liquor yourself."

Madam Feng's eyes slowly passed over the palace dress to linger on the cup of liquor.

Her eyes held darkness without emotion as if all the light on heaven and earth was hidden deep within her heart, unwilling to be seen by anyone.

A while later, she began slowly climbing to her feet, her joints cracking as she straightened.

She slowly walked forwards to the first tray and picked up the cup.

She held that cup for what seemed to be a long, long time — almost too long. Her fingers quivered, and in the pale, dead grey light, the colorless liquor trembled.

Madam Feng slowly raised her hand.

For a moment, the Golden Feather Guard was sure that this woman with the calm mask would pour the liquor down her own throat.

But then Madam Feng calmly turned and walked over to Feng Hao.

The Golden Feather Guard let out a breath, his eyes flashing with admiration and disdain as he stepped back from Madam Feng's straight back.

"Hao er, are you thirsty?" Madam Feng asked gently, standing before Feng Hao. "Have a cup of liquor."

Feng Hao had stared in stunned silence as his mother walked forward to pick up the glass and watched in horror as she approached him. His lips trembled and tears filled his fearful eyes as his face paled: "Mother… Mom… what are you doing? What is this?"

"Liquor." Madam Feng replied, calmly offering the cup.

"No! NO!" Feng Hao howled, stumbling as he pushed himself away from his mother, crawling and rolling as he dragged his chain away, fleeing Madam Feng's hands as if they were demonic claws reaching down from a tear in the high heavens. "You lied to me! You LIED to me! YOU LIED TO ME! I won't! I WON'T! NO! NO! NO!"

He screamed in terror, throwing his hands up in panicked swats to ward off the terrible thing. Madam Feng could not dodge in time and the cup spilled a little before the Golden Feather Guard hurriedly reacted and held her steady.

"Gentlemen, I cannot accomplish His Majesty's request." Madam Feng calmly announced, handing back the golden cup and returning to her original spot, her back to Feng Hao as she sat. "Please."

The Golden Feather Guards exchanged a look and nodded. His Majesty had never said that Madam Feng needed to personally make him drink, only that she needed to offer the liquor. His Majesty was willing to forgive her and had given her a chance.

The two Golden Feather Guards approached, cup in hand.

Madam Feng sat quietly.

She faced the wall, her eyes staring blankly at that finger length of sunlight as the shadows of two men loomed darker and darker in the flickering lamp light.

The strong, large shadows approached a smaller, trembling shade… a huge cup filled with poison… a young boy huddling in the corner… held down by large hands… mouth forced open and the cup ruthlessly emptied…