Reign of the Phoenix

Chiyun Yuexuan lowered his voice and warned Cai Sang, “Don’t forget, she is my wife. When you two are away, it was me who helped her bathe. Step aside.”

Luo Siyao tacitly dragged Cai Sang out of the room and took her to Wu Siyuan’s room next door.

Seeing Cai Sang sit at the table with a displeased face, Wu Siyuan shook his head with a wry smile. “Cai Sang, you should do something about that stubborn temper. Heaven made the princess lose her memory for a reason. Don’t you want her to live happily? Only you would dare to talk to General Chiyun like this, and he doesn’t make a fuss about it because of Princess. But don’t be too willful. If anything, he’s still a general who commands hordes of troops, you can’t make him look bad in front of others.”

Luo Siyao asked Wu Siyuan, “Will General be punished for taking away Princess when we return to Huayan?”

Wu Siyuan frowned. “I’m worried about this too. General has really thrown all caution to the wind this time. For Princess, the emperor will never forgive him. I’ve been hearing rumors that the emperor is planning to execute General for this.”

The anger in Cai Sang’s heart subsided somewhat. “He knew it’d be the death penalty yet still went to take back Princess. It seems his repentance is genuine.”

…

Chiyun Yuexuan walked to the bathtub and crouched down, only to find two beads of tears hanging from the corner of Murong Zhining’s eyes. He reached over to wipe them off, but Murong Zhining turned her face away.

Chiyun Yuexuan gently washed her shoulders that were exposed above the water. “What’s the matter? I knew that maid would upset you. I won’t let her wait on you again.”

Murong Zhining turned to stare directly into his eyes. “Did General really brand me before? Why?”

Chiyun Yuexuan’s phoenix eyes flickered. He tried to avoid her her plaintive gaze. “Didn’t you say you forgot all about the past?”

One by one, teardrops fell into the bathtub. “Ning’er only has a month, right? Ning’er has the right to know what happened, all of it.”

Chiyun Yuexuan gently rubbed her smooth skin. “Alright. After you finish bathing, I will tell you everything from the beginning.”

Chiyun Yuexuan wrapped a large silk towel around Murong Zhining and carried her to the bed, then covered her with a brocade quilt. Laying down next to her, he gently hugged her through the brocade. “You and I met each other a very long time ago when you were only five and I was ten years old. You saved my life that year. Back then, I called you Little Tabby, and also gave this to you as a betrothal token.”

He took off Biwu and placed it into Murong Zhining’s hand. She turned around and faced him, looking intently at the jade pendant. “When I first saw it, I felt very familiar but couldn’t remember no matter what. What happened afterwards?”

The voice of Chiyun Yuexuan trembled slightly, “We lost contact later. When I met you again, you had already grown up. I failed to recognize you and committed an unforgivable sin.”

Murong Zhining immediately turned her back to him, her body quivered uncontrollably. “I don’t want to hear it, I don’t want to hear it…”

Chiyun Yuexuan peeled the brocade quilt below her shoulder, his lips then gently fell on the red lycoris flower. Murong Zhining could feel a hot tear dropping her back.

“This place was where I once left a cruel mark.”

While Chiyun Yuexuan counted his crimes one by one, Murong Zhining had curled up in the brocade quilt fallen asleep peacefully. She simply didn’t listen to a word he said.

When Cai Sang and Luo Siyao came into the room early the next morning, Chiyun Yuexuan and the brodcade-wrapped Murong Zhining were still sleeping like a log.

Cai Sang shook her head and pulled Luo Siyao out of the room. “Let’s have breakfast prepared first. Make it varied, let them sleep for a while longer.”

…

Back on the road, Cai Sang and Luo Siyao sat in the carriage; Chiyun Yuexuan hugged Murong Zhining as they rode Flash together. She leaned against his chest as they happily chatted while enjoying the scenery.

Luo Siyao nudged Cai Sang with her elbow. “Look at General, he dotes on Princess so much. Doesn’t that look pretty nice?”

Cai Sang was full of doubts. “Didn’t that beast used to be so cruel and cold-blooded? Why is it like he’s suddenly switched to a completely different person? I think something’s wrong with his head.”

“Stop ‘beast’ this and ‘beast’ that. General Chiyun isn’t that bad, otherwise the princess wouldn’t have forgiven him. Can’t you feel they are each other’s medicine?” Luo Siyao brushed aside the hair falling on Cai Sang’s forehead. “Alright, I know you’re very sad that Princess forgot you. Try to think of it as you giving your own happiness to Princess.”

Cai Sang punched her a little. “Well that was really comforting. I’m feeling better already.”

Outside, Chiyun Yuexuan tenderly kissed Murong Zhining’s hair. “Have you forgotten what you husband said to you last night? Don’t you hate me at all?”

Murong Zhining looked up at him. “What did you say last night? I fell asleep and heard nothing. I don’t want to hear it either. As long as I remember that you’re treating me very nice, nothing else matters.”

Her words made his heart uneasy. Whether she really didn’t hear it or just pretended not to hear it, his sense of guilt once again grew heavier.

Wu Siyuan rode beside the carriage which carried Cai Sang and Luo Siyao with his chin in his hand, his brows wrinkled as he looked thoughtfully at Chiyun Yuexuan’s back.

Looking at him from the window, Cai Sang whispered, “Do you think something’s wrong with General Chiyun as well, General Wu?”

Wu Siyuan nodded. “I grew up with General, but I have never seen him like this. He’s always cold and heartless to women. Seems like Princess is really his true love.”

As if he knew he was being talked about, Chiyun Yuexuan turned around and pointed his whip at Wu Siyuan, warning, “Little Wu, stop gossiping like a woman, or I’ll let you have it.”

Murong Zhining tilted her head to look behind with a sweet smile. “Your General Chiyun isn’t fun at all.”

Chiyun Yuexuan tightened his embrace and whispered in her ear, “You just don’t give your husband any face, do you? Sit tight.” He kicked Flash lightly. The steed instantly spread its hooves and galloped forward like a wind. Murong Zhining was so nervous that she closed her eyes tightly while feeling the wind whistle past her ears.

Only after they were far away from the team did Chiyun Yuexuan stopped his horse. He dismounted and carried Murong Zhining across the road into the edge of the paddy fields, where there was a large patch of grass as tall as a person.

Chiyun Yuexuan gently lay her down, bending a bunch of grass. Murong Zhining shyly covered her eyes as Chiyun Yuexuan softly pressed his body on her and whispered into her ear, “Just now, who was it that said I wasn’t fun at all?”

Chiyun Yuexuan peeled off Murong Zhining’s hand, not letting her cover her face. Murong Zhining blushed bright red in embarrassment. Like a punishment, he gently bit her lips, those soft red lips that gave off the unique fragrance of a young girl. Slowly, his kiss slowly went from gentle to wild. Murong Zhining shyly closed her eyes. As the pair of feather-like lashes kept fluttering, they also stirred up the emotions in his heart.

Chiyun Yuexuan’s voice came out low and hoarse, “My lady, you are so beautiful. Husband likes you so very much.”

Murong Zhining shyly opened her watery eyes to meet his long, narrow and charming phoenix eyes where tenderness and affection were pouring out. Murong Zhining felt like she was drown in them, and her heart jumped like a little deer.

Forgetting all about the time and space, his burning lips and her soft cherry lips entangled in the ecstasy of love. In the end, Chiyun Yuexuan removed his lips from hers with difficulty, trying to suppress the impure ideas that were gushing like lava, lest he profane Murong Zhining’s innocence and sanctity.

As the two lay on the grass, Murong Zhining rested her head in his arms and listened to his strong heartbeat. “Dear husband, Ning’er feels very happy to be with you. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to accompany you for much longer.”

Chiyun Yuexuan lowered his head and kissed her hair. “Don’t you say such things. You will be fine, we’ll both be fine.”

When Wu Siyuan led the cavalcade past the road beside the grass, he glanced at Flash who was leisurely grazing in the field and laughed meaningfully. He shouted at the grass, “General Chiyun is not a boring person, right Princess?”

Murong Zhining blushed in the embrace of Chiyun Yuexuan, who stroked her hair. “Ignore him. We’ll catch up with them later.”

Cai Sang ran to the front of the carriage and said, “General Wu, I also want to ride the horse.”

Gallantly, Wu Siyuan gracefully jumped off his horse and lifted Cai Sang on it, then slowly led the horse by the reins.

Cai Sang laughed in excitement. “This is my first time riding a horse. It feels great!”

Wu Siyuan shook his head and smiled. “What a child.”

Cai Sang retorted, “You’re not much older than me. By the way, Siyao said you you’re going to be a princess’ husband. Congratulations!”

Wu Siyuan helplessly shook his head. “It was all because of General Chiyun. Princess Jingrong was interested in him, but he refused to marry her. This time, he even defied the edict and turned against the emperor at all costs. In order to save face, the retired emperor betrothed Princess Jingrong to me.”

Cai Sang chuckled. “I heard that Princess Jingrong has both talents and looks. General Chiyun’s requirements are too high. But of course, no matter how beautiful Princess Jingrong is, she can’t outmatch our princess. Oh, no, no, no, that’s not what I meant. Princess Jingrong is someone many noble sons in the capital yearn for. General Wu is really lucky.”

Wu Siyuan shook his head again and gave a wry smile. “Miss Cai Sang, are you implying I am… hahaha… superficial? General Chiyun isn’t a person who covets appearance, and neither am I. I’m telling you, I also have character. Instead of a princess, I’d rather marry a girl like you so that I can harmonize with her in a married life. How nice would that be…”

Cai Sang instantly flushed red. She kicked Wu Siyuan. “Peh, you think I am easy to bully because I’m a maid? All of you men are like this.”

Wu Siyuan also blushed. “How is this bullying? You must have never seen a man bullying a woman before…” He suddenly realized that he had said something wrong and quickly clamped his mouth.

Cai Sang, however, refused to let him off. “That’s right, acting like your General Chiyun is counted as bullying women.”

Luo Siyao stuck out her head from the carriage with a smile. “You two can flirt with each other all you want but don’t involve General Chiyun, alright? Look how nice he is now.”

Flash galloped over with Chiyun Yuexuan and Murong Zhining. The two lovebirds were practically radiating with happiness, the sweet atmosphere between them made people envy.

Looking back at them, Wu Siyuan commented, “No wonder they say joyful happenings resound in one’s spirit. I can’t believe that six months ago, he was so despondent over Princess to the point he almost destroyed himself.”

Chiyun Yuexuan pretended to be angry and gave him a light whipping. “As a soon-to-be princess’ husband, why are you still talking improperly?”

Wu Siyuan shook his head and said, “All thanks to you, Grand General Chiyun. I don’t want to be some princess’ husband. As an old saying goes, ‘Do not force upon others what you do not want.’ General didn’t want to do it, yet you pushed the burden on me.”

Chiyun Yuexuan threw him another whip. “Your guts are getting big huh? Do you still want your head or not?”

Wu Siyuan rolled his eyes. “I learned it from you. Like general, like soldier.”

Chiyun Yuexuan glared at him and threatened, “Are you turning against me now? Be good and carry the burden well for me. Marrying Princess Jingrong can add glory to your old Wu family, no?”

Murong Zhining smiled craftily. “If General Wu really doesn’t want to marry Princess Jingrong, I actually have a solution.”

Wu Siyuan’s eyes lit up. “Please tell!”