Reign of the Phoenix

When Chun Xing saw Yan Feng standing outside, she knelt to pay her respects. Two little eunuchs escorted Yan Feng into a room and removed the eunuch clothes off him, changing him into a casual dragon-patterned outfit.

Murong Zhining curtsied. “Fengyi greets Your Majesty.”

Still angry at what he had just heard, Yan Feng answered coldly, “You are the princess of Shangxia. You need not be polite.”

Chun Xing tactfully passed a cup of tea to Yan Feng and silently retreated outside, closing the door while she did.

Yan Feng looked at Murong Zhining who was quietly sitting opposite him at the stone table. “I came out of the palace disguised as a little eunuch to see you. Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Murong Zhining lowered her head. “Ning’er doesn’t know what to say. I’m the fiancee of General Chiyun and imprisoned here by Your Majesty. Your actions have not been rational. If this gets out, my reputation along with yours and General’s will be damaged.”

Yan Feng sneered. “Is that right? Huayan is my world, and all Huayan woman, as long as they are unmarried, I can take them in as I please. Besides, you would have soon been mine had it not been for General Chiyun’s stealing you from me.”

Murong Zhining filled Yan Feng’s teacup. “Fate pays attention to order, to causality. Ning’er and General Chiyun had an agreement from an early age. He met me before you did. Such is fate.”

Yan Feng retorted in disagreement, “If the love in this world is based on the sequence, why can’t I feel anything for Imperial Concubine Chiyun who I grew up together with, and find it so difficult to give up on you? General Chiyun met you before me, but it was only an accident. I was the one those kidnappers wanted, he only met you on my behalf. In fact, he is only an obsession in your heart and I don’t think that’s fate. Otherwise, why didn’t he recognize you and humiliated you in every way?”

Murong Zhining cast down her eyes. “Has Your Majesty heard of the Beiyan treasure? It was left behind by the Murongs during their national subjugation. One clue to open the treasure is the jade phoenix leaf called Biwu. If there is no fate, how could Biwu, which belonged to Murong family at the beginning, end up on General Chiyun?”

Yan Feng disdained, “I’ve heard of the treasure and also learned something about Biwu. I’ll tell you, Biwu is originally from my imperial mother. It was her who dedicated it to my great-grandmother, the mother of the retired emperor, who then passed it onto him. If you want to discuss fate, Biwu should have belonged to me.”

Murong Zhining sank into contemplation, yet to straighten out the threads of events for a while.

Her thoughtful posture reminded Yan Fenf of the time when she had stayed in the palace. He smiled softly. “Unable to figure out how fate works just yet, aren’t you? In fact, fate doesn’t prove anything. I love you no less than General Chiyun, and I’m more suitable for you than him.”

Yan Feng caressed Sonorous.

“When I confronted you for the first time, my soul was already reaped by those bright, clear eyes of yours. That was when I knew you were the one I had been waiting for my whole life.”

Murong Zhining sighed. “Your Majesty said that my heart has an obsession, but you are even more the case. I lost my memory and didn’t believe in fate, but General Chiyun not only helped me find Beiyan treasure, but also nearly threw his life several times for me. He has convinced me with practical actions that he is my fate.”

Yan Feng shook his head defiantly. “You only appreciate his kindness to you and not really in love with him. You lost your memory and forgot all about the things he did before. As a result, you magnify his good and overlook his mistakes. Think carefully, can you really forgive the sins he has committed?”

A tear rolled down Murong Zhining’s cheek. “I’ve carefully sorted out my memory last night. Your Majesty and General Chiyun are brothers. If you two fight because of me, I will surely fall in infamy. I ask of Your Majesty, send me back to Shangxia, and all of this conflict will be solved. I’m willing to live alone for the rest of my life.”

Yan Feng smacked the table. “That’s not going to happen! Ning’er, you belong to me. I can give up this country for you. As long as General Chiyun stops pestering you, he can take it at will. As long as you won’t abandon me for having nothing, I will never leave you.”

Murong Zhining’s heart ached painfully. The previous night when she had woken up from her dream, all of her memories had come crashing over like tidal waves. What Chiyun Yuexuan had done to her, like a knife, once again drew bloody cuts on her heart, standing in stark contrast to Yan Feng’s tenderness that had been displayed vividly in front of her eyes.

Recalling the dream in which Chiyun Yuexuan and Yan Feng represented two colors of lycoris flowers, Murong Zhining’s heart quivered. The white side was like a skyful of snowflakes, dazzlingly beautiful, but could drown her in a moment. The red side was like field of fire, burning all her love and pain into ashes.

Yan Feng pulled Murong Zhining to sit on the bench before sitting down in front of Sonorous. “Since Ning’er left, I haven’t touched the qin again. Tonight, the moon is bright and the sky is clear. We should both live up this time. How about I play you a melody?”

Murong Zhining slightly nodded.

Yan Feng started to stroke the strings. The sound came out plaintive and tactful, like that of weeping. Murong Zhining quietly listened with her eyes half-closed. “Your Majesty plays this song ‘Fallen Flowers Asking for Love’ extremely touching it can tug at people’s heartstrings. It’s a pity, love is like falling flowers. Once put into practice, it has to go with the flow. If Your Majesty misses this blooming season, the flowers of the next one would still be bright and beautiful.”

After a melody, Yan Feng stood up and crossed his hands behind his back. “I’m destined to have only one season. Of the countless of colorful flowers in this world, I only love the one called ‘Ning’er.’”

…

In the Imperial Study, Yan Feng paced around restlessly. Qi Shangming stood aside watching him dejectedly. “Your Majesty, please calm down! Now that Princess’ whereabouts are still unknown, it’s no use getting all anxious. I fear that when General Chiyun arrives in a while, you two would disagree in a few words and start fighting again. Goodness! It’s hard being a servant.”

Yan Feng violently flung his sleeves. “What do you mean the whereabouts of the princess are still unknown? It’s obvious Chiyun Yuexuan took her last night. Princess has only finally recovered her memory and yet fallen into his clutches again. I must ask him what it’ll take for him to be willing to let go of her.”

Qi Shangming bowed. “Your Majesty, I’m not trying to criticize you here, but there was no sign of anyone breaking into her place last night. Princess herself drugged the maids and eunuchs and escaped. When General Chiyun knew she was in your hands earlier, he was relieved. Now, if he knows she’s gone missing, I’m afraid that he’d flip this place upside down. Your Majesty knows his character.”

Yan Feng paced impatiently. “Princess wouldn’t escape. Last night, I clearly saw a flash of tenderness in her eyes. It must have been Chiyun Yuexuan who took her away. When I left last night, I clearly saw a trace of reluctance in her eyes, I saw it all.”

Chiyun Yuexuan strode into the Imperial Study. “Greetings, Your Majesty, what did you summon me for?”

Yan Feng observed Chiyun Yuexuan’s expression and grew even more worried. On Chiyun Yuexuan’s face, there wasn’t any kind of complacency at all.

Yan Feng still held on to a little luck. “General Chiyun, you are good. You found the palace where I hid Princess. Now that her memories have come back, I hope you won’t forget what you said about letting her make her own choice.”

Chiyun Yuexuan was angry. “What do you even mean? Don’t think that you can drive me off with some nonsense, that kind of trick won’t work. Now that she has recovered her memory, it’s time you returned her to me. I firmly believe that she will choose to be with me. Ning’er is my one and only wife, even the retired emperor has consented to our marriage. Your Majesty needs to stop being stubborn. You shall hand over Ning’er today.”

Yan Feng shook his head and sighed. “Last night, Princess escaped from the temporary palace in the eastern suburbs. I thought you had taken her. It seems she ran by herself and didn’t go to you.”

Furious, Chiyun Yuexuan seized Yan Feng’s lapel and shouted, “What did you say? You lost Ning’er?! Have you sent anyone to look for her?”

Yan Feng brushed away his hands. “Outrageous! When I’m still the emperor of Huayan, I cannot tolerate you being so unbridled. I’ve ordered the Imperial Guards to search. Ning’er definitely doesn’t want to get involved in the dispute between you and me, so she must have found a place to hide. Yesterday, she told me that she wanted to return to Shangxia. Ning’er is smart and vigilant, she can take good care of herself.”

Chiyun Yuexuan threw a punch at Yan Feng’s face. Caught off guard, the latter took the hit and fell back on the carpet. Chiyun Yuexuan got on him and the two men scuffled again.

Although Yan Feng had lived in the palace for a long time, he still had the character of preparing for danger in times of peace. He also practiced fighting skills daily in order to keep fit as well as to prepare for sudden changes.

Yan Feng swung a punch at Chiyun Yuexuan and knocked him over. However, Chiyun Yuexuan had been born in a military family after all. He soon gained the upper hand, riding on Yan Feng and throwing several hard punches.

Suddenly, the door of the Imperial Study was kicked open from the outside. Yan Han, with a face of anger, rushed in with a team of guards and pulled the two men apart. He had been called to the rescue by Qi Shangming.

Yan Han lost control and shouted, “One of you is the emperor of Huayan, and the other is the grand general in charge of the army! Yet you threw all face to the wind and scuffled! Do you know what ‘decadence of the intellectuals,’ what ‘abandon oneself to vice’ is? That’s you two right now! You’re not allowed to start any more fighting. If our court officials and ministers know, they will laugh their teeth off!”

Then, Yan Han sat down on the throne in the middle of the study and dismissed the guards and eunuchs. He looked at Chiyun Yuexuan with gentle eyes. “General Chiyun, you talk first. Why did you hit him? After all, the emperor is the son of heaven. It’s disrespectful of you to do so.”

Chiyun Yuexuan retracted his hostility and cupped his fists. “The emperor took away my fiancee, Princess Fengyi, and imprisoned her in another palace. Princess escaped last night and is now missing. I was too worried about her safety and I lost my mind.”

Yan Han’s sharp gaze fell on Yan Feng’s face. “You muddle-headed fool, what did you promise me? There are countless beauties in your harem but you still set your eyes on your brother’s fiancee. If this gets out, the imperial reputation will be tarnished.”

Yan Feng angrily retorted, “Imperial Father, you always protect him. You wronged him and his mother, yet you want me to pay for your debts. Princess Fengyi was originally with me, we were an item, but General Chiyun cut in and took her away. And that wasn’t the only thing he did. Father, just ask your good son what he has done to Princess. Is it so wrong for me to take back the one I love?”

Yan Han was furious. He slapped Yan Feng. “What do you mean I want you to pay for my debts? I don’t want to discuss this right now. What did you promise me? Xuan’er is also my son. As a brother, can’t you yield a little?”

Yan Feng glared at Yan Han. “I’ll give up, I’ll return this country to you, Imperial Father. I only want my beloved. I ask Imperial Father and General Chiyun to fulfill this wish of mine. “

With that, he took off his gold dragon crown, set it on the table, and strode towards the door.