Rising Phoenix

“I’ve told you already. Mistress took all six of the madams for a walk to see the country in spring. I saw them leave in the direction of the west mountain.” The servant boy kept his eyes on his hands as he prepared the tea.

“Buddha protects us.” The man sighed in relief, touching his chest. “San Hua¹‘s axe stroke yesterday already touched on the barrier of perfection. If I hadn’t been practicing every day, I wouldn’t have avoided that blow.”

The servant boy shook his head expressionlessly, thinking to himself: of course you practice every day, you practice climbing the brothel walls.

The boy wondered about how a man like his master, with his talent and status, was still willing to be bullied by that lioness shrew and the other little lion shrewesses. Outsiders mocked him for his fear of his tiger wife, and though he had threatened divorce ten thousand times, but he was still married to this day.

The fragrance of the leaves suffused the early spring air, mixing with the fragrance of the flowers in the yard.

“Top quality Qi Shan Yun Wu¹ tea shouldn’t be drank by a rough man like you. Ha, drinking tea in this perfumed yard.”

A man passed through the curtained gate with a faint laugh, striding confidently past the flowers.

A pale bamboo pattern embroidered his moon white robes as he swept through the dark cyan wooden hall. The corner of his clothes carried the lightest hint of a yellow pistil’s aroma, and his trademark black cloak billowed out behind him, the vibrant gold mandara flower blooming brilliantly, putting all other flowers to shame.

“Do you have a dog’s nose? Showing up every time I’m preparing good tea!” The man with the loose hair flipped his hair with the folding fan in his hand, pointing imperiously and cursing the approaching man.

“When burning music for fuel or cooking cranes for meat, it is better to share with friends.” The visitor smiled and sat, casually taking the proffered tea cup from the servant boy.

With the cup in his hand, all the surrounding servants quietly left.

“Why are you free today?” A pair of hands reached over and filled his cup. Suddenly, his eyes glittered. “You are wounded?”

“I was careless.” The visitor covered his hand and changed the subject. “Headmaster Xin is becoming stingier and stingier, hiding away all the good tea. I don’t even get to taste any if I don’t make the trip over.”

“You really area step late, but not for drinking tea. You missed a good show.” Xin Ziyan, head of Qing Ming Academy, smiled into his cup.

 “Oh?”

“Scholar Hu was just leading a political seminar, and I passed by to listen in and heard a surprisingly brilliant view.” Xin Ziyan laughed happily. “What a coincidence, that kind of insight was just like yours when you were a student here. Exactly the same.”

The man paused in slight astonishment. Xin Ziyan tapped him gently on the shoulder and smiled. “What do you think? Are you interested in meeting this person?”

The visitor was silent as he stood up, turning to the window with his hands clasped behind his back. The morning light passed through the window gauze and landed gently on his elegant brow, outlining his complicated expression. His shadowed eyes were dark and deep as black jade.

Prince Chu, Ning Yi.

Ning Yi paused in front of that window for a long Tim, staring out at the swaying willow . The soft and gentle sway seemed a faint reminder of a familiar figure, and he could almost see her face that day when she had lifted her calm and misty eyes to meet his. That day he had bent downward to look at her, and she had been like this willow, soft, gentle, and strong.

In that moment his heart stirred. The spring air was bright and clear, but dark clouds pooled in the depths of his eyes.

“No.” He said calmly. “it was just a student.”

Xin Ziyan glanced at him and a small smile flashed half hidden across his eyes. This man was very strange today, very strange indeed, but he would not be the one to foolishly speak.

“Some days ago, Cheng Ming Palace called Head Zhang over in the middle of the night to check his pulse. That night, Old Zhang was resting and on holiday, and was dragged out of his bed and rushed to the Cheng Ming Palace.” Xin Ziyan casually pivoted. “A few days later, the news spread, but it was nothing serious, just a cold caught from the breeze.”

The Emperor rested in Cheng Ming Palace, and Chief Zhang was the number one doctor from Tai Yi Hospital. Xin Ziyan spoke casually as if this matter was an idle topic to fill the silence.

Ning Yi glanced at him, his eyes revealing nothing. After a moment, he replied. “It was never anything serious, just my laughable elder brother. Early the next morning, he went to cook medicine for father. The old man said nothing, but three days later he rejected brother’s petition to change leadership at the Ministry of Revenue.”

The smile on his face was somewhat helpless. Xin Ziyan shot him a sympathetic look – in life, it was not a strong opponent that was to be feared, but a weak ally. Anyone would be speechless if they had a master like this.

She sat in the dining hall, peering over in a practiced manner at Gu Nanyi’s bowl. Today’s meal was beef stew, and Feng Zhiwei counted ten pieces of meat, so she very naturally picked up his bowl and stole two pieces of meat for herself.