Rising Phoenix

As she slowly picked up the bandages on the table and carefully wrapped Ning Yi’s wound, she suddenly spoke, and said: “Today you let me go, so in the future, I will also let you go one time.”

Ning Yi looked at her in surprise, and Feng Zhiwei calmly and steadily returned his gaze.

After a moment, Ning Yi smiled, half-consciously shaking his head but keeping silent.

This life of his was in his own hands, and under his own control — his would not rest until his desires were achieved. How could it be possible for this little girl, however clever, to have control of his life in her hands?

Feng Zhiwei saw his disbelief but did not argue. “Finished,” she announced with a final smile as she carefully tied off the bandage.

Just as she finished speaking, an angry shout could be heard from the other room.

“Nonsense!”

The Crown Prince’s voice filled the air with rage and anxiety, and the surroundings seemed to suddenly fall silent.

Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi exchanged glances before turning around to look. Through the screen, they could see the Crown Prince bolt upright in anger and step forward, trying to kick the collapsed assassin before being held back by the guards.

The Crown Prince panted, his face deathly pale, pointing and cursing. “You liar! How dare you frame me!”

The seriously injured assassin lifted his bloodied face, and with a poisonous glare coldly replied: “Why so worried, Your Highness? I have not said anything!”

The Crown Prince’s chest heaved, and he could barely suppress his anger and keep silent — he had just been satisfied and content, and had been personally interrogating the assassin in the view of several important ministers and princes. The assassin was wily, and though he did not directly saw who he worked for, every sentence he spoke implied that his master held a high and powerful position, knew basically all the roads to and from and within Qing Ming Academy, and had countless servants, and a loyal man like this assassin would never betray his lord.

At first the Crown Prince did not understand what was being implied, but as the surrounding people began to look at him with stranger and stranger gazes, he began to ponder these phrases: “high and powerful, knowing all the roads within Qing Ming Academy, and have countless servants”— did this not point everything directly at him?

This thought filled him with rage and made his hair bristle up with anger, and if he had not been stopped by the guards, he may have even stepped forward and kicked the assassin to death.

While he raged, others secretly hid their happiness. The Second Prince leisurely spoke up, saying: “A righteous man remains righteous no matter where he is, and similarly with the sinful man. Crown Prince should rest at ease without anxiety or displeasure; should we not see what else this man has to say?”

The Seventh Prince frowned and interjected: “Shameless to the highest degree! How daring to suggest this! He is better of jailed in the Celestial Prison and given to the Three Departments to be interrogated!”

The recently arrived Fifth Prince coldly replied: “The Dali Court is governed by the Crown Prince. As I see it, going through such trouble is pointless.”

The Crown Prince glared around him, and each prince had a different reaction. The Fifth Prince avoided his gaze, the Seventh Prince gently smiled, and the Second Prince cast a sidelong glance in return.

The several important ministers who had always remained neutral changed their positions today, not a single one speaking up for the Crown Prince.

The Tian Sheng Emperor coldly watched the drama unfold. He did not fully believe what the assassins said about the Crown Prince — clearly a man who sat on the highest throne knew that not everything that you heard could be trusted, and even one’s own eyes could be deceived. This assassin had been too obvious in avoiding the Crown Prince, and was now clearly framing him. All of this was too obvious, and the assassin overeager, clearly undermining the authenticity of his words.

But there was of course the other understand, that perhaps the Crown Prince was deliberately placing himself in this situation in order to exonerate himself.

Those who had experienced the trials and tribulations of political intrigue and had personally been on either end of evil tactics, would of course think more and speculate. The Tian Sheng Emperor’s eyes flicked over the gathered princes, each with their particular expressions on their faces, calmly and silently judging and thinking.

Who was responsible?

The Emperor turned to examine the assassin, and even though the man had stared poisonously at the Crown Prince all along, he had never avoided the Crown Prince’s eyes. From start to finish he had stared at the Crown Prince, eyes fixed on him as if trying to remind him something.

As he began studying the assassin, the Emperor’s heart began to beat faster.

While the princes stood in silent struggle, a burst of rapid footfalls broke the silence as a voice called out loudly: “Where is Wei Zhi, where is Wei Zhi?” The voice pushed aside all the guards and rushed forward.

By now, all the students had already been evacuated by Xin Ziyan and his men, so clearly this particular student had an extraordinary status, one which the guards did not dare to stand in front of.

A figure pushed through the white gauze screen, and Lin Shao’s glittering eyes sparkled in the hall. She looked to the Tian Sheng Emperor and loudly called out “Father Emperor” and leaped forward.

“Princess!” The room greeted, all the attendants bowing.

The Tian Sheng Emperor hugged his favorite little daughter, his tight face relaxing somewhat. The Shao Ning Princess had entered the school under the identity of Lin Shao, and was currently examining the Emperor in worry, saying: “Father Emperor, are you alright? You’re fine, right? Your caught was really scared!”

The Tian Sheng Emperor frowned mockingly, and lightly reprimanded her. “How could a dignified Princess be so hurried!” But though his voice seemed to discipline, his eyes were filled with doting affection.

“I’ve been a student for too long, I can’t go back.” Shao Ning giggled before looking around. When she saw the assassin lying on the ground and the furious face of the Crown Prince, she cocked her pretty eyebrows, anger suddenly showing. “This is him?”

“Yes! Little sister.” The Crown Prince also doted on this younger sister from the same mother, and in the past this cute little sister had often saved him from the Father Emperor’s displeasure. Now he complained to her, “This is him. He tried to assassinate Father Emperor and is now trying to frame me.”

“Really bold and fearless.” Shao Ning said with a cold smile, slowly walking over to the assassin and examining him. Suddenly, she grabbed a large rock from the display beside her and smashed down on the assassin’s head!

“PU”

The sounds of a punctured and smashed watermelon stunned, and blood splattered. A weird croak seemed to come from the man’s throat, and his body convulsed strangely before he fell still, twisted.

The assassin collapsed into his thick pool of blood, never to rise again.

Silence filled the hall, amazement and bewilderment reigning over every figure at this Little Princess’ sudden kill. Only Shao Ning remained as usually, brushing off her hands and coldly smiling. “There, I got rid of this plague.”

The Crown Prince stumbled backwards in shock, falling into his chair, only some seconds later recovering and wiping away his cold sweat. Secretly, he felt somewhat more at ease — no matter how bad the situation was for him, the dead man could no longer speak, and perhaps the Emperor would let this matter go? Even if his majesty pursued, this case would still have to be deferred, and would be handled when the other Princes were not gathered and poised to frame him, kicking him when as he is down.

Only the deeply loved Ning Shao would dare to do this, and as he thought, he became more and more grateful to this younger sister of his.

The Tian Sheng Emperor finally reacted, his face icy cold as he roared: “Fool!”

“Father Emperor…” Shao Ning jumped over, tears at the edge of her eyes as she hung onto the Tian Sheng Emperor’s neck. “This daughter heard some bold man dared to attack Father Emperor, how could I hold back my anger! This man dared to attack the Son of Heaven and frame the Emperor’s descendent. This vicious man was trying to cause disorder in the Royal Court! If I did not kill him, the hatred in my heart would never fade!”