Rising Phoenix

Happiness crossed the Second Prince’s face.

Imperial Noble Consort Chang’s face grew complicated, with a degree of happiness and a degree of helplessness. An aged and unattractive consort could only maintain her position in the Imperial Palace by gifting young and beautiful women to the Emperor.

After the dance, the woman moved off of the lotus, slowly approaching the stairs. Her dress floated in the wind, the alluring red and golden silk drifting in her wake. All the noble young ladies could only feel shame before the beauty.

She bowed before the stairs, her voice alto and hoarse and all the more attractive for its uniqueness. When she spoke, people could not help but think of scarlet bed curtains and lover quits and pinkness and softness. When she bowed, her neck and cleavage were like the yawning dream that all men yearned for.

The woman’s charm was one of steadiness and seduction, and her exquisite charm lent her enchantment all the more power.

The Tian Sheng Emperor’s eyes gleamed with pleasure, and the astute Imperial Noble Consort Chang quickly arranged a reward for the dancer and a room in the palace for her to rest. As the woman turned to leave, she glanced back at the Emperor with such flirtatiousness that the lofty ruler of the Tian Sheng Dynasty could barely resist rushing forward to chase her.

All the princes watched the woman walk away, their gazes complex. Only Ning Yi was calm as the dancer left, for though he had shown great interest in the beauty’s dance at first, he had gradually turned away and was now casually drinking under the red lantern light.

Feng Zhiwei examined the man. He had just suffered an attack from his old wound and he still drank so much? Was he in the mood… or was his heart unsettled?

Her mind turned back to the dancing girl. Why had the Second Prince taken charge of this gift? This celebration was for the Fifth Prince’s mother.

Her heart was uneasy, and she stopped Helian Zheng from drinking any more wine.

Up on his seat overseeing everything, the Tian Sheng Emperor gleamed with happiness. The Noble Consort by his side seemed more and more pleasing to his eyes as he looked over, and finally he announced, smiling: “Last time I wanted to write a Longevity calligraphy for you, but in the end I forgot. How about I write one to compensate you for that time?”

Noble Imperial Consort Chang’s eyes gleamed. This was a great honor, for this act held great meaning in the Imperial Harem. The Tian Sheng Emperor had only ever written Longevity for a single woman — the dearly departed Empress Chang. On her thirtieth birthday, the Tian Sheng Emperor had written longevity on a square scroll.

And today, the Emperor would write it for her. The meaning behind this act was extraordinary.

She had hinted at this gift many times on her birthdays before, but the Tian Sheng Emperor had never agreed or refused, but today the dancer had pleased him and he finally opened his golden mouth.

The consort was pleased beyond measure and hurriedly called for a servant to bring brush and ink. Much of the preparation for the games still remained, so the servants quickly brought them forward.

The Emperor wet his brush and put ink to paper, his bold, dignified strokes carving out longevity on the page.

The broad ink shone magnificent under the red lantern light.

“Heroic and unrestrained! Lively and vigorous!” Noble Imperial Consort Chang praised.

The two mischievous pen monkeys by the Imperial Consort’s side emerged from their pen container, investigating the fragrant ink and squeaking happily as they grabbed the square scroll.

The Tian Sheng Emperor laughed, taking back his hand.

Then a golden light flashed!

When the pen monkeys touched the scroll, they suddenly exploded into furious action, screaming and pouncing at the Tian Sheng Emperor’s face!

The Emperor had just been happily retrieving his hand when the little monkeys attacked. They were less than a handspan away and moved with great speed; all the guards stood far away, and the Imperial Consort was too terrified to react. Who could save him?

“Xiu!”

Another golden light flashed from beneath the stairs, darting forward with such speed that it cut down the two monkeys before they could reach the Emperor. The two tiny animals fell to the ground, rolling beneath the legs of the lunging guards.

Ning Yi stood at the bottom of the stairs, his face pale, the golden cup missing from his hand.

The Tian Sheng Emperor recovered from the shock and turned to Ning Yi, calling out in a forced, hoarse voice: “Yi er, investigate…”

Before the Emperor could finish his words, he trembled and collapsed.

Two black scratches marred the back of his hand.

The glorious Imperial Feast ended with an assassination attempt on the Emperor.

No one had prepared for such a scene; no one had thought the two cute pen monkeys serving daily at the Imperial Consort’s side would suddenly fly into a rage.

The star of the celebration instantly transformed into a calamitous star. Noble Imperial Consort Chang tore away her hairpins and cried bitterly, kneeling before the Tian Sheng Emperor’s room the entire day pleading her innocence, but no one had any time for her — the Tian Sheng Emperor had been poisoned and was comatose.

How could anyone believe her innocence? The two pen monkeys followed her day and night, but carried poison in their paws? How could she not be suspected?

But right now, the most important thought on every mind was not about the culprit. Every soul in the palace wondered what would happen if the poison could not be cured. Who would sit on the supreme throne?

This was truly a question that set the blood boiling.

A quake swept through the city, its epicenter the palace.

The news of the matter was sealed immediately, but the Chang Ning Prince had already had a group of people in Dijing. His men were greeting the Emperor and the princes while purportedly preparing for the Emperor’s journey to the south the next year, and of course the prince’s men soon discovered the truth.

The Chang Ning Prince came to the capital to investigate, and as soon as the Emperor’s demise was certain, his desire for the throne would reach its peak. The powerful prince would then find it difficult to resist bringing armies and weapons to Dijing to chase his ambition.

The Second Prince was in charge of a portion of the Hu Wei Camp’s military matters and had already received news that the generals were meeting together in many meetings.

The Cabinet Ministers in the Seventh Prince’s party recommended that experienced ministers from the cabinet appoint a prince as temporary ruler of the Dynasty. Of course, any prince would do, but at this special moment of great unrest, the Dynasty desperately needed a virtuous prince to calm the people.

And clearly, the Seventh Prince’s virtue rings out wherever wind blows.

As all this drama was unfolding, several Imperial Consorts died under mysterious circumstances.

In the chaos that followed, the powerfully posed Ning Yi did nothing. He single-mindedly dedicated himself to his given task — the Emperor had ordered him to investigate, so he investigated with all sincerity. None of the wind and rain nor rumors and ill wishers could affect him.

“This is the great question.” Feng Zhiwei said to her Yiyi as she rested in her Wei Mansion. “There are two possibilities; either Ning Yi planned this, or the Emperor planned it.”

Young Master Gu listened as Feng Zhiwei analyzed the political uproar, his eyes full of meaning as he slowly retrieved a small bag of walnuts and took out a large nut and a small one.