Rising Phoenix

Medora.

Feng Zhiwei sighed before climbing to her feet and stepping outside. As she had expected, Medora was running around in the front palace, hair scattered and dress askew, barely escaping the grips of a group of sweating guards.

Clearly her years in King's Court had lent her some power and the guards did not dare harm her, so she was able to run around and shriek all she wanted.

"I saved the King! I have nothing! You can't do this to me!" Medora ran around hysterically before spotting Feng Zhiwei. "Feng Zhiwei you bitch! It was you! You entrapped me! Just kill me! Kill me…"

"Alright." Feng Zhiwei easily agreed, staring down from atop a few stairs, her hands clasped behind her back. "You want to die? That's easy!"

Feng Zhiwei gestured for Hua Qiong to approach, and the pregnant woman smirked as she tossed three objects onto the ground.

A dagger; a white silk band; and a medicinal bottle.

"In our Central Plains, those who wish to die can use these three methods." Feng Zhiwei explained, smiling. "One is a fast death, the other is a tight death, and the final is an organ death. These are only prepared for those with a certain amount of status, to leave your noble corpse intact. This is a just reward for your sacrifices for the King, and you can choose which you'd like."

Medora stared dazedly, the unexpected move throwing her. She froze, uncertain.

"Please. Please." Hua Qiong offered coldly, kicking the suicide weapons toward the older woman. Medora quivered, retreating a step.

"Your merit in saving the King," Feng Zhiwei began, her eyes apathetic. "The King's Court has long since repaid by honoring and respecting you. Even if you disagree, your assassination attempt has destroyed all debt. You have been treated well, but you have no propriety or tact and have chosen to court death — you have never saved my life, but you have tried to poison me. If I demand justice, who will stop me?"

Medora looked down at the terrifying objects lying on the ground before once again meeting Feng Zhiwei's cold, deep eyes. There was nothing the Queen did not dare, and nothing outside her power.

"Ah-Ja!" Medora began screaming. "Come and save me! Come save me! I raised you! You can't let this wolf send me off and marry me away! I don't want to marry some greasy old man!"

"There's a horse farmer in De Zhou City. Forty years old, with three sons and one daughter — an honest, wealthy man." Feng Zhiwei spoke unhurriedly, straightening her sleeves. "This neither fat nor greasy farm owner is one I chose from a dozen or so names, and a person the King has also approved."

With those words, Medora stilled as if struck by lightning.

"This is an opportunity the King has granted because of your past service. If you refuse, good. This Queen prefers your refusal." Feng Zhiwei continued, calmly pointing down. "Pick one. Quickly."

Medora dropped to her knees, her hand shaking as she reached for the dagger. Feng Zhiwei watched with cold eyes, her gaze unmoving.

After another long stretch of indecision, Medora gritted her teeth and grabbed the dagger, clutching it tightly as she lifted her chin to stare up at Feng Zhiwei. The young Queen waited, a small expectant smile on her lips.

The two warred with their eyes, silence in the air.

But finally metal clanged to the ground once more.

Medora let the dagger slip from her hand and fell to the ground, covering her face and loudly weeping.

Feng Zhiwei flicked a hand.

Servants immediately arrived with a red sedan chair while others quickly changed Medora into a bright red robe. A pair of short, fat, and elderly women stuffed her into the chair before climbing in beside her, seating on either side like two shriveled guardian angels. Chair bearers immediately shouldered the sedan chair and marched off, while a man rushed for the door and set off a firework.

"Congratulations Aunt Medora." Feng Zhiwei exclaimed placidly. "Send a thousand guard escort!"

The bridal team marched out of the Second Potala Palace, carrying a weeping Medora off to the Central Plains.

Meanwhile, news from the Tian Sheng - Da Yue battlefront arrived.

As Medora's Bridal Team was marching off, Feng Zhiwei had turned her attention to the secret reports Zong Chen had compiled.

Feng Zhiwei had never questioned how large her organization was, but she had obviously noticed how well informed Zong Chen was. Clearly only a portion of her men stayed around her while the others were scattered across the lands. She knew nothing of identities and occupations and everything else.

Zong Chen had claimed that the less she knew the better; in front of the truly cunning, her safety would rely on true ignorance.

Feng Zhiwei completely agreed, though she was privately certain that Zong Chen was descended from the Xuanyuan Clan, one of the Four Great Clans and renowned for their skill in healing. One of Central Plain's old dynasty founders, the Cheng Qing Empero[1]r Xuanyuan Yue had once used the alias Zong.

The little journal Zong Chen had given her so long ago had helped her rise rapidly in the world, and that book's author had once written:

"Zong Yue, Zong Yue, my only hope is that flowers blossom and life is constant, our confidence together never failing."

A hope for constancy, for a long life by each other's side, but in the end the brilliant and talented Xuanyuan Emperor only sat his throne for five years.

When Feng Zhiwei had left Dijing, she had scoured the records for history on the Da Cheng Dynasty and uncovered important information.

Da Cheng flourished in the five lands under Empress Meng Fuyao, alongside the Da Han, the Xuanyuan, the Fufeng, and the Da Yan Dynasties. Under the Empress's rule, the Fufeng Dynasty had already joining their dynasty to hers, ministering their joined land.

Legend had it that Four Emperors all romanced the Great Empress, and a pact of peace that lasted while Shen Ying Empress, Meng Fuyao of Dacheng, lived.

But as the generations passed, Da Cheng grew stronger and stronger and the alliance of the outer dynasties weakened, and eventually, all submitted.

Year 127 of Da Cheng, the Da Yan Dynasty pledges allegiance.

Year 215 of Da Cheng, Emperor Xuanyuan Jing last of the Xuan Yuan Dynasty abdicates.

Year 329 of Da Cheng, Da Cheng's mighty Emperor Xuan Jing breaks down the walls of Da Han's capital, destroying their dynasty.

Over the years, the world was unified, and the same flaming red Trumpet Vine Flag flew over all the lands.

That oath of peace ushered in by the Legendary Empress so many centuries ago on the peaks of Evergreen Holy Mountain had finally been washed aside by the flows of time.

The stirring stories and fabulous tales of romance between rulers faded away, buried in history and forgotten by the people.

[1] 承庆帝 Cheng Qing Emperor; 大成帝 Da Cheng Emperor. 承 =/= 成. QED