“Who will you save?”
In the long corridor, the Emperor Tiansheng had the sword of the Commander of Imperial Guards at his throat. Below the corridor, Feng Zhiwei had the Fifth Prince’s dagger pressed against her vital pressure point at the waist.
This seemed to be a question requiring no consideration whatsoever.
On the artificial hill, arrows remained unwavering, aimed at the Fifth Prince, not lowering in the slightest despite Feng Zhiwei being in his grasp. The palace city guards were divided between the Changying Guard and the Imperial Forest Army. The ones appearing now were the Changying forces under Ning Yi’s command.
“Wei Yong!” Emperor Tiansheng roared furiously. “Have you lost your mind! You dare hold me hostage! Do you think you can leave the palace alive?”
“This humble subject never planned to leave the palace alive.” Behind him, the Commander of Imperial Guards Wei Yong pushed out Feng Zhiwei while keeping his sword at the Emperor’s throat, his tone calm but his eyes dark. “The Chang family has shown this humble subject the grace of rebirth and continues to care for my elderly mother to this day. This life naturally belongs to the Chang family.”
“The Chang family.” Emperor Tiansheng laughed coldly. “The Chang family!”
“Wei Yong, lower your sword.” Ning Yi finally spoke, not glancing once at the Fifth Prince and Feng Zhiwei below the corridor, his gaze fixed tightly on the two men above. “It’s not too late to turn back from your wayward path. As long as you turn back now, I guarantee your mother’s safety.”
Wei Yong only smiled bitterly and shook his head, remaining silent.
“What do you want?” Ning Yi frowned, turning toward the Fifth Prince. “Fifth Brother, why must you do this? Must you fight to mutual destruction? As a son, how can you force your own father this way? Aren’t you forcing us Ning imperial clan into patricidal conflict?”
“Forget it!” The Fifth Prince sneered coldly. “Don’t you understand our resolute and decisive imperial father? Have you forgotten how Third Brother died back then? At Wangchuan Bridge, Father also said bygones would be bygones, that henceforth we would remain harmonious father and son, yet when he knelt and removed his sword, what awaited him?”
Ning Yi’s expression shifted, his eyes darkening for an instant. Emperor Tiansheng snorted angrily. Hearing this angry snort, Ning Yi’s expression immediately returned to normal as he said coolly, “You are so stubbornly unrepentant.”
He suddenly stepped back, his gaze sweeping over the darkness.
The Fifth Prince immediately became alert, his eyes narrowing, instinctively sensing danger. A glance showed him the Imperial Study doors wide open, brightly lit, completely empty without a single person. His eyes immediately brightened.
“We shouldn’t talk here,” his blade pressed tightly against Feng Zhiwei’s vital waist point as he pushed her forward. “Enter the Imperial Study to have a proper discussion. Also, immediately summon the cabinet ministers into the palace!”
“Fifth Brother should save himself the trouble.” Ning Yi laughed coldly. “Wherever you go, the outcome is the same—why waste the effort in vain?”
His body remained hidden in the corridor’s darkness, his expression unclear. The more unwilling he was to move, the more uneasy the Fifth Prince became, thinking that outside must already be arranged by him as impenetrably as an iron barrel. Better to enter the Imperial Study—at least it would block hidden arrows.
“Hey, I say, Fifth Prince.” Feng Zhiwei whispered in his ear. “Whatever you do, don’t enter the Imperial Study. Look behind that screen and under the desk—who’s to say there aren’t ambushes? When the time comes and you meet with misfortune, don’t drag me down with you.”
What utter nonsense! The Fifth Prince sneered coldly. The Imperial Study’s screen was made of milky white raw silk—with the lamps lit, even an ant could be seen. The desk’s peculiar design couldn’t possibly conceal anyone. These two were in collusion, deliberately sowing doubt—how increasingly suspicious.
He pricked up his ears and faintly heard the creaking sound of drawing bowstrings in the night. His heart couldn’t help but tighten, recalling he’d once heard that Sixth Brother had a group of talented people under his command, including weapons manufacturing experts. Could this bowstring sound be some kind of extremely accurate long-range powerful crossbow?
“Enter the Imperial Study!” His gaze swept past the territorial map of mountains and rivers directly facing the study entrance, the blue-marked Xi Ping Circuit and Changning Princely Domain and the deep red-marked Min Nan Circuit territory right before his eyes. He also saw the large characters “Sacred Ning Eternally Secure” on the plaque above the Imperial Study. A thought vaguely arose in his mind, increasingly seeming feasible—the only way out of this deadly situation before him. He tightened his grip pushing Feng Zhiwei, also signaling the Commander of Guards to force His Majesty to retreat inward.
“Aiyou, I can’t.” Feng Zhiwei dragged her feet hesitantly, stumbling. “Fifth Prince, you’re pressing too hard. My legs are weak.”
“Don’t play tricks!” The Fifth Prince now didn’t trust Feng Zhiwei one bit, his blade penetrating three fen into flesh. “Enter the study! Ning Yi, summon the cabinet ministers for me!”
Fine threads of blood seeped through the blue garment. Feng Zhiwei looked down and sighed.
Ning Yi’s gaze swept past without expression.
“Fifth Brother, you needn’t waste effort holding a minor official hostage.” He suddenly said, “Compared to His Majesty, his importance isn’t enough to matter.”
“Sixth Brother, you needn’t waste effort trying to persuade me to let go.” The Fifth Prince sneered coldly. “Whether it matters or not makes no difference to me—pulling someone down with me works just as well!”
He walked step by step toward the Imperial Study, the dagger in his hand gleaming with cold light.
“Summon the cabinet ministers. Before their faces, Father will inscribe golden tablets with written edicts, establishing a Ning clan blood oath—today’s events will absolutely not be pursued. Violators will be struck down by heaven and earth, the Ning imperial dynasty will last but one generation! Then escort me out of the capital to my princely domain, sealed in the Western Min Circuit. Henceforth, father and son will live in peace, never to meet again!” The Fifth Prince bit down on his teeth, his expression resolute.
“You go in first!” He ordered Ning Yi. “Don’t fall behind!”
“Everyone stand back!” He carefully distinguished breathing sounds in the darkness, watching Emperor Tiansheng and Ning Yi intently. Emperor Tiansheng’s face was somber as he waved his hand. Those crossbows on the artificial hills silently withdrew.
Silence fell all around, with only wind sounds and several people’s tense breathing audible.
Ning Yi laughed coldly and took the lead, backing into the Imperial Study while facing Emperor Tiansheng, tensely watching over the hostage Emperor’s safety. Not noticing the threshold beneath his feet, he stumbled, knocking over a plant stand beside the threshold, then hurriedly steadied himself and righted the stand.
“Sixth Brother, this is no time for weak legs!” The Fifth Prince watched from afar as Ning Yi retreated inside, laughing mockingly. He jerked his head, and Wei Yong forced Emperor Tiansheng across the threshold.
Because the plant stand Ning Yi had righted wasn’t completely properly placed, it blocked a small portion of the right side of the doorway. Wei Yong had no choice but to force Emperor Tiansheng to the left side while he himself passed through sideways.
“BOOM!”
Light cold as snow!
It was snow-white light erupting from the right side of the threshold, instantly fragmenting into feathered pieces, whistling from below upward straight toward Wei Yong!
Allowing absolutely no time to react, the spring mechanism was powerful, shooting into Wei Yong’s lower body—blood gushed violently!
Wei Yong screamed miserably, reaching out to grab Emperor Tiansheng.
A moon-white figure flashed. Ning Yi swept over like lightning, yanking Emperor Tiansheng away, but didn’t attack Wei Yong. Instead, brushing past him, he lunged directly at the Fifth Prince.
As he lunged forward at the fastest speed of his life, he faintly heard Wei Yong’s fierce grunt behind him, seeming to hear wind whistling, but couldn’t spare attention for it.
All this happened in the blink of an eye. The Fifth Prince only felt a snow-white flash of light before his eyes, then Ning Yi lunged at him. In his chaotic state, he had no time to think or act, frozen in place.
“Don’t kill him!” At the same moment came a fierce cry, a white figure racing forward.
And the corridor eave above suddenly shattered. Through the dust and debris, a hand in pale blue sleeves silently emerged, reaching to grab the Fifth Prince’s head. From that gesture, one grab would separate the Fifth Prince’s head from his body forever.
Screams arose. The Fifth Prince snapped to alertness. In his confusion, he only felt fierce wind assaulting his face, the light and shadows before his eyes so chaotic he couldn’t distinguish who was lunging at him. Knowing today held no hope of survival, a fierce look flashed in his eyes as his blade pressed downward!
Various confusions occurred simultaneously—
Ning Yi had already reached him.
Princess Shaoning, wearing only a single layer, had somehow already rushed to close range, using her body to collide with the Fifth Prince’s blade.
Above the Fifth Prince’s head, Gu Nanyi’s hand flashed out like lightning from the eave, about to grab the Fifth Prince.
Because everything happened simultaneously—
Princess Shaoning didn’t collide with the Fifth Prince’s blade but collided with Gu Nanyi’s hand, deflecting it by a fraction.
That deflected fraction struck the Fifth Prince’s chest, making him step back. Ning Yi, who had already arrived in time to completely save Feng Zhiwei, failed to catch her, instead colliding again with Gu Nanyi’s hand reaching back.
The three people trying to save her all collided together. The Fifth Prince was left unattended.
The blade was at the vital waist point—one press would be fatal.
The blade pressed down.
The blue garment splashed red.
In that instant, Ning Yi’s eyes also turned red.
He raised his hand with a sword strike toward the Fifth Prince, his other hand yanking Feng Zhiwei to block her wound. However, before that sword reached the Fifth Prince, the Fifth Prince fell like a wooden plank. He suddenly also felt that the sensation of that wound beneath his hand seemed somewhat strange.
He looked down. His hand was sticky, sweet, red and fragrant.
Fresh crabapple sauce.
The woman opposite, their breaths mingling, also carried a faint crabapple fragrance as she said with a half-smile, “My crabapple sauce flatbread—I had more than one piece.”
In that instant Ning Yi understood. When Feng Zhiwei delivered the letter, because she didn’t know which part of her body the Fifth Prince would attack, she had probably stuck flatbreads on all her vital points beforehand. There must have been one at her waist too. Her earlier dawdling and stumbling was probably to adjust the flatbread’s position, while also distracting the Fifth Prince’s attention to prevent discovery.
The Fifth Prince had been too nervous and was actually fooled twice by her crabapple flatbread.
The faint fragrance drifted over. That woman’s eyes were relaxed, her smile radiant, displaying the serene composure never broken by wind and rain. Ning Yi’s heart also suddenly relaxed, a faint flush rising on his face. He looked at her, his voice somewhat hoarse as he said, “That’s good then…”
The Fifth Prince lay on the ground, surrounded by blades and swords. He had merely had his pressure points sealed by Feng Zhiwei taking advantage of the opportunity—he wasn’t dead. At this moment from his angle, he could see Ning Yi’s expression perfectly clearly. In an instant he understood completely. After thinking for a moment, he laughed coldly.
He laughed while coughing, mockingly laughing at Feng Zhiwei. “See, you guessed right, didn’t you? He still saved whoever he should save.”
Words piercing the heart.
Ning Yi’s expression changed. He wanted to speak, but suddenly the flush on his face intensified. He coughed lightly and actually couldn’t get words out.
Feng Zhiwei didn’t look at Ning Yi, smiling as she bent down to say to the Fifth Prince, “Fifth Brother shouldn’t laugh at Sixth Brother. If it were you, the choice would be the same.”
Her tone was gentle, without resentment. Hearing it, Ning Yi felt as if sand had suddenly been kneaded into his heart, roughly rubbing wherever it touched, causing pain. He opened his mouth wanting to say something else.
A hand suddenly reached over, grabbing Feng Zhiwei away.
Gu Nanyi pulled Feng Zhiwei into his embrace, saying coldly, “In the way. Move aside.”
Ning Yi stepped back, supporting himself against the corridor pillar. He looked at Feng Zhiwei, suddenly feeling he needn’t explain further.
If she also thought that way, his words might not be useful anyway.
If she didn’t think that way, no one in the world’s words would matter.
He waited for Feng Zhiwei to speak. With her intelligence, she surely could see that in that moment his calculations were flawless—if not for the midway mishap, he could have completely saved her.
But Feng Zhiwei still didn’t glance at him once, compliantly leaning against Gu Nanyi, lazily turning around in his embrace.
Ning Yi’s expression darkened like dusk at twilight. After a long moment he smiled self-deprecatingly, yet remained standing in place without moving.
He didn’t know—
As soon as Feng Zhiwei turned around, in Gu Nanyi’s protection, a trace of slight pain showed on her face.
Her hand lightly pressed her waist. There, beneath the bright red crabapple sauce, some quietly trickling liquid of the same color flowed out silently, concealed beneath that sweet sticky liquid.
The flatbread’s thickness was limited.
The force the Fifth Prince used in his final outburst would definitely not be merciful.
She had padded it with flatbread and taken advantage of the Fifth Prince’s distraction to shift position, yet still couldn’t avoid injury.
It could have been avoided—it was all unfortunate coincidence.
Feng Zhiwei’s expression darkened like dusk at twilight. She also smiled self-deprecatingly, thinking that day’s conversation at the academy still rang in her ears—that damned misfortune had been predicted by her again.
She never turned her head.
She also didn’t know—
Standing behind Ning Yi, Emperor Tiansheng stared in shock at his son’s back.
Wei Yong, who maintained his throwing stance as he died on the threshold, had a trace of satisfied smile at the corner of his mouth.
Ning Yi stood supporting the corridor pillar, standing perfectly straight.
A blade deep in his back, blood dripping profusely.
—
The thirteenth year of Changxi, a year of many troubles.
Following the Crown Prince’s treason case came the Fifth Prince’s great treason case.
Although the imperial edict issued at court spoke vaguely about the Fifth Prince’s crimes, only saying he harbored resentful thoughts and plotted wrongdoing, was stripped of noble rank and confined to separate quarters, everyone knew that the Chang family’s last prince with the strongest claim to the throne had thus fallen.
Imperial Noble Consort Chang being implicated was inevitable. Although the investigation found she wasn’t involved in her son’s conspiracy, her honored position in the rear palace could no longer be maintained. She was demoted to consort rank and moved to the Western Six Palaces.
When the Fifth Prince coerced Emperor Tiansheng, he never thought to take her with him, yet she paid the greatest price for her son.
Unlike the hasty conclusion of the Crown Prince’s case, this time Emperor Tiansheng showed considerable determination to pursue thoroughly, handing the case entirely to Prince Chu to investigate. As the investigation deepened, Min Nan Regional Commander Gao Shan, who originally found the brush monkeys, naturally faced investigation and punishment. This uncovered that to find the brush monkeys to curry favor with Marquis Gaoyang, Gao Shan hadn’t hesitated to stir up the hundred thousand great mountains of Min Nan, massacring the Beast Dance tribe who were skilled at raising exotic beasts. Those brush monkeys were precious creatures the tribe’s chief had spent years of painstaking effort raising.
Through the brush monkey incident, they also uncovered Min Nan Regional Commander’s crimes of corruption and perversion of law, privately intercepting tax silver, privately requesting Marquis Gaoyang’s help in seeking positions, and so on. Gao Shan was stripped of office and charged. Marquis Gaoyang was stripped of his title.
Half a month ago they had celebrated Imperial Noble Consort Chang’s birthday with great fanfare amid flowers and brocade. Half a month later they added fuel to the fire, stripping the Chang family of power with great fanfare. The Chang clan refused to accept complete defeat. When Emperor Tiansheng continued ordering the Chang family to relinquish the Min Nan generalship and surrender military authority, pirates appeared along the southern coast, harming fishermen. Using the excuse of coastal unrest, Marquis Gaoyang sidelined the officials the court sent to take over, refusing to surrender military authority.
The heavens are high and the emperor is far away—this matter hung suspended there for the time being. Emperor Tiansheng seemed genuinely frightened by these events. From then on he indeed fell ill, yet still insisted on attending court, demoting those who should be demoted, lowering the rank of those who should be lowered, disciplining those who should be disciplined, and replacing those who should be replaced among those who had been restless during his poisoning and bedridden period.
The Second Prince, who frequently held meetings, drank, and had heart-to-heart talks with Huwei Great Camp generals, was sent to Min Nan, responsible for appeasing the hundred thousand great mountains’ various indigenous tribal peoples who had been angered into rioting by Gao Shan’s tyrannical reverse actions. He went to drink monkey wine with those indigenous people who wore clothes on only half their bodies with black mud smeared on their faces, and have heart-to-heart talks with indigenous girls with black teeth and large buttocks.
Some said the Second Prince was unlucky, yet others said the Second Prince was fortunate. Reportedly, the night the Fifth Prince’s incident occurred, the Second Prince was at Huwei Great Camp. One battalion of troops had been mustered at night roll call, already equipped and prepared to be pulled out of camp gates, blocked and turned back ten li from the camp exit. Otherwise, the Second Prince probably wouldn’t even have monkey wine to drink.
As for those officials who during Emperor Tiansheng’s poisoning and collapse had been jumping about wanting to establish a worthy prince, many were either transferred or dismissed. Even Chief Minister Yao Ying was implicated—during that period, through the Seventh Prince’s brother-in-law, he had loaned money at usurious rates across seven prefectures and six counties in the Hedong Circuit. He received an imperial edict of censure and was fined one year’s salary.
The Six Ministries, which had been quarreling chaotically, immediately stopped quarreling after the Emperor awoke. Prince Chu personally handled matters by imperial command. The Minister of Revenue was fined salary, the Minister of Works was demoted and transferred to the Ministry of Rites as vice minister. Prince Chu said, if you can’t manage construction work, go manage singing. If you can’t manage singing, go manage indigenous peoples.
It appeared both Revenue and Works were punished, but sharp-eyed people could immediately tell—the Ministry of Revenue under Prince Chu’s control wasn’t fundamentally harmed, while the Ministry of Works originally belonging to the Fifth Prince and now belonging to the Seventh Prince was drastically reorganized. More importantly, in this matter Emperor Tiansheng displayed an attitude of allowing Ning Yi free rein in handling it. Compared to the still-wary attitude after the Crown Prince’s treason case, now Emperor Tiansheng’s trust in Ning Yi had soared to unprecedented heights.
During his illness, Ning Yi had remained continuously in the palace. Emperor Tiansheng now seemed to trust only this one son, displaying an attitude of only being able to sleep with him keeping company.
During this period, a matter neither large nor small occurred in the rear palace. Emperor Tiansheng elevated the dancing girl who performed at Imperial Noble Consort Chang’s birthday banquet to consort rank, granting her Imperial Noble Consort Chang’s former chambers.
Only hearing the new person laugh, never seeing the old person cry—this sort of thing only stirred some waves in the rear palace. Beyond that, no one seemed to notice, and it seemed unrelated to anyone.
After this incident, some old ministers not belonging to any faction memorialized requesting Emperor Tiansheng establish the heir apparent early, stating that an empty heir position was not a long-term plan. For the nation’s stability, proper status must be established early. Emperor Tiansheng neither approved nor denied, keeping the memorials without issuing them. Some said His Majesty had once promised Prince Chu the position of crown prince, but Prince Chu firmly declined. Whether true or false was unknown.
Court matters were swiftly concluded by Ning Yi with thunderous methods. Emperor Tiansheng freed up energy to deal with the disobedient Chang family. Just as he was preparing to deploy troops and change defenses, transferring General Nanhai’s forces east of Lingshui Pass to suppress pirates and use military force to compel Marquis Gaoyang to surrender military authority, Feng Zhiwei brought an envoy from the Nanhai Yan family seeking an audience at night.
The renovated Imperial Study appeared as usual. When Feng Zhiwei crossed the threshold, however, her manner was extraordinarily careful, drawing a smile from Emperor Tiansheng.
Ning Yi sat in the lower seat’s armchair, his posture and expression somewhat languid, his complexion also rather pale. Though the weather wasn’t cold, a brocade cushion was actually placed behind his back. His black hair was draped over his shoulders, setting off his dark, resentful eyes, creating an alluring beauty within his elegant refinement. Feng Zhiwei was just wondering why Ning Yi was still in the palace so late when suddenly Ning Yi raised his eyes to look over. Their gazes met and immediately both looked away.
An inner servant brought ginseng soup. Emperor Tiansheng personally handed a cup to Ning Yi, also gesturing for him not to rise. “Rest well, don’t move.”
Feng Zhiwei paused, startled—she hadn’t heard this fellow was ill.
“Thank you, Father Emperor.” Ning Yi still inclined his body slightly, slowly drinking the ginseng soup, not looking at Feng Zhiwei.
Feng Zhiwei felt her recently rather weak waist beginning to ache faintly again. On her face, however, she smiled brilliantly, presenting the paper scroll in her hand.
The paper scroll unrolled on the desk. Emperor Tiansheng’s expression immediately showed delight. “Nanhai pirate defensive deployment map!”
Feng Zhiwei gestured to Yan Huaishi—Brother, your moment has arrived.
“Your Majesty, this is something the Nanhai Yan family spent years of manpower and material resources to create, drawn based on years of maritime commerce and travel—a distribution map of Nanhai pirate forces.” Yan Huaishi was concise. “The Nanhai pirates are all included herein.”
This time even Ning Yi leaned over to look carefully for several moments, then glanced at Feng Zhiwei. Feng Zhiwei showed him an honest and sincere smile.
“Excellent!” Emperor Tiansheng slapped the desk in praise. “Yi’er, immediately go to Haoyu Pavilion’s document office, transcribe this map and send it express by fast horse to General Nanhai… Wait… Why so few?”
He stared at the map blankly, his thick brows knitting, his eyes gradually showing a worried expression.
“Outrageous!”
After a long moment, Emperor Tiansheng suddenly slapped the desk, shaking palace lamps askew and causing books to tumble. The inner servants hurriedly knelt to apologize.
“The Chang clan’s shamelessness reaches such depths!” The veins on Emperor Tiansheng’s forehead throbbed distinctly. “So few pirates, yet he couldn’t eliminate them clean after so many years of suppression, and year after year demands money, grain, and expanded quotas from the court! The bandit suppression numbers he reports annually—what are those things!”
“Most likely the heads of innocent common people from Nanhai.” Feng Zhiwei added fuel to the fire.
Emperor Tiansheng’s hand trembled. In an instant anger made his lips quiver. He turned instead to ask Ning Yi, “Yi’er, what do you think?”
Ning Yi took the map, saying coolly, “The Chang clan’s disloyalty is already established. Now it’s merely that their crimes are clear and obvious… Since Lord Wei has sought audience at night to present this map, she must have an excellent strategy. Father Emperor might as well listen.”
His eyes swept over from above the map, meeting Feng Zhiwei’s gaze looking over—another collision of glances, each looking away.
Both knew perfectly well—over the years, Nanhai pirates were reportedly rampant, so year after year the court allocated money and grain there, year after year supplementing troops. This resulted in three parts of the entire year’s revenue going to Nanhai. The Nanhai Chang family also dominated one region by controlling these forces. Even the neighboring Min Nan Regional Commander grew fat with riches. Now the Yan family revealed the pirate matter was false, possibly even a scheme by the Chang family themselves. In future when the Chang family fell, the successor’s authority would be greatly reduced. And coincidentally, this time the one going to replace the Min Nan General position was precisely Ning Yi’s man.
Feng Zhiwei didn’t believe Ning Yi couldn’t think of this, yet this person actually didn’t obstruct, generously letting her act and giving her the opportunity—contrary to her expectations. The prepared arguments were completely unused.
Ning Yi lowered his eyes, slowly skimming tea foam… If you want to climb upward regardless of everything, forcibly holding you back is meaningless. Since it’s thus, I’ll simply defeat you in the domain where you’re most skilled.
The exchange of glances lasted only an instant. The next moment Feng Zhiwei was already smiling. “Why needlessly waste court military strength, transferring heavy troops from Lingshui Pass all the way to Nanhai? Not only does it exhaust troops and waste resources, once Lingshui Pass’s western line is moved, it might also cause instability in the neighboring Changning Princely Domain. Actually, Nanhai’s local great clans, many having made their fortunes through maritime commerce, have suffered for years from the Chang family’s collusion with pirates and have long had hearts devoted to serving the nation. Now as long as Your Majesty grants them proper status, the combined protective forces of just these aristocratic families would be sufficient to sweep away those maritime petty criminals without Chang clan support. This way, the court saves silver, doesn’t mobilize great armies, and the Nanhai aristocratic families also eliminate years of troubles, achieving their wishes. Why not?”
“Excellent.” Emperor Tiansheng listened with shining eyes, smiling as he looked at Feng Zhiwei and Yan Huaishi. “Since this is so, tomorrow have the Inner Cabinet draft a plan. You have shown dedication—I greatly commend this.”
Feng Zhiwei smiled, praised a few phrases about our Emperor’s sagely wisdom, then immediately rose to take her leave. Ning Yi also stood up, saying, “I’ll see off my family’s meritorious official.”
The words “my family’s” were spoken low and with a smile, making Feng Zhiwei turn her head away. Emperor Tiansheng didn’t think anything of it. He was spared a campaign and silver, in excellent spirits. He waved his hand dismissing them. After thinking, he also reminded, “Your injury isn’t healed—be careful.”
Feng Zhiwei pursed her lips, thinking this person was putting on an act again.
The group went out. Ning Yi’s steps were extremely slow. Feng Zhiwei was quite impatient, yet could only patiently wait, slowly shuffling along with him. Ning Yi imperceptibly glanced at her, thinking the best thing about this person was this—fake, extremely fake, very fake. Because so fake, she would never act willfully. Very good, very good.
He watched Feng Zhiwei with head lowered honestly following beside him, walking one step and shifting three times. The smile on his face was gentle, but the hands in his sleeves were clenched into fists. He immediately felt very pleased, ah, very pleased.
Yan Huaishi sensed something wrong and quickly claimed not to know the way, pulling an inner servant and flying away. The other inner servants all had good judgment, following far behind, a full li distant.
No one on all sides—Feng Zhiwei stopped pretending.
She whooshed past Ning Yi, striding quickly past him while smiling and saying, “Hehe, dare not trouble Your Highness to see me far, hehe, please stay please stay, this official will go herself, farewell, farewell.”
Her sleeve was suddenly grabbed. Feng Zhiwei was completely unsurprised. Taking advantage of the momentum, she flashed her elbow backward in a strike. Hearing an “aiyou” from behind, she ignored it and continued running forward. Ning Yi didn’t let go, forcefully yanking her back. This yank pulled on Feng Zhiwei’s waist. Feng Zhiwei also cried “aiyou.”
Supporting her waist, she hissed while drawing breath, her willow brows standing on end as she turned her head, only to see Ning Yi’s face pale, leaning against the wall, also continuously drawing breath.
The two looked at each other. One asked, “You’re really injured?”
One asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
After asking, both fell silent. After a long moment, Ning Yi lightly grasped Feng Zhiwei’s hand, feeling her palm warm and moist. Feng Zhiwei felt his fingers ice-cold. Her palm moved, instinctively wanting to warm these cold fingers, yet immediately drew back.
—
Several days later, the imperial edict came down. Wei Zhi had merit toward the nation and was appointed Vice Minister of Rites.
Simultaneously the court announced establishment of the Shipping General Affairs Office in Nanhai, with the Yan family head serving as the first official, overseeing all Nanhai shipping and commerce matters, directly responsible to the court’s Ministry of Revenue, not under local Regional Commander jurisdiction.
The latter news didn’t attract much attention—merely a merchant receiving official status. The former news, however, drew everyone’s admiration. Generally, Inner Cabinet ministers would go to the Six Ministries for experience in government affairs before entering the cabinet. Someone from the academy going to the Ministry of Rites as vice minister signaled future cabinet entry. Lord Wei was so young yet already a third-rank high official. His future prospects were beyond limitless. For a time, Wei Manor was thronged with carriages and horses, an endless stream of people offering congratulations.
Lord Wei, however, had no time to accept everyone’s congratulations—on her very first day reporting to the Ministry of Rites, the first task she received was to organize and screen outstanding official and aristocratic family sons’ information submitted from various regions, making preliminary selections based on family background, talent, learning, character, and temperament, then reporting the list to Emperor Tiansheng—Emperor Tiansheng had finally decided to select a prince consort for Shaoning.
Shaoning received the news—how could she comply? She cried and made scenes, even chased and blocked Feng Zhiwei everywhere. Feng Zhiwei also fled everywhere in panic like a wolf or pig—Sister, you’re truly stupid. Since His Majesty has assigned me to manage this matter, naturally it means he has no intention of marrying you to me. Even if His Majesty had such thoughts, your Sixth Brother would absolutely not allow such a situation. The more you make a scene, the faster you’ll be married. Why are you such a dense child, huh huh huh?
Shaoning completely didn’t understand the scheming involved. She believed love’s path was always winding, but the future was bright. That bright future needed two people to forge together hand in hand—how could she be abandoned to fly solo? So recently Feng Zhiwei was pestered by Shaoning until chickens flew and dogs jumped, crying bitter tears.
This day after court, she was blocked by Shaoning again below the hall.
Feng Zhiwei hurriedly bowed. “Princess well Princess good morning Princess ten thousand peace this humble minister has urgent matters forgive me cannot keep company farewell farewell.” Shaoning’s mouth had just opened when she’d already finished speaking a pile of words and was quickly running outward.
“You stop right there for me!”
Feng Zhiwei flew forward against the wind, showing officials looking over with strange smiles an expression of “I know nothing I heard nothing.”
“Don’t do that thing!” Shaoning actually chased after her, shouting behind her. “Don’t do it don’t do it!”
The officials’ ambiguous smiles turned horrified—What thing what thing what thing? Do what do what do what?
Feng Zhiwei broke out in sweat against the wind… Princess I beg you speak clearly. Speaking this way will kill people.
“Lord Wei don’t run—” An inner servant, dripping with sweat, chased over. “His Majesty summons you inside!”
Shaoning’s eyes reddened. She knew today after court Emperor Tiansheng would finalize the prince consort selection. This was summoning Wei Zhi inside to inquire about specific circumstances.
“You can’t leave today!” She bit her teeth, suddenly clapping. “Someone come!”
Whoosh—a group of guards rushed out from the corners, all护卫 from Shaoning’s Yuming Palace, their eyes fierce as they blocked Feng Zhiwei.
Feng Zhiwei’s brows furrowed. Wei Zhi was merely a scholar with third-rate martial skills—couldn’t fight guards. Her feet slipped, about to escape.
“Seize him for me!” Shaoning shouted loudly. The guards pressed forward, overturning Feng Zhiwei in three or five moves.
“Bind him!”
Yellow silk ribbons swooshed, binding Feng Zhiwei, hoisting her up and parading through the streets.
Shaoning’s face was deathly pale, her eyes bright red, excited to the point of trembling all over and speaking incoherently. She hitched up her skirt and followed behind, charging straight toward the Imperial Study.
“I’ll go see Father Emperor with you!”
“I’ll say you deceived my body, privately pledged eternal love in the Imperial Garden—now you will marry none but me, I will marry none but you!”