Chapter 1: Pale Moon and Pear Blossoms

She looked up at him with a smiling face and said, “If you wait more than three days, I’ll take your surname.”

“Lord Wei has wronged His Highness this time,” someone replied with a laugh. “His Highness clearly waited three days plus five hours and three quarters.”

Feng Zhiwei turned her head and greeted cheerfully with narrowed eyes, “Little Yao!”

On the ship’s rail, Yao Yangyu smiled and bowed to her. He was considerably darker but looked healthy and spirited. It seemed that military life had truly polished this pampered playboy into someone refreshing.

Suddenly a large fist appeared, grabbing Yao Yangyu’s collar and dragging him aside. “No tact! Get lost!”

“Hey, hey, Chunyu, what are you doing?” Yao Yangyu clutched the ship’s rail inexplicably, refusing to leave. “I haven’t seen Lord Wei in so long, let me say a few words.”

“Little Yao, your memory is really good.” Ning Yi leaned leisurely against the ship’s rail, his smile not quite a smile as he assessed Yao Yangyu. “Then you might as well help me calculate how much grain each person in your Longbei Army ate on average last month, including how much grain, meat, and vegetables respectively, what the total amount converts to in silver taels, whether the quotas for peacetime and wartime are appropriate, and if adjustments are needed, how much they should be adjusted to, how many grain transport teams would be needed to guarantee grain supply for more than three months at once… Well, that’s all for now. I want to hear your report in half an hour. That’s settled then.”

“Half an hour!” Yao Yangyu wailed and was dragged away with a yank by Chunyu Meng. Even from far away, Chunyu Meng’s schadenfreude voice could be heard: “Fool! That’s what you get for standing there! Calculate yourself to death!”

Peace returned to the bow. Ning Yi reached out and pulled Feng Zhiwei toward him. Feng Zhiwei had thought that in broad daylight it would just be a symbolic gesture of handing her over, but unexpectedly Ning Yi applied force. Feng Zhiwei was pulled forward and stumbled heavily into his embrace.

With a low thud she crashed into someone’s chest. Before her “Ouch” could escape, she heard his low laugh. As his chest vibrated, a faint gorgeous cool fragrance came over her. Feng Zhiwei’s face instantly reddened. She raised her hand to push him away, saying, “Are you crazy? What kind of place is this? Let go quickly.”

Ning Yi smiled without answering. With a lift of his arm, Feng Zhiwei’s vision darkened as his cloak covered her head. Ning Yi wrapped her in his cloak, leaned against the ship’s rail, and smiled. “In front is water, behind there’s no one. Whoever wants to look can look.”

Feng Zhiwei rarely saw him so domineering and unrestrained. The cloak overhead covered her tightly, behind her was the ship’s rail, and Ning Yi pressed against her so tightly she couldn’t move. She couldn’t push him away, couldn’t hit him. Just as she was considering whether to use that classic head-butt move, her vision suddenly darkened as Ning Yi’s lips pressed heavily down.

His descending lips weren’t as gentle as before, carrying several degrees of fierce force, coming without allowing refusal, seeking only comfort before leaving. Yet once touching her lips, they transformed into gurgling spring water, like falling feathers and flying flowers gently turning and shifting, pecking bit by bit, densely and finely kissing from the edge of her lips to the seam, as if wanting to use such delicate and gentle slow kisses to comfort nearly half a year of longing. Feng Zhiwei reached out to push him away, but he murmured dreamlike beside her ear: “Let me smell whether the wisteria cake fragrance is still there…” Hearing this, Feng Zhiwei wanted to laugh—what kind of absurd excuse was this? Yet somehow her heart softened, and with this softening her body seemed to soften as well. Her face flushed with a faint red. Ning Yi seized the opportunity to attack and conquer, parting her teeth and kissing her almost fiercely.

The boat swayed gently. The great river’s waves undulated as if in the distance. A cloak created a small, warm private world. Under the cloak he kissed her forcefully, his tongue sweeping back and forth between her lips and teeth, as if wanting to permanently occupy the territory that belonged to him, or perhaps hoping to transform himself into a rainstorm to wash away all traces left by others. He pressed against her so tightly that Feng Zhiwei gradually felt suffocated. At the moment when her breathing was most labored, he suddenly tilted his head slightly, yielding a small gap. Feng Zhiwei quickly seized the opportunity to poke her head out, but he leaned against her cheek rubbing slightly, seeming to murmur: “…don’t like having others’…”

This statement was incoherent with only half said, but Feng Zhiwei immediately understood. As she burned with embarrassment, she wanted to find a certain voyeur to beat up. But Ning Yi wouldn’t let her go, locking her tightly in his arms, gradually moving from her lips to her cheek to her earlobe, kissing all along the way, softly saying: “Don’t move… let me miss you properly…”

Feng Zhiwei closed her eyes, sighed softly, and suddenly reached out to pull, untying Ning Yi’s cloak fastening. With a flick of her wrist, the cloak fell onto her elbow, and at the same time Ning Yi had no choice but to helplessly move aside.

He wasn’t angry though, smiling at her from three steps away, saying: “You just undressed me, I thought you wanted to right here…”

Feng Zhiwei raised her hand and threw the cloak at him, cutting off the latter half of his teasing.

Ning Yi smiled and naturally put on the cloak. As Feng Zhiwei passed by him, she sighed: “Your supposed fondness for men—even Xi Liang knows about it. Aren’t you afraid His Majesty will have some thoughts?”

“I’d rather he think I have that fondness than other thoughts.” Ning Yi’s answer seemed meaningful. He held her shoulder and examined her carefully, saying: “You seem thinner?”

Feng Zhiwei touched her face and smiled: “Where? I actually feel I’ve gained a whole circle.” Only now did she have time to look up at Ning Yi, feeling that if anything, he seemed thinner.

“You stayed in Xi Liang for several extra months.” Ning Yi held her hand and smiled. “Made me spend a lonely New Year. How will you compensate me?”

“Speaking of which, I do feel somewhat apologetic.” Feng Zhiwei smiled, then suddenly raised her hand and lifted the lid off an inconspicuous large vegetable jar by the boat, saying, “I’ll compensate you with this large pickled vegetable.”

The “large pickled vegetable,” having had his disguise lid knocked off his head, stood up sheepishly, rubbing his hands together with an awkward smile: “Master…”

Ning Yi looked at him in surprise, widening his eyes: “Eh, isn’t this the literary genius Master Ning? What are you doing here, composing poetry in a pickle jar?”

“Indeed.” Feng Zhiwei patted Ning Cheng’s shoulder with a smile. “How hard it must have been for Master Ning, following all the way to Xi Liang, composing countless fine poems from walls and roof beams. Presumably addicted to poetry-making, even arriving in Tiansheng he didn’t forget to seek poetic inspiration. What topic are you planning this time? ‘The Unspeakable Events at the Weihe River Bow’? Or ‘The Cloak Incident Between Prince Chu and Lord Wei’?”

She laughed heartily and strode away. Ning Yi watched her back with a smile, thinking this girl was indeed still angry. He turned to look at his precious guard, who had a completely oblivious expression, looking at him with a face full of indignation and grievance.

Ning Yi leaned against the ship’s rail and beckoned to Ning Cheng. Ning Cheng immediately fished out several sheets of paper from his boot, rushing over to present them, saying: “Master, I was busy later and didn’t have time to bind them into a volume, but everything that should be recorded is here…”

This was apparently the loose-leaf sequel to the “Xi Liang Dream Chronicles.” Ning Yi glanced at him and opened it to look.

“The Body-Pressing Incident of Jin Siyu on the Changping Palace Terrace”

“Wedding Toast or Pouncing? Witness Feng Zhiwei’s Bold Choice”

“Adulterer and Adulteress Join Forces to Deceive, Fierce Man and Woman’s Underwater Intimacy!”

Ning Cheng rolled up his sleeves with tears in his eyes, showing his master the few tiny scars from fighting with the Regent Prince’s guards several months ago: “Master, look, they tricked me into fighting. Before I finished fighting on this side they ran away, leaving me one against two with no help. I nearly lost my life… What kind of assignment did you give me? I’d rather dump chamber pots in the mansion for a month than deal with that woman again…”

“Done.” Ning Yi listened with a smile, tucking that roll of “Xi Liang Dream Chronicles” sequel into his sleeve, saying mildly: “You don’t need to deal with her anymore. I just decided to send you to manage chamber pots at the Henei estate for a year. All the chamber pots will be under your management. See, this job definitely won’t cost you your life. You don’t need to thank me… Mm, that’s settled. Go wash up and sleep.”

Like Feng Zhiwei, he patted Ning Cheng’s shoulder, laughed heartily, and strode away.

The unfortunate Guard Ning, in early spring’s rustling cold wind, looked at his back, trembling more than the cold wind warranted…

That evening after crossing the river, Hua Qiong personally came to receive them. After eating dinner at her mansion, Feng Zhiwei learned that Ning Yi had come south to inspect immigration and road construction affairs. Because Minnan’s hundred thousand great mountains had treacherous terrain and impassable roads, the various ethnic indigenous peoples within the hundred thousand mountains largely resisted civilization, and due to inconvenient living conditions, they frequently emerged from the mountains to harass civilian residences. The Minnan general submitted a memorial requesting road construction through the mountains, establishing counties and building cities, relocating Han people to live together with the indigenous peoples to achieve ethnic integration. This was a major matter and beneficial for generations to come. The Tiansheng Emperor immediately approved. Because the Minnan general was recommended by Ning Yi and managed the Ministries of Revenue and Works, this matter was assigned to him to oversee. Only thus could Ning Yi find a reason to come meet her here.

Feng Zhiwei ate her rice, thinking it couldn’t be that Ning Yi, in order to make this trip, had directed the Minnan general to submit the memorial, could it? That would be making too big a commotion.

After the meal, Hua Qiong pulled her for a walk, stating clearly that men weren’t allowed to follow. Ning Yi merely smiled, watching the two figures slowly heading toward the garden, a faint strange quality in his gaze.

Hua Qiong led Feng Zhiwei, turning this way and that, finally stopping at a place she considered sufficiently hidden. Without any small talk, she got straight to the point: “I’ve already found quite a few former Fire Phoenix members and obtained His Majesty’s approval to establish the Fire Phoenix Army. The people in this area have fierce customs and women have low status. Apart from the old soldiers from back then, quite a few women are actually willing to join the military. Once the hundred thousand mountains are opened and counties established, many of the ethnic minority women inside possess exceptional skills. I estimate there will be another batch of fresh troops. In the future, Fire Phoenix’s scale may exceed both our expectations.”

Feng Zhiwei remained silent, hands clasped behind her back in thought. After a long while she said: “A’Qiong, my intentions—though I’ve never said so explicitly, I think you understand in your heart. This isn’t child’s play. This is a grand undertaking that risks house and head. I must remind you, if you withdraw now, it’s still not too late.”

“Eh, you made one trip to Xi Liang and your brain got muddled?” Hua Qiong laughed dismissively. “You should know that from the moment I submitted the memorial requesting to rebuild Fire Phoenix, there was no turning back!”

“Then why are you still helping me like this?” Feng Zhiwei turned around, her misty eyes quietly gazing at her only female confidante.

“I haven’t thought that much about it.” Hua Qiong jumped onto a decorative rock, plucked a blade of wild grass, and sucked on the grass root with relish. “Perhaps this is just my nature? I’ve been wild since childhood, unable to bear loneliness. My father said I shouldn’t have been born into such an ordinary private tutor’s family. It’s as if even my blood is the kind that likes to surge. I like the battlefield, I like adventure, I like combat where red blades go in and white blades come out, I like fighting desperately for people I like, I like giving my all for things I feel should be done regardless of consequences.”

She raised her hand, pointing toward the Imperial Capital direction. “I don’t like that old man sitting at the very top. He manipulates power schemes, indulges his sons in competing for the throne, schemes who knows what in the deep palace all day, yet doesn’t care whether the common people of the four seas are wailing through their days under layer upon layer of exploitation by corrupt officials. That year you and Ning Yi killed over three hundred officials at once in Longxi. The Longxi official circles were nearly cleaned out by you two. But aside from that, what about Jianghuai? What about Longnan, Longbei, Shannan, Shanbei, Nanhai, Henei—those dozen or so circuits? Where aren’t there despicable officials sucking marrow from bones? Even Zhou Xizhong, the supposedly incorruptible Nanhai Commissioner, still collects the inexplicable ‘tea-drinking tax’ every year! That old man—his governance is lax, and he’s cold-hearted and lacking in virtue. He relied on a woman to win his empire and establish his eternal foundation. In the end, he chose to force her to death personally—I find him disagreeable!”

Spitting out the grass root, she waved her hand conclusively: “I’d rather rob and plunder the rich to help the poor and be beheaded at the execution ground than die at home full of suffocated anger, having the capability and opportunity but not daring to try, holding a bellyful of regrets. Since heaven arranged for me to meet you and walk step by step to this point, why shouldn’t I dare move a stone to try smashing that oppressive sky overhead?”

These words were truly treasonous. Anyone would break out in cold sweat hearing them. Yet one spoke with great enthusiasm while the other listened with a faint smile. After a long while, Feng Zhiwei sighed: “Hurling stones at the sky—what’s more likely to be destroyed is oneself…”

“What’s with you today?” Hua Qiong leaned in to peer into her eyes, grabbing her face with both hands and shaking it curiously. “Are you Feng Zhiwei?”

Feng Zhiwei was both annoyed and amused, raising her hand to slap away her hands with a laugh. “Fine, Desperate Madam Hua, you’re not doing this for me, you’re doing it for your own satisfaction. I won’t worry about you.”

“You just take care of those two over there.” Hua Qiong pointed toward Xi Liang’s direction, her expression darkening somewhat for some reason.

Feng Zhiwei’s eyes flashed as she fell silent.

After a long while she said: “A’Qiong, in Xi Liang, I thought many times about giving up. If this road didn’t work, I’d find another way. I’m unwilling for them to sacrifice like this.”

“Then why did you still help Zhixiao seize the throne and leave Little Gu there?” Hua Qiong looked at her sideways.

“There’s something you don’t know. That year in the small grove in the capital suburbs, I buried Mother and my younger brother.” Feng Zhiwei said softly. “I swore over Mother’s last letter that I would avenge this in this lifetime. At that time, Nan Yi also made a vow.”

Hua Qiong stopped talking. Without asking, she knew what kind of vow Gu Nanyi would make.

“You know his temperament.” Feng Zhiwei turned her head, moisture glistening at the corners of her eyes in the moonlight. “What he truly decides to do, no one can stop, just as when he vowed in his youth to follow and protect me for life, he would never change. If I refused, he would secretly do it anyway regardless of everything. But without my help, how could he, who’s not skilled in schemes, achieve the result he wants?”

Hua Qiong remained silent. She knew Feng Zhiwei’s concerns were correct. Once Gu Nanyi made up his mind, even if Feng Zhiwei refused, he would definitely do it. To prevent him from taking risks alone, Feng Zhiwei had no choice but to fully act.

Only with Zhixiao gaining the throne would he be truly safe.

She quietly looked at Feng Zhiwei. She sat behind the decorative rock, seeming somewhat cold as she hugged her shoulders. Her jet-black long hair spread out, covering her face. That posture of hugging her shoulders with knees drawn up lacked her usual commanding presence and unperturbed composure, showing rare weakness and sorrow—sorrow for life’s unavoidable choices and losses.

Hua Qiong sighed. She knew Feng Zhiwei had always regarded Gu Zhixiao as her own daughter, and there was Gu Nanyi—living together morning and evening for nearly four years, she had long grown accustomed to that youth’s quiet presence. Now with this sudden parting, though her expression remained unmoved and her conversation unchanged, the confusion and emptiness in her eyes had long betrayed her.

Hua Qiong’s heart filled with tender emotions. She sat beside her, gently embracing her thin shoulders, saying softly: “Zhiwei… since it’s come to this, then keep walking forward… When everything begins, they will all return… Don’t worry, I’ll always be with you…”

Feng Zhiwei buried her face against her shoulder. After a long while she moved it away gently. Her expression had already recovered its calm. Then she took out a dark blue wooden plaque from her bosom, carved with several strange lines, and pressed it into her hand.

“What’s this?” Hua Qiong examined it from all angles.

Feng Zhiwei whispered a few words in her ear. Joy exploded in Hua Qiong’s eyes. “Really?”

“Otherwise why would I stay in Xi Liang so long?” Feng Zhiwei smiled. “I was also waiting for news from there.”

Hua Qiong put the item away with a face full of joy, saying happily: “Another ten percent better odds… How do you plan to proceed?”

“We always need to wait for an opportunity.” Feng Zhiwei said. “My forces have no problems, but yours are organized relying on the court. Without reasonable justification, there’s simply no legitimate cause to deploy them. However…” She leaned close to Hua Qiong’s ear. “Changning will likely make moves soon. First fight a few good battles and establish military merit. Once your foundation is stable, then we’ll…”

“Lord Wei.” After listening, Hua Qiong suddenly patted her shoulder with a completely serious face. “The moment requiring you to become a traitorous minister has arrived. Please work hard!”

Feng Zhiwei: “…”

After the night discussion at General Hua’s mansion, Feng Zhiwei traveled north back to the capital with Ning Yi. Yao Yangyu and others accompanied them all the way to the border between Longbei and Longxi before reluctantly returning. At parting, General Little Yao grasped Feng Zhiwei’s hand in an affectionate gaze, about to deliver tens of thousands of words of passionate sentiments, when at Prince Chu’s instruction, General Chunyu tied him behind a horse and dragged him back.

After Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei were left alone, Ning Yi wasn’t in a hurry to travel anymore. He kept saying that last time he hadn’t been able to properly appreciate the scenery along the way, and this time he absolutely couldn’t miss it. All along the route he pulled her to tour mountains and play in waters. Sometimes he even bypassed local official receptions to secretly visit scenic spots. Though the journey could take half a month by fast horse, he took over a month.

Feng Zhiwei couldn’t bear it any longer. Finally, near Jianghuai Circuit, when Ning Yi said he wanted to see Jianghuai’s famous Lihua Mountain, she protested: “All along this route I’ve accompanied you to see seven mountains and tour lakes ten times. I absolutely refuse to look anymore!”

Ning Yi held a cup of tea and watched her with a smile, his gaze flowing. Suddenly he raised his cup and toasted in all directions, saying: “Though you and I are both Tiansheng people, this Tiansheng’s great rivers and mountains offer few opportunities—to see. If we don’t look carefully, how will we calculate it in the future?”

Feng Zhiwei felt shocked hearing this, raising her eyes to look at Ning Yi. His smile was as usual, only his eyes’ flickering light was like her own—his true emotions couldn’t be seen clearly.

“The one who should take pains to appreciate and familiarize himself with this realm seems to be Your Highness.” Feng Zhiwei lowered her eyes and turned around, pouring herself a cup of tea. “This humble official is merely fortunate to be present.”

Ning Yi didn’t contradict her, faintly humming in acknowledgment. “Since that’s so, we won’t look at Lihua Mountain. However, there’s one place you absolutely must go. This is something you promised long ago.”

“Oh?”

“The traveling palace by Luoxian’s Li Lake is nearly complete. His Majesty has bestowed it the name Jiying.” Ning Yi leaned beside her, playfully blowing at her loose temple hair. “You promised me you’d go ahead of His Majesty and be the first to freely tour the palace.”

Feng Zhiwei raised her hand to tuck back her temple hair, putting up her palm to block his restless lips, smiling: “Fine, fine. Since it was agreed, let’s look at this one. If we delay any further, I fear His Majesty will send an urgent order asking questions.”

“Done.” Ning Yi mimicked her tone, then suddenly pressed his lips to her snow-white palm. Feng Zhiwei only felt her palm slightly warm and moist. With an “Ah” she quickly withdrew her hand, barely maintaining a normal expression, but her ear tips betrayed the secret by turning red.

Ning Yi held his teacup, smiling as he observed her coral-bead-like delicate earlobes, thinking that if he seized this opportunity to nibble on them, what would be the odds of success?

After thinking about it, he felt that succeeding with two consecutive offenses before this little fox was truly limited in possibility. He could only sigh regretfully and say: “It’s not far from here to Li Lake anymore. It’s also inconvenient to take you to the palace to play in broad daylight. Let’s go at night. You shouldn’t dress as Wei Zhi either. If people see me with you touring the palace at midnight, they might think we’re plotting rebellion there.”

Feng Zhiwei raised her eyes and looked at him with a smile. Ning Yi’s eyes were still that deep and heavy, though when with her they contained a bit more mirth. Yet they still gave one the feeling of distance, like a banner flying in the deep black firmament, swaying at the far side of mountains and seas.

“I’d rather rebel against Your Highness than be forced to play in those monotonous landscapes again.” Feng Zhiwei yawned and turned around.

“You want to rebel against me?” Ning Yi lifted his hand and put it around her waist, saying softly near her ear: “Most welcome.”

Before Feng Zhiwei could resist, he had already gently released her. Feng Zhiwei glanced back with a smile, entered the room, took a mask, changed into a dress and came out. Ning Yi looked at her, his eyes suddenly brightening.

This was a pale silver dress. Feng Zhiwei rarely wore this color. Today wearing it, it made one feel she truly could wear any color with different charms. The dress was cut simply yet exquisitely, graceful as a lotus. The pale silver was noble and mysterious, calling to mind pear blossoms bathed in moonlight.

In Ning Yi’s eyes too seemed to ripple that moonlit pear blossom, a sky full of watery reflections.

He smiled slightly, gently taking Feng Zhiwei’s hand.

“Come, let’s go tour the palace by night.”