Rising Phoenix

Yan Huaiying lay stunned, Wei Zhi’s words turning over in his mind.

His Highness wanted her to attend him dressed like this?

Yan Huaiying stiffly sat up and then finally began moving, slowly moving from the bed as she held up the tatters of her nightgown, dragging her feet over to the basin.

She had never waited on anyone and had no idea what she was supposed to do. Feng Zhiwei sighed silently as she glanced over at the girl’s panicked face, all that pride and arrogance gone.

What was the point? Had the girl really pushed herself to this point for a phantom hatred?

The wealthy children were too narrow-minded, so easily blowing trivial matters out of proportion and imagining themselves in danger and despair, putting themselves through a strange self-torturing cycle.

Feng Zhiwei did not want to push the girl any further. She did not feel much compassion or pity for her, but it was already tragic enough that she had been offered up as a futile and doomed sacrifice and had fallen from honorable young lady to servant girl; Feng Zhiwei was worried that Yan Huaiying might eventually hang herself in Ning Yi’s room, and then they would have to go through the trouble of moving to another residence.

“Since this Minister’s hands are already wet, this Minister can do it. Since I got some dirt on my hands just now, I can also wash my hands with His Highness’s water.” Feng Zhiwei smiled in an attempt to defuse the situation, kneeling before Ning Yi and reaching for his wet boots.

But who knew that Ning Yi would kick out at Yan Huaiying’s knee and call out indifferently: “Master Wei’s hands are dirty, didn’t you hear? Are you still not helping him wash his hands?”

Yan Huaiying stiffened, freezing in place.

Though the kick was not heavy, it was still enough to shatter her heart and knock her soul into the abyss. These few words opened her eyes to her great folly.

She had been mistaken. The idea that concubine and madams could boss around Imperial Ministers by relying on kinship to the Imperial Family came from stories, fantasies made up in novels. Those characters were not experienced princes like Ning Yi or sophisticated ministers like Wei Zhi.

How could such silly plans defeat wily politicians like them? No mere fantasy could shake them from their seats.

And for this ridiculous, foolish fantasy, she had humiliated and sacrificed herself, and now there was no escape.

She had doomed herself — if as a Young Madam she could have at least kneeled before Wei Zhi before, now she was not even allowed to near his side without permission.

Her lips trembled, and though she wanted to disobey and cry and scream and throw a tantrum as she had so often done when she was still the Yan Family Young Madam, now she was nothing and she dared to do nothing.

Ning Yi was not Wei Zhi. The truth was she had dared to be unpleasant before Wei Zhi because he seemed gentle and did not take any of her foolishness to heart; even if the reason was because Wei Zhi did not think her worth his time, at least nothing bad would befall her.

But Ning Yi was different. Though his beauty and elegance shone like the gorgeous and enchanting midnight mandala, beneath the tranquil beauty was plunging cold and razor edges. When Ning Yi’s gaze moved lightly over her, she felt as if all the breath in her lungs froze solid and her blood slowed to a crawl.

She believed without a doubt that if she displeased Wei Zhi she might suffer, but if she displeased Ning Yi she would die.

Though she did not dare refuse the command, she could not bring herself so low; and so she froze, quivering silently, her hands clenched tightly as she languished in fear, unable to move forward and not daring to retreat.

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Feng Zhiwei pretended not to notice and ignored Ning Yi’s words, calmly replying: “This Minister does not dare accept Young Madam Yan’s service, that is unnecessary.”

She was informing Ning Yi of the girl’s identity, and just as she had expected, Ning Yi’s eyebrows twitched. Everything became clearer — Ning Yi did not even know who the girl was, so of course nothing had happened between them. A cautious man like Ning Yi would never have an intimate relationship with some unknown woman, no matter how much of a playboy he was.

“So that is how it is.” Ning Yi replied, a cold smile crossing his lips as he continued calmly: “This Prince is not interested in bringing around and slowly educating such an unruly woman, Master Wei, this concubine, I grant to you.”

Feng Zhiwei froze, stunned.

Yan Huaiying jerked, lifting her eyes to the prince and staring wildly, her pupils suddenly dilated and filled with terror and disbelief.

“Highness… Your Highness, what… what are you saying…”

Ning Yi paid the girl no mind, only interested in Feng Zhiwei. He hummed questioningly in the back of his throat: “En?”

Feng Zhiwei sighed and slowly replied: “This Minister is grateful.”

“That’s good.” Ning Yi replied, his mood seemingly lifted. He waved a hand and continued: “Since she is your concubine, why is she still in this Prince’s room? Still not leaving?”

“I’m not leaving!” Yan Huaiying cried out, unable to silence herself any longer. Since the situation had reached such a precipice, though she was afraid of Ning Yi, she felt that she still had to struggle for her fate.

She plopped down and knelt in the water, clutching Ning Yi’s knees as tears streamed down her face. “Your Highness… Your Highness, I will learn… I will learn all the rules, please do not chase me away… I am yours, and you just… just now you…”

She choked on her words, speaking ambiguously so Wei Zhi would refuse her impure body and decline the gift.

But she could not have known the danger she was treading on with these words, and as soon as she spoke Ning Yi lifted his brow and smiled ambiguously down at her. “Just now?”

Yan Huaiying did not dare say another word and could only clutch his knee and weep. As she lamented her fate, her tears and snot dripped down on Ning Yi’s robes, and Feng Zhiwei quickly moved forward and pulled Yan Huaiying away before the prince could notice.

Feng Zhiwei was afraid that when Ning Yi realized what had happened, he would kick her dead. Though she did not value the Young Madam’s time, it would be greatly inconvenient if that ruined their relationships with the Yan Family.

But Yan Huaiying only thought that Wei Zhi was pulling her away from her last hope, so as he grabbed her all that rage and sorrow exploded. She turned to Feng Zhiwei and pounced, a guttural roar ripping from her throat.

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“If you won’t let me live, I will die in your hands!”

Feng Zhiwei slapped down with a palm and neatly threw her into the door.

“Remember this! You are mine now, and I am your heaven! If you annoy me, you will die in this yard and no one will defend you!”

Feng Zhiwei used her Qi to protect the girl, and even though she was thrown into the door and fainted from the strength of Feng Zhiwei’s move, Yan Huaiying was perfectly fine.

Soon after, an attendant came and brought her away.