[Sooky] Feng Yu Jiu Tian Volume 2.pdf

8/20/2019 [Sooky] Feng Yu Jiu Tian Volume 2.pdf

1/366

Feng Yu Jia Tian

:. Chapter 1 & 2 .:

Early next morning Feng Ming and his entourage were dueto set off,

Chiu Lan and the other girls had risen with the sun and

entered Feng Ming‟s

chambers to assist him into his travelling garments.

The case of the Crowned Prince being sent on a diplomaticmission was a

grave matter. Naturally, there was an emphasis to uphold

presentation and

etiquette. Needless to say, this included the extensive

amount of clothing and

personal adornments Feng Ming had to wear.

The inner robes, outer coat, boots, cloak, jade pendants…

Feng Ming had stood like a store mannequin for over two

hours when

Chiu Lan frantically made last minute adjustments to his

completed attire.\

“It is ready now.” Chiu Yue stepped back to double check

the collective efforts


2/366

of the maids. She smiled and said, “What Country has a

more attractive Crown

Prince than Xi Rei?”

Unfortunately, the Crown Prince wasn‟t smitten with the

compliment. The

heavy gold crown that rested upon his head was starting to

give him a migraine,

internally wishing that someone would put him out of his

misery. Everything

about this „trip‟ and the added burden of the official

clothing made him feel

uncomfortable.

The matter of travelling to Fan Jia was tormenting him.

There was the

whole aspect of mindlessly heading towards an „adventure‟

where he might

meet his doom. Although his impending death was

weighing heavily on his

mind, Feng Ming couldn‟t help but to feel the kick ofexcitement pushing

through.


3/366

Chiu Xing had grown accustomed to the Crown Prince over

the past

months, and knew that Feng Ming was good natured and

kind so she purposely

teased him knowing there wouldn‟t be any dire

repercussions.

“If the Regent King sees our Prince, I wonder what praises

he will say.”

She giggled.

“Let alone Rong Wang, it is very likely the Third Princess

of Fan Jia will

be smitten with our Prince once she lays her eyes on him.”

The maids continued to chatter whilst Feng Ming was

occupied with his

thoughts.

“Why hasn‟t Rong Wang come by?” Chiu Xing asked.

“Yesterday, Rong Wang sent a messenger to forward that

he was busy,

and could not personally see our Prince before his journey.”

Chiu Lan replied.

“I refuse to believe it, our Crown Prince is leaving for

abroad and the


4/366

Rong Wang does not want to see our precious Prince off?”

Chiu Yue

interjected.

Feng Ming snorted at the mention of the two words – Rong

Wang.

Suddenly, a rush of footsteps heading towards the Prince‟s

chambers

could be heard, the anticipation of his visitors sent Feng

Ming‟s heart racing.

As the footsteps slowed down, he could distinguish two

sets of feet

heading his way.

Once the visitors made way into the Prince‟s halls, they

loudly announced

themselves.

“Greetings your highness!”

“Respects to your highness!”

Quenching his hopes, the visitors were actually General

Tong and Official Xia,

both men presented themselves in formal attire and had

been meticulously


5/366

dressed for the occasion.

“So it was you two…”Feng Ming resigned.

He wasn‟t in a mood to admire their clothing, seeing itwasn‟t Rong

Wang, his complexion darkened a few folds. His once

excited eyes now a black

void.

General Tong bowed and spoke, “Rong Wang has orderedthe two of us to

assist your journey. Your humble servant have prepared

five thousand elite

troops to protect Your Highness, General Tong will ensure

Your Highness will

have a safe and pleasant journey.

“Under the command of Rong Wang, Official Xia will be

by your Highness‟s

side to attend to your health. Naturally, a stockpile of

herbal medicines and

ingredients have been prepared for the journey in case of

any contingencies.”

Feng Ming had fought to suppress the urge, but he couldn‟t

keep his mouth shut


6/366

any longer so he quickly asked, “And Rong Wang?”

“Rong Wang is burdened with political affairs, incapable of

sparing any

time, he has ordered the two of us to relay his greetings and

well wishes for the

Prince‟s success. But…”

“But what?” An irritated Feng Ming pressed.

General Tong then reached from behind him and brandished a sword, and

with both hands offered it to the Prince.

“The King has bequeathed this sword to your possession.”

Feng Ming resentfully whisked his face away from the

parting gift.

“Humph! What am I meant to do with a worn out crappy

sword?” Feng

Ming was pissed at the pathetic gift the Regent King had

sent in his absence. He

turned to Chiu Lan, instructing her, “Take that out and feed

it to the dogs!”

Trying not to laugh at her master‟s request, Chiu Lan

covered her laugh and in a


7/366

small voice whispered, “His Royal Highness, it is

impossible to feed this item to

the dogs.”

Behind Feng Ming, a series of muffled laughs was coming

from his

maids. Upon hearing their amusement Feng Ming quickly

reflected on what had

left his mouth. His face burned with embarrassment.

Chiu Xing leaned closer to her master and quietly advised

him, “If His

Royal Highness is dying to see Rong Wang, shall I send a

request by a

messenger?”

“Who wants to see him? No one is allowed to go

anywhere!” he replied with

scorn.

General Tong was a stern man, and had not budged from

his position and

persisted in waiting patiently for the Prince to receive the

gift. Contrary to the

hardy man, Official Xia was laughing his face off.


8/366

Official Xia regained his composure and knowing the day

was wasting

away at this rate, he took over the duty of the sword

transferal.

“Does His Royal Highness know of the origins of this

sword?” he asked,

attempting to entice the Prince.

Feng Ming gave the offending item a longer inspection,

taking note of the

slender blade, and the a modest inlay, a large thumb sized

dark jewel on the hilt.

Apart from these there wasn‟t anything spectacular about

the sword, it was

simple.

Then he recalled the stories about Wei Xiao Bao in “The

Deer and the

Cauldron”, the hero of that story was given a dagger that

could change smelt

iron upon contact with another‟s weapon.

He inwardly thought of how „great‟ his own luck was for

the Regent King


9/366

to offer a rare old sword which might not even pass the

grade to give haircuts.

“Humph!”

Regardless of how mystical and great the sword was Feng

Ming was not

letting Rong Tian off the hook.

“So what‟s the history behind this sword?” As he queried

his subject as

his curiosity finally got the better of him and he picked up

the blade and

promptly unsheathed it for inspection.

The metal had not in the least lost luster, toying with the

sword in his

hand Feng Ming turned around and gave a table close by

him a good whack. He

lifted up the blade and studied the damage, there wasn‟t

even a mark left on the

surface. It absolutely did not live up to his already low

expectations.

Now Feng Ming was even more disappointed and he

discarded the

useless sword on the table without second thoughts.


10/366

“This is a broken sword!” he spat bitterly.

“Your Highness should not be so quick to anger. Official

Xia will explain

to you the antecedents of this precious treasure.”

The old man gave the Prince a courteous bow before

retrieving the

abandoned gift, lifting the blade in his hands his face was

gentle as he started to

explain.

“This blade is called “Unparalleled”, one of three strange

devices highly

treasured in Xi Rei. Indeed it is not sharp, nor is it

stunningly attractive. It is

likely favorable to use a meat cleaver that beheads chickens

than use this to

fight directly against your enemies. Would Your Highness

be interested in to

postulating why it is classified as a strange device?”

Feng Ming looked at the people around him, who too were

sharing a

bewildered and clueless look to Official Xia‟s question.


11/366

“How am I supposed to know?”

The old man chuckled.

“Well indeed, Xi Rei‟s most treasured items are tuckedneatly away, and

are hardly mentioned. It comes as no surprise that no one

has heard of their

origins let alone their existence. Official Xia is a lover of

strange things, and I

have studied countless rare items.” After the old man

boasted he continued,

“Although „Unparalleled‟ is given this name, this sword is

actually part of a

pair. Ancient documentations mention two brothers who

were ancestors to the

An lineage. They had attempted over countless years to

defeat an incredible

demonic monster. Running out of options they finally

conjured a trick to

overwhelm their enemy.”

At this point Official Xia captivated everyone‟s attention

with his story.


12/366

“Oh? What was this plan of attack?” General Tong urged

the story teller

with full interest.

“These two brothers employed magic of their own, it took

them ten years

to complete their spell, using their own blood to cast two

precious swords, and

then incited an “unparalleled” curse upon the weapons.”

“An „Unparalleled Curse‟?”

“Yes, an unparalleled curse‟.” Official Xia nodded to

confirm,

“According to the legend, the brothers created these swords

so that although

these swords are two separate entities, they were fated to

share the same

unparalleled destiny together. In case one should meet his

peril, the other shall

follow suit and meet the same end.”

Feng Ming‟s eyes jacked wide open, “It couldn‟t be that

they ended up

giving one of these swords to the monster and then one of

the brothers


13/366

committed suicide, thus killing the monster with the

imposed curse?”

Official Xia‟s eyes lit up with admiration and he

exclaimed,” His Royal

Highness‟s intelligence ceases to amaze me, I have never

met anyone that could

be your rival.”

“Your Highness is spot on! The eldest brother tricked the

monster into

taking up one of the swords, and he promptly committed

suicide. The monster

finally died according to plan. The youngest brother

survived and lived on to

govern a region till it prospered and this land finally

became the foundation for

Xi Rei. The youngest brother was in fact the first King of

Xi Rei. The two

“Unparalleled” swords were returned to the first King and

since been kept well

hidden within the Imperial Palace out of the sight and

knowledge to everyone.”


14/366

With the closing line of the story, everyone had their eyes

on the sword. The

scrap metal now had a number of new found admirers. It

didn‟t look as dull as it

had moments ago.

Chiu Lan crossed the line and trembled as she asked,

“Official Xia, why…why

did Rong Wang bequeath such an ominous item to His

Royal Highness?”

Feng Ming gave the magical sword a long firm look before

releasing a deep

breath, walked over and took hold of the cursed sword. He

lifted it into view for

more in depth survey, running his fingers along the décor

and length of the

blade. With hint of sadness he muttered, “ I…I will take

care of myself.”

To Official Xia‟s joy the Prince had finally accepted the

gift.

General Tong looked at Feng Ming and bowed again,

“Your humble


15/366

servant will do his utmost protect Your Highness, I shall

serve Your Highness

as Rong Wang has entrusted me.”

Chiu Lan interrupted, “The time is almost here for your

departure Your

Highness.”

Feng Ming nodded, Chiu Lan was quick witted and

responded, stepping

forwards to help him remove the ornate sword that had

occupied his belt and

replaced the spot with his new acquisition.

The occupants left the Prince‟s hall as a group, Chiu Xing

was at the rear of the

procession and she tugged on Chiu Yue‟s sleeve, frowning

as she asked, “I still

don‟t understand, why isn‟t His Highness angry at Rong

Wang for such a

deplorable gift?”

“Let‟s put it this way, „Unparalleled‟ swords comes as a

pair, so if one is

with our Prince, where is the other one?”


16/366

“Oh!...I know, is it…”

Chiu Yue quickly sealed the loud mouth with her hands.

She giggled and smiled

back at her friend

“Now you know right? Let‟s hurry and follow. Our carriage

is the one

behind the Prince‟s.”

Hence, Xi Rei‟s Crowned Prince An He left his country enroute to Fan

Jia with a procession lead by General Tong and Official

Xia, where they were

followed by a grandiose entourage of five thousand

soldiers.

:. Chapter 3 .:

During the Prince‟s diplomatic journey, countless officials

governing

various regions of Xi Rei naturally provided his reverence

with their utmost

hospitality. His journey was accompanied by music and

celebrative welcomes

all along the way, until the entourage finally made their

way to the outskirts of


17/366

Xi Rei on the seventh day.

However, to arrive at their ultimate destination, Feng Ming

and his

retainers would have to cross a country called Ruo Y an.

Ruo Yan was similar

to Xi Rei, a country situated in mountain ranges and slopes.

Ruo Yan bordered

Xi Rei, Fan Jia and Tong Guo.

In this era with the vast number of countries spread across

the land, parties of

ambassadors journeying was a common event, thus, Ruo

Yan was a major

transit portal with a regular stream of important officials.

Once Feng Ming‟s group arrived at the border between the

two countries,

he had to wait for official correspondence concerning the

passage through Ruo

Yan‟s territory. They rested the day. When night fell,

Zhang Qian, the local

official in charge of the area the foreign Prince had entered

personally arrived to


18/366

greet the important guest and welcomed the weary travelers

to an extravagant

banquet prepared especially to fit the man‟s status.

During the feast, the crowd was in high spirits and frequent

toasts and

flattering speeches were offered to the Prince. General

Tong strictly upheld his

duty, protecting the Prince as he enjoyed himself. The large

man refused any

alcohol offered to him, preferring to stand on guard with

one hand rested on the

hilt of his sword ready to serve his purpose if required.

Contrary to his

gallantry, official Xia loved his liquor and had a large

capacity for his favorite

beverage, even after his hundredth refill he appeared

completely devoid of any

signs of intoxication.

Prince An He‟s great appetite for good wines wasnotorious, poor Feng

Ming was a victim to the late Prince‟s only ability. Feng

Ming couldn‟t falter


19/366

his guise and forced down countless and seemingly endless

cups of strong

alcohol served to him throughout the evening.

In reality, Feng Ming had actually never consumed alcohol

in his

previous life, and his initial encounter with alcohol was

when he woke up in Xi

Rei. It wasn‟t surprising after a few glasses of wine his

alcohol tolerance was

met, he barely had a grip on staying upright and his sense

of orientation went

out the door.

Around him, he was only aware of the blaring music in the

great hall and

the masses of dancers that made his head spin and eyes

blur.

Early next morning, he had the joy of reflecting on the

unfriendly

consequences of alcohol, a devil of a jackhammer likehangover.

Feng Ming‟s head was just about to split open, as he

struggled to open his


20/366

drowsy eyes, it was a challenge to sober from the

drumming pain in his head.

Even his vision remained slightly fuzzy.

He raised a hand and rested it on his forehead before

releasing unearthly

groans of pain several times over.

“Prince is awake?”

Who was beside him?

He had never heard this voice before.

Feng Ming reluctantly turned to face the stranger and with

one look

jumped out of his skin.

To his surprise sharing the other side of his bed and lyingwithin the cozy

blanket was an astoundingly beautiful youth. Soft slender

eyes, translucent skin

perfect like jade that had a healthy luster and long silky hair

that covered his

shoulders. Although his bed partner was a man, the stranger

was exuding an air

of seduction.


21/366

The most frightening aspect the attractive stranger‟s arm

jutting from the

covers, the youth‟s smooth exposed flesh was tainted with

encircling marks

around his wrist. The skin was sore and red, which didn‟t

leave much to the

imagination. The sight made Feng Ming flush from head to

toe.

Although Feng Ming‟s feisty and defiant behavior towards

Rong Wang

was long in the past, the Prince was very clear what those

marks were and under

what circumstances it takes to acquire them.

Moreover, according to how raw the wounds appeared one

could

extrapolate that there was a high probability that they were

formed last night.

“You…who are you? How did you get in here?” Feng

Ming stuttered backing

away from the stranger that shared his bed whilst

maintaining the sheets over

his own body.


22/366

“Your Highness has actually forgotten about me?” The boy

winked,

before issuing an accusing look then he diverted his gaze

and bit his lip before

answering the Prince.

“Last night, against General Tong‟s attempts to persuade

you, Your

Highness refused to release me from your embrace.”

“WHAT?” the Prince let out a very loud bewildered

scream, refusing to believe

the young man.

Feng Ming recalled Rong Wang‟s casual comments about

homosexuality

and how it was rampant across the lands. Especially within

the Royal

household, it was normal for an official to present a male

pet as a gift in order to

gain favor and promotion to their noble statuses.

With all his might, he tried to recall any remnants of last

night, a hard task as

his memory was completely evading him on this occasion

to spite him.


23/366

Uneasily, Feng Ming motioned to lift up his corner of the

bed spread and

secretly peer down to verify his fears. Instantaneously, he

retreated further to his

side of the bed with his form completely disconsolate.

Confirming his suspicions not even a thread covered the

boy‟s body, he

was completely butt naked and whatever clothing he had

worn was now

scattered about the bedside.

It was completely needless to enquire further what

happened between the

two.

The youth bellowed a laugh, “What is the matter my

Prince? Last night

you were very unconstrained, and the present Prince is

completely different. Is

the Prince no longer fond of Lie Er?”

Lie Er inched closer and frightened the poor Prince, who

reacted by

withdrawing so quickly he smacked the back of his head

against a bedpost.


24/366

When the Prince‟s head connected with the pillar, Lie Er

immediately

stopped in his tracks, he pouted before solemnly asking,

“Prince, why do you

fear Lie Er? Lie Er should be afraid of Your Highness,

look, Prince played so

rough with me I was at the verge of death from the passion

you enforced on my

body on this bed last night.”

The stranger lifted his slender arms and extended them in

front of Feng

Ming, the tender flesh was patterned with an array of

purple and red.

If it was someone else in his shoes, they might have been

proud of their

workmanship on the young boy. However, for Feng Ming

all he could feel was

embarrassment from ear to ear. This was his first time

„consuming‟ another

man, furthermore to add to his shame his drunk self

covertly plastered love bites


25/366

all over the young man‟s body for his sober self to

discover.

There‟s a saying how alcohol can cause chaos by altering

ones nature, and

should not be taken lightly.

He seriously shouldn‟t have drunken even a drop!

As Feng Ming repented his sins a thousand times over

inside, he managed

to stammer to his bed partner, “A mistake…this is a

misunderstanding!”

“Misunderstanding?” Lie Er faced Feng Ming with a dead

pan expression

and his large doe like eyes grew watery. It seems like he

was refraining himself

from speaking. With such a forlorn look Feng Ming felt a

twinge of guilt

welling inside. Just as Feng Ming was at the point of

offering a few words of

comfort, Lie Er abruptly chimed in to cut him off with asudden smile which

also displayed his adorable dimples.


26/366

“His Highness claims this is a misunderstanding, so be it.

What happened

was a misunderstanding.” Lie Er agreed in a calm soft

voice.

Feng Ming relaxed.

Lie Er then continued, “Lie Er, was originally a slave of a

rich nobleman

living near the borderlines of Ruo Yan, last night Your

Highness dragged me

off and refused to release me. My master has already

bestowed Lie Er as a

present to Prince.”

The younger boy tore off the quilt, then unexpectedly

climbed out of the

bed with haste and knelt down on the ice cold ground and

bowed his head.

“Prince is already Lie Er‟s new master, if Prince feels

dissatisfied with

Lie Er after last night, please punish Lie Er at your will. LieEr will not dare to

complain.”


27/366

In his wildest imagination, Feng Ming could not foresee

that the boy would

resort to such an extreme reaction, without thinking he

blurted out, “What are

you doing!?”

“Hurry up! Get up! You will freeze to death.”

“Lie Er is nothing but a lowly slave, if Prince dislikes Lie

Er, I shall commit

suicide on Your Highness‟s command.”

Winter was breathing is harsh winds, its icy tendrils lashed

the land, and

the chill was not spared in this bedchamber. Outside snow

blanketed the

grounds, and the great snow storms were at their peak.

Given these conditions,

Lie Er‟s naked body shivered uncontrollably and was

beginning to lose color.

Feng Ming didn‟t know what else to do, he quickly

followed suit and

jumped out of the bed to pry the boy off the ground and

hauled him by the arm

back into the warm confines of the quilts.


28/366

“I do not resent you. Please don‟t casually commit suicide

for my sake.”

Feng Ming surrendered.

Lie Er rubbed his eyes, “If the Prince does not have a need

for Lie Er, Lie

Er can only die.”

“I didn‟t say I don‟t want you.”

“Prince will permit Lie Er to attend to His Highness?”

Feng Ming pondered over the matter intensively and he

looked at Lie Er‟s

longing face. He could only think to himself about how

strange a slave-only

society was, and that he had to ignore every ounce of

decency in him that

pushed of modern day human rights beliefs. In this case if

he didn‟t put his

morals aside, there was a high chance the kid would end up

killing himself.

Finally, he dipped his head and nodded.

“You can serve me, you only need to cater for fetching tea

and water…”


29/366

changing his tone to the most threatening he could feign, he

enunciated, “You

are absolutely forbidden to attend to me in bed.”

Lie Er made a small grunt of agreement and nodded his

head.

Feng Ming reiterated himself and added “Even if I am

drunk, and order you to

join me in bed you must not climb in.”

Another small noise and a nod came from the boy, then the

brows on his

pretty face furrowed.

His voice was troubled as he murmured within threshold,

“But if I don‟t

listen to master‟s instructions it will be…”

“That‟s why I am making an overriding instruction, in the

case I ever get

drunk again and demand that you join me to do anything in

the nature to what

happened last night, you must bring a pail of cold water and

tip it on me, until I

sober up.”


30/366

Lie Er stared at his new master red faced, hesitating before

finally answered

with a yes.

With that aside Feng Ming whispered, “Let me ask you,

about last night apart

from General Tong, who knows about this incident? Surely

not everyone is

aware.”

“I am not too sure,” Lie Er replied honestly and shook his

head, “I was

solely preoccupied with attending to Prince I paid no

attention to anything else.”

“I hope that no one else knows about this,” Feng Ming

stuck his tongue out with

a grimace.

The Prince was crafting up a master plan to conceal his

tryst when outside he

heard Chiu Yue‟s voice.

“His Highness, official Xia as advises that it is time to

leave. Prince, please

arise and change.”


31/366

Chiu Lan‟s voice followed, “Pardon your humble servants,

we are going to

enter now.”

Feng Ming‟s eyes jacked right open and frantically looked

around him, Lie Er

was still naked under the covers with him.

He desperately shouted his desire not to be interrupted,

“No, Don‟t!

Don‟t come in!”

His three chamberlains eyed each other, confused to why

the Prince would

forbid them to enter. However, they heeded his request and

had paused in their

footsteps just outside the entrance to the room, daring not

to intrude.

“Your Highness?” The girls voiced their concerns.

“I‟m not feeling well so I don‟t want to see anyone at the

moment.”

“Prince, if you are unwell then your servants will send for

Official Xia to

check your condition.”


32/366

“No! It‟s not necessary!” Feng Ming body tensed, before

faking two

scratchy coughs, stalling as he quickly manifested

nonsensical excuses “I‟m not

ill or anything, I‟m actually quite healthy, it‟s just

something to do with my

body‟s immunity, that‟s all.” He dearly hoped that they

bought his terrible

acting skills. “Hey, even if I tell you guys, you won‟t

understand, anyway I

don‟t want anyone to enter at this moment.”

The three maids looked at each other in dismay, all of them

reluctantly replying

to their master.

“As Prince orders.”

Feng Ming stumbled out from the bed and scrambled to get

himself clothed, his

complex outfit was usually catered by his maids, if not

Rong Tian would ease

him into the garments in the right order. Unsurprisingly,

left to his own devices


33/366

a very flustered Feng Ming easily created a tardy mess of

himself.

Unlike his new master Lie Er had managed to clothe

himself without any

qualms, thus the sight of the poorly attired Feng Ming

made had him hold bad a

giggle. Doing his best to suppress his laugh, he gestured to

the Prince, “Please

allow Lie Er to ser ve the Prince.”

Placing a halt to any further wardrobe catastrophes, the

younger boy

stepped closer to the Prince and in an orderly manner

helped correct the

mistakes made.

Feng Ming had feared the worst, after their night of passion

he didn‟t want to be

entangled with a sultry slave who may persist in giving him

unnecessary bodily

contact, he watched the boy, who busied himselfwholeheartedly to aid him.

Feeling no ulterior motive or any wandering hands on his

body Feng Ming


34/366

gradually calmed down.

Once dressing was completed, Feng Ming faced Lie Er,

looking sternly before

ordering, “Be obedient and stay here for now, after I leave

you can take your

exit a bit later. If you don‟t want to be a slave, I have no

issues with you

deserting your role you can be a free man.”

The Prince scolded himself internally, being told to „be

obedient‟ by King Rong

was beginning to influence his own behavior.

His servant refused the generous offer shaking his head.

“Lie Er will not leave and shall remain by your side. Lie Er

has never

been grace with a kind master like Prince.”

Feng Ming knew his company was awaiting his presence

before they could set

off, and there was no quick fix for what had happened

between him and the

youngster. Without further delay he gave Lie Er a

reassuring pat on his shoulder


35/366

before walking out of the chamber in silence.

After he stepped out to join the gathered carriages, he

found Chiu Lan and the

other maids standing patiently next to his personal cart.

Chiu Yue promptly

parted the heavy extravagant curtains that adorned the

carriage for her master to

enter.

Chiu Xing swiveled around, taking a head check before

asking

nonchalantly, “Prince, is he not going to come?”

Feng Ming‟s throat tightened, timidly he asking, “Who are

you talking

about?”

“Who else but Lie Er, wasn‟t he Prince‟s present?”

Chiu Lan interjected, “Last night His Highness was

resolute in demanding Lie

Er from Rou

Yan‟s official, insisting the evening was too cold to spend

alone and that

someone must accompany you.”


36/366

“That‟s right! His Highness also proclaimed that if they

refused to give you Lie

Er, you‟d kidnap him during the night too!”

As his maids filled his memory lapses, he nearly face

planted on the floor of his

carriage from their quotations, he couldn‟t help but burn

with embarrassment.

He didn‟t know whether to laugh or cry, “I, last

night…what else did I

say?”

The three women saw the blood literally drain from the

Prince‟s face, so they

quickly stopped teasing him and unanimously shook their

heads.

Feng Ming didn‟t really want to pursue the matter further,

so he slumped to one

side of the carriage and spent a moment aloof with his own

thoughts.

Shortly, the fact that the whole world was now fully awareof his prowess

clicked inside. So it was pointless to conceal it.


37/366

He beckoned Chiu Lan, “Go and collect Lie Er from my

bed chamber, he

shall travel with the carriages, tell him he doesn‟t need to

follow us secretly

anymore…given that everyone knows.”

“As you wish.”

Chiu Lian left to relay the message and quickly returned

with Lie Er in tow. The

young man happily paid his respects to the Prince before

scuttling off into the

attendant‟s carriage.

The party proceeded with their long distance route, and it

would take

roughly eleven days through Rou Yan‟s territory before

they would finally enter

Fan Jia‟s territory.

:. Chapter 4 & 5 .:

Winter scenery stretched across the land, unfortunately for

Feng Ming the

group travelled along the major highways of Rou Yan

hence all that was in sight


38/366

were barren mountains and the sporadic rice fields. Even as

a tourist the sight

became dull and repetitive.

Three days had passed since they set off, Feng Ming had

been cooped

alone inside his personal carriage and he was at edge of

losing his mind, being

surrounded by four walls wasn‟t doing much for his sanity.

Sticking his head out the window, he spotted General Tong

who appeared

awe-inspiring as he rode alongside the motocade, spurring

his well train horse

back and forth as he inspected and oversaw the party.

“General Tong!” Feng Ming shouted from his perch.

His loyal servant immediately urged his horse towards the

Prince‟s

carriage to subserviently answer his call.

“What is Your Highness‟s orders?”

“How many days till we arrive?”

“Not long my Prince, within five to six days we will be out

of Ruo Yan‟s


39/366

territory and crossing the boundary of Fan Jia. Eleven more

days, we shall reach

Fan Jia‟s capital city.”

Feng Ming lamented his disappointment, “It‟s going to take

that long?”

“The pace and progress we have made so far is extremely

good, although Fan

Jia and Xi Rei appear close in terms of proximity. In

comparison, travelling to

the remote country of Lin Dan takes up to three full

months!”

Feng Ming grumbled, and diverted his attention to General

Tong‟s magnificent

steed. A mischievous smile stretched across his lips.

“General Tong, your horse…”

“His Royal Highness, I am under King Rong‟s strict orders.

Our journey is

exposed to danger, to prevent any incidences under no

condition is the Crowned

Prince permitted to ride a horse. I, Tong Jian Min

absolutely will no dare to

disobey King Rong‟s command.”


40/366

The general‟s grave tone squashed any hope in Feng Ming,

the Prince resigned

dejected with his head down casted as he returned to the

prison like sanctuary of

his carriage.

If I‟d known earlier I wouldn‟t have agreed to this trip,

I will either get beaten to death by Fan Jia‟s third Princess

or if I am

lucky bore myself to death before I get there.

It was quite the struggle to occupy his brain till nightfall,

when evening

finally set in the travelers stopped at a clearing, pitching up

tents to spend the

night.

Feng Ming was in a hurry to leave his cell, jumping out of

his carriage

and seeking the warmth of his tent.

Chiu Lan and the two other maids followed behind, and

busied

themselves with helping Feng Ming prepare his bedding.


41/366

Whilst amidst in her duties, Chiu Xing suddenly let slip, “I

wonder how

Lie Er is doing?”

Chiu Yue giggled and replied, “What‟s this? Is this why

you‟ve been peeking

out of the window every day? Did you want to catch a

glimpse of him?”

Chiu Lan contributed to the friendly banter aimed at Chiu

Xing, “Don‟t blame

her, it‟s Lie Er‟s fault for being born to be so attractive.”

“Bah!” Chiu Xing spat, her reddened face betraying her as

she retaliated, “Who

says that he is attractive? I certainly didn‟t! When it comes

to appearances, our

Prince is winning in that department!”

The said Prince was slowly taking off the clothing items he

could manage,

starting with the muffler around his neck, hearing his

servants ridiculing one

another made him laugh. With a straight face he

contributed asking Chiu Xing,


42/366

“If you want to see Lie Er so badly, perhaps I shall

summon him here.”

Chiu Lan clapped gleefully, “That‟s great. I shall inform

him that he has

been summoned by the Prince.”

Within minutes, the maid was back bringing the young man

to the small group.

Lie Er had already changed into a servant‟s attire. He

presented himself in front

of Feng Ming and made his respects before enquiring,

“What do you desir e your

Highness?”

“Nothing in particular, I just wanted to see how you are

going, it‟s been

several days are you getting accustomed to this

environment?” As he spoke

Feng Ming studied the youth in front of him, the longer he

looked the more he

felt that something was out of place.

Chiu Yue also gasped, scurrying over to take a closer

inspection before


43/366

clicking her tongue, “Why do you look so thin?” she was

genuinely concerned.

Chiu Lan concurred with the remark, “When I first saw

him, I thought he

looked much thinner than when he joined us. His eyes are

hollowed with dark

bags and his eyes are red. When I asked him about it, he

refused to give me an

answer.”

Hearing his maid‟s comments, Feng Ming frowned, “Are

you unwell, why

didn‟t you say anything?”

Lie Er kept still and did not say a word.

Chiu Xing approached her master and leaned towards his

ear to whisper,

“Prince should ask whether he is being bullied by the other

chamberlains.”

Feng Ming wasn‟t familiar with matters concerning the

pecking order of

attendants, he asked with much suspicion, “Is there

someone here that has been

bullying you? Who is it?”


44/366

Lie Er offered the Prince a forced smile, shaking his head

in denial, “I am

from Ruo Yan as well as being a male slave it is only right

that they bully

someone like I.”

“Bastards!” Feng Ming leaped onto his feet and stomped

around infuriated “I

will teach them a lesson!”

Although Chiu Lan was tender in years, she was amazingly

wise. She quickly

snatched Feng Ming‟s sleeve and advised him otherwise.

“Prince, these attendants that serve you are all gifts from

noble families

of Xi Rei, if you impose punishment on these individuals,

the nobles are likely

to find out and be offended. Additionally, there is another

resolve to the

problem. If Prince permits Lie Er to sit in another carriage

wouldn‟t it be

better?”

“That‟s right. We still have to travel quite a distance so it

would be


45/366

inappropriate to punish anyone anyway. I‟ll deal with them

when we return to

Xi Rei.”

He glanced over at Lie Er, pausing to think before asking,

“Well, where is

Lie Er going to take a seat?”

“How about he joins the carriage the three of you girls are

sharing?” He

suggested.

“We are all maids, and he is a boy! How can sharing a

carriage with us be

proper?” Chiu Lan laughed making her opposing point

clear.

“Then we shall have Lie Er sit in a carriage by himself.”

Feng Ming

proposed.

“That‟s even worst, if he was issued his own carriage when

the other servants

see him they will be burning with envy, it will only lead to

more bullying!”

Feng Ming was out of ideas, knitting his brows in thought,

his eyes lit up with a


46/366

plan “If he shares my carriage with me, then I won‟t be

bored senseless!”

This solution was the best, and the three women did not

object.

Lie Er didn‟t oppose, with a wry smile he looked at his

Master.

Feng Ming felt the hairs down his back stand, it was better

if Lie Er

didn‟t show him that smile, that smile reminded Feng Ming

of their night

together. His mind sending signals, reminding him that the

boy was still a male

slave. If they shared a carriage…Feng Ming may have to

stay on guard, fighting

off any attempts by the younger boy to seduce him.

The Prince cursed himself, however, he had already agreed

to such an

arrangement and he wasn‟t the ty pe of person to go back on

his words. The

more he stressed about it, it became apparent that perhaps it

would be better to


47/366

organise Lie Er‟s personal space as early as tomorrow for

his own sake.

--- --- ---Surprisingly once Lie Er joined him in his

carriage, the youth remained

obedient and sincere, occupying the corner of the confined

space with a book in

hand which held his attention.

Feng Ming had originally feared for the worst, and stayed

on edge ready

to guard against any flirtatious onslaughts from his servant.

Instead he found

himself slightly ashamed for thinking Lie Er was going to

attack him. As the

younger man remained harmless for the first half of the day

they spent together,

Feng Ming could truly gauge the heart of this gentleman

with his own measure.

Determined that he wasn‟t going to be torn to shreds by a

sexual beast, he

finally worked up the courage to prompt Lie Er to have a

chat with him.


48/366

“Lie Er, what is interesting in Ruo Yan? I want to hear

about the fun parts

in the country.”

The younger man glanced up from his book and looked at

the Prince, he

placed his book aside, “Fun places? Is the Prince asking

about beautiful

scenery?”

Lie Er was very familiar with Ruo Yan, so it was effortless

as he

enlightened his master with numerous stories. Not only did

he inform the Prince

about the specialities of his country but he even

demonstrated a vast knowledge

of the other eleven countries, telling the Prince about scenic

wonders and

interesting facts.

The Prince was gobsmacked and exclaimed, “Lie Er, you

are really

something! You know so much about everything!”

Lie Er‟s facial expression changed with the praise, a smile

beaming on


49/366

his face “I like to read, my previous owner had a large

collection of books and I

was allowed to read. Sadly, all these fun places I‟ve talked

about, I‟ve never

been to.”

Being accompanied by Lie Er eased the boredom, Feng

Ming was

amused enjoying the boy‟s company as well as being able

to learn more about

the world around him.

In this way, another five days breezed past, and the party

from Xi Rei had

made their way out of Ruo Yan.

By morning, the group arrived at the borderline of Fan Jia.

Fan Jia was

earlier informed that Xi Rei‟s Crown Prince was personally

acting as an

ambassador. At the borderline, they were only greeted by a

minor official who

offered a few words, hastily instructing the party how to

reach the capital, Le Xi

before waving them off.


50/366

The cold treatment was a complete contrast to the kind

hospitality that

welcomed the Prince in Ruo Yan.

Chiu Lan jeered discontented, “Such a lowly official,

doesn‟t he know that this

is the Crown Prince and his consort!”

She snorted.

“He is not aware of his position in terms of hierarchy.”

Even in the dead of winter, Official Xia had had his fan

opened and in

action.

“Little maid is too naïve, Fan Jia King‟s son in law died in

Xi Rei, we

approach their borders and are lucky that they did not greet

us with knives and

bows.”

Feng Ming listened and his face paled.

General Tong chortled, “Dear Prince there‟s no need to panic, King Rong

has already corresponded with Fan Jia, If Fan Jia was

unwilling to repair our


51/366

relationship; our King would not have sent you to here as

an ambassador.”

With those words of reassurance, Feng Ming felt a bit of

peace.

That evening, the group pitched tents to rest within the

borderline region.

The Prince‟s three maids and male chamberlain helped him

prepare for

bed, and when they finished tucking him in they too

retreated for a good night‟s

rest.

In the middle of the night a sudden rapping woke Feng

Ming from his

slumber, he called out into the darkness, “Who is it?”

“Your Highness, it is me. It‟s late at night but I cannot

seem to rest. I

wanted to have a talk with Your Highness.”

Feng Ming sat up, and leaned against the backboard of his

bed before

reaching for a jacket and draping it over his shoulders.

“Ah, Official Xia, Please enter.”


52/366

“I apologize for disturbing your rest my Prince,” Official

Xia pushed the door

open and made his entry. He walked and grabbed a tall

backed chair and moved

it closer to the Prince‟s bed and sat down.

“The reason why I have come at this hour is to discuss that

servant from

Ruo Yan.”

“Lie Er?”

“Yes.”

Feng Ming cocked and eyebrow, “What‟s wrong with Lie

Er?”

“He is a suspicious character. The boy joined us without a

real reason or

cause. Recently the Prince has become dangerously close

with this stranger. A

true citizen of Ruo Yan normally loves his country and

would refuse to leave

his homeland willingly. Not only that, he hasn‟t tried to

escape. He has not

demonstrated any regret or emotions of leaving his country.

I had even ordered


53/366


54/366

“If Lie Er was a spy sent by Ruo Yan‟s King, why would

they want to tail

my activities? Does he plan to do something to me?”

Official Xia grinned, shaking his head.

“Prince should not over think matters, in the short term he

should not

bring you any harm. There are various countries at war or

on the verge of war.

Hence spies are a common entity, there are dispersed

throughout the countries

like stars in the sky. Where would you find influential

people of a country

without spies amongst them? Lie Er is such a person, he

might have a worth

later on so he may live for the time being. However, he will

not have access to

classified material. If a war breaks out with Ruo Yan we

can use him in

negotiations. Such beautiful people are a rarity. If thePrince wishes to bed him,

do as you like.”


55/366

The old man‟s laughter was somewhat different than usual

and it took a

while for the Prince to work out what the man meant. When

it registered, Feng

Ming immediately blushed, waving his hands at the absurd

suggestion.

“No, I won‟t be doing that!”

Official Xia continued to chat to him before heading back

to bed.

As the door closed shut behind him, the Prince was left

with his thoughts,

spending the rest of the night with Rong Tian on his mind.

If the Regent King was by his side at this very moment,

even if there was

a hundred spies around him he wouldn‟t be afraid.

He reached out into the cold, feeling around for his

unparalleled sword,

grabbing it and bringing the cold metal into his embrace.

Dawn was a few hours away before he slipped into sleep.

:. Chapter 6 .:


56/366

Since Feng Ming learned of Lie Er‟s suspicious character

and the

possibility he could be spy, he dared not to open his mouth

so casually. Within

their enclosed quarters he hesitated before speaking and

eventually the

conversation between the two completely dried. Lie Er

naturally felt the strong

transformation in his Master‟s attitude but treated the issue

with indifference.

Instead the servant continued his duties beside Chiu Lan,

assisting the Prince

with changing, bathing and meals.

Over the next several days Feng Ming closely observed the

youngster.

The Prince could not detect any abnormalities in Lie Er‟s

behaviour. Monitoring

the boy gradually became unnecessary, thus it was not long

until Feng Ming

abandoned the bothersome duty. Feng Ming was well

aware that spies run


57/366

rampant in every country and the matter didn‟t deserve the

amount of fuss.

Moreover, Official Xia had previously spoken on the

matter, that the likelihood

Lie Er would pose any immediate danger was extremely

low.

With these points in mind, the Prince‟s heart was set at ease

and his own

antisocial façade gradually relaxed.

The troupe was on their eleventh day of travel within the

borders of Fan

Jia, before the exhausted men finally reached their

destination the capital called

Le Xi.

In contrast to Xi Rei‟s modest and barren winter landscape

around the

capital and within the palace, the city of Le Xi was full of

vitality. The streets

were decorated with vibrant colours far as the eye can see.This effect wasn‟t

due to any natural splendour on behalf of mother-nature but

rather the effect of


58/366

the women whom roamed the streets adorned with bright

colours and

extravagant clothing.

Upon passing through the City‟s main gates Feng Ming

curiously lifted

the curtains of his carriage and peered outside before

commenting, “The girs

here are so beautiful. Their taste in clothing isn‟t bad at all

and much better than

Xi Rei.”

“Prince, if the girls were to hear you say that you‟ll no

doubt get an

earful.” Lie Er glanced out of the window with disinterest

and returned his

attention to his books.

Feng Ming stuck out his tongue.

After a moment, Lie Er unhurriedly informed him, “Of the

eleven

countries, the most beautiful women are from Fan Jia, and

the most handsome

men are from Xi Lei. An Xun was fortunate to secure a

Princess from Fan Jia.”


59/366

“Hey, how did you learn of An Xun?” Feng Ming asked

suspiciously.

Lie Er was not in the least panicked by the Prince‟s change

in tone, he

dully replied, “For a Prince of Xi Rei to marry into Fan Jia

is not a small matter,

even a slave like me is aware of this event.” The servant‟s

eyes were still

focused on his reading material.

The Prince could sense it now, Lie Er‟s fickle temperament

stood out like

a sore thumb. There was no trace of the little pitiful sheep

to the slaughter act.

Instead his servant became sincere and blunt. Feng Ming

thought to himself,

that act might have worked on the King of Ruo Yan but

perhaps he has given up

on seducing me.

Grinning to himself, Feng Ming couldn‟t help but tosecretly admire his

will against falling for such traps of attraction.


60/366

Not long after, the team reached the outskirts of the

Imperial Palace. Only

to be cordoned off by the main gates that remained tightly

shut.

General Tong and Official Xia stood guard as Feng Ming

dismounted

from his transport just outside the walls of the palace,

almost an hour passed

and no one came to greet him.

The short tempered General Tong was the first to express

his

dissatisfaction frowning as he scoffed aloud, “Is the King

of Fan Jia unaware

that your Highness has arrived?”

Official Xia shook his head, “The messengers we had

deployed in

advance to announce our arrival has already returned.”

“Humph!” Tong was not pleased, he reached for his sword

and raised his

eyebrows, “This is preposterous! Our Prince has travelled

days on end from


61/366

afar, only to be forced to wait out in the cold with no

reception befitting of his

status!”

Suddenly a sharp voice cracked the tense atmosphere, “Our

revered An

Xun travelled all the way to Xi Lei to deliver medicine, and

how was he

treated?”

Stunned and speechless, every pair of eyes looked up as the

door leading

into the palace dramatically opened to herald the presence

of a man dressed in

white. Behind him were more than a thousand elite troops

arranged in strict

lines. The vast number easily belittled the handful of

soldiers Xi rei had bought

along for this diplomatic mission. The atmosphere was

thick, Fan Jia‟s military

displayed their weapons high and proud, the Prince couldfeel the murderous

aura steaming from each foreign soldier.


62/366

It felt like it was only a command away before the men

would have Xi

Rei‟s Prince hacked into minced meat.

The sight of the blood thirsty people in front of him was

enough to make

him feel faint. Inwardly, Feng Ming cursed General Tong

for not leading a five

thousand men strong army to pay Fan Jia a house visit. It

was obvious that the

King of Fan Jia did not welcome the soldiers of Xi Rei into

his palace perhaps

this was a good sign for the diplomatic party to retract their

visit. Unsure of how

to react, Feng Ming‟s hands unconsciously snaked down to

the Unparalleled

Sword sitting on his hip.

He turned back and searched for direction from General

Tong, who stared

back with intensity. The man was on guard and ready toattack given the word.

It was Official Xia that knew Feng Ming was scared and

apprehensive. In


63/366

whisper he guided the young Prince, “Your Highness

should not stand down on

this matter, or else lives will be endangered.”

The old man continued, “The man in white is called Gui

Sen, he is the

husband of the eldest Princess hence next in line to inherit

the throne.”

Feng Ming repeated Xia‟s wise words.

Yes, I must not show any weakness.

Memories of all the martial arts movies Feng Ming had

watched as a kid

in his previous life flooded back, the bottom line still held

fast in this realm,

whoever showed any sign of weakness would always be the

first to fall in a

decisive battle. Using a few seconds, the Prince racked his

brain for a solution

to the problem at hand, trying to break down any useful

information he had

retained from Rong Tian‟s lectures. An idea struck him like

lightning and he


64/366

cleared his throat before speaking with an equalled

authority in his tone.

“My dearest Royal Uncle, An Xun met a tragic end at the

hands of

assassins within Xi Rei‟s palace, and at the same time my

father was targeted

and ruthlessly murdered. An He is distraught over the

sudden loss and could not

fathom how deeply heartbroken her highness is over

Uncle‟s death especially

now she is a widow. Therefore, I have travelled from Xi Le

in order to form a

collaborative effort with Fan Jia to hunt the perpetrators to

these malicious

crimes. Furthermore, I would like escort her Highness back

to Xi Rei to live

out her natural life.”

He had practiced parts of these lines a thousand times over

mind during

his journey into enemy territory, now his voice was steady

and convincing and

suitable of a noble Prince.


65/366

Gui Sen‟s cold eyes seared into Feng Ming, their intense

gaze left the

Prince unable to breathe, then he issued, “By the decree of

the King of Fan Jia,

he has stated: To the Prince of Xi Rei who has journeyed

from afar, I am unwell

and currently unable to greet you personally, I have ordered

my oldest son in

law, Gui Sen to take responsibility to welcome you to our

land and address your

affairs.”

Feng Ming let out a sigh of relief, thankful that the King

did not order the

visiting party to be exterminated on sight. Now that his wits

were about, he

collected himself as there were duties to fulfil. Not wanting

to disappoint the

Regent King‟s teachings Feng Ming stood proud and

clasped his hands in front

of his chest to offer the older man a respectful salutation.

“Under these circumstances, thank you for your trouble.”


66/366

“Prince An He, Gui Sen will give your words of advice, An

Xun was

married into Fan Jia. The Third Princess is still addressed

with her esteemed

title in this country. Casually calling her your Royal Aunty

will not suffice.”

Feng Ming was just about to answer „yes‟ as he felt a tug at

his sleeve. It

was Official Xia, this action bought about the Prince to

swallow the word. As

his quick thinking allowed him to realise if he portrayed

himself as a yes-man at

this moment, people were certain to feel that Xi Rei‟s

Prince was subservient,

lacking confidence and authority. It was important not to

depreciate his rank,

especially if it meant lowering the value on his head.

A faint smile edged across the Prince‟s face, “Royal Uncle,

thank you for

your good intentions. However, An Xun was An He‟s uncle

thus it is natural for


67/366

me to respect the Third Princess as my Royal Aunty, the

name endears her as

part of our Royal family. Besides, An He is here for that

exact purpose, to escort

Aunty back to Xi Rei.”

Gui Sen was taken aback by Feng Ming‟s display of

extraordinary ways

with words, carefully studying the boy with his eyes before

questioning the

rumours he heard, concerning Xi Rei‟s incompetent Prince,

a good for nothing

wine sack and food bag. Now he was a witness to the

contrary. Gui Sen took

note of Feng Ming‟s unusually elegant and beautiful

appearance. The boy was

not only a pretty shell, but had proven that he had an

intelligence to match.

There was a silent understanding between the two men. The

Prince had made it

clear that he wasn‟t a push-over.

“If it is so, then I have nothing further to say. Gui Sen has

already


68/366

organised lodging for the Prince, if the Prince could follow

my lead.”

The large man signalled with his hand, and immediately

servants drew

out a majestic white horse.

This horse was flawless, even comparable to the Regent

King‟s horse,

White Cloud.

Feng Ming‟s eyes widened like a child seeing a toy that

wasn‟t his, he

was burning with envy. Bringing him back to reality was

the voice of Official

Xia, “Prince, let‟s return to our carriages. We need to travel

to our arranged

accommodation.”

The Prince nodded slight, giving the old man a short grunt

before

returning his attention to the Gui Sen who had mounted the

great animal. The

man appearance was awe inspiring, like a hero radiating

high spirits.


69/366

With a final glance Feng Ming resigned and shuffled into

his carriage,

gritting his teeth before murmuring to himself, “I must find

a good horse for

myself,” and he snorted, “I want to ride a horse too…”

---The Prince‟s entourage found themselves in a modest

hotel, after sorting

out the rooms and placements, Gui Sen retreated.

“Early tomorrow morning, Gui Sen will personally come to

chaperon

Prince An He to see the Third Princess.”

“Good, thank you Royal Uncle.”

At long last everything was settling down, Feng Ming let

out a big sigh of

relief.

Lie Er chided him, “Do not get too comfortable, you‟ll be

meeting the

Third Princess tomorrow. Winning her over is the most

critical objective you

have on this expedition. In the event that the Third Princess

refuses to make


70/366

amends with Xi Rei, I‟m afraid Fan Jia Wang would

unlikely dissolve the army

he has sent to Xi Rei.”

Feng Ming was taken by surprise by the remark which

started to upset his

mood. Seeing her master‟s gloomy expression, Chiu Lan

quickly stepped in to

offer words of comfort.

“Don‟t stress your Highness! You will win over the Third

Princess with

your natural talents and charm. Prince made his awe-

inspiring presence felt

today, standing strong and upholding Xi Rei‟s prestige

during the confrontation

at Fan Jia‟s Imperial Palace gates. Who wouldn‟t develop a

soft spot for you!

There‟s no doubt, the Third Princess would absolutely

protect her precious

nephew from danger.”

Hearing Chiu Lan‟s attempt at a consolidating speech Feng

Ming laughed

bitterly.


71/366

“Chiu Lan, she‟s my Aunty. I can‟t exactly employ the

honey trap

method* right?” He moaned again.

Everyone burst out laughing.

Chiu Xing covered her mouth, holding down her giggles

before saying,

“It‟s getting late, and Prince has an early start tomorrow

morning. If you don‟t

retire early tonight your plans might be ruined by the

presence of black eye

bags!”

Being in reason, the crowd dispersed. Prior to taking his

leave, Official

Xia had anticipated the Prince to be anxious over the vital

meeting. He took the

liberty of dosing the Prince‟s dinner with a powdered

medicine which would

calm and sooth the boy‟s nerves, helping him to a good

night‟s rest.

Feng Ming managed through the night without even the

slightest stir,


72/366

when he woke up the next day he felt energised and not in

the least concerned

with the upcoming challenges.

He did find his lack of fear it a bit strange, after a few

seconds wondering

over the matter he accredited himself for possessing strong

psychological

qualities. Frankly, he felt ready to march towards death.

This new found mental

will power certainly helped to double his confidence.

Breakfast was served to him in a timely fashion, once he

had finished his

meal Giu Sen had already arrived.

General Tong had welcomed their guest; the man donned

an outfit of sky

blue, accompanied with complementing cloak and an

informal crown, one could

tell some time was invested to carefully coordinate the

dashing outfit.

Upon seeing Feng Ming, a smile slipped out across the

older man‟s face.

He raised his hands in gesture of respect.


73/366

“The Third Princess is awaiting your company in her

residence, let‟s set

out now.”

Feng Ming was surprised to be issued such a warm smile,

finding it funny

how a friendly gesture made him take a second analysis of

Giu Sen.

The man was certainly not lacking in the looks department,

and could

easily be the poster boy for the men in this era. Feng Ming

was curious to see

whether the second in-law son would be just as handsome.

:. Chapter 7 .:

Sand box: Think of ancient etch-a-sketchers. Basically a

blackboard

using sand!

Poem recitals – back in the day, it was completely classy to

break into

poem or song if the circumstances are fitting. There were

poems for all sorts of

occasions such as weather, beauty, love, nature etc. It

helped to savour the


74/366

moment.

Sleeve flicking: Think long flowing sleeves being thrown!

It was a body

language to display discontent.

************************************************

****************

Following Gui Sen‟s lead, a smaller delegate from Xi Rei

travelled southwards for an hour to reach the Third Princess‟s

official resident.

When they finally arrived, with what the eye could tell, it

was evident

that the Third Princess was doted on by her father. Her

home was a mansion and

its grandeur design was on par with the Imperial Palace.

Guarding the main

door on either side were two giant carved lions* from white

jade, as well as ten

fine soldiers on the lookout.

Feng Ming dismounted from his carriage, his eye glued tothe amazing

details of his Aunty‟s home. Suddenly a strange feeling

welled inside him, but


75/366

he didn‟t know what the cause was.

Gui Sen continued his role as the tour guide, “Prince An

He, this is the

Third Princess‟s residence. The Old King spoils her most

out of his three

daughters, she was granted special permission to select any

land she wished to

establish her home and she personally oversaw its

construction. This place she

has chosen has mountains for neighbours and overlooks a

lake. The main house

and the pavilions were designed with consideration to

preservation the natural

surroundings. The innovations that has gone into building

this estate has been

the topic of much praise. The Third Princess is a talented

woman and it is

unfortunate An Xun met an untimely demise, sadly leaving

behind an

unmatched beauty to drift alone.”

Gui Sen‟s casual introduction actually broke into an

impromptu recital of


76/366

a very lengthy poem.*

Feng Ming stood completely clueless about construction

and architecture.

He didn‟t understand Gui Sen‟s words either. It was best he

followed Rong

Tian‟s principle, if he didn‟t understand something he had

to feign that he did,

so he nodded his head little by little, giving the man a

rather idiotic smile to

show his admiration. Whilst inside, Feng Ming was

thinking:

How could you be happy that the Third is the most

cherished! You better

watch out, or else the throne would be passed to the widow,

then you‟d all be

crying over spilt milk!

By now every member of the party was ready. Gui Sen did

a bit of

primping by straightening his outfit before ushering thevisitors towards the

front gate.


77/366

Before they could even make a step through the door, to

their surprised

the guards barricaded the entrance, stopping them in their

stride.

“Your Highness, do not proceed, the Third Princess has

given orders that

she will be declining any guests today. She is currently

occupied and wishes

that your Highness entertain Prince An He, she will meet

with the Prince at a

later date.”

Gui Sen blanked in a moment of surprise, “Yesterday, I had

already

announced to the Third Princess about the meeting today.

The Prince if Xi Rei

is now before her doorsteps, how can she alter our

appointment so casually?”

The guards were in a difficult situation, they offered their

apologies with

submissive salutations before commenting, “Your

Highness, please do not take


78/366

offense. An extremely important guest suddenly arrived

this morning and her

Highness couldn‟t decline their company."

To have the door slammed in their faces first thing in the

morning made it

obvious that the Third Princess was giving them the cold

shoulder. The party

could only look at each other in dismay.

General Tong was fired up by the disrespect, “If the Third

Princess has

her hands tied with entertaining important guests, then what

of our Prince who

has travelled over a thousand miles? Is he just a lowly

visitor?”

Lie Er was part of the entourage for the day and his role

was to wait on

Feng Ming. Upon hearing General Tong‟s outburst, the

servant laughed to

lighten the mood. “General Tong, there‟s no need to set offyour fuse, it‟s no

great hindrance, let‟s have King Gui Sen, entertain us for

the day.”


79/366

Within the young man‟s interjection there was a hint of

criticism towards

Gui Sen‟s abilities to adequately cater to his visitors.

Especially since such an

important meeting he had arranged was now back benched.

With three son in-laws all revving for the throne, they

weren‟t exactly

best of friends. In the foreground the men feigned amicable

relations, whereas

in reality they each held each other akin to fire and water.

Now that An Xun‟s was nothing but a corpse, and the Third

Princess

freshly widowed, Gui Sen was gearing up to inherit the

throne with one less

competitor. Listening to Lie Er‟s provocative words, Gui

Sen instantly changed

his mind. Recalling the old hostility between the sons in

laws, he felt that the

Princess had planned to deliberately embarrass him in frontof everyone.

The thought that such a crafty woman was going to get the

best of him,


80/366

made something snap inside.

Gui Sen sneered, “Hey, naturally it is first come first serve.

Who could be

more important than Prince An He. Gui Sen really want to

see just how great

this guest is!”

He paused before bellowing out, “Get out of my way!”

before diving

straight through the gate.

The Imperial guards patrolling the Third‟s residence were

all well aware

that their master would not have the chance to rise as the

Queen of the country.

Instead, it was one of the two King‟s left, they didn‟t think

twice before

removing the road block and promptly stepping aside and

out of the future

King‟s way, knowing better than to offend the man, they

did nothing but stand

down.

Feng Ming watched on, shaking his head in disbelief before

he sighted


81/366

with an afterthought:

Women of ancient times are really pitiful, her husband just

passed away

and yet they are already bullying her. Her guards couldn‟t

even defend her

perimeters. In the end what use is her father‟s love? Well I

guess there‟s a good

point to it all, if Gui Sen and the Third Princess are at each

other‟s throats, it

will be an easy task to persuade her to return to Xi Rei with

us.

Following their leader, the small delegate tailed Gui Sen

into the

Princess‟s residence. In a hurried manner, they passed

several magnificent

courtyards filled with sporadic cherry blossom trees.

Lie Er picked up his pace, bee lining in a brisk fashion until

he was just a

step behind his Master. He leant in to whisper to the Prince,“The visitor is the

King of Li, called Ruo Yan. This man ascended the throne

less than two years


82/366

ago and has successfully increased the Country of Li to a

higher standing. He is

an extremely powerful man across the eleven countries.

From what I‟ve heard,

the Queen of Li had only passed away and now he is here

secretly to visit the

Third Princess. It is extremely probable that he is here to

discuss matters of

marriage with the Princess.

Feng Ming lowered his voice and asked, “How are you so

sure that the

guest is Ruo Yan?”

“There are several carriages parked outside the Princess‟s

residence. I

noticed one in particular that stood out above the rest. This

one had carvings of

royal insignia‟s on either side. If one didn‟t pay enough

attention, it is not

apparent.”

The Prince poked out his tongue, he hadn‟t even noticed

any other


83/366

carriages parked outside. Lighting his face to check on the

enraged Gui Sen, he

found the man still determined to sully forth.

Feng Ming turned his attention back to his servant, “Since

we are gatecrashing, aren‟t we going to bump straight into the

King of Li?”

Lie Er grinned barely hiding the joy he was receiving in

this potentially

disastrous event. “This stroke of bad luck will serve Gui

Sen right.”

“Lie Er, Gui Sen hasn‟t offended you in any way, why are

you acting this

way?”

“Your Highness didn‟t see how Gui Sen looked at you! It

was like he

wanted to eat you up, crushing your bones and all!”

Feng Ming raised an eyebrow, a bit puzzled before

frowning, “You must

have been seeing things? He seems fine to me.”

His servant snorted.

“Hmph! I‟m no stranger to understanding the looks in

men‟s eyes and his


84/366

are definitely like a wild hungry dog being presented with a

juicy slab of meat!”

Feng Ming shivered at the description and reminded

himself that he must

stay alert.

Another few minutes, the group entered an elegant

courtyard that was

stood out from the rest. Alternating cherry blossom plants

of white and reds

littered the garden, each in full bloom. The light alluring

fragrance of flowers

permeated the air. From an invisible source, one could hear

a therapeutic

trickling of water in the background, it was sweet sounding

and soothing.

They had finally reached the Princess‟s personal quarters.

Even Gui Sen

was cooling down his previously unbridled fury, at the

same time his walking

pace was more docile.

Everyone was beginning to hype themselves up, even

though there was


85/366

an uncertainty to whether their visit will end in failure or

success. Regardless,

each person couldn‟t help but to carry themselves with an

air of dignity to keep

up appearances.

In silence the group reached a sizable pavilion, the main

entrance was

shielded by a curtain with a delicately embroidered

phoenix. Suddenly, the

material was parted, and out stepped a maid dressed in long

emerald green

robes. She was quite pretty and had delicate features,

especially her eyes which

had a bright glow to them.

Seeing the unexpected guests she paced quickly towards

them, flashing a

sincere smile in attempt to lighten the awkward situation.

Standing in front of

Gui Sen, she took a deep bow, “My respects to King GuiSen. The Third

Princess is currently entertaining a guest who has arrived

from afar. The


86/366

Princess has requested for Your Highness and Prince An

He to await her at the

reception hall. “

Gui Sen was familiar with this maid; the girl was highly

ranked and

personally served the Princess like a shadow. There was no

doubt she was also

very cunning and eloquent, the girl knew the delegate had

rushed in and had not

heeded the requests at the front gate. Without consulting

the Princess, the maid

had spoken on her master‟s behalf, immediately offering a

waiting period within

the residence. Gui Sen didn‟t bother to argue and instead he

offered her a wry

smile.

“Oh, she‟d go so far as to have Prince An He wait at one

side, who could

possibly be so important? Making the Princess playfavourites?”

The blunt question was returned with a sweet smile and a

set of dimples,


87/366

“Your servant does not know either, but there were two

strange men. Ever since

they arrived, they‟ve done nothing but scribble in the sand

box*. If the Princess

labels them as important guests, then they are treated so.”

Feng Ming and Lie Er made eye contact and both boys

signalled in

agreement at how crafty this little maid was. She was very

clever, manipulating

Gui Sen‟s big ego. She had managed to entice him to

challenge the Princess‟s

authority.

Gui Sen grunted with displeasure, flicking the sleeves of

his garments in

frustration behind him as he walked right into her trap, “If

that‟s the case, let‟s

see just how strange these guests are.”

:. Chapter 8 .:

Gui Sen nearly tore apart the dainty curtains as he self-

righteously made

his entrance.


88/366

Feng Ming promptly caught up to the man‟s side, however

before he

disappeared under the shade, he paused and turned his head

back to issuing a

glance directed at the cunning maid, that girl sure had given

them a performance

worthy of an applause.

In her wildest calculations, she hadn‟t anticipated the

Prince to shadow

along Gui Sen‟s intrusion, as their eyes met Feng Ming

gave her a mischievous

grin. Wasting no more time he signaled the small envoy to

cross with him into

the grounds of the Princess‟s halls.

Beyond the curtains, Feng Ming and Gui Sen were now

standing in the

middle of grand courtyard, and straight in the group‟s path

was an extravagant

building. Official Xia cleared his throat to loudly herald thearrival of their

Prince, “An He Crowned Prince of Xi Rei, has arrived to

pay a visit to His


89/366

Royal Aunt. With our greatest sympathize for the Your

Highness‟s recent loss.”

In a subservient manner Xia told his master “Official Xia

and the rest will

await your Highness outside.” Less than a blink of an eye,

the old man quietly

extricated through the parted doorway. The two men and

the reminder of the

Prince‟s entourage then proceeded through a small door

leading to the main

household.

No one responded to their announcement, but there was

definitely voices

streaming from a room nearby.

“Ah!” Gui Sen sounded genuinely surprised, recognizing

one of the

speakers. His eyes widened, as his mind registered the

voice to the face of the

notoriously powerful King of Li.

The King of Li‟s voice was silvery and modulated, with a

deep


90/366

undertone. It had no trouble travelling to the visitor‟s ears

from afar.

Lie Er couldn‟t contain himself, his face planted with a big

smile of

delight as he tried to figure out what exactly was taking

place from the direction

of the voices.

Almost seconds later Gui Sen‟s complexion waned, his

eyes had a

murderous glow of red it was obvious that the man was

suppressing his anger

from boiling over. He glanced over at Feng Ming who

stood silently, saying

nothing the older man left unexcused in a hurry.

Feng Ming was perplexed by the man‟s departure, so he

shrugged

defeated in his attempt to make an audience with his aunt.

Deciding to take his

company out of the area and await further instructions backat the main

courtyard.


91/366

By now Official Xia ha

Documents

[Sooky] Feng Yu Jiu Tian Volume 2.pdf