Chiyun Yuexuan nodded with a contemptuous smile. “I already know what words are engraved on it. ‘Imperial Guard,’ isn’t it? Du Youtian, let’s head back to your house and look for clues.”
Yin Hua followed them out of the courtyard. “General is formidable. How about reward this little me some more silver?”
Du Youtian spat on the ground. “How did the Yin family produce such a bastard like you? Just you wait, General will come back to settle with you very slowly about your abducting and selling Princess.” He snatched back the 500-tael note from Yin Hua and stuffed it into Chiyun Yuexuan’s lapel.
…
Chiyun Yuexuan squatted in the bush opposite Mrs. Yin’s house and observed the rut marks on the ground. “Indeed, a carriage from the palace. The emperor said he wouldn’t compete with me, but he never really gave up on Princess. I’ll need to return to the capital and see him.”
Du Youtian pulled him back. “What makes you so sure it was His Majesty who kidnapped my sister? General, please calm down. There is no definite evidence and you’re angry. Seeking out His Majesty now is the same as seeking death.”
Chiyun Yuexuan offered Du Youtian a grateful look. “You’re the only one who cares about my safety at this kind of time. These rut marks are wider than the common folks’ carriages and the wheels are bigger. It was drawn by three horses, thus, an imperial carriage. If I’m right, there are still traces of their encampment on the hillside nearby. The emperor went to great lengths to get her back. Since he has no longer any regard for our friendship, he’s forcing me to turn against him.”
Du Youtian cupped his hands. “General, don’t be impulsive. The emperor won’t hurt Princess. Since I dare to think of you as my brother-in-law, I ask for you to listen to my next words. Since ancient times, many heroes acted out of a heaven-shaking outrage all for beauties, but in the end, it’s always the beauties who are regarded as a calamity that incurred the people’s denouncement. You must take into account Ning’er’s reputation, please don’t make it known to everyone.”
Chiyun Yuexuan lowered his head in shame. “I always lose my mind when I get emotional. You’re right. I’ll go back to the capital to see the emperor first, probe him out, and then investigate what happened in secret. You can accompany me, ring the alarm bell when I get impulsive.”
Helping to pack Du Youtian’s luggage, Cai Sang wiped her tears as she saw him and Chiyun Yuexuan out. “General, don’t worry, if it’s really the emperor who took Princess, then she’s safe. I’ll immediately returned to the General Estate after I’ve calmed auntie. It’s all my fault. If General Chiyun were here, Princess might not have been taken. Cousin, take good care of General Chiyun, you mustn’t let him act impetuously.”
Chiyun Yuexuan sighed. “Cai Sang, you’re not to blame. What will happen will happen in the end. I reckon that His Majesty should have planned this out long ago. I’ll go back first. Return only after you’ve taken good care of everything here.”
Arriving at the capital, Chiyun Yuexuan galloped straight to the palace without stopping. He went to Wan’an Palace and asked for an audience with Yan Feng.
Qi Shangming, with the horsetail whisk in his hand, said respectfully, “General Chiyun, your arrival is bad timing, unfortunately. His Majesty has gone to Jinyue Palace. Recently, he dotes on Consort Lu Chen very much and often goes to her place. As a matter of fact, today as well.”
Chiyun Yuexuan was extremely anxious. However, he couldn’t let it show. “I have an important matter to discuss with His Majesty. I ask Eunuch Qi to send someone to Jinyue Palace and inform him.”
Qi Shangming looked troubled. “His Majesty has been busy with state affairs lately. Today, he’s just got some spare time for Jinyue Palace and told me not to disturb him under any circumstances. General, please go back to your estate and wait. When His Majesty returns, I will send someone to call for you.”
Chiyun Yuexuan turned and walked out. “Don’t bother, then. Since His Majesty is at Jinyue Palace, I’ll go there to see him personally.”
Qi Shangming hurried to catch up with him. “General, please wait! Goodness, General Chiyun… Aren’t you trying to make it difficult for me? If you go and disturb His Majesty now, it’s me who will be punished.”
Chiyun Yuexuan halted his steps. “His Majesty must have been busy going out of the palace, hasn’t he? Old Qi, you are really a good servant, you’ll help your master hide just about anything.”
Qi Shangming made a deep bow towards Chiyun Yuexuan. “General Chiyun, please don’t make it hard for me. Why don’t you take a seat in the Imperial Study first, and I’ll go report to His Majesty? Goodness! No matter how big my gut is, I’d never dare to offend you! Please, General.” The eunuch used his sleeves to wipe the sweat on his forehead.
Chiyun Yuexuan waited anxiously for an incense stick’s worth of time in the Imperial Study until Yan Feng finally arrived.
“General Chiyun has come? Goodness, I happened to be at Consort Wu Chen’s palace today, I’ve kept you waiting.”
Chiyun Yuexuan sneered. “Your Majesty can’t even remember your concubine’s surname, and you still said you went to her palace. As far as I can see, you have actually left the palace, look at all that mud on your shoes.”
Yan Feng awkwardly laughed. “It’s kind of embarrassing, my beloved Consort Chen likes to plant flowers and stuff. Her garden has just been plowed and got mud on my shoes. Right, what did you come find me for?”
Chiyun Yuexuan tried to suppress his anger and stared into Yan Feng’s eyes. “Ning’er is at her foster mother’s home in Lotus Pond Hollow. I think she’ll recover soon, so I’d like to ask Your Majesty to decree our marriage.”
Yan Feng evaded Chiyun Yuexuan’s sharp gaze. “I’m afraid this is against the regulations. Ning’er is the princess of Shangxia, it’s inappropriate for me to decree her marriage. Why don’t you send someone to Shangxia to propose this to her father?”
Chiyun Yuexuan carefully probed, “Your eyes seemed to flicker when you look at me. Did you do something against your conscience?”
Yan Feng chuckled. “What do you think I can do against my conscience?”
The two men looked at each other in the eye, neck and neck.
Chiyun Yuexuan’s voice sank. “For example, kidnap Princess and imprison her.”
Yan Feng picked up the tea cup and took a sip. “Isn’t that your usual practice? Not something I’m capable of employing.”
Chiyun Yuexuan punched the table. “Cut it out, I didn’t come here to wrangle with you. Didn’t you promise you wouldn’t compete for her with me? I have reflected on my past actions, and I admit I did very wrong. I ask of Your Majesty, for the sake of our past relationship, please stop making it difficult for this general.”
Yan Feng calmly smiled. “I don’t remember promising you anything. When you took Ning’er away, did you ever take our friendship into account? At least, I can treat her right, while you, General, you can only leave her the most painful of memories.”
Chiyun Yuexuan sprang up and grasped Yan Feng’s lapel. Yan Feng brushed his hand away with a smile. “General, is this a desperate attempt at me? I dare you to be rude one more time. Don’t think I’m a weak target you can bully just because I don’t want to dispute with you. I can let you stand here alive and well, but I also can have you destroyed in an instant. Princess is in my hands, and I will take good care of her. When she regains her memory, she can make her own decision. Neither you nor I have the right to force her.”
Chiyun Yuexuan stared at Yan Feng. “During her memory loss, I’ve never done anything against her wishes. Princess, in my heart, is pure and holy. If you make her suffer even a little injustice during this period, I shall dispatch my troops and flatten the capital.”
Yan Feng snorted coldly. “You think I’d be scared of your threat? You said it like you’re a gentleman, did you forget you were the one who defiled Princess? I am a true gentleman, this you can rest assured.”
Chiyun Yuexuan fumed. “Your Majesty knows full well that Ning’er is my wife but still insisted on kidnapping her. How’s that a gentleman’s act?”
Yan Feng gave tit for tat, “You have the nerve to say Ning’er is your wife? Had it not been for you, Ning’er should be my empress now. You think she is yours just because you occupied her body first? In my heart, Ning’er will always be pure, you can’t taint her one bit. Oh and let me tell you, I was the first person to kiss her.”
In a fit of rage, Chiyun Yuexuan struck his hand at Yan Feng. The latter moved his head to dodge. The two had fought each other since childhood and were very familiar with the other’s tricks. Seeing his strike dodged, Chiyun Yuexuan’s rage intensified. Both of them were fired up and started to attack fiercely.
The commotion alarmed Qi Shangming outside the door. He hurried into the Imperial Study to see Yan Feng and Chiyun Yuexuan entangled on the ground. Chiyun Yuexuan’s hand tightly grabbed Yan Feng’s lapel, while Yan Feng’s hand stubbornly pressed against Chiyun Yuexuan’s face as the two men traded blows without yielding. The corner of Yan Feng’s mouth was bruised blue and purple, while the corner of Chiyun Yuexuan’s eyes had swollen red.
Qi Shangming rushed to pull them apart. “My goodness! One of you is a monarch of an entire nation and the other is a general who leads a horde of troops. Why can’t you settle things with a talk? Do you have to disregard all face and resort to violence?”
Yan Feng covered his bruised mouth and laughed. “Chiyun Yuexuan, it’s no use being jealous of me. I have you know, when Ning’er recovers her memory, she will definitely choose me.”
Chiyun Yuexuan wanted to charge at the guy but Qi Shangming tightly held him back. “General Chiyun, attacking His Majesty? Your gut is really a little too big. I don’t dare to shoot my mouth off about the matter between you and His Majesty, but the monarch and his subject should act their places. Stop fighting lest the other servants see. This is truly out of line.”
Chiyun Yuexuan swung his sleeves and left. Yan Feng shouted at his back, “You still have the face to find trouble with me? I only learned from you.”
Qi Shangming bowed deeply. “Your Majesty… Not that this servant is criticizing you, but why did you have to let him know that you have Princess? You could just tell him you don’t know anything! It’s not like you don’t know his temper, he’s capable of anything.”
Yan Feng crossed his hands behind his back with a satisfied smile. “I’m really proud of myself today. Just thinking that he’s feeling exactly what I had felt back then, I feel great.”
Qi Shangming sighed. “Your Majesty… Just for a momentary satisfaction, you disregarded all consequences. General Yun, he… Goodness… Don’t you feel he has a rebellious bone in him?”
Yan Feng shook his head. “If he’s willing to give up Ning’er to me, so what if I give him this country? We’re all descendants of the Yan family, not like it’s going to fall into the hands of outsiders.”
Qi Shangming stamped his foot. “Your Majesty is muddled. If things between you and General aren’t handled properly, it will be an imminent disaster, at the end of which, Princess will also become a target of criticism.”
Yan Feng thought otherwise though. He ignored Qi Shangming’s words. “Bring me the court reports, I need to hurry and finish them so I can accompany Princess this evening.”
Qi Shangming dropped a pile of reports on the table. “Your Majesty, you can’t keep running out of the palace like this, our cover-up won’t last for two days. If the retired emperor knows, how many heads do you think I have to lose? The servants there will take good care of Princess. You can rest assured and remain in the palace.”
Dancing the brush in his hand, Yan Feng buried his head into the reports. “I shall be willful this time around. Leave me and my business alone.”
——
Murong Zhining sat in the pavilion with a graceful demeanour at the stone table in the middle of the pavilion with Sonorous on it. As her eyes gently fixed on the qin, memories pertaining to Yan Feng were displayed little by little in her mind like pictures on a rotating lantern.
Murong Zhining covered her face with her hands, her cheeks flushed hot. Yan Feng’s image was gradually restored in her memory: him holding her in his arms and taking advantage of her panic to press a kiss on her neck, him forcing a kiss on her lips when during a bath.
In her memory, although she was very reluctant, it was the first time that she was kissed on the lips by a man, and moreover, she also hadn’t disliked Yan Feng afterwards.
Chun Xing stood behind Murong Zhining and gently combed her long hair. “Princess, please don’t blame Chun Xing for shooting my mouth off, but ever since you were taken away by General Chiyun, His Majesty has lost his soul. I’ve never known of an emperor so infatuated by love. He would stare at Sonorous all day long in a daze. One time, I heard him silently calling your name and shedding tears. I really can’t understand, his harem has so many beauties, but he turns a blind eye to them and only sees Princess. I don’t know how deep his love for you is, but I know that His Majesty may never love anyone else like he loves you.”
Murong Zhining was slightly moved. “I also know his feelings for me, but the love between General Chiyun and I feel like it has been determined for three lives. We’ve known each other since I was four years old. A piece of phoenix tree leaf firmly binds us together. Although he hurt me severely, I find it impossible to erase him from my heart. Perhaps, this is fate. There’s no right or wrong.”
Yan Feng, dressed in eunuch clothes, stood outside the courtyard with hands behind his back. Upon her words, grief slowly filled his eyes.