Rising Phoenix

Only those you cared for can hurt you the deepest.

As she hesitated, noise came from the courtyard and a large crowd came flooding in. The person in the lead cried out in her sharp voice: “Congratulations to Miss Feng!”

Feng Zhiwei walked out, opening the door onto a yard filled with glittering eyes and gloating smiles. Old Lady An stood in the lead holding clothing and accessories, her donkey face cracked with smiles, powdered makeup falling in droves.

“Congratulations to Miss Feng!” Old Woman An cried out again, proffering up the clothing in her hands. “We’ve heard that you have been chosen to become Prince Hu Zhuo’s concubine! The Hu Zhuo Prince is here to visit and the madam is hosting him in the front hall. Do you need to change and attend?”

The servant women had to strain to hold back their laughter as an older lady called out: “I’ve heard the steppe men are strong, Miss Feng is truly fortunate.”

Then another old servant replied: “But don’t they have a heavy gamey smell? I heard that steppe men wash their feet maybe once a year. When the Young Madam is serving her husband, be careful not to choke.”

The servants burst into laughter.

Old Woman An shoved the clothes forward; the garish pink-red was only ever worn by concubines, and the paired fresh-green longuette clashed tremendously. The golden necklace was a heavy affair reminiscent of a dog collar, and together the red, green and yellow exploded together into an insult.

Helian Zheng was really too impatient, rushing over so quickly!

Feng Zhiwei cocked her brows as she looked over the offered clothes. Finally, she said: “This couldn’t be Old An’s hidden treasures? How sad, hiding them away for so many years without having the chance to wear them. Are you sure you want to bring them today to me without ever getting the chance to wear them?”

Old Woman An half-choked, her hands stiffening in the air.

The Madam had not asked her to bring the clothing; it was her own attempt at petty revenge and humiliation. These clothes and accessories truly were what she had hidden away in her chests, prepared when she had thought she might marry Manager Liu. But in the end, Manager Liu married a different woman after his wife’s death and she never got the chance, to her lifelong regret. She had not thought that Feng Zhiwei would be so astute and attack her weakness so directly.

“You…” The old maid quivered with anger, stuck in place unable to move forward or retreat. Suddenly, a quiet voice spoke behind them.

“What is going on here?”

Everyone turned to see Madam Feng’s confused face looking into the courtyard. She had heard noise coming from Feng Zhiwei’s residence and had come to investigate.

Old An’s eyes flashed and she instantly waltzed over, her mouth splitting into a teeth baring grin: “Madam, this old lady almost forgot to congratulate you! Your daughter is going to fly into heaven, she’s about to become Prince Hu Zhuo’s concubine!”

“Prince Hu Zhuo? Concubine?” Madam Feng repeated in confusion, her eyes wide.

One of the other old women explained, her tone hovering between friendliness and hostility. “Yes, concubine! Your daughter somehow managed to seduce Prince Hu Zhuo while she was wondering outside, and now the Hu Zhuo Prince has asked His Majesty to grant her as a concubine. His Majesty was prepared to sanction this marriage in the Golden Palace! Bah, what nonsense, a sanctioned concubine marriage? Is it even possible?”

Madam Feng’s face turned pale as she was struck speechless, her mouth opening and closing mechanically. Feng Zhiwei looked at her mother, her heart torn with bitterness — she was going to be given away as a concubine and her mother still did not say a word?

The mother and daughter gazed at each other across this yard filled with enemies, the former still processing the news, mind in chaos as she thought of how to deal with this situation, the latter filled with a sense of desolation and disappointment, hoping that her family might actually come to her aid.

They fell silent with thought, but the servant women only imagined that the Feng’s were struck dumb by cowardice.

“What marriage, trying to save face?” Another servant smirked, covering her mouth. “But our Young Lady Feng is truly impressive, so subtly hooking herself to Prince Hu Zhuo. Where this cloistered noble girl learned this kind of trick!”

“Passed down through the generations, learnt at the feet of her parents!” Another boorish girl said, repeating some bookish terms she’d memorized.

“Pa!”

Blood flew.

The girl screamed and a hoarse cry filled the courtyard as Madam Feng grabbed the heavy gold collar, throwing it forward like a discus, smashing it into the servant girl’s mouth.

Shattered teeth flew and blood splattered on Madam Feng’s face, but she paid no mind as she retrieved the blood gold collar, spinning it out again.

“Has no one taught you courtesy? I’ll beat you until you understand!”

The crowd of smirking servants shrieked in fear, fleeing. Madam Feng rushed over and grabbed Old An’s proffered tray, throwing it out of the courtyard.

“Old thing, take your grave clothes and get out!”

The bright garish clothes flew, flapping forward and into the faces of a group of men. One cried out in dismay, sneezing: “Gah, what a sickly smell! Disgusting!”

He brushed the clothes to the ground, unceremoniously treading it into the dirt.

As the man revealed his face, all the onlookers felt as if the sun had dimmed. A rainbow seemed to gleam from the man’s eyes, amber purple dark as a deepness well, a mixed, dazzling beauty of contrast.

His sleeves were rolled up, his shirt unbuttoned, his light caramel skin beaded with crystal sweat, exuding a brilliance of masculinity that stunned all the women in the yard.

Many Qiu Mansion guards rushed behind him, yelling out: “Prince! You cannot enter, you cannot…” but the guards could not bar the way of the man’s entourage, thin whips whipping out and smacking away the mansion men. None of the guards were seriously injured, but neither could they approach.

So this was Prince Hu Zhuo. Each gaze was filled with a different look as everyone turned to Helian Zheng.

The man’s eyes took in the scene, calmly examining Madam Feng and the bloody necklace in her hand before turning to Feng Zhiwei. His eyebrows lifted with recognition and he smiled: “Yellow-faced girl, is this your mother? Truly, each tougher than the last.”

Feng Zhiwei choked a little as he spoke again, loudly: “I like it!”

This time it was Madam Feng’s turn to cough, quickly hiding the necklace that she had held high above her head.

“Prince Hu Zhuo, are you here to offer betrothal gifts?” Feng Zhiwei said, recovering at Helian Zheng’s arrival. She had been about to teach the servants a lesson when she had been shocked still by Madam Feng’s outburst, but now that the Prince had arrived, she smoothly returned to her calm and grace.