Rising Phoenix

Helian Zheng sat trembling on the wall, perched up atop the tower, shivering like a fragile black lotus swaying in the bitter cold wind.

Beneath him, fierce words carved by sword line the stone for all to see.

“Wall climber, displayed in chains!”

In truth, the prince did not remain on the wall for very long. This sensational news was quickly whispered into the ears of Headmaster Xin, and the man had to rush over from the editing palace to release the glorious Hu Zhuo Prince from his bonds.

The nails and subsequent glue had done no harm and was already slowly losing its adhesiveness. In the end, only a few strands of hair were left as a permanent memento, after all Feng Zhiwei had still acted with restraint, and it was she who had sent a messenger to notify Xin Ziyan.

Helian Zheng was filled with regret. If he had known the glue was so mild, he would have leapt away as soon as possible, but now his thighs had been put on display for every single person in the academy.

He was not so much embarrassed that everyone had seen his legs, but why had the person he wanted to look not come to admire him?

The Helian Prince could only gripe to himself.

The blows continued as the sun set and rose once more. The next day, the Vice Headmaster posted a hundred thousand character long booklet of new student rules with a total of 188 points, with each term carefully explained. The new rules included things like: “No climbing walls. No sight-seeing on walls. No leaving any bodily hair or skin on Academy property. Offenders will be fined a thousand Tael.”

And so because of the strands of body hair Helian Zheng had left permanently attached to the wall, he had to pay a thousand Tael.

But even so, the Helian Prince held no grudges. To this man of the steppes, even such a loud and startling event was swept away like wind through the gorges of a mountain range, whistling by and out of sight in the blink of an eye.

Now that climbing walls was forbidden, Helian Zheng obediently arrived at the gates to the Vice Headmaster’s residence, carrying the new tome of rules and carefully checking his actions against the points listed within.

Feng Zhiwei answered the door with great tranquility as if the events of the previous night had never occurred. When she heard Helian Zheng’s request, Feng Zhiwei knotted her brows.

“Prince,” She smiled faintly as she replied. “Vice Headmaster Wei needs to attend Noble Imperial Consort Chang’s birthday celebration.”

Naturally, Feng Zhiwei could not attend.

“Vice Headmaster Wei is overworked editing the book and managing the Academy and has fallen sick.” Prince Helian announced, squeezing by Feng Zhiwei and plopping himself down on her bed before she could turn. Comfortably making himself at home, he took of his shoes and propped up his feet on a pile of rare, ancient books Feng Zhiwei had been arranging for her trip to the Imperial Palace the following morning.

Fury filled Feng Zhiwei, but she did not speak, quickly sweeping outside to breathe the fresh air.

Even the undefeated under heaven had been defeated by the indescribably pungent smell of those feet, with Young Master Gu flashing up to the roof, clearly hoping the strong wind would blow away the rancid odor.

Helian Zheng lay down prone on Feng Zhiwei’s bed, burying his face in the soft, still warm quilt and rubbing his face into the fabric, drunk on the subtle fragrance. His woman always changed her face and never wore rouge or powder when she played a man, so where had this fragrance come from? Women of the steppes were healthy and strong, but when it came to charm and elegance they really could not compare to the women of the Central Plains…

Lost in Feng Zhiwei’s fragrance, the prince had completely forgotten his previous contempt for the Central Plains.

When Feng Zhiwei finally cleared her nostrils of the smell, she returned to the room and saw Helian Zheng hugging and rubbing her quilt, her beautiful, soft brocade already rubbed to ruin. Anger bubbled forth and she finally spoke, her voice filled with ice: “Prince, Vice Headmaster Wei is not sick and does not need you to make an excuse for him. If you do not want to violate the 189th rule and be paraded again, I advise you to quickly leave.”

“He is sick.” Helian Zheng replied with complete certainty, looking up at her: “Vice Headmaster Wei’s partner has just arrived at the Compendium Committee to request a leave of absence, and the Compendium Committee will request a leave of absence for the Qiu Ge Grand Scholar tomorrow.”

Feng Zhiwei paused in silence, and after a long while finally swallow her anger and smiled faintly. “Even if I am ‘sick’, Feng Zhiwei will be sick as well.”

“Feng Zhiwei must go.” Helian Zheng replied as if completely unaware of the volcano he was stirring, shaking out the dust in his boots. Happily continuing, he said: “I’ve just confirmed with the Ministry of Rites that I will bring my fiancée with me to the celebration. The lists have probably already been reported to the Cabinet and will have been examined and verified.”

Feng Zhiwei stood silently, waiting in the shadows as she pondered the man before her, wondering how she should dispose of him.

“That look really turns me on.” Helian Zheng announced, sitting up and rubbing his chin as he met Feng Zhiwei’s gaze, his eyes filled with interest. “You’re like some incredibly cunning Red Eagle from Mount Whitehead in the Hulun Steppes, hiding in the dark and deep forests where they perch before shooting downward to catch their prey. Cruel, fierce, intelligent, and so incredibly exciting — ai, come, look at me again.”

How could such a thick-faced shameless, crusty barnacle of a man exist in this world!

Feng Zhiwei suddenly realized the Prince Chu was after all a very kind man, and truly little Young Master Gu was warm and gentle, and basically every man under the heavens were quite adorable — her standards had only been too high.

“Listen to me, Vice Headmaster Wei really should not go.” Helian Zheng began abruptly, his playfulness falling away. “Your position now is coveted by many, and all sorts of dangers surround you. The people who attend an Imperial Feast like this all have complex backgrounds, and even the slightest mistake will ensnare you in someone’s trap. You must understand, if there’s a good thing that everyone wants, if they cannot get it, they will destroy it.”

The Prince’s Chinese was rudimentary compared to that of a well-read scholar and his words were all over the place, but his meaning was clear. As Feng Zhiwei listened, she realized with some shock that she had misjudged this Helian Zheng.

When they had first met, he had broken her carriage’s window, and so she had thought him reckless; the next time, he brought a corpse into the Imperial Palace and cut open a corpse right on the steps of the Jade Stairs, and so she had known him to be ruthless and decisive.

On their third encounter, he had come to the Qiu Mansion for a marriage alliance, with his guard San Sun fighting desperately for his honor, and the prince eventually admitting defeat for San Sun in return. He had called her Little Aunt without hesitation and had swallowed down a bag of salt without complaint. He led well and nurtured loyalty and possessed all the qualities of a Great General.

When he chased her to Qing Ming Academy, he held no grudges when he was shamed, and so she knew he was a generous man of the steppes. In short, he was a magnanimous steppe brave, a strange but great man who knew when to yield and when to make a stand. She had never thought he would understand the devilish intricacies of the Central Plain’s Imperial Court, and she had not thought he would understand the vicious hearts of her people and their schemes and calculations.