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Feng Yu Jiu Tian

凤于九天 風于九天 Phượng Vu Cửu Thiên
Phoenix of the Nine Days Phoenix
of the N
Synopsis:
Feng Ming was only 19 when he lost his life saving a child from death
without hesitation. The grateful father of the rescued child grants Feng
Ming a second chance at life. Unknown to Feng Ming, his soul is whisked
away to a far away ancient land (resembling the dynasties of China).
Upon waking up, he finds himself inhabiting the frail body of Thunder
Kingdom’s crowned prince who is also graced with the title of the most
beautiful man across all the lands. However, his beauty has a price as he
attracts the unwanted attention of the minister of affairs, Rong Tian who
finds every reason to torment the prince mentally and physically. As
Feng Ming starts to get a hold of the conspiracies surrounding him, what
will happen when the prince’s true identity is revealed? And what
happened to the ‘real’ prince?

Author(s): Feng Nong

Artist(s): Liu Wei Wang Yi

Year: 2004

Language: Chinese

Type: Chinese Novel

Genre: Drama, Historical, Supernatural, Yaoi,

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Tags: Body Swaps, Politics Involving Royalty, Possessive Lovers, Royalty,

Smart Male Lead, Strategic Battles, Strong Leader, Swordplay, Time
Travel, Transported to Another World, Wars,

E-Book Maker: http://www.asianovel.com

Download the next book in the series for free:

http://www.asianovel.com/series/feng-yu-jiu-tian/

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Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................... i
Vol. 1: Chapter 1.1 ............................................................................. 2
Vol. 1: Chapter 1.2 ........................................................................... 17
Vol. 1: Chapter 2.1 ........................................................................... 26
Vol. 1: Chapter 2.2 ........................................................................... 43
Vol. 1: Chapter 3.1 ........................................................................... 59
Vol. 1: Chapter 3.2 ........................................................................... 70
Vol. 1: Chapter 4 .............................................................................. 80
Vol. 1: Chapter 5 .............................................................................. 96
Vol. 1: Chapter 6 ............................................................................ 112
Vol. 1: Chapter 7 ............................................................................ 126
Vol. 1: Chapter 8 ............................................................................ 139
Vol. 1: Chapter 9 ............................................................................ 150
Vol. 1: Chapter 10.1 ....................................................................... 176
Vol. 1: Chapter 10.2 ....................................................................... 193
Vol. 1: Chapter 11 .......................................................................... 211
Vol. 1: Chapter 12 .......................................................................... 227
Vol. 1: Chapter 13 .......................................................................... 245
Vol. 1: Chapter 14 .......................................................................... 261
Vol. 1: Chapter 15 .......................................................................... 269
Vol. 1: Chapter 16.1 ....................................................................... 275
Vol. 1: Chapter 16.2 ....................................................................... 285
Vol. 1: Chapter 17 .......................................................................... 294
Vol. 1: Chapter 18 .......................................................................... 305
Vol. 1: Chapter 19 .......................................................................... 314
Vol. 1: Chapter 20 .......................................................................... 329
Vol. 1: Chapter 21 .......................................................................... 339
Vol. 1: Chapter 22-23 .................................................................... 349
Vol. 2: Chapter 1-2 ......................................................................... 366
Vol. 2: Chapter 3 ............................................................................ 375
Vol. 2: Chapter 4-5 ......................................................................... 389
Vol. 2: Chapter 6 ............................................................................ 402

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Vol. 2: Chapter 7 ............................................................................ 411

Vol. 2: Chapter 8 ............................................................................ 418
Vol. 2: Chapter 9 ............................................................................ 424
Vol. 2: Chapter 10 .......................................................................... 437
Vol. 2: Chapter 11-12 .................................................................... 449
Vol. 2: Chapter 13 .......................................................................... 466
Vol. 2: Chapter 14 .......................................................................... 476
Vol. 2: Chapter 15 .......................................................................... 490
Vol. 2: Chapter 16 .......................................................................... 512
Vol. 2: Chapter 17 .......................................................................... 521
Vol. 2: Chapter 18 .......................................................................... 539
Vol. 2: Chapter 20 .......................................................................... 549
Vol. 2: Chapter 21 .......................................................................... 559
Vol. 2: Chapter 22 .......................................................................... 567
Vol. 2: Chapter 23 .......................................................................... 578
Vol. 2: Chapter 24 .......................................................................... 590
Vol. 2: Chapter 25 .......................................................................... 600
Disclaimer ........................................................................................ 607

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 1.1

Terms and Information for Chapter 1

Tai-yi: Is a medicinal healer that only served the royalty.

Regent - A person who is appointed to act as a head of state (ruling or

not) because the rightful ruler is a minor, not present or debilitated. The
Regent exists in this story because the current crown prince is not of
age.

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644 A.D.

The Ming Dynasty was a great productive era; China was in a very stable
economy. Armies and navies were well established, allowing China to
venture out into the world to explore and liaison trade with the
Europeans.

Tang Dynasty 618-907 A.D.

The Tang Dynasty was the most prosperous era for the Ancient Chinese
empire; flourishing culture in the form of Arts. It was a period of progress
and stability.

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Reincarnation

In Chinese belief, once a ‘normal’ person passes away their soul goes
towards the heavens and waits in line to have its memory erased. Some
will be destined for reincarnation, but some, accordingly to their sins
during their lifetime will be sent to hell for punishment. It is believed,
that the most purist beings such as priests and heroes would be offered
a place in the heavens. Chinese emperors are believed to be godly
beings which will rise to the sky upon death and reclaim their place in
the heavens.

Sacrificial Death Burials in China it was customary to bury servants,

concubines and empress when an emperor or king becomes deceased.
In belief, that they shall serve him when his highness reaches the “place
of heavenly” beings. Usually, they were hung and buried, or even buried
alive. However, this tradition dissolved around the third century B.C.

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Feng Yu Jiu Tian

Chapter One.

Feng-ming died.

He never expected that his life would be so short.

Usually at 19 years old, one would prospect at building a life rather than
having it end so prematurely. However, in his case he was fated to see a

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truck hurtling towards a small boy who crossed the road whilst
completely oblivious to the incoming danger.

Without hesitation Feng-ming secured the child in his embrace.

The force of the truck’s impact immediately sent him up in the air, like
an angel falling from grace. As the moment of his surreal air suspension
passed, all he could hear was the noise of passer-bys running towards
the pair.

At that moment, he knew he was dead.

Where do dead people go?

Once Feng-ming was separated from his physical body, he reached a

void, a completely empty space between the living and the dead world.

No-one could see or hear him scream. It was like he was trapped in a
cold detached nightmare.

Alone and isolated, he’s morale dropped to the point of despair, but
suddenly, his ears perked at what he thought was a noise.

“You should still be here? Am I right?” The voice was unfamiliar, Feng-
ming couldn’t associate it with anyone he might have known when he
was alive, but this voice was clearly addressing him.

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“Me?” Feng-ming answered a bit frightened. “Are you talking to me?

Who are you? Are you God? Or are you also a ghost?”

The voice chuckled: “No, I’m not God nor am I a ghost. I’m standing at
the door of the void.”

Feng-ming’s wisped his head around to check; out towards the far
distance of his emptiness, he spotted a middle-aged man and in that
man’s arms was the young boy he had risked his life to save.

The mysterious man’s mouth ever so slightly, “I’m actually a

Sorcerer, I possess supernatural abilities. To repay your kindness of

saving my child’s life, I can help you gain a life again.”

“Are you for real?” Feng-ming was genuinely surprised.

“Yes.” The man nodded. “Today’s alignment between this world and
another’s perfect, allowing me to open a time-space portal from our
world. I will find you another recently deceased body, which you can
assume its identity. Of course, I will select a corpse that is in much
better condition than your own after the accident.”

“So are you saying, I have no other choice but to enter a different time
and space?”

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“That’s correct. This is a rare opportunity. You are very fortunate to have
made my acquaintance; I am your only hope in casting this portal to a
different realm, where you will be able to live once more. If you were to
linger in this void more than 12 hours, your soul will slowly dissipate and
cease to exist.”

“Then my luck is pretty good today, I thought all dead people are
reincarnated.”

“My offer only stands as you’ve fortunately died whilst rescuing my

child, on a day coinciding with a rare stability between our world and
another. Have you decided?”

“What is there to even think over?”

“Well then, we’ll commence.”

“Wait!”

“You have something you want to ask me?”

“If you have to find a corpse, can’t I at least make a choice?”

“What is your request?”

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Feng-ming shot the middle-aged man an exasperated look.

“Of course, I’d at least want to be in the place of a good person, it would
be awesome if it was a young-master.”

He paused.

“Please, don’t put my soul into a woman’s body! If I could be handsome,

I’d appreciate it and I no one shorter than five feet tall would be great.”

The man let out a sigh. “I’ll try my best.”

“What do you mean by ‘try’?!”

“There are some things you can never get.”

Suddenly the man’s expression distorted in annoyance, “Shit! The time-

space portal is starting to open, I need to start …”

An abrupt flash of lightning crashed into the void, blinding Feng-ming.

An onslaught of roaring wind within the darkness deafened his ears, his
whole existence was enveloped by this paranormal force.

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Powerless to resist the strange energy, Feng-ming’s soul was consumed

within the next rush of hollowing wind, which proceeded to accelerate to
a storm.

“AAAA-ARGH! AH! ARGHHH…!!!” Feng-ming’s screams were muffled as

he was taken up into the eye of the portal.

His soul was ripped apart.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Kingdom of Xi-re, the Residence of the Royal Palace

Within the grandest hall in the Prince’s quarters, the royal servant ladies
were all looking ghastly pale.

Something was wrong with the Prince.

A rush of Imperial Tai-yi came and went; their expressions appearing

grim with the next and eventually all their eyes echoed helplessness.

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Everyone was un-eased; their hands trembled with each action.

The Prince was dead, and everyone who has served him will be buried
along side his highness.

“Prince!”

Wept the servants and guards.

“Oh, Your highness, our Prince!!”

Mournful cries perforated into the tension filled air in the Prince’s
quarters.

Everyone’s heart was suspended in despair.

“Quickly! Go inform the Regent King, that his Royal Highness…Royal

Highness is…”

The teeth of the old chief Tai-yi chattered nervously, as he called for
messengers to relay the devastating news, which by now had spread
like wildfire.

A line of Imperial Tai-yi’s had formed outside the bed chamber, after
failing to revive their Crowned Prince.

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Each man’s expression was more sorrowful than the next, their heads
downcast anticipating the horrific punishment to be enforced upon the
servants, once the Regent King unleashes his displeasure for their
incompetence.

The likely cost would be their heads.

Everyone was at the mercy of the Regent King.

Being buried alive, everyone here was to be buried alive.

People all around were disheartened.

Several servant girls were so shocked from their impending fate to the
point of fainting in the corridors.

The Palace was thrown into a complete havoc!

Then suddenly, an ecstatic voice exclaimed:

“The Prince…the Prince looks like he is waking up! Imperial Tai-yi! Tai-
yi!”

The Chief Imperial Healer scuttled into the Royal patient’s room, a small

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entourage of court officials, high ranked officers and the servants

flooded in.

All were in deep concern and disbelief of the sudden miracle. The wise
Tai-yi proceeded to check the Prince’s vitals. Upon seeing his
expression relax, a beacon of hope was lit, and the forlorn faces of the
Prince’s subjects quickly eased.

Not long after, one of the Prince’s personal guards rushed out in joy,
bellowing on top of his lungs to announce:

“The Prince is finally awake! The Prince is awake!!”

To herald the good news, everyone in ear-shot cheered for joy

celebrating that their Prince did not perish by a final slumber.

Feng-ming grimaced, his lips down-turned to the piercing headache that

greeted his awakening.

Voices were bombarding him.

His eyes were heavy, and barely able to open.

“Prince?”

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“ Prince?”” Queried concerned numerous voices.

Where did I end up?

Many people around him persistently called out to him as if urging him
to return to them, as soon as his eyes fluttered open he was met with
the alarmed gaze of an elderly old man.

Behind, the greyed hair man was a couple of pretty maidens hovering
over the man’s shoulders.

What’s with these periodic looking costumes?

As his eyes slowly adjusted to the new-found lights and sights, he was
no longer shy to look around him.

He pursed his lips in discomfort, readying himself to ask:

“Where is this place?”

Everyone around gasped, completely shell-shocked.

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Their eyes met in a certain communal fear, before an answer was issued
to their Highness.

“Your royal highness?” The old man asked cautiously. “What are you
asking?”

Feng-ming blinked his eyes, and quickly re-surveyed his surroundings.

Oh yes! That’s right!

Feng-ming reminded himself that he has entered someone else’s body.

According to that man it should be a dead person’s body. If he wasn’t
told this earlier and woke up to such a scene, he’d probably think he was
insane.

“I said…” Feng-ming turned his head around, a little apprehensive.

“Am I a Prince? A Prince of which country?”

Is this the Tang dynasty or the Ming dynasty? Well, I guess it doesn’t
matter considering being a Prince sure beats being a civilian, actually
this might turn out pretty cool.

“Of the Xi-re Kingdom, your highness.”

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Xi-re? What is that?

Feng-ming frowned but nodded and started to nonchalantly play along,

pretending as if he understood.

“Oh, Xi-re, Of course, I know.”

He closed his eyes for a moment to collect his thoughts, he felt a slight
disturbance by a presence along side his bedside. Three young ladies
had humbly kneeled next to his side, onlooking the Prince as he rested.

When Feng-ming passed through the portal, it left him with excruciating
aches and strain on his mind.

The newly founded Prince dismissed his subjects so he could rest in

peace. The only people left in his bedchamber were his close personal
servants girls ordered to watch over him.

For while after the small gathering had disbanded, Feng-ming remained
restless.

He tried to sleep again but struggled.

Growing tired of the effort, his eyes flashed opened. He beckoned the
closest maiden.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 1.2

FENG YU JIU TIAN VOLUME 1 CHAPTER 1 PART 2

“What’s your name?” Reviewing his behaviour quickly, he explained.

“I just woke up and my head is a little dizzy”

The servant smiled.

“Even if the Prince didn’t come out of slumber you would never call my
name. My name is Chiu-lian, your highness.”

“What do you mean? Even, if I wasn’t ill and bed-ridden shouldn’t I of at

least known something so basic?”

The servant replied once more with an even a sweeter smile: “Your
highness, seldom spoke to us servants, I have worked here for two years
now. This is the first time you’ve asked for anyone’s name.”

So it’s like that, Feng-ming sighed relieved.

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If it’s like that then, it would be alright if he doesn’t recognise people.

Additionally, he wouldn’t have to work too hard on that part of
remembering names.

However, being a prince wasn’t all fun and play, according what Feng-
ming could recall from the history books, the majority of the Crown
Prince’s upbringing is occupied with stramineous training. All of which, is
strive to take on the responsibilities of running a country. The recipe of
studies to develop virtue, spirit and mind – not an easy full time job
that’s for sure!

“I don’t like talking much right?” Feng-ming’s lips stretched into a soft
smile.

“Well then, after being so seriously unwell, I think I’m adjusted to finally
opening my mouth.”

Chiu-lian was patient, filling in the gaps in memory for her master.

“Prince you were never sick, you fell into the river and you were
rescued. From the moment your highness was pulled out from the river,
you’ve had the whole palace on edge of a sword. The imperial doctors
said you were beyond saving!”

“Fell into the river?” Feng-ming emitted an embarrass glow along with

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an awkward smile.

“Oh right…that’s right. Ah…I see the weather must have been good, and
I decided to go for a walk near the river and I accidentally slipped and
tumbled into the river, good that you all manage to find me just in time”

Chiu-lian stared at the prince bewildered by the man in front of her,

making Feng-ming a little uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded.

“Prince, your Highness is acting rather peculiar today.” She answered

dutifully.

How could this not be strange?

Feng-ming’s heart was lamenting.

It wasn’t like I was eager to jump into this corpse! I didn’t want to be
your Prince!

Who told your Prince to have such a miserable short life?

Since being pulled into the time-space portal, there hasn’t been much

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sense in the subsequent events, but why did Feng-ming have to

impersonate a ‘dead’ Crowned Prince? The ‘living’ Crowned Prince
sighed heavily, as he decided he will have to learn to tolerate the
changes that come with assuming this identity.

Releasing a last sigh, he decided this sure beats, dying at 19 years old
and having his soul disappear for ever. He mustered up his fighting spirit
and made his choice.

“Chiu-lian, I want something to drink.” He lazily sat up on his bed, but

even this slow motion sent shocks of pain that radiated from his bones
and muscles straight to his brain.

The maidservant left to retrieve the request.

Well from now, Feng-ming would quietly assume his given role as the
Crowned Prince of Xi-re.

A place he has never heard of.

Nor did he have any idea what dynasty he was even present in!

He also had completely no idea what a water pitcher, cups or its

equivalent would be in this place. He refrained from reaching out for
items by himself, afraid his foreign reaction to every day items such as
containers, utensils would illicit a curious response from himself.

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Even if he was to be independent, and retrieve his own drink he was

helpless to where to start. They would indefinitely suspect something in
his unusual behaviour, quickly detecting him as an imposter, or worst
yet label him as the real Crown Prince that had turned insane after an
accident!

In a short while, the girl returned steadily back to his chamber. In her
hand was a silver polished cup and her other was a modest porcelain
pitcher, which had no handle.

Chiu-lian carefully poured the refreshing liquid into the glistening cup,
walked towards his bedside and steadily offered the fullness to Feng-
ming.

Reaching for the cup, Feng-ming took the opportunity to study the
pitcher. Letting out an inward sigh of relief, on confirmation that the
basics were very similar to what he was expecting. In theory, by the
looks of his environment, he could treat this as the Tang dynasty.

Without further tormenting his completely parched throat, Feng-ming

outreached hand accepted the cup and awarded his cracked lips as he
gulped down the entire contents in one mouthful.

To his displeasure, the Prince was never expecting to find his tastes
senses suddenly burning with bitterness after consuming his beverage.

The liquid he had so eagerly swallowed, was just as eager to leave his

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stomach.

An odd sensation overwhelmed his nostrils; Feng-ming immediately

clutched his chest choking on his own saliva.

Tears seared his eyes as he fought with his will not to regurgitate.

He continued to cough, to the point where mucus, tears and saliva

gradually made a mix on his face.

What the hell is this?

Don’t tell me this is the quality of water in this Xi-re country!?

The Prince’s chest, hollowed out by the heavy fits of coughing. He could
barely fix his focus straight as he tried to fix his angered eyes upon his
maidservant, Chiu lian.

The servant stood without any intervening.

How dare that girl toy with the Price, although he was an imposter he
shouldn’t be treated in this manner!

As his coughing fit calmed down to a clearing of his throat, he expected

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an explanation.

“What was THAT?”

Chiu-lian looked astonished at Feng-ming’s odd question but answered

obediently.

“That was wine…ah”

“WINE?” Feng-ming exclaimed and stared dumbfounded at the contents

in her hands, Feng-ming was only 19 in his previous life, and not even of
drinking age.

Feng-ming shook his head, deciding whether to forgive her negligence or

blame generosity in her actions.

“I wanted a drink to quench my thirst, you silly girl! What are you trying
to do?” he scolded.

Hearing the tone of annoyance in her master’s voice, the poor girl
scrambled down to her knee’s with fright and immediately bowed as
humbly as she could.

She had angered the prince

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Chiu-lian feared meeting eyes with Feng-ming and instead she produced
the wine container above her head, tilting it for the Prince to inspect out
of suspicion of any wrong doing.

“But your Highness never drinks water; your Highness only drinks the
finest wines available to the Royals”

“Huh?” Feng-ming blinked, completely lost for words.

I never drink water only wine?

This Prince must have been one serious alcoholic, perhaps that’ why he
fell into the river!

Stupid drunkard, what a way to go out!

The Prince, cleared his throat gently.

“H-humph… the Doctor…no..I meant the Imperial healers have advised

me that drinking is unhealthy. Hence forth, I will stop drinking alcohol”

Feng-ming adjusted his posture and straightened his back before

casting a much gentler look at Chiu-lian.

“From now, If I am thirsty, serve me water.” He stated.

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“Quit drinking?” Chiu-lian asked several times for confirmation from her
Prince.

It was almost as she was talking to a ghost, her lips quivered as she
finally answered.

“Understood, your Highness.”

------------------------Chapter One-------------------------

End

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 2.1

Map of the Feng Yu Jiu Tian World!

The red highlights the Xi Re Kingdom.

------------------------------------------------------

Terminology and Background.

The (Seven) Warring States Period: 475 BC- 221 BC, Ancient China was
separated into 7 major states, which were continuously at war with each

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other. During this period, Agriculture, industry, economy, weapons and

technology flourished. So did the legacy of war tactics written by
tacticians of that time from that era which are still respected and studied
in this age. This was a complete mess for the country itself, there was no
time to develop the societies and culture until the next period of Ancient
China were unification was beginning.

Bamboo Shoots (edible): Bamboo budding from the earth is harvest as

food in numerous Asian cuisines. It has been part of the Chinese diet
since the ancient periods.

The shoots themselves require several rounds of boiling, and is mostly

enjoyed for its acrid taste and crunchy texture. It is often found in stir-fry
dishes and dumpling dishes.

Gates of Hell In Buddhist beliefs in Ancient China, those who die would
arrive at the gates of hell and would be sentenced accordingly to an
underground punishment level-chamber where their souls will atone for
their earthly sins. This is an intermediate stage before reincarnation.

Time (measurements): In Ancient China, time was told by ‘Xiu Chen’,

this was basically the equivalent of two hours in our modern world.

Social rankings

Traditional China had very distinct class systems, much based on your
blood lineage, such as royalty, nobility, government officials, military,
mercenaries and the very poor peasant class. It was expected that one
should respect those who are above them as it reflects their honor and
dignity as a citizen of the kingdoms. Regardless of class they were
expected to “know their place” in society and to give the family name a

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good reputation. Often, the poor would sell their children to the rich as
“servants”.

Honorary name suffixes honorifics

Emperor (Huang di) the title given to the
king of kings (Huang di)
King (Wang) a head of state or someone
of high nobility and status, title can also
be given by the Emperor.
Prince (Wang zi)
Master someone of nobility or an
individual highly respected for their
wisdom or expertise in a skill. I haven’t
found a better alternative for the high
court noble in this chapter, as the Chinese
character that follows his name means
“Old man” but he isn’t one, his actually
around 17-18 years old! It’s one of those
things that often get lost in translation. So

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instead, I’ve called him Master.

----------------------------------------------------
A new character yay!

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Rong Tong, Tong Yi (yi sounds like a term

of endearment here – like child I need to
clear up the name later but let’s leave it
as what it is for now). He uses the same

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character as Rong Tian. He is the child of

a Xi Re Princess and a high nobleman. He
acts superior and is rather reckless. He
treats Rong Tian like a brother hence he is
very close to him, and learns the art of
sword fighting from him. He starts to
develop discontent towards Feng Ming as
the story unfolds.
----------------------------------------------------

Feng Yu Jiu Tian Chapter 2

Feng-ming toke a big gulp of the more palatable liquid which Chiu-lan
had newly dispensed for him, followed by a gargle as he rinsed the
unpleasant aftertaste into a silver pan brought by the servants.

By this time he was meant to have a meal, but felt a bout of drowsiness
cloak over his mind; perhaps it was a side effect of the wine he forced
down. He released a yawn, and proceeded to sprawl back to rest on his
bed.

Chiu-lan stood by his bedside and advised the frail young man with a
gentle voice, “Prince, you should have a meal."

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However, Feng-ming was unresponsive as he already began to gradually

slip away.

His aching body was blissfully sinking into comfort until he was
completely aloof to even answer and not long after he drifted into a
deep sleep.

--- --- --- --- --- ---

Once he awoke again, the sky had clearly darkened outside. Feng-ming
pondered about how the time was calculated in his new environment, by
the looks of it at least three to four hours had passed.

It was a usual habit of his, to take a few hours to sober from the daze of
sleep before rising out of bed. His roommates would often give him an
earful for his habit.

Considering his new circumstances as a Prince of a Kingdom, which

appears like a joke some meddlesome gods have created for him, there
was bound to be at least good things! He was certainly going to make
use of the entitlements that came with his royal title.

Within his daze, he heard an unfamiliar voice mock him.

“Well, I was surely given the impression that you were dead but in fact
this was a scheme to terrorize the palace, such tasteless tactics.” Spat
the voice rather bitterly.

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Feng-ming felt the hostility in the sharp words that targeted him, piquing
his awakening.

He was alone in this new world and understood that he had to carefully
cover his flaws, even if it included having to implement self restraint
over acting brashly to provocation such as this, so instead he chose to
sensibly listen, feigning his slumber.

As a matter of fact, the owner of the hostile voice was not far away from
his bedside; permitting Feng ming to be his audience.

The speaker was clearly full of disrespect and contempt towards the
Prince.

“If he puts up this act next time, just solve the matter by delivering him
his beloved wine, we will avoid such an unsightly uproar within the Royal
palace.”

Chiu-lian replied with a hint of reservation “Master Tong, the Prince yet
to awaken.”

Upon hearing such words, Feng Ming was taken aback.

Since he was the protagonist in this story and cast the role as the Prince,
a title of a high noble in the kingdom he was deserving of respect. What
was with this poor mannered Master Tong? He dared to be so openly and

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audacious with his apparent dislike towards the ‘Prince’ within his own
private room.

Judging by the volume and the tone of the voice, the individual clearly
had no fear of the Prince, even if his highness was to overhear him.

Nor was there any discontent reaction from the maids that were devoted
to serving Feng-Ming. There was no defense on his behalf; no one was
even willing to step up to defend him as he was disparaged.

With indifference in his stride Master Tong Yi ordered the servants one
last time, “I’ll take my leave, ensure you keep him under close
surveillance, he better not stir any more trouble.”

Just as the man pivoted from the bedside to depart, there was an abrupt
authoritative voice that coldly commanded him to halt in his steps.

“Stop right there.” Ordered Feng Ming as he hoisted himself up from his
rest.

This sudden demand startled the occupants of the room.

The dominating manner the coming from the Prince’s familiar voice was
an extreme abnormality.

The Prince’s voice, had long been associated as submissive, however,

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today’s was tough riddled with nerves.

Master Tong Yi gave a yelp of surprise.

“Eh?”, and spun around to come face to face standing tall and
overbearing in front of Feng Ming and raised an eyebrow.

“After taking a nice tour to the Gates of Hell, it appears you’ve grown
yourself some guts.” He remarked arrogantly.

When the figure turned around and presented himself to Feng Ming,
allowing him the opportunity to size up his opponent. According to Feng
Ming’s estimates the rude and obnoxious voice belonged to a young
man, around 18 to 19 years old, with lips a rich shade of red framing
nice white dentures, overall he was actually quite a beauty.

Regardless of his attractive appearance his poor mannerism in language

was unfitting and imperious which greatly displeased Feng Ming.

“The one with the guts here appears to be you!” condemned Feng Ming
with an unyielding force. Standing his ground Feng Ming mimicked the
cold tone he was delivered, he leant on his bed-rest and gestured with
both his hands.

“Chiu Lan, tell him, what the punishment is for the act of disrespecting
the Prince.” He ordered and used his eyes to signal his maidservant.

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Truthfully, Feng Ming wasn’t aware of the Punishments handed down in

respects to the offense, especially having no idea of the history of this
Dynasty he was making home to.

Although Feng Ming’s voice appeared rather guarded inside he was at

unease, considering the outcome of his venture may not be a good one.
At this point he wanted to cue Chiu Lan to cover for him. It seemed like a
good move.

His casual use of his maidservant sent her in distress, Chiu Lan starred
for a few moments at his Highness, waiting for a change in the odd
behavior, but it never arrived.

The Prince was especially full of spite and fighting spirit today, and his
eyes beckoned her for a prompt answer, so she fulfilled her Master’s
wish.

She abided and shifted herself to face Master Tony Yi whose expression
darkened a few shades. Both men were of high status, and she was just
a meager palace main, she could not afford to offend either party. Her
heart was screaming from the position she was deadlocked in, after
much hesitation, with a cold swear and a guilty conscious she spoke.

“To disrespect the Price, following the laws of this great kingdom, it is
punishable by hanging.”

Simply said, it was a death sentence for assaulting the dignity of

Royalty.

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It looks like this kingdom highly values the pride of the Royals. As he
heard the result, Feng Ming could calm down, as he had the upper hand.

With a sincere smile he asked, “Well, this person here, shouldn’t we be

taking him out to the gallows?”

Master Tong Yi had a notorious history of insolence towards the Prince

and he had never suffered any reprimand for his ill-manners or actions.
In fact the real Prince had always tried to avoid confrontation and
remained a constant victim to bullying. Today’s events enraged the
young man, how dare that incompetent fool dare to condemn him and
make him accountable of his “mistakes”.

The young man was on the edge of releasing a fit of rage, a normal

reaction towards the useless Prince, he was often the victor forcing the
Crowned Prince to surrender to his oppression. Just as he was about to
let loose, he caught the fiery gaze of the Prince’s large dark eyes,
surging with control over him. Which triggered the reality of the truth
behind the words exchanged, the Prince was none the less part of the
Royal Family, and treading on the Pride of the leader to be of the
Kingdom was a rightfully punishable criminal act.

Even if the Prince scolds him, if the man was to order servants to carry
him out and take his head, no one would be able to intervene.

Throughout the years, Tong Ti had never been made to feel the
difference of status and identity between the two. He was shaken to
have this “Prince” suddenly threatening and defiant alive and kicking.

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With much hesitation, he dropped his gaze yielding to the man with
more power, withdrawing his pride momentarily and pleaded:

“I have offended your Highness, may the Prince be generous and forgive
me and my actions.”

One that sentence was concluded with such courteous words; the
serving maids in the house all stood with stunned faces.

What on earth was this? Was the Prince the main actor for a play?

Feng Ming bowled over, not expecting such an outcome and was foreign
to how he should properly react.

Without putting much thought into it, it wasn’t like he was ever going to
take action upon his words and send Tong Yi to his demise. So instead,
he composedly nodded his head to grant a pardon.

“So be it, I’ll forgive you today.” He offered calmly.

Biting his bottom lip in pure scorn, Tong Yi was welling up with anger
inside.

Hearing the casualness from his pardon, he lifted his head to throw Feng
Ming a piercing glare.

Who would of thought, that there would be a day Tong Yi would have to

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“submit” to this incompetent Prince. Tong Yi felt like a complete

laughing stock, he could just hear the people mocking him. At his
weakest moment, he had been stripped of his prestige and power by
that pathetic being. Without any further exchange, he turned away and
marched angrily out of the Prince’s Halls.

Seeing the rather disgruntled Tong Yi leaving hurriedly out his space,
Feng Ming motioned to Chiu Lan.

“I’m hungry now, I haven’t eaten anything, could you serve something
to me now?” he asked weakly.

Chiu Lan’s eyes darted back towards the door and beyond before
returning to her Master.

With a shaking voice Chiu lan spoke quickly, “Prince, you have deeply
angered Master Tong Yi.”

“So what? Challenging the Prince, I haven’t even made him accountable
for his actions. I didn’t even get angry at him”

Considering our statuses, the one who should be angry would be me!

“But…”

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Chiu Lan has witnessed the oppressive life the Prince had suffered.
However, his actions today was flourishing with dignity, who knows what
tomorrow may bring and how much her master would pay for the costs
of his recklessness.

She has been serving the prince for two years, so she had developed
and an attachment, her expression soured at the thought of the possible
outcomes.

“In case Master Tong Yi informs Rong Wang, how would we handle that?

“Rong Wang? Rong Wang, who’s that?” He queried with little interest.

Feng Ming saw the colour drain from Chiu Lan’s face, quickly realizing he
asked a foolish question, but to cover his mistake he reminded her of his
earlier misfortune.

“I fell into the river remember, it looks like the water filled my brain, I’ve
forgotten about a lot of things!” he exclaimed.

With a long blank look, Chiu Lan finally relinquished the information just
going along with her Prince.

“Oh, I see the prince has lost his memories fir this certain area. Well,
Rong Wang is Xi Re’s Regent King. He is currently in charge of the
government and military power of our kingdom”

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So it’s like that, there’s a Regent King in my stead.

Acting in this charade, certainly hasn’t been as easy as actors have

made it appear on television, let alone having such a heavy burden to
pose as an important figure in this Kingdom’s society! Feng Ming did not
want to make any more callous mistakes, so he retired his questions and
switched his attention to his surroundings once more, looking around
with dull interest upon his face.

In a short while, his supper arrived.

Feng Ming had vividly imagined an exquisite banquet of delicacies that

filled a whole table to be served to him in the grandest feasting style fit
for a king. This was squashed, when in place, around 11 to 12 different
dishes were served to him on the table in his room.

He soon realized he couldn’t underestimate the effort placed into each

plate, as they were all intricately designed with carved decors created
from fruits and vegetables.

Feng Ming picked up his chop sticks with a little bit of apprehension.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 2.2

FENG YU JIU TIAN VOLUME 1 CHAPTER 2 PART 2

If he had been given more warning about his days to come, he would
have at least absorbed as much history books to get a grasps on royal
eating etiquette

It was too late to lament, regrets or no regrets he was better of taking

the challenges as they come speeding towards him.

He might as well exert his real self.

Anyway, I’m a Prince! Even if I act uncouth, it’s highly unlikely anyone
would casually scold me for my ill manners.

As he just bit into a slice of bamboo root he selected from one of the
closest dish, he felt the presence of Chiu Lan inch closer beside him, her
eyes unmoving from his body.

He looked up unknowingly, his vision still a little fuzzy and asked his
maidservant:

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“Chiu Lan, Have you eaten yet?”

“Your highness should quickly eat, why should not concern yourself
about a lowly peasant such as myself?” she replied.

Feng Ming wanted to invite her to sit down beside him and eat together,
he tinkering on how he should deliver his invitation so he cunningly
disguised it as a suggestion.

“I don’t have an appetite eating by myself, how about we have a talk.”

He eagerly motioned the chair beside him and encouraging her to take a
seat.

Chiu Lan thought desperately, how could someone of her background

dare to share the same table as her Master, she was no one of equal
prestige, she lowered herself courteously to ask for a pardon and
excused her inability to join him seated.

“If the Prince requests my companionship in a conversation, I will oblige”

She winked and asked “What is it that my Prince Wish to hear about?”

What a great opportunity!

Feng Ming was swamped with the boundless questions he had for her.

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“Considering I’m rather unoccupied, how about giving me a

comprehensive summary of my matters, give me a good round up, how
about that?” he smiled.

“My Prince, are you not aware of your current affairs? With such a case,
that you are consulting me?” Chiu Lan’s ongoing impression of an out of
character Prince was furthered by his strange request. She was quite
young, so she couldn’t resist breaking into a small giggle which she
made sure to cover her mouth with her hand.

“This is..”Feng Ming eyes flickered, and explained, “I want to know how
the people, my subjects really see me in their hearts do you know
anything of that sort?”

“Yes, I will inform you then.” She promptly answered.

Throughout the two years Chiu Lan had entered the royal palace to
serve as a maid, she was generally in charge of basic chores such as
paling for water and tending to clothing, never had she had a chance to
develop a close relationship with the his Highness and to the point
where she could share a casual discussion. She couldn’t help to find
their situation amusing, so she had a lot to say as she thoroughly
explained the coming and goings of the Xi Re palace, each story
increasing with detail.

---

The current country was separated into different sub-kingdoms, and

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there were endless feuds across the lands. As a whole the country had
been divided into 12 states-kingdoms each with their ruling fractions.
Once Feng-ming heard this fact, he immediately thought it was worst
than when China was in the Warring state of seven era!

The Prince was King Xi Re’s only son, and he passed away early. It was
only seven years ago the Ruling King suffered a stroke, which he then
entered a state of unconsciousness, and never awoke.

Xi-Re is still ruled by an Imperial regime, which has been passed from a
lineage of Royals. However, the royal rule has been suspended and
handed over to the Regent King. The man Rong Tian who is has the
power of the kingdom in the palm of his hands.

When Chiu Lan spoke about Rong Tian Wang, there was a rather
uncanny fear and shyness to her words. Her sentiments reminded Feng
Ming of the girls back in his old reality that pined over idols and popstars
with the exception that Chiu Lan was more subtle.

Initially, the painted impression in Feng Ming’s mind of King Rong was a
stout and evil tyrant ruler. But judging Chiu Lan’s fangirl like
expressions, he could not help to wonder and reconstruct his portrait of
the Regent King.

Who the hell was this Rong Wang? Is he some kind of Mega handsome
man of this era that made maidens swoon?

“So who is this, Master Tong Yi?”

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Chiu Lan was eager to divulge to her master, the young maid was quite
ecstatic for her rare roll of storyteller to her master. But upon hearing his
request, her face stalled momentarily. The hesitation followed an odd
glint in her eyes.

“Concerning Master Tong Yi…well, he is a nobleman, with Rong Tian

Wang…” She was abashed to continue the next words that were to
follow, so she quickly followed.

“He appears to have a good bond with King Rong.”

This statement triggered Feng Ming’s curiosity, “He has a good

friendship with Rong Tian? How does he tolerate him…” Still bitter about
the previous ordeal, from the unruly arrogant attitude he was served,
Feng Ming could only assume that Tong Yi was Rong Tian’s precious
baby brother, or perhaps a close relative?

“This is what the servants believe, it might just be gossip. Actually I am

not sure there’s any confirmation about this.”

Not knowing what to say next, Chiu Lan quickly changed the subject in
panic of her out of line interjection.

She cleverly used the excuse of reminding Feng Ming grooming duties.

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“The prince has spent a long time feasting, the night fall has arrived. It
would be advisable to take your bath now and rest soon”

Feng Ming accepted the suggestion letting their conversation come to

an end so he quickly shovelled down his rice and allowed his servants
take care of the dishes.

He stood up to stretch out his back, frowning and supported himself with
the table.

The aches continued to linger, he wondered whether they would ever go

away he continued to internally curse the time travel portal.

His thoughts were interrupted by two pretty maidens.

“Your Highness, Prince please take your bath now” Speaking to him
with a clear calm voice.

He had a rather blank expression as he gave a nod of his head, but

remained stationary.

Even if they inform him that his bath was ready, it wasn’t like he was
running off anywhere! What direction was he meant to head off to? What
about his change of clothing?

A rather embarrassing thought came to mind, when Feng Ming recalled

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all those television shows he had watched. Didn’t a large group of

maidens tend to the Royals regardless of sex in the bath? Would they be
standing by? Wouldn’t that be like giving them a free show!?

By this time, Chiu Lan had already cleared the tables, and he wasn’t
sure where she had disappeared to.

As the two maids looked at him wide eyed in anticipation, Feng Ming
remained lost for words, trying to find the right thing to say to delay the
time:

“Ah, you two, what are your names?”

It appeared to people that the Prince was developing some kind of liking
to greet individuals,

The two servant ladies had bewildered looks on their faces and looked at
him strangely before replying.

“Your humble servant is called Chiu Yue”

“This loyal servant is called Chiu Xing”

Feng Ming gave a false confirming nod of his head.

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“Chiu Yue?”

“Chui Xing? Both are indeed good names, well named.”

Feng Mings’s out of character antics prompted interest from Chiu Yue.
She hid her face as she covered her mouth as she laughed softly before
raising her gaze to her Master.

“It is quite late now, if his Highness could head towards the baths. Or
else the water will be chilled”

The usual Prince was very mild mannered, he never threw fits of rage
however it appeared like his personality was rearranged.

He was acting so generous, and actually striking conversations as well

as eliciting smiles.

Chiu Xing and Chiu Yue were only modest young servants and very
innocent, seeing Feng Ming become so gentle, they didn’t hesitate to
help him. She tugged lightly on his sleeve and ushered him towards the
baths.

Feng Ming was completely stumped on how to react, as Chiu Yue

willingness to guide him was good. So he followed without resistance but
carried an awkward smile as he went with the flow.

----

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The Prince’s Bathing Quarters within the Palace turned out to be one
completely constructed of of stone. Steam floated from the pools in
streams of humidity and the bath itself was easily the size of a small
swimming pool.

It was surrounded by screened walls, which were covered with

decorative silk clothes, creating a very relaxing atmosphere.

A towering pile of clothes was resting atop of a jade table next to the
pool. Feng Ming drew his conclusions, guessing that these were
garments prepared for him to replace his old robes.

“Please Prince, take the bath when you are ready.” The two girls
excused themselves with a slight bow, whilst trying to refrain from
chuckling as they retreated.

As he watched the couple leave, he let big sigh of relief. How fortunate
that the events didn’t end up how he had rolled out in his mind. The idea
of having someone cater for him was outrageous!

He stared eagerly at the bath tub, which was tempting him to quickly
disrobe and get cleansed.

This was the first bath in this kind of place, and given everything he has
been through he was going to ensure that he was clean as a whistle by
the end of it.

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It was almost like he was going to rinse himself free of his past.

Feng Ming was orphaned as a small child in his own world, and he was
very grateful for the life he was able to live. He lived very carefree and
studying consumed most of his energy, so dating was out of the picture
until he graduated from College.

As he began to strip, he inwardly cursed as who had appointed his outfit.

The impatient Prince peeled off the ridiculous amount of layers one by
one.

Surely if everyone in this kingdom wore this amount of clothing, they’d

spend half the day just stripping!

Feng Ming continued to bicker to himself and was glad when he was
down to the last article, a simple under-gown which he did not stress to
remove quickly.

Finally, he had finished taking things off! Time to hop in and scrub down!
So relieved!

That was…until a gasp of air was knocked out of him, when he tilted his
head and his eyes widened like a deer in headlights.

He was in utter shock at the bare sight before him.

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The young man was completely astonished to discover, upon his legs
and chest were welts and fresh cuts that decorated his skin.

They were accompanied by horrible bruises he could even make out

marks what appeared to be left by slender whip lashes. There were
obvious teeth marks as well as assorted shaped marks left by unknown
perpetrators.

No inch of skin was unmarred the scars and wounds littered his slender
body simply everywhere!

He was stunned at the abuse, taking the breath away from him.

Feng Ming held his breath as he bravely parted his legs.

Upon verification he stuck out his tongue in disgust before quickly

clamping his legs shut.

The tender flesh between his thighs were also painted with bruises, even
such a private place did not escape the assault.

Does that mean, someone was abusing the former master of this body?
Knowing that he was the Crowned Prince of Xi Re!?

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Or perhaps his Highness had a fetish for S&M!?

No wonder his body seem to be weighed down with pain, regardless of

the rest he had. Feng Ming had blamed his pain on the time portal travel
…but in fact…

“Were you waiting for me?”

In his moment of confusion, he was hit by a sudden intrusion. A man

with a deep voice suddenly made his presence known.

Feng Ming was utterly surprised, that a stranger had entered his
perimeters then he remembered the state of his body, unsightly with
injuries and naked, he quickly scuttled towards the pile of clothing set
aside for him,

Desperately throwing on the garments as fast as possible, his sudden

burst of messy stress resulted with his footing weakening beneath him,
resulting in an embarrassing fail straight into the bath tub.

Submerged within the water works, he created an large splash

displacing a lot of water around the pool itself.

What a complete moron, falling into the pool barely clothed!

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“Heh Heh Heh…”came a dry laugh.

It was a complete embarrassing mess!

Soon Feng Ming composed himself, he straightened up and prepared

himself to condemn the uninvited guest that scared him half to death
and indirectly caused his pitiful state.

He found that the chief instigator had already sneakily entered the
room.

“You sure are gutsy to dare spy on the Prince taking a bath!”

There was a lack of confidence in his authority whilst he reprimanded

the intruder. It sounded no more than an empty threat.

Feng Ming moved cautiously, backing away towards the side at the
same time he was trying to cover his modesty with the wet garment he
managed to pull along with his fall.

Unfortunately for him, there were the uncontrollable laws of physics

working against him and buoyancy wasn’t helping his cause, the
continuous flow of fabric refused to give him the coverage he needed as
it floated innocently around him. In the end his embarrassment could not
be blocked off to wondering eyes.

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The uninvited person had a handsome face with a rather defiant look on
it, and there was a certain glint of evil within his eyes. At that moment,
those eyes looked down at him, an empowering force that oppressed
him, staring intensely at the bare body.

“Well, it appears you’ve grown some courage, actually daring to use

such a tone to talk to me.” The man chided.

The man playfully raised his eyebrow slightly and teased.

“I hear you had a nice hall into the river, and when you were pulled out
you were a little insane, even to the point of reprimanding Tong Yi. I’m
guessing that you haven’t headed so deep into insanity that you can’t
even remember who I am”

Who is he? So bold, and acting so casual towards royalty? Poor manners!

Then it struck Feng Ming’s mind, and he blurted out.

“You are King Rong!”

The corner’s of the man’s lips uplifted, before they parted coolly.

“It seems you do remember. And I thought you had assumed playing the
role of a madman”

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With that said as the next second passed, the man violently jumped into
the bath, leaving no time for Feng Ming to escape from his grasps.

The smaller man felt like he was hit by a large momentum, the man
eye’s locked down on his own, his frame was pushed down hard and
rendered helpless.

The shield he had used to cover his body was ripped from his hold and
thrown aside by the stranger.

“His Royal Highness, has certainly matured even contemplating and

daring to commit suicide?”

There was a level of darkness behind the taunt, making Feng Ming
unconsciously shrink backwards.

Without warming, Rong Wang’s large steel-like fingers wrapped

themselves around Feng Ming’s delicate throat.

“I never said you can take your own life.” He angrily stated.

“Nnnh…” Feng Ming’s trachea felt like it was going cave in to the force,
the pain etching on his face as his muscles frowned.

He managed to wrap his hands around the larger ones that were
threatening him.

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But found it futile, as his strength slipped away completely. His efforts
were in vain, there was no chance of ripping the relentless hold. Even if
he wanted to for a chance of a second’s breathe.

His lungs were started to sear with pain, air deprivation signals shot
towards his brain and the Prince felt his vision to blur.

Feng Ming was apprehensive in his mind, was it really true that Rong
Wang wanted to end his already pitiful life by strangling him?

This whole dying and living business, he didn’t know whether to make it
laughable or pitiful.

He had just acquired the new body, which was actually his destiny to
relive the experience of to dying again.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 3.1

Terminology:

Cao Cao曹操 – (155-220 A.D) was a military strategist, politician and poet
whose adventures have been much popularised in a series of novels
“Romance of Three Kingdoms”. He was marvelled for being a master of
both literature and the sword. Records of him detailed a crafty war
tactician who also excelled in the arts. He was known to treat his allies
as family and was merciless with his enemies. Interestingly Cao Cao is
often depicted as a brutal tyrant; however, he was praised for his
brilliance as a ruler. Due to such unscrupulous depictions Cao Cao in
modern times, can be used as the Chinese equivalent of the English
saying “Speak of the Devil”…(and he arrives).

草(Cao) In FYJT, Feng Ming addresses Rong Tian as “Cao Cao”, which
confuses the man as it sounded like Feng Ming was calling him grass
twice.

I AM AWARE OF TYPOS AND JIBBERISH...the online version is usually the

best one because i re-read and fix up. The download documents are
usually unchanged...lol i notice my horrendous jibberish notes in part 2
(which i have fixed and not in the doc)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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As the excruciating pain of being strangled subsided, numbness quickly

inched in.

Around him the intense atmosphere gradually calmed down.

Feng Ming’s eyes flickered wide open, blood surging through his brain.

Death’s voice had welcomed the young man when he had once again
dangled too close to the end of his life’s thread.

It was at that very moment Rong Wang decided to release his vice-like
grip around his delicate throat.

The pair of large cruel hands slowly retracted from the slender neck.

Expressionless, the tyrant watched Feng Ming’s mass sink into the
depths of the water. Almost immediately, the young man’s survival
instincts triggered. His weak hands sought desperately to grasp onto the
edge of the pool to stabilize his body.

Droplets of water poured from Feng Ming’s face which was painted with
confusion.

In past this type of meaningless cruelty had often been inflicted upon
the Prince, even to the point where the body would submit and cry for
mercy.

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Even so, it was a barbaric to method to employ such a shameful

technique on another just to demonstrate one’s own dominance.

Dark sharp eyes quietly observed the blank-faced Feng Ming, as he met
with those familiar pair of eyes, Rong Tian had a discovery. As if a
precious jewel that had gone unnoticed was unearthed, sending his own
heart to race.

What is happening?

The usual prince carried himself as stupid, introverted and a largely

disgraceful excuse for a Prince whom no one acknowledged. Why does
he emit such a strange aura now? What happened to the regular
groveling submissions and begs for mercy?

This new situation was appealing to Rong Tian’s amusement. He

decided to shelf his cold approach for the moment and instead deciding
to close the distance between him and Feng Ming. He lifted the chin of
the younger man, allowing him to clearly study the boy’s face.

There was no doubt about the Prince’s familiar face that his own peered
down onto. Sadly, looking at the Prince could only rally the thoughts of
how pathetically worthless he was aside from the astounding beauty he
possessed. A beauty that could be admired but served no purpose one
could akin the Prince to the delicate and elaborate art that decorate
pillows.

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Upon the naked body was evidence of his marks, welts and lash traces
of a few days old. The image of the cowardly Prince cowering pitifully
freshly played into Rong Tian’s mind.

However useless the person was, he had a magnificent body. Rong

Wang grabbed Feng Ming by his slim wrists, fraying the limbs out so he
could savor the view. Although Rong Tian had a healthy share of
countless women, none could withstand or endured the punishment he
inflicted only on the Prince, the boy’s body provided an entirely different
category of satisfaction.

Oppressing the Prince, was the same as controlling the wide plains of Xi
Rei, anything that can be taken from his hold could just be as easily
retrieved by his power.

This Incompetent Prince…

There is a degree in how unsettling it was to how one could not deny the
alluring attraction of Feng Ming’s body.

Perhaps if he wasn’t the obedient crowned Prince dominated in his own

palace, and rather a male prostitute in the city of Xi Rei, wouldn’t he
have better opportunity to demonstrate his value?

Rong Wang’s had whole heartedly committed himself to eternally

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despise the man in front of him, however once he had his first taste of
the Prince’s sweet intoxicating body, Rong Wang was captivated; a
prisoner to his own desires.

He lifted Feng Ming who was still in a state of stupor, setting him upon
the cool surface of the marbled surface beside the pool.

“Did your little drowning episode scare you?” Rong Wang knelt on one
knee, partially hovering over the other, coolly continuing his survey of
the unguarded body from head to toe.

“Don’t you play coy with me, I won’t be giving you special treatment,”
he threatened rather smugly before pinching Feng Ming’s cheek.

Feng Ming started to become more alert as his consciousness was

returning thanks to the icy chill seeping through his bare back rather
than the unsolicited pinch.

At the very moment Rong Wang had released his tight hold, his fragile
body began to slip into the water. Perhaps his body caved from the
strenuous time travelling after-effects, causing Feng Ming to temporarily
lose control of his newly acquired body.

During that mental slip an overpowering emptiness returned in his mind,

momentarily stripping him of his senses of the world around him, as if he
was thrusts back into another time and space portal.

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Fortunately, after a short disconnection with reality, he recovered from

that darkness but his mind consequentially remained in a haze.

The spiteful words that spouted from Rong Wang failed to register to
Feng Ming who barely absorbed a word. Poor Feng Ming wasn’t even
aware what sequence of events there on after had lead to him lying
upon the bath’s stone cold floor.

His bare body was taken from the warmth of the waters, directly onto
the cool surface of the room, it wasn’t the ideal comfort, as he gradually
seeped out of his stupor, Feng Ming moaned softly. With effort, weary
eyes fluttered open and focused themselves.

"What are you doing?" Finally he was clear on their current

circumstance, Feng Ming could not command his body and he could
barely muster his voice to speak.

Rong Wang’s hands, continued explore the naked body, caressing the
muscles to help them loosen, however there was an overtone as if he
had ownership over this possession and it was solely his. If it was not for
the tell-tale glint in Rong Wang’s fierce eyes, Feng Ming could have been
easily tricked into believing Rong Wang was offering kindness to
massage his aching muscles.

Feng Ming raised his hands in attempt to control the unwanted fingers
exploring his body which were wreaking havoc by each second.

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“Stop!”

"Oh?." Rong Wang smirked, easily brushing away Feng Ming’s

obstructing hands and pinned them both back behind the younger man’s
head.

Leaning and closing their proximity, Rong Wang gently bit Feng Ming’s
lips.

"Does His Royal Highness, wants to demonstrate his strength today?”

Suddenly his expression changed, instantly surfacing the inner dark

intentions.

“Are you planning to mess with me again? Do you want a beating?”

Despite his detained wrists felt as if they were going to snap under his
captors hold, Feng Ming eyes flashed wide open and glared at the
Regent King defiantly.

"You dare to treat the Prince this way?"

"Isn’t this just t always the case? Why are you only feeling like this is
unjust treatment today?" Rong Wang laughed cocking his eyebrow.

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"You ... ...." Feng Ming eyes averted from his, infuriated as he held down
his anger.

Wasn’t the situation clear?

Although he had the chance of being “Reborn” made a Prince,

stunningly attractive and no shorter than five feet in stature.

He entered a Palace which had a messed up hierarchy. Where to be only

bullied by Tong Yi and the devil of a Regent King himself, who had the
real power, to the point where the real Prince is degraded to the level as
a meager delicacy for the Regent King to consume.

From his previous inspecting of his newly acquired body, the lashes and
marks, Rong Wang’s behavior, it was blinding truth that this delicacy
wasn’t eaten only once.

The adventured packed prospects of travelling to a new place had

originally made his rebirth and enjoyable, being able to experience time
travel and all, but now he was just a play thing where another man could
vent his desires on.

No, no, this is ridiculous!

"Idiot! Let me go!" Feng Ming’s face ushered in a colorful range of

expression, realising the real crisis at hand in front of him, he shuddered

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and gulped as Rong Wang’s face blocked his own.

"You dare to scold me?" Rong Wang raised an eyebrow amused; he

opened his mouth towards the Prince’s own, taking him by surprise as
he ruthlessly caught the younger man’s red lips biting down with his
teeth.

"Nnh ... .." Those full lips felt the sting Feng Ming was completely
unguarded and he gently sobbed out under the hold. Faint smell of blood
registered in his senses and the taste eventually reached his throat, all
the result of Rong Wang biting him until blood flowed.

It could not be for real that he was going to taken by a man!

Feng Ming gathered all his might to evade the vicious teeth biting onto
him, he barely slurred his disgust

“Let go…I don’t want this… damn it….”

The pain never ceased from the origin of his lips, the doings of this
barbaric Rong Wang who was disinterested with deepening his rough
kiss, instead, he was more interested by the pleasures of exploiting Feng
Ming’s flushed lips.

Soon, the taste of blood became stronger, as its metallic essence

overwhelmed his senses.

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Feng Ming realised it was futile as he struggled beneath of the older

man. He tossed his head from side to side attempting to throw the King
off his swollen lips, as well as attempting to voice his protests.

Wasn’t there a saying an eye for an eye?

With this wonderful proverb in mind, Feng Ming stopped his escape and
in its place he sank his own teeth onto Rong Wang’s lip in return. He
abruptly widened his own mouth before issuing the element of surprise
to his bully by biting down as hard as he could.

Let’s see who is fiercer now?

He continued to force his white teeth reassuring his attacker there was
no love involved, and determined to leave his own stamp by spending all
his energy just to clamp down.

The sudden act had genuinely startled Rong Wang, he wanted to move
away but was already snared. The wound where his lips were bitten sent
sparks of pain message. This “Prince” meant business!

Highly skilled and trained in Martial arts since his childhood Rong Tian
had immediately acted on a transient response, the Regent King’s hand
snapped back, and without any hesitation knocked the back of Feng
Ming’s neck firmly.

.
"Ah!" The sharp pain of the assault on his neck jolted the younger man
who loosened his hold on the man’s lips as his own went for a surprised
one.

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Rong Wang rose up from his position in a split second, his immediate
leave relieved the pressure on Feng Ming’s body and hands and the
Prince had his mobility freedom restored.

The flow of events of their confrontation was acted out in a few short
seconds. Feng Ming didn’t even have the luxury of prompting himself up
from the harsh floor before Rong Wang pounced on him, slamming Feng
Ming’s body down with his sheer strength.

A pair of intense eyes alit anger burnt holes into Feng Ming.

Rong Wang gritted his teeth

"How dare you bite me?" The lips that had previously only offered cold
and smug words were now a blood extravaganza.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 3.2

FENG YU JIU TIAN VOLUME 1 CHAPTER 3 PART 2

Everything that happened today was beyond Rong Wang’s expectations,

the prisoner under his solid grip had not submitted to him or shiver with
fear whilst choking back tears.

Instead, the Prince’s usual eyes that avoided contact with others,
suddenly locked onto his own. There was no evasion in the set of eyes
that appeared alit with angry flickering flames.

Feng Ming pushed the aggressive and physically superior male away, his
eyes glowing with indignation, threatening Rong Wang.

"I’m warning you, though my hands, and legs are incapable and my
body is weak and aches, If you dare do anything to me, tomorrow I
will…Tomorrow I…” Feng Ming’s threat was unfinished as he felt himself
slip into the emptiness, his vision darkening.

Bastard! I haven’t finished!

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Damn time travel, damn the stupid Prince that let this abuse onto this
weak pathetic body. I didn’t even have a chance to finish!

With numerous complaints and pains, Feng Ming allowed the darkness to
swallow him, falling into a deep sleep.

---------------------------

Waking up his head was curtained with sleep, his eyes fluttered open to
set upon the antique and luxurious roof above. His mind lingered there
as he recalled what had actually happened.

It was tragic.

And the tragic thing was, the problem was still present and persistent.

Once the handsome face of the Regent King appeared hovering over his
own the Feng Ming verified how incorrect his initial profiling of the
Regent King was. What he discovered in this position of power was not a
plump and balding old man. Instead from his estimates Rong Tian was
probably around the same age as he was in his previous life.

The difference was the tremendous air of power that surrounded him.
Rong Tian’s presence mustered up fear and made people shiver. Such a
characteristic is befitting to play the villain on a television show right?
Just the right type of handsome but sinister men…

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"What is on His Royal Highness’s mind?" Rong Wang mocked him. This
extremely contemptuous attitude only proved to further demonstrate
how disrespectful the man was towards the Prince.

Feng Ming glanced around his surrounding; his personal attendants were
standing quietly at the side of the room

Even Chiu Lan did not intervene, no one was willingly jumping into
defend their master’s mistreatment.

It seemed that Rong Wang was un-officially the real ruler of Xi Rei.

The Prince that had been raised in the palace was merely a play thing;
the harassment by Rong Wang most likely forced him to take the final
option, as he willingly to jump into the river, whilst unknowingly giving
Feng Ming a second chance.

"I'm asking you." Feng Ming’s chin was suddenly tilted upwards by Rong
Wang who addressed him as if he was just a lowly servant.

Something inside cracked Feng Ming, he was infuriated not hiding his
annoyance as he whipped his head away from the Regent King’s
direction.

"Hmph! Cao Cao!"

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"Cao Cao? What is Cao Cao?"

From the response of the treacherous King it was obvious that he has
never read ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms.’

Not even bothering with the duty of explaining what Cao Cao meant,
Feng Ming realised a more important issue, he twisted suddenly to stare
intently at Rong Wang.

"I ‘m going to ask you, yesterday…did you…do anything to me…?”

“…”

“…”

With an audience of attendants in the room, it was an embarrassing

word he dare not say publicly.

The Prince was rather interesting today, the words he spouted were
intriguing, and he no longer was the groveling coward that trembled in
fear and sought safety.

Rong Wang bore his eyes into Feng Ming’s tense expression, a growing
amusement by the events grew, he lent down close to Feng Ming’s neck,
mimicking Feng Ming’s tone

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“Gee, did I…or…didn’t I?” He teased.

"You, Idiot!"

Feng Ming set forth an attack, releasing a raging tiger behind his
outburst.

Looks like the training he received from the guards at the orphanage
paid off,

Like a flash of lightning, he landed a sweet one square onto Rong

Wang’s face.

In a blink of an eye the arrogant and handsome sported a new fresh

bruise.

No one could have anticipated this type of development of the fast

paced action.

The collective response of their audience was of shock and nothing

more.

Rong Wang was completely taken by surprise and this was clearly
painted across his face, the whole room had immediately felled silent.

All the faces in the room paled, the attendants left in a silent flash gone

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before you could even notice the click of the doors shutting behind
them.

The single blow was successful, and planted straight onto Rong Wang’s
precious face,

Feng Ming knew his actions were out of line.

It wasn’t like he advocated the use of violence; growing up he was

naturally stubborn, with a child like demeanor when it came to
defending his pride or having the last word. He wasn’t the type to skimp
out on payback just because of physical pain with scars and bruises
instead he always ensured he evened the score.

Likewise his opponent today was the Cao Cao of this era, Rong Wang
had dominance over him but he wasn’t going to sit back and submit to
humiliation.

"You hit me?" Rong Wang exclaimed.

Rong Wang dumbstruck with the Feng Ming recalculated .perception of

him.

"Yesterday, you bit me, and I haven’t even settled that account with
you. And today you actually dared to raise your hand against me?" He
spat in disbelief.

The hands that fumbled to hold a cup of tea, the Prince that would

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tremble just by his mere presence, was this even him?

Feng Ming shook his head aside before further demanding an answer.

"Enough! Tell me! In the end, yesterday..did you force me…did you
do it?"

"It’s not like it was the first time, why should you care?"

It can’t be…

Feng Ming pupils contracted, his fists clenched he wanted nothing more
to give Rong Wang another taste of his fists.

However, Rong Wang chimed in casually: “But I’ve never enjoyed a dead
fish, frankly I have never been interested.”

The punch Feng Ming almost released needn’t take place to Feng Ming’s
relief.

He bitterly replied, “Well, that was a wise choice.”

The Prince was astonished to the fact his rebuttal came without the cost
of infuriating the man, instead the King actually laughed.

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"If you have other questions, why don’t you ask them all now?” he
offered suspiciously.

Feng Ming didn’t fall for the abrupt change of such goodwill. He, of
course had countless questions he wanted to ask, but at the present, he
just wanted to be far away from this abominable "Cao Cao."

The farther the better he would be.

.
"There is nothing to ask, you can leave." Feng Ming very consciously
optioned to address himself as a Prince would.

Instead of retreating, Rong Wang leisurely declared, “You’ve finished

with the questions, now it is my turn to ask.”

His tone was frivolous and so was his choice of words, an under tone of
authority ensued as if he was setting a trap.

"Ask me? What is there to ask?"

"Firstly, who are you?" The voice wasn’t flippant anymore as it became
icy.

Feng Ming was taken aback.

"Me?"

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With no time to react, Rong Wang had him under his hold within a split
second.

Feng Ming’s slender wrists were once again caught by a stronghold of

larger hands that pinned them above his head, rendering him
completely helpless.

Rong Wang whispered and his breathe rasped gently into Feng Ming’s
ears.

"You're definitely not the Prince, who are you?”

"I am the Prince." Feng Ming desperately claimed.

In a situation like this, he had to keep his mouth shut and stick with his
identity. It wasn’t like a farfetched story of his spirit taking up the
Prince’s body would spare him from being executed.

"You are the Prince?"

Rong Wang sneered: "You are obviously unfamiliar with Prince, you are
riddled with flaws! How could the Prince have enough courage to bit me
or even daring to raise his hands against me?” He accused.

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“Don’t say that a mere jump into a river would cause these major
changes in one’s basic personality. I am the one who is most clear on
what the Prince is like.”

“Confess! Who sent you?” the King demanded.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 4

No you are not seeing things…

So…I was contemplating starting translating for the next chapter.

And I felt bad for not touching the translations for a while…

Hence this happened…

That is all.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

P.S: I really hate reading over things so typos ensue!! :D

A nice LJer pointed out her confusion about the names. Rong Wang is the
same as Rong Tian. Wang is the chinese word for King. :D

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- ---

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"No one sent me!" Feng Ming had difficulties regulating his breath under
the clutches of the King’s hands, his own hands sought immediately to
guard his throat.

“Still so hard headed?" Rong Wang’s hold tightened, his hands stiffening
as he showed how serious he was, nearly causing Feng Ming to fall
under a fainting spell.

"Speak! Where has the Prince gone? How did you manage to sneak into
the palace? Are your associates within the palace?" his demands
bombarded the ‘fake’.

Feng Ming had just awoken, his body was impaired by physical fatigue,
under such a forceful hold, let alone an appeal for justice, keeping his
breathe was a difficult task, he could only manage a snort of defiance.

Rong Wang was alert as he looked at Feng Ming, deciding he would not
resort to killing the imposter, instead he sneered and relinquished his
hold.

Monitoring Feng Ming, who gasped like a fish out of water, his chest and
airways panted desperately.

With only a few mouthful of air to relieve his discomfort, his collar was
firmly snatched ruthlessly in the man’s hands.

“Be obedient and confess, and you will suffer less.”

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Feng Ming stood his ground and angrily lashed out.

"What do you want me to confess?" he defended.

Such a disloyal subject, treating a Prince in this manner! My luck must

be rotten to get stuck as a mere scapegoat.

“Say it, where is the Prince’s location? Did your men capture him?"

"I am Prince!" Feng Ming insisted raising his voice.

If it was possible, he wanted to dish another throw at Rong Wang’s

despicable face.

Rong Wang fell silent as his expression darkened, he sized up his

opponent for a short while, before finally releasing his grip on the collar.

“You say you’re the Prince, what is your evidence?” he interrogated

Feng Ming snapped and glared:

“You accuse me of not being the Prince, what evidence do you have?”
he countered.

"The Prince would never dare to speak like you towards me." Rong Wang
paused for a moment, before asking.

"The Queen's birthday was last month, what did you send her as a gift?"

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Feng Ming drew a blank.

How the hell was he to know what happened last month in these shoes?

His large eyes darted around as he struggled to weave an answer.

"I, as a Prince is thoroughly occupied each day, how am I meant to keep

track of exactly what happened last month?”

Rong Wang looked at Feng Ming strangely, making him fear what was to
come.

"During the day before yesterday, the Prince and General Lin had a
discussion, what was the topic?" he attacked again.

"Since it was a General, if the topic was not concerning the military then
it would have been matters of the country, we had discussed some
trivial matters as well."

"Ha …Ha Ha ...." Rong Wang’s head snapped back chortling.

Feng Ming found the response rather discouraging.

Rong Wang stopped smiling, as he re-focused on Feng Ming.

"The Prince never met with General Lin, considering this was just the
day before yesterday surely you couldn’t forget what happened?”

Unbelievable he actually walked straight into such a simple trap! Feng

Ming cursed himself for his stupidity!

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“There is something else…” Rong Wang’s eyes burned an eeriness; his

tall body gradually closed in on Feng Ming, an enormous air of
oppressing befell the Prince.

“His Royal Highness, has been addressing himself as the “Prince”, a

practice that the real Prince doesn’t carry out in his every day speech
patterns.” He pointed out.

It couldn’t be…

Without warning, a wet tongue flicked at the curve of Feng Ming’s ear.

Feng Ming was suddenly startled.

"Could the Prince forget his own name?"

Feng Ming couldn’t stand the proximity of the King, consciously backing
away in retreat but immediately struggled, as Rong Wang’s arms firmly
embraced and imprisoned him.

"Now be a good boy and tell me where the Prince is, tell me everything
that you know, otherwise…your beautiful body might not be able to
tolerate my punishment.”

Their bodies were entwined together forcefully by the older man, their
bodies intimately against each other, using a gentle tone to deliver a
cruel threat.

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Feng Ming tossed his head aside.

"What is so strange that one would forget their name? I fell into the
river, scared myself half to death and forgot everything."

The thought of being thrown into a prison to be punished and tortured

did elicit fear in Feng Ming’s heart.

Avoiding the question, Feng Ming changed the topic back his way,
inquiring how he was at fault.

"From head to toe, which part of me isn’t the Prince?" he scoffed.

“Heh heh,” Rong Wang darkly chuckled at the comment, before tearing
open Feng Ming’s clothes at the collar, nodding upon inspection.

"Correct, you are a fine imitation these scars and bruises are strikingly
similar, rather impressive”

Slender fingers brushed the enticing delicate skin and began their
course of brazen strokes.

"Let go!" Feeling his dangerous predicament, Feng Ming stiffened,

twisting his body in an attempt to escape the King’s violation.

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His captor stood unmoved behind him, as he remained trapped.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" Rong Wong’s voice was low and hoarse,
flirting with his prey by blowing into Feng Ming’s ear, tickling him.

"No, no! Absolutely not!” defended the Prince.

He calmed down within the hold to avoid the unwanted

misunderstanding, to stop Rong Wang misinterpreting his actions.

Feng Ming was a modern youth, he wasn’t completely ignorant about

sex and all things related. After realizing his struggles were sending out
the wrong signals and worse, heading towards a direction, he froze on
the spot. He stood stiff as a plank of wood in the arms of the King.

The sudden quietness that washed over the feisty Feng Ming, surprised
Rong Wang, his head tilting down to examine the bounty within his arms
whom he should be most familiar with. However, he was mesmerized by
a strange attraction the man emitted.

At seventeen-year-old, one was already considered a grown man in Xi

Rei.

Until now, the Prince had always been vacant alike a clay figurine.
However at this very moment, Rong Tian was amazed to find his clay
figurine brought to life by the gods, and given a new soul.

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Even if he was a lowly assassin, compared to the original useless Prince,

he was more likable, right?

"If I had you tossed into jail, you wouldn’t be able to survive one night of
torture."

The King’s gaze burrowed, roughly grabbing Feng Ming’s hand and
murmured unkindly.

"Each fingernail will be ripped out slowly, and pins pushed through until
you bleed and your hands become mutilated. If a person does not
confess, then molten iron will be poured on top.”

Rong Tian’s description had Feng Ming scarred to wits end, sending
shivers down his spine.

"Do not threaten me!" he spat.

Rong Wang actually didn’t set out to scare Feng Ming, seemingly his
words were spoken in consideration for one thing he had in mind. His
eyes glazed over the length of the young man’s body.

"At that time you decide to confess, you would no longer be human but
a lump of mutilated flesh. A lifeless puppet, wouldn’t it be more
interesting to employ another method instead”

By this time, it was as if matters had been settled, so a smile crept on

the King’s lips.

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The younger man hit him as hard as he could.

“Hey, I am the Prince, you can’t casually throw me into a prison to

torture to your hearts content.”

Just as he finished his sentence, a coy smile slipped over Rong Wang.

"You are the Prince? You can be the Prince if you want to. He is my little
bird I keep caged within the confines of the palace and only heeding to
my orders. That’s right, the Prince’s name is “An He”, you should
remember it.”

Feng Ming was stumped his eyes caught the man’s face.

This terrible man, clearly knew there was something wrong with me
what is his reason to allow me to retain this identity?

Regardless, the young man managed to survive the passing storm.

Feng Ming let out a sigh of relief before reiterating the name.

“An He, An He, I’ll remember it. Well, hurry and let go of me.”

Considering Rong Wang had verified his position as the Prince, he might
as well show the attitude of one.

"Let go?"

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The Regent King studied the animal trapped within his folded arms, who
could easily be thrown into a jail cell at any moment was in fact having
the nerve to be ordering him. He laughed at the situation.

"Don’t forget, I’m the one in charge here. Even if it was the real prince,
he will be obedient and listen to me."

"You’re just a Cao Cao! You are just an evil shadow puppeteer stealing
the throne, exploiting the Prince for your twisted lusts!”

Not heeding to the insults, the King’s fingertips snaked upon the curves
of the younger man’s chest before brushing his tender nipples.

Goosebumps rose from Feng Ming’s skin, immediately shouting abuse.

"Oh, I’m shadow puppeteer who wants your throne? You are well versed
with words, rather cultured mouth you have there, I commend you."

He chuckled, before placing his lips over Feng Ming’s.

The King’s forceful hand weaved into his long hair thrusting his head
backwards, bringing the king’s face closer.

"Hmmm ... mmm...."

Warmth from the lips crushing his seeped through, his jaw loosened
unwillingly as an external force pried his mouth open.

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Feng Ming’s dark eyes fluttered wide open, larger than a set of surprised
cat eyes.

Oh my God, this man, he... he was …

Inside his mouth, Feng Ming was too stunned to comprehend the war he
was meant to fight, as the foreign tongue violated his mouth. He had
lost.

The persistent tongue rendered him in a dumbstruck condition. His brain

completely detached from the turn of events.

This was all messed up.

Rong Wang kindly released him for a moment, it only then it hit home to
Feng Ming that he was kissing a man.

Although this wasn’t his first kiss, it was the first time he had a man
kissing him.

Feng Ming decided to blame his shock for the kiss that happened as he
stupidly stood like a doll.

"You shouldn’t be giving me such a devastated expression, right?" Rong

Wang provoked, as he lifted Feng Ming’s chin to face him.

The odd response he received from Feng Ming, made him feel delighted.

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In many countries, assassins are trained strictly, including ones which

would infiltrate by the means of a bed chamber. Learning important
skills to ensure they can get close to their enemy.

Rong Tian preferred that Feng Ming was inexperience in that respect.

A kiss between men, isn’t anything special.

Everything will be okay.

Feng Ming sought to comfort himself

He looked Rong Wang bitterly in the eyes, and he immediately retracted

that thought.

If the person who had just assaulted your lips, looked like they haven’t
finished what they are doing then you are in deep shit!

Add to the equation the embarrassing marks and bruises all over his
own body, it was not hard to picture what was ahead for him.

Those large dark eyes fixated on Rong Wang’s, and gradually revealed
the desires the other held. The younger man’s heart cried out,
screaming alarm and managed to conjure up an unknown strength to
break free from his captor.

It was only seconds before he managed to scramble to the other side of

his bed.

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"Do not come any closer!" screamed Feng Ming, whilst he scoured for a
weapon at hands reach to defend his virginity.

Unfortunately, there was not even a pair of scissors to be found in the

Prince’s chamber.

Rong Wang was fascinated as he watched on, Feng Ming scrambled to

clasps his hands around a silver jug.

“If you dare to come near me, I will make sure this cracks on your head!"
he threatened.

With the poor choice of weapon Feng Ming clutched both hands around
the jar, ready for an attack, however in the next second his only
protection loosened from his grip as he was unceremoniously thrown
onto the soft bed.

The poor Jug was readily thrown out of the window by Rong Tian.

"What a strong man ..." Rong Wang ridiculed his tone openly mocking
the younger male.

Feng Ming was pressing his luck, as he shot a warning glare to Rong
Wang whilst baring his gritted teeth.

"If you mess with me, I will bite my tongue immediately to commit
suicide." He threatened.

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What a joke, if he was going to be raped by a man, he was more than

happy to be dead.

More humiliation!

"Don’t be afraid, my good Prince." Rong Wang gently caressed the side
of Feng Ming’s chin as if soothing a child, stroking carefully to calm his
agitation.

His voice was magnetizing drawing him into his pace, "tell me your real
name." he beckoned.

"What?" the Prince remained collected.

"Tell me, and I will let you off today." He prompted, giving irresistible
offer.

Will it really be so?

Feng Ming closed his eyes, measuring his situation and calculating the
outcomes. It appeared that he couldn’t play Rong Wang any further.

Considering he already knew that he was a fake.

There was no harm in giving a name, although under these

circumstances it wasn’t a glorious trade, it was better than being raped
violently.

With his mind made, Feng Ming opened his eyes and replied.

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"My name is Feng Ming."

"Feng Ming? Feng Ming…" Rong Wang contemplated the name a few
times before bowing his head down onto Feng Ming’s ear.

"My name is Rong Tian, you should remember it." He whispered.

There was no hesitation as he initiated another round of passionate

kisses, engulfing his prey as he started with the ears his lips never
breaking touch as he extending skillfully onto the full lips, gradually
increasing the depth in their connection.

The tenderness refused any rebelling, as draining all of Feng Ming’s

energy to put up a resistance.

Even though he was off the hook today, Feng Ming was well aware if he
didn’t satiate the man he wouldn’t leave. He grieved for his destiny,
knowing his body was too weak to put up a fight. He voluntarily closed
his eyes and obliged to satisfy the tyrant as fast as he could.

Concluding he was better off pretending that Rong Wang was a woman.

Feng Ming closed his eyes, imagining he was with a girlfriend, eagerly
delivering her his passion by deepening their kiss.

A fire erupted within as an ecstasy tantalized his hot mouth in

waves, the feeling surging one after another creating a fuse of
tranquilizing pleasure. .

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Honestly this guy’s technique is not so bad…

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 5

Important notes:

Mannerism: When speaking to Royalty, servants always refer to

themselves as “lowly”, and they always offer well wishes upon seeing
the important person. i.e. “I wish you a hundred years of life” or “I wish
you good health”

Three measurements: In a few Asian countries, the three measurements

which are the chest waist and hips are highly prized. As it is very
personal information. And men just love the numbers.

Feng Ming’s name means the cry of phoenixes, as the birds are seen as
good omens and joy.

------- ------- -------- --------- ---------

To Feng Ming his regimented life in the palace officially began.

He had no choice but to comply with the cumbersome court etiquette

required from him. For certain he wasn’t given the respect and
treatment a royal should receive, to the contrary, everyone treated him
like he was an important prisoner.

From the gossip Feng Ming manage to catch, the Prince was really
pathetic, a complete nothing. Apart from drinking, all he did was play
and upon seeing the Regent King he would succumb under his power

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and crumble like weak bones.

It wasn’t a secret within the palace that the Regent King violated the
Prince, there was yet to be any sympathy from the people around him.

"What a bastard…argh." Feng Ming muttered, bored out of his mind as

he sat in the Prince’s hall, he looked up and sighed.

Chiu Lan stood beside Feng Ming, staring at her master with a confused
expression.

"Chiu Lan, didn’t you say Rong Wang will be here today?"

"On this matter…of Rong Wang’s whereabouts, your lowly servant dare
not speculate.” She replied dutifully.

"Humph!" he groaned.

Unsatisfied he turned away from her.

All his servants when speaking on the topic of the Regent king showed
admiration and fear of him. Yet, they were indifferent with sharply
noticeable attitudes towards Feng Ming.

Was this Cao Cao that good? The original one was merely a treacherous
figure in Chinese history.

He abruptly stood up, and dashed to the door where Chiu Lan
immediately followed to block his exit.

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“Prince!” she cried out.

“Where does the Prince want to go?”

"I'm bored to death here, I’m going to start rotting soon!" Feng Ming
growled gingerly, before quickly breaking the barrier and ran out of his
quarters.

Three seconds later, the royal soldiers that stood guard outside of his
area had him restrained in their hold. They returned him to his place
with his temper flaring. The guards were also impatient with Feng Ming’s
incompliant behavior in the past days.

Giving their respects to him they pleaded with him, "Please forgive us,
Prince. Rong Wang has issued that there is potentially spies from other
countries infiltrating Xi Rei, and we have been ordered to increase
security and protect the Crowned Prince. You can not break the King’s
rule and leave your quarters.

"I'm not a prisoner!" Even though Feng Ming raged on childishly, the
guards politely excused themselves and closed the door to the Prince’s
hall tightly shut.

In the past few days this scene has been repeatedly played, all resulting
the same way.

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Feng Ming was bored senseless, sure an ancient palace was extravagant
and beautiful but even sitting day after day in such tranquil ornate
surroundings would lose its appeal.

There must be a thousand secrets behind the walls of the palace, fun
things that were to be discovered. However, no one was brave the crime
of influencing the Prince just for the sake of his entertainment.

Even if people stood up to authority on behalf of the Prince, his name did
not carry and importance.

Feng Ming kicked the foot of his bed in frustration.

"My brain will explode from boredom, how come that Master Tong Yi
hasn’t even dropped by?" He was desperate, even an enemy was a cure
to his uninteresting regime.

In fact the only interesting thing to happen took place the day before
yesterday, when Master Tong had rushed in rudely, and picked a fight
with him by initiating a war with words. This of course resulted in their
comical and uncivilized scuffle. The two were clearly untrained in terms
of martial arts.

His attendants could only look at each other in dismay, none of which
interfered, for everyone knew the authority standing behind Master Tong
Yi and no one wanted to lay a wrong hand on the heir of Xi Rei.

Not aiding either was the best choice they had.

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Master Tong Yi had no clue to what the Prince had taken as drugs, within
a blink the Prince before him was no longer a coward afraid of his death,
instead the weakness was replaced with defiance. Tong Yi stormed out
of the Prince’s hall cursing uncouthly.

Soon after he made his way to complain tearfully about what happened
to Rong Tian, who never even considered the Prince as anything and
treated the Royal like a slave.

Instead of getting the King to side with him, he found himself

reprimanded for his actions. Rong Wang warned him sternly, and since
then he dared not appear in the Prince’s quarters.

"Don’t tell me, am I going to be trapped here for the rest of my life?"
Feng Ming asked as he watched Chiu Lan as she entered the room,
bringing his dinner, and he began to frown.

Given that he may have a chance to see the nasty Rong Wang again,
was good enough to hold onto the thought of serving him two more
punches which will sure beat the boredom of being stuck in his room.

Ever since their impassioned kiss, Rong Wang approved the status of
Feng Ming’s identity, threw him into the Prince’s Halls and left him to
peril.

Just as he left out another moan, he heard voices outside his chambers
announcing an arrival.

"Rong Wang, I wish you good health." *

When that Cao Cao was on his mind.

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That Cao Cao really appeared.

How amusing this event immediately cheered him up, his body flowing
with vigor he covered his mouth quickly, pulling himself together as he
held back his joy, before getting up.

Rong Wang pushed the doors open and entered in a fashionable

manner, quickly confronted by Feng Ming who was pumped with passion
to pick a fight, he was lively and glowing standing shorter than the King
and close to where he had entered.

"Oh, aren’t you lively." He chuckled.

Rong Wang paced slowly towards Feng Ming, identifying the alert in the
younger man’s eyes; he decided to stop one step short of the Prince.

He glanced to the sides of the room, and ordered.

“Everyone step down, leave us.”

Everyone, inclusive of Chiu Lan, wordlessly retired, shutting the doors to

leave them in privacy.

Silence cloaked the room, a strange feeling radiated from that silence,
the sudden change in the atmosphere effected Feng Ming he couldn’t
help but feel a timid.

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This Rong Wang isn’t planning to do something to me again…

Could he?

Last time he managed to escape by revealing his true name, perhaps he

could offer his three measurements to settle this deal. *

There was a deep darkness in the eyes that fixated on Feng Ming. Soon
the eyes that held an aura of an oppressive force closed into him. Soon
there was a weight that leaned into him which yearned to constrict him.

Jestingly, a grin formed on Rong Tian lips, he insincerely feigned his

courtesy towards Feng Ming.

“His Royal Highness, your humble servant has arrived to wish you well.”

The King’s breathe blew into his ears, causing him much distress.

As Feng Ming moved away, he found himself falling into the hands of
Rong Wang.

Into large hands that practiced martial arts, familiar with immobilizing
and enforcement, they soon had Feng Ming’s slender wrists effortlessly
tied behind the boy’s back.

"Hey! You can’t treat a Prince this way!” exclaimed Feng Ming, he glared

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at the man, and was clear of how strong he was.

His intentions to land a few punches was better placed aside at this rate.

"Hey, Hey…little Prince ...." He flicked Feng Ming’s Chin towards his face
to carefully study it.

Being with the Prince for so many years, Rong Tian had already vented
his desires on the delicious body. But he never actually stopped to
seriously take in the Prince’s appearance.

For the first time, he wasn’t looking into the face he despised so he saw
what had been there the whole time. Immense beauty, the Prince’s face
was attractive, handsome and amazing. The boy’s features enticed
admirers to take claim, with kisses.

Since their memorable kiss that shook his core, Rong Wang could not
erase the existence of this imposter Prince from his mind, nor hid him
away in the Prince’s quarters.

In all his powers, he had ensured that any suspicious individuals within
the palace were investigated. However, he could not determine the
origins of this Feng Ming or information on his identity.

Feng Ming, was a beautiful name in itself. *

"Feng Ming ..."the name rolled of his tongue, in an alluring deep voice,
bellowing gently on the Prince’s eardrum.

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Then he ordered. “Call my name.”

Name?

Feng Ming was stupefied and gazed at the Regent King.

He did recall that the King had told him his name, however during that
moment he was attacked over and over again.

And he was hit with that fervent kiss, how was he meant to remember
his blasted name. .

Rong Tian waited silently for a response, his expression change into one
not so friendly, firing danger.

“What?” He prompted.

“Did you forget?” he accused.

“Or did you not even try to commit it to memory to begin with?” The dial
of anger flicked up another notch.

The thought of his name being forgotten by this man, added fuel to the
fire as his rage was beginning to boil over and there was nothing to stop
it.

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No one had ever acted in this manner, completely ignoring his

importance.

Rong Tian’s name, spoken around the eleven countries was already
enough to send people trembling in their shoes, hence no other Kings
thought of him lightly.

“So what if I forget? Seriously, what is the big deal?" protested Feng
Ming as he talk back, not knowing he was further adding to the damage
done and now was just adding that extra spoon of fuel to the fire.

Without noticed, the elegant lips were crushed brutally with a pair of
possessive ones.

The mouth over his worked to suffocate him during their kiss, his act
was how the King wanted to demonstrate the power he had over the
younger man. How he could slowly savor the boy however he wanted to
enjoy him this was including ravaging Feng Ming’s tongue.

It was extremely sweet, the boy’s essence.

The excitement from their last kiss had elicited a crazy desire that was
not ordinary it was impossible to suppress. The past few days, Rong
Wang craved and thirst for more knowledge of the one in his arms.

At this moment, it may be more honorable to review Feng Ming outright.

Where their lips locked was numb and the taste stroke a nerve within
Rong Wang, firing signals to his crotch.

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His desires had his member rise almost immediately.

It wasn’t the first time he violated the Prince, however this time around
there was a new sensation of primal attraction, a passion behind it all.

After their vigorous kiss, Rong Wang threw Feng Ming onto the bed, his
eyes full of dangerous intent which was on the verge of breaking out.

The King was barely able to keep the reigns of control over his needs of
his rather ‘healthy’ body.

"Are you aware of what the Prince’s responsibilities are?”

He asked and hinted as he slowly motioned to remove his offending

articles of clothing.

"The most important one is to please me."

It was just moments before, the couple was deep in their kiss, which had
Feng Ming well distracted,Feng Ming barely manage to sit up in bed as
he turned his head towards the King’s direction, to only have his eyes
met with the strong physique of Rong Wang.

He gasped.

“What are you doing!?” he screamed.

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In fact he didn’t even need to ask, he already knew when Rong Wang’s
next step.

Feng Ming forced smile, thoughts shooting through his brain at the
speed of light.

"Just because I forgot your name, don’t you think you are getting too
exited over this matter?" He tried.

It seems like telling the King his three measurements wasn’t going to be
his escape ticket for the day.

Rong Tian finished discarding his clothing, and stood proudly showing
his body, stepping ever so closer to Feng Ming.

His face was carrying a smile as he chuckled, almost like a hunter

homing onto his prey, and that prey had no where to hide.

The undeniable havoc in the older man’s eyes sent Feng Ming’s heart
beating rapidly.

Seeing the King would reach him soon enough, the Prince threw his
hands in front of him showing his discontent.

“Stop! Stop right there!” he yelled.

Perhaps there should be some fore play beforehand, a little game of cat

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and mouse before the main course?

Rong Wang paused infront of Feng Ming’s eyes which were riddled with
dread.

"What is it?" Yung Wang raised his eyebrows hoping for the fine
suggestion of a game.

Am I to lose my virginity today?

On top of that, losing it to a man?

Feng Ming understood there was no way he’d win and weasel his way
out of this by picking a fist fight with the King, if he doesn’t even put up
a case of resistance, he was consequently going to be raped by this
man. He would be the butt of all jokes in the Palace the next day for
sure.

I am a modern man and modern men should be smarter than the

ancient folks, right?

What can I do in my ability that can out smart him?

Whilst conjuring up options, Feng Ming kept the King’s movements

under close observation, just incase he decides to pounce on him
unannounced.

His neurons working a hard sweat, trying to remember what he has seen

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before that may help him, but this was dominated by images of David
versus Goliath.

What was the best way to deter a man, when he wants ‘that’?

On the side, Rong Tian had already lost his last strand of patience, as he
stood butt naked in front of Feng Ming, it was better to be stripping the
boy and having him in his arms so he could ravage him.

“Come, we can get more intimate,” The King stepped forwards,

determined to strip away the obstructing heavy garments the Prince
wore.

Upon the contact of the man’s hand on his skin, Feng Ming shrank back
as if he was burnt and cried out.

"I got it! I know now!” His cry was ecstatic, his outburst brimmed his
face with joy he was practically dancing.

Taken aback Rong Tian stopped in his tracks, and asked curiously,
“What comes to mind?”

"I can’t tell you, not a word!" Feng Ming giggled for a while, but
restrained himself as he couldn’t reveal his master plan. So he changed
his joy into a sullen seriousness and sternly looked at the King.

"You said my job is to please you, correct?"

"Yes, with your body ...." bluntly returned.

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"No, no, pleasing people with one’s body is too common! How about I
use another way to pleasure you?" he opted.

"With something else?" Rong Tian was aching to have Feng Ming.

“Your mouth?”

"No!" He exclaimed, seriously was that all he thought about?

Feng Ming inwardly cursed the King who was only filled with lust and
other dirty things.

Instead, brushing off the King, he laughed.

“Have you heard of One thousand and One Nights?” the Prince asked.

"No." disinterested.

"That's good then. Well, let’s say I am a princess, and you're an evil King
that marries a bride every day to only have her beheaded the next
morning. From now on, I would tell you a story every day…before I
finish you can’t…”

As excited as Feng Ming was setting the terms out of his deal he was
never able to finish it.

Owing to the fact, Rong Tian could not control his needs, and smothered

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the lips ferociously that refused open under his pressure.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 6

Chapter SIX

Translated by Sookybabi @ Livejournal

------ ------- ---- ------- ----

This is for Mr. PanPan hope you get a nice tank in fish heaven.

Earlier than expected because I was feeling glum so I filled it in with

some translating.

-------- ----- ---- ----

**Whoops** Completely forgot to mention this:

Congee = Rice gruel = Rice porridge.
Usually, drank when you are sick. But can be tasty when you add some
meatstuff to it.

----- ---- --- -- --- -- --- --- ----

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Feng Ming was ambushed by a momentous pressure, stripping his voice

from being heard.

He became passive, as lips locked, teeth knocked and tongues

entwined.

The atmosphere around the pair, immediately heated full of sticky

excitement.

“It’s been a good few days since I’ve touched you…” Rong Wang’s voice
was deep and sensual, which toke an instant for his intentions to be
clearly exposed to Feng Ming.

The younger man had initially threatened the other with his most vicious
glare he could offer but in the moment of his attack he was lost, and
only could manage to look stumped into the large handsome face before
his eyes.

That handsome face was also painted with a determination to win, with
no hint of hesitation.

Everything that was in his reach, as long as he wanted it, would easily
be his.

“Nnhh…Nnhhhh…Hey, you…”

Don’t tell me I’m going to lose my virginity now?

Alarms rang in the Prince’s brain, his body tried to fight back the
impending force.

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Rong Tian’s tongue violation intensified within his mouth, flirting with
the boy as if he had taken claim on the body.

What can I do!?

His brain was a complete mush of an uproar.

Given his current circumstance, pinned down with no where to go Feng

Ming’s survival instincts could only conjure a plan to attack the
unguarded soft tissue.

His defense called for desperate measures, he practically put his plan
forth as he prepared to clamp shut on a bloody attack targeting Rong
Tian’s wondering muscle.

This long and intense kiss would allow him to catch his attacker off
guard, would he actually succeed with his calculated heartless strike?

Sadly for Feng Ming, Rong Tian by now had veteran’s experience, upon
the sudden movement in Feng Ming’s jaw there was a disturbing glint in
the King’s set of dark eyes.

It was a close call, sensing death the foreign tongue darted out of the
cavity that could have lead to his demise.

"You want to bite me?" Rong Tian raised his eyebrow, before hit by the
sight gushing trail of blood from Feng Ming’s swollen lips, color drained
from Rong Tian’s face.

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His large hands snatched up Feng Ming’s collar and along with it a limp
body and roared angrily.

“You’re actually committing suicide?” he raged.

Compared with the precious Prince, although sharing the same beautiful
face, Feng Ming was extremely stubborn and unyielding.

“Somebody come! Call the Royal Healers!”

Dark red blood still streamed out like it was coming from a faucet, Rong
Wang pulled violently at the Prince’s robes commanding the near
unconscious body fiercely.

“You aren’t going to kill yourself! Do you hear me?! I haven’t given you
permission to die.”

My tongue hurts, I didn’t severe it did I?

Feng Ming was worried about that problem but at least he happy
managed to retreat from Rong Tian’s advance one more time.

A thousand and one nights was an epic fail, and now he was going to
reap the rewards of his plan to severe a tongue, although he didn’t get
Rong Tian’s he was complacent with his small achievement of evading
the man.

He wasn’t going to clear up what happened to the King, it was his own
misunderstanding. It was all because Rong Tian managed to suddenly
react to his strike that he ended up accidentally injuring his own tongue.

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Royal Physicians rushed in within moments of the King’s angry outburst,

after treatment and dressing on his wound, Rong Tian was sour and lost
interest.

It was a success, tonight finally ended with Feng Ming’s escape.

Coming at a cost, with his tongue heavily bandaged and throbbing

painfully in his mouth, all he could do was closed his eyes obediently for
rest.

------ ----- ----- ----- ----

The next day, news of the Prince’s tongue being gravely injured by a
bite spread like wildfire across the palace.

Officially the injury was the result of the stupid Prince biting himself
whilst chewing his food.

Privately between the servants and gossipers, it only aroused rumors on

what drugs the Prince was on to have refused the King’s demands, what
disobedience had warranted Rong Tian reprimanding him by biting his
tongue into a bloody mess and sent his tears pouring. The stories
weaved around the event were colorful but no one could contest as a
witness.

Rong Tian was not yet aware of the ridiculous rumors spinning around
the Palace.

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Feng Ming’s move last night, uncapped the cork and he completely lost
his calm.

Whether it was a male or female, he had never been confronted by

someone who was so willing to choose death than to be ravaged by him.

He had a powerful status, talent with the sword and literature and gifted
with an extraordinarily handsome face, who would refused to be under
him tossing and turning and sharing his bed sheets in pleasure?

There were those who feared his abilities, but more of those who were
vain and greedy who bring themselves to him.

Last night, the obviously fake Prince/assassin had bit his tongue without
the slightest hesitation to attempt to end his life.

The sight of the warm liquid from Feng Ming’s lips tipped him, he was
genuinely furious, probably the most he has ever been in his life.

Originally, he would have punished him through a thorough beating and

in everyway violate the boy, ravaging his needy desires until Feng Ming
would submit to him and learn that he could never disobey his orders.

The pair of strong-willed eyes that glared at him, even through the pain
of nearly severing his tongue had remained fearless and vindictive. It
was like being starred at by a juvenile leopard of the wild.

This unswerving determination, yet fragile beauty was an unfathomable

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fusion.

Rong Tian was clear, that Feng Ming was still growing the person before
him was just an immense masterpiece waiting to become fully fledged
beauty.

After spending more than half a night thinking over the matter, Rong
Tian decided not to use his initial technique to approach his little
assassin Prince.

How did normal people treat each other? This situation was almost like a
manager in human resources organizing workers.

With a few new ideas and game plans, the next morning the King
immediately headed off to the Prince’s Quarters.

In the centre of the Prince’s bedchambers, Feng Ming was under close
observation of his maidservants. They surrounded him as he woke up
from slumber.

The Prince before them had grown a backbone out of no where, had the
nerve to resist the King and for that he had been given his cruel
punishment. This was earning respect that had never been issued to the
previous Prince who could only weep weakly under Rong Tian’s body.

:”You Royal Highness, Prince should get up.” Chiu Lan his trusty head
servant swooped down to help lift Feng Ming up.

“Ah…?” His tongue was terribly swollen, doing his best to ignore the pain
and say a few disconnected words.

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“Tai Yi has advised us that you are not permitted to eat, you can drink
plain congee, and after two days you can consume fruits and
vegetables.” *

Lukewarm congee was served.

All the pairs of eyes that was fixated on his fragile form remained
stumped to how the usual mouse-like timid Prince, could pose a threat
to the King and what prompted this drastic change to his temperament?

As soon as Feng Ming had a spoonful of the tepid rice porridge in his
mouth, he shrieked at the pain that shot up from his wound.

His face bunching up to the pain, and he frowned, drawing in quick

successive breathes to control and ease his suffering.

Damn it! This is the King’s fault!

The resentful train of thoughts continued until they were interrupted by

an arrival.

“Rong Wang, I wish you good health,” who it was immediately reached
Feng Ming’s functioning ears.

Speak of Cao Cao, and he arrives every time!

An energetic and graceful Rong Tian was a rare sight first thing in the
morning within the Prince’s confines. He was extravagant, presenting

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himself in his court robes and heavy boots. The King’s overwhelming
stature was evident and he radiated virtue. He was a handsome man
with strong vigor.

If he was born in Feng Ming’s day and age, how many girls would
mesmerized by him and swoon over him like crazy bitches in heat.

Feng Ming watched as Rong Wang approached him, a distasteful

sourness welled from his mouth just upon the sight of the man.

What kind of crap luck is this?

It was alright that I had to put up with a Cao Cao, but to encounter one
that has superstar status was just insane.

Rong Wang abruptly paused directly in front of Feng Ming, those well
toned arms wanted to pull the smaller man into a tight embrace and
smoother those lips with his own.

But he suddenly reminded himself of the life endangering resolution the

little assassin had made, putting aside their bedside playing manners,
he casually asked, “Has your tongue healed a bit?”

“Does it still hurt?” he sounded sincere.

Feng Ming remained in silence, he didn’t want to speak.

Rong Tian averted his face slightly, looking at had Feng Ming’s mouth
had lit a flame inside him. The younger man’s injured mouth, and the
fact that he had disgracefully rejected on his sexual advances sent him

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rearranging his morals.

His first time seeing the imposter in daylight, triggered the thoughts of
how charming and intelligent he was compared to the original, by
hundred folds, additionally, the pair of strong willed eyes full of
unparalleled beauty.

To even compare Feng Ming to the original Crowned Price was

blasphemy, pure injustice.

During this moment, all Rong Tian wanted to do was to spend his day in
the Prince’s quarters, so he could spend a whole day just to look into
those pair of dignified eyes, just to see what crazy antics the boy could
get up to.

Unfortunately, the country of Xi Rei had numerous pending important

issues waiting for him to deal with.

"I'll be leaving to discuss official business, behave yourself and don’t stir
up more trouble." Rong Tian cautioned.

Rong Wang had sat down opposite to the Prince, and stared at him
intently for a long time, before finally standing up to take his leave.

He was quite reluctant to part before proclaiming “I will come and see
you again tonight.”

What?! AGAIN?

Hearing the self invitation, Feng Ming’s eyes immediately dilated

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shooting a death glare aimed at the King.

Firstly, you threaten and interrogate me just for my name. On the

second you make me bit my tongue, and the third time…do you need
me to brandish a knife to castrate myself to keep my virginity, right?

This disturbing line of thought even gave Feng Ming a bout of shivers.

Rong Wang sensed the thoughts trailing in the Prince’s mind, perhaps it
was because his emotion was clearly painted on his face.

The Regent King chuckled.

Deciding at that very moment he would detached how he treated the

“original” Prince to this Prince and treat him as a separate person. The
malice he had preciously used and his forcefulness towards Feng Ming
dissolved.

He was in a good mood, and in a surprisingly gentle voice he offered.

“No need to be scared, I’m not forcing you tonight.”

After he finished, he nodded lightly as if confirming his agreement

before leaving.

Aside from Feng Ming, even his servants were completely stumped by
the sudden show of good will and puzzling wind change to the King’s
attitude.

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Today, it was the Regent King who was exceedingly strange.

Everything started with the peculiar changes in manners with the Prince,
and now this craziness had jumped onto their most feared idol.

Even though, Feng Ming was extremely unwelcoming to the idea of the
King giving him a booty call he knew he could do not prevent it.

There was nothing that could be done, considering who decided Rong
Tian was the ruler of Xi Rei?

When the night fell, sure enough upheld his words and came.

"I only finished up my official court duties, I haven’t had a proper meal
throughout, I will dine here.” As soon as he made his appearance, he
hard turned to the servants quickly to give his order. .

Do I have to eat with this guy?

Feng Ming believed he wouldn’t be able to stomach the food in his

presence, any signs of appetite completely waned. He slumped down,
completely dispirited.

Rong Wang instead of taking offense he smirked at Feng Ming’s honesty,

the young man not hiding his discomfort and distaste of being
accompanied by him. How could someone so expressive become an
assassin, he’d be a dud in terms of hiding emotion. Perhaps the only
reason he was picked was accredited to his uncanny resemblance to the
real Prince.

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“Why? Don’t you want to dine with me?”

The King didn’t understand how, but just sitting with Feng Ming plucked
his heart strings, he felt carefree. It might have being the demanding
matters he had to deal with all day, wringing out all the energy he had,
but Rong Tian believed he found an interesting source of refreshment
from all his fatigue.

He practically had to firmly grasp Feng Ming and force him to sit at the
dinner table.

Rong Wang was very interested in savoring the delectable food the
highly skilled Royal Kitchen had prepared.

"This dish here of chopped green onion and duck pastry is made with
a young duck of 2 months which is separated into a clean cage, nothing
to fed nothing but a bowl of marinating sauces. Allowing the juices to
naturally seep into the meat before it is prepared by lightly frying it in a
mixture of flour and green onions. It is a rare delicacy and the taste is
distinctive and unique”

Although, Rong Tian was clear on the fact that Feng Ming had been
handed strict rules to only drink porridge, he none the less could not
resist playing with the imposter. Sitting cruelly to describe dishes before
him and explaining how it was prepared. Worst of all he entailed how
each of them tasted.

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Feng Ming with his belly full of dull repetitive meal of rice gruel, only
smell the aroma of the tasty looking duck in front him. He could not help
to turn and stare, knowing he won’t be eating any of it any time soon as
he could only painstakingly swallow his saliva.

Catching the younger man’s reaction, Rong Wang let out an audible
hearty laugh, his eyes infatuated with the cute manner the boy
conducted himself, as he was providing more than just a momentary
muse for the King.

From the inside and outside of the Prince’s hall, servants stood shell
shocked with what they heard. The usual solemn Regent King had
suddenly burst out laughing.

Hearing Rong Wang’s laugh ridicule him, inflamed the temperature

gauge in Feng Ming. Stirring the fire of endless hatred, all he could do
was so glare angrily at the Cao Cao with his eyes wide and as
threatening as he could.

Considering his display of displeasure was becoming regular after

travelling through the stupid time portal, his eye widening exercises to
send out death glares was used at least ten times a day, and nearly all
of them are directed to the one responsible and sitting in front of him.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 7

The flirtatious expression Feng Ming was showing Rong Wang made his
heart thump harder, distracting him from his laughter as he brought his
demonstration to a halt.

The King’s dark serious eyes hinted at admiration and appreciation as it

lashed at Feng Ming.

Although Feng Ming was a man, he couldn’t help but to blush under the
inescapable gaze that held him, especially when those eyes were
framed by such a powerful and handsome face.

The fact that the same set of eyes, had previously inspected every inch
of his body including his most private parts, as well as the tell tale marks
scattered ubiquitously across his skin, his heart started to rapidly beat.

"Feng Ming." The face before him called out.

“Ah!” by the time the Prince heard his name, the man scared him as he
was practically next to him.

“What…” his injured mouth managed.

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The King suddenly smacked his chest loudly, and asked in a frightening
tone.

“Do you remember what my name is?”

“A-ahh…” hesitation was clear.

Seriously, that’s the worst question that Feng Ming could hear from this
mad man’s mouth. Considering last time when he failed to provide and
answer he provoked a rage which left to in his current miserable state.

Feng Ming bit his lower lip as he racked the brain cells that were still
functioning to draw out an answer.

“Unn…Rong” who was he kidding?

“Rong…”

Feng Ming cast a quick glance to see the Rong Wang’s reaction.

Please God, do not make me pull out a knife to castrate myself.

As expected, he doesn’t even remember my name.

Rong Wang’s long narrow eyebrows knitted together in irritation.

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“I’ll repeat it, my name is Rong Tian,” he coldly said. “If you forget
again, I will punish you.”

Feng Ming chanted the name as if it was of holy importance.

Rong Tian, Rong Tian…

I better not forget or this guy will go insane.

He repeated the two words in an endless loop in his mind just for good
measure.

It was obvious what was ticking in the Prince’s brain, and his action
undoubtedly made Rong Wang satisfied.

The icy stern face broke into a warm smile.

One could describe the change with spring flowers breaking through the
ice of winter.

Feng Ming’s eyes were fixated, completely arrested by the smile

presented to him from the evil Cao Cao. Even the devil could look this
good when he grinned.

If he really was from Feng Ming’s day and age he would be a complete
lady killer, milking the cash flow being one hell of a gigolo.

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"Feng Ming, let’s have a talk." Rong Wang sat beside him, his eyes glued
onto the imposter.

How should I treat this little assassin?

He was obviously an assassin, and following protocol Rong Tian should

have thrown him into a filthy dungeon to be tortured. However, when
one set eyes on such a lovely appearance and become infected with his
rather playful personality, they would conclude how pitiful it would be to
destroy him.

Was this attractiveness just an act, his specialty as an assassin? Perhaps

this imposter wasn’t as simple as he presented himself to be?

This might be his guise, weaving an intricate character to keep. Staying

alive within the enemies hold and gradually infiltrate and steal their
intelligence. It was better to recruit such a cunning little fox onto his
side.

"Talk…about…” his tongue was stinging with each effort to talk.

“What?...” Feng Ming yawned, his words coming out in a mumble his
incoherent words sounded ridiculous as if he was a child reciting a
language he had just learnt.

Should he try and get rid of his unwanted visitor?

Feng Ming’s heart was in a conflict.

Being confined to the Prince’s Hall was utterly a blow to the brain,

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compared to endless boredom; even this devil offered a refreshing

change.

However, this Cao Cao went overboard with provoking Feng Ming, he
wasn’t sure whether he would be able to handle what would come next.

Is it better to be bored to death?

Or be irritated to beyond measure?

Whatever, considering I won’t be able to run off any where with out him
pouncing on me.

His only option was to take it as it comes.

Coincidentally, they both made up their minds, and in that instant their
eyes met, both determined with their decision as each elicited a sneer.

Feng Ming was unsettled by the Cao Cao’s enigmatic smile as if there
was a message behind it that he could not decipher. This put him on
alert.

Rong Wang was intrigued by the smile across the little assassin’s face,
interested to the reason behind it.

“Feng Ming, where were you born?” He asked shifting their staring
contest back to a conversation.

“This ..." Feng Ming didn’t want to be misunderstood through his

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mumblings so instead he taped the floorboards under his feet..

"You still refuse to concede that you are an assassin?" he threatened.

"I…in…fact…ah…” he stuttered whilst trying to work his wind around

the lump in his mouth.

“The…son” it was chaos, impossible to comprehend what he was trying

to say.

Rong Wang ended up observing Feng Ming as the younger man

frantically attempted to use sign language waving his hands and arms to
illustrate his words.

With a forced smile the King returned his gestures.

“Well, I understand, you say you are the Prince and not an imposter,
correct?”

Feng Ming nodded enthusiastically.

“You claim that you actually feel into the water, half drowned yourself
and when you woke up your memories had disappeared, and instead
you gave yourself a new name. Feng Ming, right?”

Feng Ming shook his head in agreement, before giving the King a thumb
up.

Rong Tian did not have a clue what sticking up one’s thumb meant but
he could feel Feng Ming was praising his translation progress.

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“I’m still not buying your story, its simply all lies. I’ve decided that you
are a spy! In Xi Rei spies are put to death by fire,” their easygoing
conversation took a sudden change of pace as the look on Rong Wang’s
face scorned.

WHAT?

In disbelief of the cyclic accusations against him Feng Ming's eyes,

widened, and without a blink stared bewildered at the King.

Rong Wang over looked the unpleasant look he was getting and laughed
out loud.

“Don’t be afraid, you only have to answer a few questions, you will only
need to nod or shake your head to answer me, then I can determine
whether you are or aren’t a spy.”

The eyes that glared at him, relaxed and blinked as if he agreed to

another interrogation.

“Can you fight with a sword?”

Feng Ming shook his head.

Rong Wang replied coldly, “The Prince has been trained in sword arts by
the martial art masters in the palace since childhood, if you are the
Prince, how can you not fend with a sword?”

To his own defense Feng Ming murmured, “Mmh…I-…mm can’t-“this

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was absurd, he was obviously trying to corner me until I give him what
he wants to hear!

Once again he gave his silent lecture, waving his arms crazily explaining
to the thick headed man his condition.

"Oh, so every single part of your life before your fall you’ve completely
lost all knowledge of?" he didn’t sound impressed, but Feng Ming
immediately gave affirmation by nodding.

“Can you remember the person you loved the most?”

The question threw him off, what kind of question was this?

Feng Ming scratched his head, nodding his head slightly before changing
it into a shake.

“Is that a yes or a no?” the King asked sternly.

Feng Ming hesitated, but his eyes lit up with an idea as he nodded to
confirm his position on the question.

“You can? Then who was the person you loved?” he demanded
impatiently.

"Ah. ... King...ahh…nnnhhh,” he purposely muttered.

Rong Wang stared at him for his response but suddenly laughed, “I give
you credit for not being entirely stupid, you seem to know a trick or two.
Of coarse every one knows, that one could only endlessly love their own

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parents.”

He managed to pass this part of the trial, Feng Ming beamed

triumphantly whilst making incoherent noises of his satisfaction.

“However,” he swerved back to the topic, his eyes flashed his

cunningness. “What are the names of your father and mother?”

Feng Ming was blindsided, he inwardly cursed.

He didn’t even know the name of the Prince, where was he going to pull
the names of the Prince’s parents out from. Even the maids that served
him in his quarters had not even used names when he had brought the
topic up.

Rong Wang knew from the beginning there would be no answer to his
question, but he had caught the rabbit, he just wanted to see his prey
squirm under his malicious treatment. Watching Feng Ming’s distress
was rather enjoyable.

Interjecting before Feng Ming could mumble the king replied in his
stead. “I know, I understand that you fell into the river and you’ve
washed up like a blank piece of paper, yes?”

Sparing Feng Ming, the younger man nodded.

The questions that followed were answered with a muddle expressions,

it was a complete shamble. One would either think he was an elaborate
story teller or a complete madman.

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Rong Wang did not care much about the answers he received, but
during his more civil second round of interrogation he could an answer
to his questions.

He had two conclusions, firstly, no matter how desperate Feng Ming’s

claim was he was not the Prince, secondly, he could not be a spy spent
by the country’s enemies. There was no sane spy that would infiltrate Xi
Rei with no basic knowledge of the country.

So where did this strange young man come from?

The two continued long into the night, with one asking and one doing his
best to answer.

Feng Ming was lively and lovable, his appearance was alluring, the more
Rong Wang was with him the more he felt a strange connection. His
heart couldn’t help but lower the barriers to bask in the delight of their
conversation.

With a chuckle, Rong Wang had another sly plot.

“Since you have lost your memories of Xi Rei, it is necessary that I, the
Regent King take the responsibility to restore the knowledge to you, my
little Prince.”

He smirked smugly.

“From today onwards I will teach you everything that you’ve forgotten,

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from etiquette within the Royal courts to every other matter that is
important.”

Teaching me? Etiquette and more??

The expression on Feng Ming’s face was if, the King had a huge ruler
that smacked him across his head. All Feng Ming saw in his mind were
stars dancing around in a dizzy spell.

The handsome features on the King’s face frowned strictly, as if he was

sternly talking to a child in front of him.

“Disobedience will be punished, you should remember.” He intimidated.

It was true…he was in for it now.

Feng Ming’s head bowed down in disbelief, his jaw wide open as he
muttered and cursed his bad luck, this Prince wasn’t going to get a
break at all.

"Tonight’s lesson will be the first on etiquette. I will teach you how to bid
someone good night.”

“When you leave your subjects in the Royal courts, there will be
important figure heads and officials. Whom you need to express to them
your confidence and trust”

“You will need to kiss them on the lips.”

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You are kidding me!

Are you trying to take advantage of me?

Feng Ming’s large eyes nearly popped, as they strained themselves

staring scornfully at the King’s face.

Witnessing the little assassin’s signature expression only issued a fit of

laughter deep from Rong Tian’s stomach.

In all seriousness, he spoke again and this time he wasn’t toying with
the younger man.

"Your etiquette is in the most need of attention, and it is an important

factor if you were the Prince, if you can’t even tolerate learning, You will
be easily spotted as an imposter, and treated as a spy.”

And spies are to be burnt until crispy.

Feng Ming finished off the sentence for the King in his mind.

After all, the real intention of this gloating maniac was trying to use his
power, to threaten a goodnight kiss from Feng Ming.

Should I surrender myself, just this once?

Before he could draw a conclusion, the shifty bastard already

approached him, closing in their proximity.

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The other’s warm breath brushed across his cheeks, tickling him gently.

Rong Tian did not delay his assault, as his tongue flicked across Feng
Ming’s sensitive lips, gentling enticing him with his wet touch. Their kiss
was missing the violence that their previous two encounters held. Rong
Tian was even sincere as he toke in account the injury within the
younger man’s mouth and did not push to attack him there.

Being engulfed by such a masculine beast that intoxicated him with his
deadly kiss, Feng Ming began to feel light headed.

Compared with teaching Feng Ming etiquette, Rong Wang was probably
more suited to teach him the art of kissing.

For the Regent King, their meeting had concluded in passionate kiss,
although he had completely fought to restrain himself, he left with a
strong taste of sweetness in his mouth.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 8

Important notes:

Chinese calligraphy/Brush writing:

Chinese brush writing was one of the earliest developments by the

Chinese. They also invented paper! In ancient China one’s writing was
often also considered an art form. How well you wrote reflected your
teachings as well as your artistry. Commonly, the brush tip was derived
from feathers or animal hair.

------- ---

Since their engaging conversation, Rong Wang became a regular visitor

to the Prince’s quarters. In comparison to humiliating and torturing the
worthless Prince through the darkness of the night, Rong Wang had a
new found joy just watching the peculiar Feng Ming during the light of
day, the new Prince proved to be more interesting with each moment.

The lessons given on court proceedings and etiquette were genuinely a

messy affair. Rong Wang’s teachings were entwined with actions a ruler
should not mix in with serious business. This was the countless kisses
the King had selfishly implemented on Feng Ming as an ongoing
requirement.

“A kiss when we meet, before I leave, before you speak, before a meal if

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we are sharing a table and before you sleep.”

Feng Ming brows narrowed in irritation and he counted the orders with
his fingers.

His tongue had gradually healed over the days where he could articulate
himself again in every aspect even occasionally answering back to the
Regent King. However, he was aware of these endless kisses that were
demanded from him was just utter nonsense.

For the sake of not driving Rong Wang into another fit of rage he
complied. To avoid another episode of “shedding of blood” it was the
best idea to let Rong Wang take his underhanded advantages over him.
Considering they were both male, it was hard to tell which party was
more disadvantaged.

Rong Wang was certainly not satisfied with just simple kisses, but the
thought of Feng Ming’s defiance and unyielding glares and the fact the
boy would rather sacrifice his life left the King feeling scrupulous.

Both had their minds set in their individual actions for now which
allowed them to be compatible for moment being.

“How am I going to manage these kisses, I fear my mouth is still quite

swollen, alas…” Feng Ming’s large eyes darted firmly onto Rong Wang
hoping he buy in an excuse. His death glare was closely followed with a
sigh, pretending as if he was the one at a lost for their intimacy.

Rong Tian was at the desk writing, upon hearing Feng Ming’s
exaggerated sigh he placed down his writing brush and offered.

“Don’t put up this act, you’ve already stalled for days, you have to
write.”

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Regardless with Feng Ming’s wishes, Rong Tian was determined to have
him continue the original Prince’s lifestyle and this was inclusive of
mimicking the Prince’s writing.

Feng Ming was unwilling to take up the brush.

King Rong extended the brush he had briefly dipped in ink, in front of
Feng Ming.

The Prince eyed the brush in front of him with oddly and spun his face
towards the King.

"Let’s do this instead, how about I tell you another funny story, it’s
called Alibaba and..." he tried before he was cut short.

Taking no heed of the storytelling, Rong Wang forcibly placed the brush
into the slender hands and issued him a warning with his deadly eyes.

Feng Ming looked at the brush in his hand and tried his one sided
bargaining once more.

“How about this, you write and demonstrate for me and for each word I’ll
give you a kiss in return.”

Feng Ming dug as low as to play the card of sacrificing his sex appeal.

The Prince’s wager had no appeal to Rong Wang who could easily obtain
the Prince’s lips with other means the bargaining chip only made the
King’s expression darken by a few folds.

Feng Ming wide eyes fixated on the older man for a response, he finally
gritted his teeth and surrendered.

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“Alright! I’ll write!” he declared with much frustration before issuing

Rong Tian a warning, clearly stating the following words.

“You aren’t allowed to be ashamed once you look!”

Walking with a renewed air of dignity he walked confidently towards the

study desk, and with his wet brush in hand he drew several strokes.

They started off fast, neat and coherent and by the time he finished he
gave a large heave to show his completion and unceremoniously
dropped the brush off to the side. Hinting to Rong Wang to come and
admire his work.

The King found the sudden surge of might in the boy rather surprising,
so he immediately made his way for the inspection.

After absorbing what had been written, the sight completely reeled Rong
Tian back a step in astonishment.

“How is it? Aren’t you ashamed of my skill?” pressed Feng Ming who was
pleased with himself considering he had warned the King.

“For what reason should I be?” the Rong Tian asked.

“As the Regent King, aren’t you ashamed that the Crowned Prince’s ugly
writing? A dog could even do better!” he exclaimed, a little confused to
the man’s reaction.

This irritated Feng Ming and he let at an animalistic outburst, after the
release he calmed down.

He stopped and said coldly, “Considering I’ve lost my memories, I’ve got
no need to pen anything down. That’s right! From now on don’t force me
to write anything I can only use a biro pen!” He let slip his frustrations
before he roughly settled himself into a chair and helped himself to a

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cup of tea.

Rong Wang finally took action, moving forwards to the sitting Feng Ming
and brashly hauled him up by his collar.

"You reckless brat, you dare to tease me?" he spat gingerly into the
Prince’s ears.

"Let go! I can’t breathe!" proclaimed the younger man as he struggled in

the vice hold.

"I'll teach you." The King chided his voice showing no mercy.

"You ... mmm ..." all protest was smothered.

His body was quickly ensnared within the older man’s limbs. Soon his
tongue was entangled with the King’s and engaged in an intense fight
within his mouth. The battle was wild and intense but both side
gradually seeped into a more sweet connection, as the viciousness
dissipated into luscious sucking of lust filled lips.

When their lips parted, they left each other panting and short of breath
their chests heaved in unison.

Feng Ming whipped his face away from the King’s his cheeks blushed a
deep crimson.

Bastard, if this continues on, even a handsome man like me would turn
gay, and if I turn gay I’d most likely be allocated on the receiving end!
That’s not worth it!

Looking at how things are turning out, if I take the first strike to set who
is the thrower, I should be the one to top Rong Wang.

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That thought lead to a smile that crept along Feng Ming’s lips.

----
At the same time, Rong Tian noticed Feng Ming’s flushed face. He had
him where he wanted him.

His blushing deep red

Rong Tian laughed inwardly.

This little brat will soon be obediently pinned under his body begging for
pleasure.

Images of a ravaged and tamed Feng Ming flickered into the King’s
thoughts he couldn’t help a smile that stretched across his own lips.

As the two sets of eyes finally made contact, they had both noticed the
weird smile that was planted on each others mouths and each person
had their own interpretation.

Feng Ming’s smile is growing sweeter by the day.

Perhaps he has gradually grown to love me.

That was wishful thinking on the King’s behalf.

His opponent was on alert.

Rong Wang, this bastard is smiling evilly again.

I have to be careful and not let him top me.

-------------------------------

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The days that followed their silent confrontation could not be considered
bad at all. The fighters at both ends continued to look forward to their
sweet victory over each other.

Rong Tian had backed off from trying to force Feng Ming into the tedious
task of Chinese calligraphy and Feng Ming didn’t have a chance to carry
out his plan to assert himself onto a “top” position over the King.

“Your Royal Highness, this is a platter of fruit that has been freshly
delivered by the order of Rong Wang.”

The beautiful pet being raised within the palace, should be treated like
this right?

Boring,
Boring,
Boring!

The same senseless routine was getting old Feng Ming was going to
drive his head against a wall sometime soon.

“Chiu Lan, I want to go outside for a stroll,” Feng Ming stated a matter-
of-factly.

Chiu Lan whisked her head quickly towards the palace guards sent to
guard the Prince’s doors.

“But by the orders of Rong Wang, the Prince is not permitted to leave his
quarters.” It almost sounded like a silent plea.

"Humph!" Feng Ming glared at Chiu Lan momentarily, knowing he

couldn’t entirely shift the blame of his prison on her. .

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He wasn’t aware that this signature glares at his maid servant only
effect was to lead her blushing and sent her heart racing. It was a
completely empty threatening tool towards her.

“Argh! I am so bored my brain is going to melt!”

Feng Ming suddenly unleashed another round of screaming, creating a

stir as his attendants jumped in reaction to their surprised.

Even the guards that stood at the doors where alerted by the scream,
drawing their swords out and looked around nervously.

"What are you raging about? The whole Palace can hear you outside,”
entered a timely King, who had entered from behind.

Feng Ming immediately turned and with a slender finger accusingly

pointed at Rong Wang’s nose.

“I’m warning you, if you keep boring the living daylight out of me, I will
die! Certainly croak it right here! So if you want another kissing partner
to your beck and call go and employ someone else understood?”

To the Prince’s rather comical threats, Rong Wang could only lightly
chuckle, the strict muscles of the contours of his expression immediately
relaxed.

“So you are bored to the point of breaking down, then how about I take
you out for a horse ride, sounds good right?”

“Horse?” Feng Ming’s eyes light up, but then a suspicious light lit up
within.

“On what conditions?” he demanded, knowing that there was never an

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easy deal with Rong Tian.

"What can you exchange for it?" countered the King.

"Well, I can tell you a story, about the Mermaid Princess ...." Feng Ming
started.

Feng Ming’s story was cut off abruptly, forever untold as the voice
remained trapped in his throat when the King’s mouth knocked him with
a kiss.

“Did you know? Every time you kiss, you like to keep your eyes open, to
look at my face at close range.”

Rong Wang absorbed the sweetness before him, during their break to
regain their breathe he took the liberty to answer Feng Ming’s question
in a low voice.

“That’s in order to be able to watch whether your lust has reached your
brain and set it alit in a fever, yet to have you try and resist and fight
against it”

Feng Ming’s eyes were at their usual wide capacity as he stared

dumbfounded at the response.

“That’s settled then, I’ll take you for a ride,” he released the younger
man from his hold to allow him to catch his breath.

“Provided that…the Prince will allow his humble servant, to personally

assist you in changing into your riding garments.” Rong Wang was
mocking him with his tone and at the same time the voice was
employing a rich magnetism hinting at something more scandalous.

“You pervert!”

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He cried abashed, before submitting to the ridiculous condition anything

was better than melted brain on the floor.

He whispered, “All right deal is settled.”

In the inner chamber, the King ordered all the servants to step down
leaving the pair alone in the quarters which allowed him to strip the
offending items of clothing off Feng Ming as he pleased.

The slim and slender body was exposed in front of him.

Rong Tian would have never fathom the day he would be captivated by
the mere sight of this perfect body, which was sending his stomach into
knots and his mouth dry.

"Hey, don’t just gawk at me!" Feng Ming scared frightened by the
ominous look he was receiving from the larger man, his heart beats
began to hammer quicker from the fear that Rong Tian might try to
attack him.

Based on strength, Feng Ming was on a clear disadvantage.

Rong Wang’s complexion developed a strange glow for a long while, and
he was sure taking his sweet changing the riding garments for Feng
Ming.

"Don’t you dare molest me!” shrieked the Prince.

"Feng Ming your skin is nice and smooth as silk."

"Of course!”

“Hmph!”

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“However, don’t you grope me!” he warned the wandering hands.

His Royal Highness and the Regent King spent a good hour in the inner
chamber just to change.

By the time the Prince appeared, his face was painted scarlet with
matching beaming red ears.

An updated newsflash of the Prince’s development quickly travelled

throughout the Palace.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 9

Terminology:

Chinese names In Chinese names, the surname comes first followed by

the given name. In formalities one would address another by their
surname followed by their ranking/position/occupation. The given names
are only used by people close to you.

The (Seven) Warring States Period: 475 BC- 221 BC, Ancient China was
separated into 7 major states, which were continuously at war with each
other. During this period, Agriculture, industry, economy, weapons and
technology flourished. So did the legacy of war tactics written by
tacticians of that time from that era which are still respected and studied
in this age. This was a complete mess for the country itself, there was no
time to develop the societies and culture until the next period of Ancient
China were unification was beginning.

Tang Dynasty 618-907 A.D. The Tang Dynasty was the most prosperous
era for the Ancient Chinese empire; flourishing culture in the form of
Arts. It was a period of progress and stability.

--- --- --- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- -- ---

Updated map of countries mentioned so far.

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Key: Magenta – Li, Green – Tong and Red – Xi Rei

(Drawing an outline with a mouse was hard ;_;)

--- --- --- -- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

The scene that Feng Ming had first imagined was both men mounted on
their horses, the animals in a wild bolt across an open plain.

His reality presented him with a lawn cordoned off by a wooden fence

they didn’t even leave the confines of the palace.

The pitiful sight before him compared with his vivid imagination
completely deflated his mood, sinking into a slump of anti-climax.

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Subsequently, the animal that was lead out towards him was not even
close to a horse, one could easily classify the sorry looking animals a
dumpy mule.

The romantic and wild horseback ride, turned into a complete flop, no
one could blame the resentful eyes that fixated on Rong Tian.

Rong Wang paid no attention to the death ray aimed his way and
instead explained why Feng Ming’s fantasy was brought to a halt.

“I believe you have also forgotten your horsemanship skills you have
learnt from childhood. It is best you start with a smaller horse and work
yourself up before attempting to ride a full size one outside of the
Palace, safety comes first.”

Feng Ming bitterly mumbled.

“You tricked me.” He accused.

The attendants at ears length covered their mouths smothering their

giggles at the couples bickering

In order to preserve the last remnants of his dignity, Feng Ming was
refusing to mount the “horse” – mule, it was only going to happen over
his dead body.

Rong Wang surrendered sighing at the stubborn boy he resorted to his

last option and called out to his stable masters.

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“Someone, prepare White Cloud and lead him out.” He ordered the
servants.

Soon, a dignified high pitch of a horse’s neigh could be heard. An

attendant emerged and lead along a snow white horse towards its
waiting master.

The animal’s smooth white coat gleamed with a healthy sheen.

It was as if appeared from some mythical story, it emitted a majestic

atmosphere. One could immediately tell that this horse was seared from
a prestigious line of esteemed pedigree.

Feng Ming’s eyes quickly flickered with excitement.

Rong Wang laughed at the obvious change in Feng Ming’s mood.

The King swung his legs effortlessly over his horse and mounted it as if it
was second nature he then promptly pulled Feng Ming up to join him.

“This here is my beloved horse, called White Cloud,” the King gave his
prized pet a tap with his heels on its belly and the well trained horse
screamed in response and toke flight into a gallop. The animal’s
powerful legs carried his passengers at a speed of wind.

This was Feng Ming’s first experience on a horse, and the adrenaline
rush surging through him was more exciting than any crazy roller

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coaster ride.

With little effort White Cloud had made three laps around the restrictive
trotting area at god speed.

Rong Wang reined in the bridle and the great animal obediently came to
a halt.

“Continue! Hey! Come on!” cried the Prince still elated with joy.

“I have to attend to official matters in court, and I can’t stay here with
you.” The King replied, regardless this didn’t dampen the younger man’s
spirit.

“That’s even better, you can leave and I can ride White Cloud by
myself!”

“I won’t permit you.” The King ordered bluntly as he cast rain over Feng
Ming’s parade.

Rong Tian dismounted and reached for the other. There was a short
struggled to tear the unrelenting Feng Ming off his perch.

The boy was still tightly holding onto White Clouds reigns when the King
finally managed to yank him down.

“White Cloud won’t accept other people than me. He will buck and you
will get hurt. You can ride that one over there.” His finger pointed off to
the side at an innocent pony nibbling away at a patch of grass.

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Feng Ming stared at the pony bitterly and straight up refused the
degrading animal.

“That’s out of the question! I can ride a horse and I want to ride White
Cloud.” He whined stubborn as a fat kid in a candy store.

As the result of their quarrel, Feng Ming revoked his chance to even ride
a pony.

Rong Wang was afraid leaving the boy by himself would only end in
trouble so he simply dragged the younger man kicking and screaming
along to attend to Xi Rei’s business.

-- -- -- -- --

When the pair entered the official court hall, it was already occupied
with numerous important figureheads.

Silence besieged the room.

Imperial noblemen, generals and high ranking officers were stunned,

their jaws jarred and eyes peel wide open to the bewildering sight before
them.

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Their attention had fixated onto Feng Ming.

The Crowned Prince who was tucked away deep in the secret maze of
the Palace was brought alongside the Regent King to attend a meeting
for official business.

Were their eyes playing tricks on them?

It appears the strange rumors flying around the Palace had more credit
than any of them liked to believe, especially when the evidence was
clear as day.

King Rong and His Majesty’s relationship appeared to have taken a new
direction.

Within moments of their silent shock the officials scrambled to collect

themselves, and offered their “Crowned Prince” the correct respectful
salutations.

“Your Highness”

“Your Majesty.” They murmured one after another.

“…”

Feng Ming watched his subjects, who clearly held the Prince with no
esteem. Apart from the formalities, the slightest hint of respect could

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not be sniffed out between their greetings.

This only paid to further highlight how each individual saw him, they
were probably taunting how weak and incompetent he was inwardly, the
Prince couldn’t help but feel the man beside him was somewhat
responsible.

The Prince’s large solemn eyes turned to Rong Wang.

Instead of boiling over he decided not to be swamped by the attitude he

was receiving from the court officials.

He chose to turn the situation into a jest, for his own entertainment,
given he had a golden opportunity to tease Rong Tian.

With a feigned blank expression he provoked the Regent King.

“Rong Wang, how am to address them? Do I apply that type of

etiquette?”

Rong Wang’s eyes flared dangerously as they beamed down onto the
younger man, in a low voice he replied aggressively.

“That type of etiquette is reserved only for the Regent King of Xi Rei.”

For better insurance to make sure Feng Ming was clear on the matter he

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further warned.

“You are not allowed to kiss any of the court officials, do you
understand?”

The officials sat in their assigned seats, and the Regent King arranged
for Feng Ming to be seated with him in the middle of the room upon a
platform. This position was given to him out of the proper respect of his
Royal identity.

In the centre of the hall was a mural map made entirely out of clay, it
showed various countries with their terrains.

Countless miniature flags littered the map, making it look more like a pin
cushion. Lines that curved over the surface of the map also helped
defined the regions.

Xi Rei’s great kingdom occupied a vast area of land riddled with

numerous mountain ranges.

Feng Ming studied the map closely, and recalled the information Rong
Wang had given him.

Apparently within this era, there were eleven countries continuously

locking arms in battle, wars often broke out between the kingdoms and
it was chaos.

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This type of situation was even messier than the period of Seven
Warring States in ancient China which Feng Ming had known of from
history class in his own world.

“Disputes have increased at the borders we share with the Tong

country. The number of thieves has escalated and our civilians have
been pillaged. We have received reports of property damage and
looting”

A heavy-set old and white haired General grunted.

“From my point of view, this is basically the country of Tong’s doing.

They are deliberately provoking us to start conflict. Why else would
those petty criminals flee across the border when our troops were
deployed to catch them?”

Rong Wang steadily replied.

“Don’t be impatient, General Chu. We are all well aware that King Tong
is a schemer and our countries are not on good terms. At this moment
our priority lies in dealing with a pressing matter, what are our
strategies on how we shall deal with the envoy arriving from the Country
of Li.”

Just hearing the complexity in the troubles of the court was enough to
give Feng Ming a headache so he tugged lightly at the Regent King’s
sleeve to get his attention.

“What kind of place is the Country of Li?” he asked in a whisper.

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The court was modest in size hence it was no hard task for the
audience’s attentive ears to catch hold of the Prince’s question.

Although the Prince’s incompetence was notorious, none of the subjects

would have fathomed that he could wasn’t even educated in the
countries around Xi Rei and their circumstances.

Countless pairs of contempt filled eyes immediately bombarded Feng

Ming’s blank face.

Rong Wang ignored the insolence, stood up and walked towards the
map, his hand gesturing at a large region North of Xi Rei.

“The Country of Li is located here.”

In a gentle tone he continued a short lecture.

“An official messenger sent by Xi Rei was assassinated within the

borders of Li. As a result, Xi Rei is now in a position of initiating a war.”

Another snort interrupted the court proceedings.

"Humph!”

A middle aged military officer reached for the double-edged sword

tucked into a belt on his waist, his fury unleashed in a rain of spiteful
words.

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“The Country of Li is inciting war! So be it! I, Tong Jian-Ming will be the

first not to show any mercy with my sword to that damn King of Li!” He
roared.

Catching the “Tong” as the man’s surname, Feng Ming was absolutely
positive that the crazy middle aged man was related to the Master Tong
he had been graced with.

Feng Ming had managed to give Master Tong a good fight, remembering
how his visitor had left looking like a sorry scoundrel. He had eagerly
waited for any reprisal to come his way but he was unaware that Rong
Wang had specifically cautioned Tong Yi to stay clear of the Prince.

Rong Wang pondered for a short while and shook his head distastefully.

“King Li ascended the throne at a young age and he has high ambitions,
craving to ultimately rule all the kingdoms. He is a problem that we
have to abolish, pull out the root before it grows. However the Country
of Tong are not sitting idly, they are a tiger waiting patiently for an
advantage to take its prey.”

He paused.

“If we act to rashly and send our troops into war with Li, this will only
provide an opening to any attacks by Tong. They will anticipate our
lowered defenses.”

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Feng Ming blurted with out thinking.

“Was the messenger an important high ranked officer? So you mean

that Xi Rei is on the brink of starting a war for this reason?”

“Aiyah!” he heaved in disbelief.

“To be honest, what is so good about starting a war? Instead of

belligerence wouldn’t it be better if everyone could live happily in
harmony? Considering the population of the Earth is considerably small.”

Feng Ming’s unprecedented interruption ended in a chain of questions

pointing at several problems.

When he began speaking, he passed judgment on the collective

decisions by the court attendees. Everyone resented the unwanted input
as it only became a hindrance, but they were all in no position to
disregard what was said due to Feng Ming’s identity.

The men stood silently and vented their displeasure inside. .

The Regent King defended their actions, answering Feng Ming’s last
question.

“Whether we are attacked at our border or have our messenger

assassinated, how we react to these problems is an important matter.”

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“If Xi Rei sits with our hands folded and unprepared from attacks, our
Country’s prestige will be quickly buried. Not only will there be civil
unrest we will also lose skilled and talented people who would flee and
ally themselves to other countries.”

Feng Ming nodded finding it rather interesting that even in this era skills
and talent was appreciated.

Moreover, the situation in this world was similar to that of the Warring
states period, people were able to save their necks by changing
alliances.

The argument escalated as mouths shot opinions up into the air.

"Rong Wang, the situation at the frontier with Tong is more important.
We should declare war with them first and show them Xi Rei’s power!”
an official exclaimed.

“The situation we have at the border only pertains to a minor group of

civilians who are being harassed. My secretary I sent as the messenger
was assassinated! At this moment we must declare war with the Country
of Li and seek justice!”

“Since this is the case, it would be better to simultaneously declare war

on both countries!”

“General Tong, instigating war between two countries is senseless. It will

only serve to quicken the deterioration of Xi Rei’s fighting powers.”

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The heated debated continued for a large half of the day and there was
still no resolution from their meeting.

All they had to deliberate on was to determine which matter was more
critical, the border feud with Tong or the assassination of their own in Li.

Feng Ming listened aloof to their ongoing chattering, the more he heard
the more impatient he grew.

He thought to himself how ancient Generals were like a bunch of old

fussy women.

The Prince cleared his throat in a soft audible manner.

“Can I go out for a stroll?” he asked quietly, the background of the

officials cloaked his request.

Feng Ming dared not to be more audible. Regardless to his authority, no

one paid him any notice.

Even Rong Tian was no exception. The Regent King was fully engaged
with the political dilemma.

Feng Ming had his backside planted on his perch for ages, even his spine
was yearning to be stretched. Seeing no one was paying him any
attention, he simply stood up and covertly headed towards the exit.

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This movement caught Rong Wang’s eyes, who then made no hesitation
to stop the Prince from leaving, hauling the younger man back into
position.

“Where does His Royal Highness think he is going?” he whispered with a

hint of annoyance.

“We are in the middle of an important discussion, be a good boy and sit
here quietly don’t give me any trouble.”

With this Feng Ming was chained in, forced to watch on the conversation
that didn’t invite him to participate. However, this session allowed him
to observe Rong Wang, and the burden the Regent King had to carry on
his shoulders.

The Country of Xi Rei’s problems were carried by Rong Tian with such an
air of dignity. His admiration only lasted for a short time, when the
thoughts of the contrast between himself and the King arouse again.

One could not avoid the fact that, this Prince’s achievements has only
amounted to becoming a famous useless nobody. Even his own subjects
continued to under mind him, offering insincere respect through gritted
teeth.

Their charade of feigned reverence began to kindle a fire in the bottom

of Feng Ming’s heart.

Thinking back to the morning, where he was offered a mule inside of

horse added more fuel to that fire.

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His chain of thoughts finally accrued into an explosion. His face was red
with fury as he casted an outburst of his frustration towards his subjects.

“Why do I have anything to do with this discussion?” He screamed and

blurted without thinking.

“I’m merely a puppet and nothing more! So what if you guys all
understand and comprehend everything where as I am the useless one!”

“Humph!”

Taking no break from his rant he continued.

“You pack of military buffs have spent an entire day arguing noisily over
such trivial matters, what kind of job efficiency are you working at?”

“If I was your employer, I’d make you all redundant! Out of sight and out
of mind!”

“Just trivial matters?” The aged General Chu looked gob smacked.

.”Does His Royal Highness treat war between two countries as a minor
issue?”

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“Yes!” proclaimed Feng Ming who was ready for any rebutting required.

His eyes pinned resolutely on the old man before speaking directly.

“If you want to rage a war then so be it, why are you all wasting time on
arguing over whether the border attacks is more significant than an
official killed!”

“Haven’t you guys set up any foreign allegiances as part of your

tactics?”

Feng Ming groaned when no one responded.

“Come on! Undoubtedly to succeed in a war defeating close enemies by

making foreign alliances is a vital step! Even the Warring State period
was more advanced than you guys! What a bunch stupid idiots!”

The hall went completely silent during his venting.

Everyone had their eyes glued on His Royal Majesty who had just given a
taste of his temper, as if he whipped each official across the face.

There was still no reaction to his outburst as they all stood

dumbfounded.

That was until Rong Wang ruthlessly dragged Feng Ming from his spot by
the collar, his uncontrolled strength lifted the poor boy into midair.

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Rong Wang’s handsome face was chilled as ice, as it leaned closer to the
Prince’s, his voice dangerously asked.

“What did you just say?” he demanded.

Feng Ming had a good streak of days, escaping the full blunt of Rong
Wang’s wrath he was blanked upon having the fury released on him
once more.

“I s-said…I said…” tongue tied, a knot developed deep in his throat.

Feng Ming cursed himself inwardly for being a meddlesome fool.

He swallowed before pressing his luck.

“I said you were all stupid idiots?”

"Before that!"

"Before that? I said, even the Warring State period was more advanced
than you guys! What a bunch stupid idiots?”

This was incorrect as well.

"No!" Rong Wang eyebrows jerked up in annoyance and he growled.

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“Before that!”

Feng Ming finally came to grip to what the King wanted.

“Oh! Are you asking about foreign alliances to defeat enemies closer to
home?”

“God, I wouldn’t have guessed it.” He said relieved as he rapt his head
lightly with his hand. His body relaxed under the unfriendly hold even
daring to wave his limbs freely.

“I understand now, each country is actually enwrapped with their own

disputes and no one has actually set up any official alliances. There’s no
tactical system in place between any of the countries. That’s right, this
means you guys must be in an era before the Warring States!”

Feng Ming laughed at his discovery.

“For some reason I thought this was the Tang dynasty, considering the
agricultural system in Xi Rei is advance. It is quite an achievement
probably even be a rival the modern times.”

This was the first time Rong Tian didn’t cut off Feng Ming madman rants,
so the young man bathed in his triumph.

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The King permitted the Prince to continue his insanity, however instead
of anger he was growing elated in his own heart.

“Well, Your Majesty, if I could ask you to thoroughly explain to us what

you mean by making foreign alliances to defeat enemies closer to
home.” Rong Tian prompted.

“What?”

“Me?” Feng Ming’s finger darted towards his own nose, confused with
the sudden attention.

It was impossible that these people could be easily swayed by their

thirst for knowledge, to the point they were even showing him respect?

Weren’t they all looking at me with contempt just moments before?

He whisked his head towards the pack of Generals, it was like if

someone had injected them with a dose of miracle drug.

All the faces that were looking at the Prince had changed and now they
were brimming with ecstasy.

Who would have thought, that in this space-time, diplomacy and war
tactics was still highly prized by scholars and the military.

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Every country was aware that to have complete power over the land
under the heavens, apart from martial arts and army strength, theories
and tactics played the major role in domination. If one was not
knowledgeable on war tactics, it would be difficult to start any game
plans for war.

It was just Feng Ming’s luck that Xi Rei were still underdeveloped in this
aspect and he wasn’t going to just easily hand over a thousand years
essence of knowledge.

Making foreign alliances to defeat close enemies wouldn’t have been

anything interesting to a commoner’s ear. However, to the ears of group
of powerful men immersed in military and politics, his words were like a
crack of thunder awakening their desires.

“Your Majesty, Prince!” General Chu broke away as a representative

from the eagerly awaiting subjects. He was even addressing Feng Ming
with genuine respect!

“Your Highness, concerning “Defeating close enemies and making

foreign alliances” are you trying to say that we should ignore minor
disputes and focus on capturing our closest enemies to expand our own
kingdom. Then follow through with reinforcing our numbers by utilizing
soldiers from the fallen enemies, to gather more strength to challenge
another country? If your plan is like this, then we should soon be ruling
across all the lands! Please your Highness, would you enlighten us with
more details?”

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Where Feng Ming had just barely said a few words, this old fox somehow
inferred so much nonsense from thin air. Being misunderstood made the
Prince shriek with frustration.

“Do not talk nonsense! Taking over the 11 kingdoms is the objective of
other countries. It is not what our own should do! I wasn’t conspiring
with you to dominate the world.”

He couldn’t help but feel the need to shield himself with Rong Wang.

Rong Wang chuckled as Feng Ming shrank behind him, a smile etched
across his lips as he leaned over to whisper into the Prince’s ear.

“Just say what you want to say and tomorrow I’ll take you riding on
White Cloud for a whole day.”

"Really?" just hearing the beautiful horse’s name and the offer
invigorated him.

Feng Ming emerged from his hiding place behind Rong Tian with a
renewed confidence he indulged in the positive attention.

"Hehe…in fact the reason why I have rarely left the Prince’s quarters is
because I’ve been investing a lot of time in researching and planning out
great theories, Alright, I’m going to share my findings and experiences
with you…”

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--- --- --- -- --- ---

That evening fresh gossip sprinkled around the Palace.

His Royal Highness had gain the doting love of Rong Wang, whom
permitted the Prince to join him in an official court procession and even
allowed him to sit by his side.

Moreover, regardless of whether they were veterans or young, all the

court officials that left the grand hall, had strangely developed a positive
new opinion of their beautiful and apparently now ‘talented’ Prince.

When the odd couple returned to the Prince’s quarters, Feng Ming
lashed out his anger at the King.

"Why did you command the Generals and the other attendees not to
spread word of my abilities? Are you jealous of me?”

King Rong shook his head, “You are the Crowned Prince, your life is
constantly in danger. If the other countries find out that the Prince is
actually quite competent, there’s bound to be countless assassins out
for your blood. It is wiser to keep you concealed under the guise of
incompetence.”

“Ha Ha, as long as you are aware that I am quite capable,” Feng Ming
already had a smug grin by the time Rong Tian was half way through his
praise.

The smile that beamed at him only made Rong Tian want to smoother

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his lips over the boy’s mouth.

"I know that you are holding back, there’s more isn’t there?”

"Of course, I have more information stored inside my mind. Do you want
to hear what I have?”

Rong Wang’s seductive lips pulled back into a sneer,

“Is there conditions for this exchange?”

Yes! You have to let me top you once

However such a request was too embarrassing and inappropriate.

Feng Ming rolled his eyes, and laughed dryly. “I need something to keep
by my side for self defense, even if it is some weird kind of weapon, or
even a pair of rusty handcuffs would suffice.”

"For what reason?” Rong Wang’s eyes narrowed as he studied the

Prince.

"Didn’t you say that I’d be endangered, that there are people who want
to murder me? I need to protect myself.”

Given the fact Feng Ming had a poor track record of defending himself
with Rong Tian, even given a weapon he most likely wouldn’t be able to
hold up much of a fight.

The sudden request made the King apprehensive.

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"Using a weapon?"

Shit! He is suspicious.

Feng Ming lamented, knowing he could change the mood with one
method.

He self volunteered and delivered his deep red lips to the man in front of
him, aiming to divert King’s thought patterns.

This is ridiculous. Feng Ming was growing more accustomed to their

shared kisses.

What was he going to do?

Moreover, each time they connected he could not help but wish that the
King would venture deeper into his mouth with passion.

Feng Ming muttered under his breath.

“I’ve been corrupted.”

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 10.1

Terminology:

主观能动性 Subjective motivation – To strive for victory by taking initiative in

your own hands.

Sun Wu/Sun Zi- Was a high ranking military general and strategist in the
6th century B.C.

Sun Zi’s “Art of War” is the oldest military treatise book it consists of
thirteen chapters which thoroughly explains tactics and theories in
war. Each chapter is devoted to one aspect of warfare, it is said to be
the definitive work on military strategies and tactics of its time, and is
still read for its military insights. Interestingly, a lot of its theories are
still applied in modern day warfare and even businesses seek guidance
in its wisdom. I know that during the Vietnam war, the generals of the
Vietnam side were avidly employing tactics that they read from the Art
of War to hold out their defense against the Americans.

You can read it for free here: http://www.chinapage.com/sunzi-e.html

---------------------------

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Rong Wang kept his promise and sure enough took Feng Ming out horse
riding the next day.

When Feng Ming spotted White Cloud, he became ecstatic and was
practically dancing with joy.

After a few laps of shared riding with Rong Wang, the Prince was
beginning to get more familiar with his newly learnt skill so Feng Ming
demanded to ride White Cloud alone.

“Impossible, you haven’t grasped the basic skills of horsemanship, how

could you ride White Cloud by yourself?”

“Huh?

With much scorn, Feng Ming glared accusingly at the King.

“Last night, who said I was capable and gallant, I am able to do anything
and simply a genius?”

Replying coyly Rong Wang offered the truth, “It was make you happy, as
the Crowned Prince, how can you take others flattery seriously?”

“You tricked me again!” Feng Ming hurled back in a fit of anger, before

twisting his body to face away from the man, bitter with his indignation.

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Two bodies were both situated on the horse’s back, due to the close
proximity of their shared seating their bodies couldn’t help but met,
tightly.

As Feng Ming suddenly moved his body, brushing unknowingly against

the king, he immediately triggered a response of arousal from Rong
Tian.

Within moments, something had awakened beneath him, an extremely

harden length infiltrated the compact space between the two men,
scaring Feng Ming to the point the blood drained from his face.

He didn’t dare to move a fraction, choosing to stay cemented.

“I warned you not to thrash about.” Rong Wang’s chest was heaving
slightly as he was trying to maintain himself. However, the language in
his eyes was saying otherwise, as they were burning with a fervent
flame when they bore into Feng Ming.

The attendants that were in the near distance didn’t seem to be aware
what was happening.

Feng Ming could feel the heat radiating from Rong Wang’s member, it
was scorching and obvious that lust was pulsing through the other man’s
heart.

Feng Ming could only bring up images of newspapers that reported

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violent rape cases. With those thoughts he couldn’t help a sickly

numbness that started to spread from his head downwards.

He asked in a soft voice, “I’ll be obedient and get off the horse, when
you’ve settled down a bit you can dismount, all right?”

The King’s crotch was pitched up high and noticeable, if he dismounted

parading himself, he would completely lose his precious idol status and
his credibility with his people.

“That won’t be necessary.” Rong Wang replied with a tough tone which
offered no bargaining between the two.

This only acted to send Feng Ming into a panic.

“Well, what do you want? You were the one that got aroused by
yourself.” Feng Ming stared in frustration, wanting nothing further with
the King.

“I warn you, I am now an appreciated and capable Crowned Prince and

you aren’t allowed to touch a hair on my head.”

The bargaining chip he collected from yesterday’s events was

immediately brought out and thrown onto the table. However, Feng Ming
was oblivious to the fact that his beautiful angry eyes completely failed
to help him threaten the King.

Instead, they were alluring to the King, as they provided a mysterious

gravitational pull which almost caused him to grab Feng Ming and pin

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him down beneath his own body on top of the grass.

Even though it wasn’t entirely impossible to execute his possessive

needs over the Prince, Rong Tian wasn’t going to make it awkward for
his own men.

"What are you doing?” Feng Ming said quickly in concern.

"Letting you assist me in putting out my fire.”

The two men’s voices were lowered as much as possible, escaping any
audiences.

Suddenly, Feng Ming’s hand was unwillingly tugged over and placed on
top of the strong erection that was hidden beneath the King’s robes.

It was a complete weapon of destruction!

He immediately understood the King’s intentions, and his face seared

with bright red and he scolded him angrily.

“You pervert!”

“Are you going to assist me or not?” Rong Wang asked impatiently, his
tone was basically refusing to accept no for an answer.

The heat radiating from the organ under Feng Ming’s palm was

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astounding there was also a strong throbbing which surged through the
man’s hardened length.

Feeling the other’s rush of blood only sent Feng Ming’s heart pounding,
and it began to thump hard against his chest.

White Cloud remained at calm in comparison to his two guests who were
rather restless on his back. The horse was gracefully pacing the grass
paddock. His movements were slow and sturdy, and somewhat rhythmic
as he caused his riders to rock gently with each step. This motion added
friction between the King and the Crowned Prince.

As a result, within seconds this gyration caused Feng Ming to reach the
same excited situation the King was in, he was aroused.

He cursed himself inwardly.

Gritting his teeth and sucking in the last of his sanity he spoke in a
pained voice.

“There’s a condition, I’ll help you but you’ll have to help me too.”

Rong Wang was taken by surprise by this attractive condition, his mouth
went dry and his crotched ached with pain from the new promise of
attention.

In a hoarse seductive tone the King managed. “Hurry up, what are you

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dawdling on?”

Sparing no time, he practiced what he preached and immediately

snaked his hand into Feng Ming’s clothes.

On the tall steed, two men began to slowly coax and caress each other.

Maintaining the intensity and yet having to be cautious of attracting

their servant’s attention, heightened both their stimulations.

“I still think that you are inexperienced in this aspect.” The Regent King
teased with a cunning smile.

Rong Wang large hands continued to firmly rub Feng Ming’s hard
modest member.

However, the King’s own rapid breathing didn’t hide his own excitement,
under Feng Ming’s gentle caresses an orgasm was welling from the pit of
his stomach and it was practically on the verge of exploding.

On the other hand, Feng Ming was completely useless, his senses where
thrown out the door and his brain was basically embedded in a frenzy of
pleasure.

The Prince was speechless, his mouth couldn’t even function and his
neck was blushed with pink. The poor Prince could only bite down his jaw
to stop his whimpering to escape from his lips.

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Surges of electric currents originating from their fingertips were firing

neurons to their brains, stirring up the primal desires deep within,
pleasing their lusts and their obvious pleasure surfaced.

Feng Ming began to whimper under the King’s unbearable touch.

“Mmmph…”

At the final moment before Feng Ming’s release, Rong Tian abruptly
kissed the trembling lips, sealing the sound of gratification within. The
kiss helped Feng Ming escape attention from any of their attendants. If it
had not been the case it would have been an extremely embarrassing
groan.

Warm white milky fluid squirted into each of their palms.

“Lucky White Cloud’s coat is white.” Rong Tian commented with a smirk.

King Rong began to clean himself up, rubbing with the hems of an inner
layer of his plentiful clothing and he slowly caught his breath.

Feng Ming gradually came to his senses and he too, reached into his
front to start cleaning the spent friend he had in his trousers.

“Wait a moment!”

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Rong Wang halted him from continuing, and from the breast of his robe
he fished out a handkerchief which was covered with delicate
embroidery.

With this, he reached into Feng Ming’s robes and dutifully wiped the
traces of their passion from his spent member and his thighs.

Feng Ming’s face turned red and abashed but he still managed a “Thank
you.”

"You're welcome."

Rong Tian took the stained handkerchief with the embarrassing

evidence from Feng Ming and lifted it up slightly to admire it.

“I’ll keep this as a momento,” he declared seriously.

Giving no opportunity to the Prince to snatch it back, Rong Tian

treasured bounty was quickly returned to a hidden chest compartment
within the King’s robes.

Feng Ming eyes rapidly shot wide open, the words knocked out of his
mouth.

There was a long pause before Feng Ming snapped out of his shock and
screamed at the King.

“Rong Wang! You are disgustingly perverted!”

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The high pitched outburst, echoed throughout the small lawn. Under
these circumstances no one would even care whether the attendants
would become suspicious!

Just as the Prince was going to attempt to pinch back the offensive
handkerchief and destroy the shamefulness it represented, sounds of an
urgent set of horse’s gallop reached his ear.

“His Royal Highness and Regent King, your eminences were both here
all along!”

General Tong was the cause of the interruption, the middle aged man
laughed heartedly as he sat on the back of his horse.

“We have reached an agreement with the envoy that arrived from the
Country of Li. The murder of Xi Rei’s official will not damage the
relationship with have with them. As for the Tong Country, we have
already dispatched an ultimatum, demanding them to surrender the
criminals or else we will deploy our troops immediately. However, there
are other matters of the state that needs to be dealt with, and if I can
ask that your eminences would grace us with your presences in the
discussion court.”

“I am not going!”

With his eyes fixated on the King, Feng Ming was unwavering as he flat
out refused the request.

“We will go immediately, General Tong.” The Regent King replied calm
and sternly, offering the general a soft smile, and soon after he leaned

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closer to Feng Ming’s ear and whispered.

“If you are obedient, I’ll return the handkerchief to you.”

“You give it back first!” Feng Ming said bitterly under his breath.

"No, first you have to return with me to the court.”

“Give it back and I’ll go!”

"Come with me and I’ll return it to you.”

As their bickering was getting no where, Rong Tian turned around, to the
waiting general.

“General Tong, please go ahead of us. His Royal Highness will join you
soon.”

“Then…I shall take my leave first.” General Tong was not a fool. Unless
he was blind, anyone could read the strange expressions on the two
men’s face whilst they continued to whisper to each other, the general
knew something was astray so he was more than willing to ride away.

“Feng Ming…” Rong Wang watched and waited till General Tong was in
the distance and he suddenly wrapped is arms tightly around Feng Ming
bringing the Prince into a tight embrace.

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“What are you doing?” The Prince exerted all his strength to struggle out
of the hold, but it was completely fruitless.

The difference between their physical strength could not be highlighted

any better than this example.

“I’m warning you. Do no provoke me to boil over,” he threatened his

dangerous dark eyes narrowed setting them onto Feng Ming’s face.

The grave expression sent fear to the boy, as Feng Ming unconsciously
ceased his struggle.

Rong Tian then gently cautioned him, “I am really tempted to throw you
onto the grass and pin you down right now and have my way with you.
Do not give me an excuse to do so”

Like storm clouds approaching bringing ominous trouble, and setting off

barometers, Feng Ming’s eyes were alarmed as panic sank in.

Rong Wang laughed.

“I don’t want to scare you. However, if you don’t change your behavior
sooner or later you will reap the punishment. Do I make myself clear?
Let’s go to the hall now.”

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He promptly dismounted the horse, and held out his arms to carry a
silent Feng Ming from his perch.

As easily the King had managed to scare Feng Ming, he quickly coaxed
the boy with his charm. The Prince earnestly followed in the older
man’s footsteps as they both made their way back to the courtroom.

“When are you going to return that handkerchief to me?” he asked softly
as he trailed behind as they both proceeded to return to the official
discussion hall.

“You aren’t a woman, is your skin that thin?” he teased, not folding into
the request.

“Don’t all men have their dignity?” was the Prince’s rebuttal.

The couple’s spat continued as they argued with their voices lowered,
even when they entered the hall.

“Your Highness, we bid you well!” A chorus of men startled Feng Ming as
they greeted the Crown Prince’s entrance.

Every face in plain sight was full of respect as they paid their good
wishes to the Prince.

Feng Ming was speechless, inwardly he could only think the people of
this era, could easily sway their attitudes and wasn’t the change

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ridiculously fast?

The snap finger change didn’t even allow this modern man the have the
luxury of giving them all a sigh first.

However, since he assumed his role as the Crowned Prince it was the
first time he felt admired, and it wasn’t hard to let it get to his head.
After all it was a good feeling to be able pleased with what he had
accomplished for once.

Rong Wang immediately caught Feng Ming’s smug expression so he

dipped his head down towards the shorter man and whispered a caution.

“Don’t act so pleased with yourself, If they discover that you are an
imposter, they will certainly be the first to drag you out to roast on the
fire.”

The King’s words came as a bucket of cold water dumped on Feng

Ming’s head, and it immediately washed away the smitten smile of pride
on the Prince’s lips.

Feng Ming cursed the man inwardly, before grinding his teeth
begrudgingly.

“I am the real Prince, you have to stop suspecting me!” he spat gingerly.

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The King returned with a laugh, not paying attention to the topic any
more he moved to sit down in his seat.

Feng Ming followed suit and placed himself next to the Regent King in
their shared seating platform in the middle of the room.

Everyone else promptly sat in their positions, and soon enough the room
was engaged with the affairs of the country.

Feng Ming originally had no interest in such tedious matters. The show
of his merit yesterday was merely an anger outburst that was triggered
by Rong Wang’s mistreatments.

He listened for a while, barely putting any effort in focusing on the

squabbling voices. It didn’t take long for his mind to stray elsewhere.

"His Royal Highness?” a voiced called.

Feng Ming frowned as he heard his cue to join the boring conversation
taking place in front of him. All this time, instead of listening attentively
he had been deep in the midst of his own thoughts.

The Prince had been enwrapped in scheming how he would take White
Cloud for himself, if he could somehow pry the prized horse from the
Regent King’s possession.

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Pushing this plans aside, Feng Ming raised his head, where he
unexpectedly come face to face with General Chu who was looking at
him with much deference.

"Ah?" The Prince managed, beckoning a question to be asked as he sat

completely clueless to where he was meant to be involved.

“His Majesty, why are you frowning? Is there something you are not
satisfied with in the tax policies, perhaps a problem?”

Feng Ming’s eyes shot around the room, where all his subjects were
looking at him as if they were anticipating another amazing speech of
power from the ‘capable’ Crowned Prince.

Where the hell was he going to pull out an awe inspiring speech?

Towards tax, accounting and finance Feng Ming didn’t have the slightest
clue, nor did he ever care for learning it.

“There’s nothing wrong, just carry out what you have just discussed.”
Feng Ming hastily dismissed the issue as he nodded, casually waving the
matter.

Feng Ming couldn’t get the topic off his back, as General Chu continued
to stare at him strangely, after a long pause he advised the Crown
Prince. “However, your Highness we haven’t been able to draw a
conclusion for our tax policy negotiations…”

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What a complete shame! Feng Ming was caught out in his absent
mindedness and his face was faltering from his embarrassment.

Rong Tian stepped into the conversation.

“The Prince has had little contact with the happenings of the tax system
hence the lack of experience and knowledge on such matters is
understandable.”

The King’s intermission was out of good will, offering to scrape what
remained of the Prince’s pride. Instead of helping out, Feng Ming could
only feel the mockery in the man’s tone.

His anger was on its way to rebirth.

In addition, during his absentminded wavering he came to a realization

that the King had completely taken advantage of him when they rode
White Cloud.

Why did I have to help him do’ that’?

When he cleaned me ‘down there’ and kept the evidence!

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 10.2

FENG YU JIU TIAN CHAPTER 10 PART 2

Just thinking about the soiled handkerchief still in the Regent King’s
possession ticked a bomb inside Feng Ming.

The Prince grunted, and proudly defended his own pride out of
stubbornness.

“Rong Wang, I am afraid to tell you that your claim is wrong. It is true
that I, as the Prince have not personally dealt with tax systems and
financial policy making, however I am crystal clear on the matters
relating to them.”

On the side of the room, an astounded noise escaped Xi Rei’s tax

minister, Hei’s mouth.

“Oh?” He was delighted to hear the Prince’s decree and showed his
eagerness.

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“Then if His Royal Highness would kindly enlighten us with his great
knowledge.” He beckoned humbly.

The audience urged the Prince, displaying that enthusiasm as they

waited to be gifted with another great speech of wisdom.

Feng Ming almost bit off his own troublesome tongue. He chewed on his
lip in hesitation, as he actually thought about his words before he spoke.

“Mmm...umm…”

He sank deeper into his own trap.

The Prince then whipped his eyes and pinned them fiercely onto the
Regent King before answering the wishes of General Chu.

“Firstly, tell me the tax policy that you are proposing and I’ll reply with
my resolutions.”

Rong Tian wasn’t letting his prey go so easily.

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“Considering, His Highness is clear on the matter, why do you request a

reiteration?” A sinister smile was forming on the King’s thin lips, as he
found pleasure pressing Feng Ming’s buttons.

Feng Ming failed to conceal his distaste as it was clearly stamped on his
face, and his complexion darkened.

With the last remark, the Prince nearly shot out his seat to grab the King
by the collar, wanting to challenge the man’s obnoxious and superior
attitude.

However, the little rationality that lived in Feng Ming stopped his
impulse. As much as he wanted to pummel that smug handsome face,
he was well aware that in the end he would be suffer the King’s wrath.

Keeping their arguments exclusively to words was the safer option.

As a result he put his man-beating thoughts aside, and gave the man a
sneer before standing up with an air of feigned elegance. He glanced
over his subjects quickly before composing himself to calmly address
them.

“There is a saying in the Art of War which goes. “One must know
yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.” Even
though I am well versed in Tax systems and finances, such a big issue

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needs to be carefully analyzed and cannot be treated carelessly. It is

only natural that I am first explained the details of Xi Rei’s tax revenue
system, before I can deliberate and guide you.”

The flow of such clever words coming from the Prince’s mouth stunned
everyone in the room, even the Rong Wang who sat to his side was left
speechless.

Feng Ming was bemused by the surprised faces in front of him, he

managed to blow them out of the water, just like he had the day before,
so he didn’t find it strange, instead he thought to himself, what his next
move should be.

He had just opened his mouth at the slip of his tongue gave the bunch of
military buffs a free lecture entailing essences of Sun Zi’s ‘Art of War’
theories mixed with modern day terminologies for politics, it would have
been more strange if those words didn’t leave these “ancients”
dumbfounded.

Sure enough, after a gracious silence, everyone’s brains recovered and

their eyes were shining strangely with newfound worship towards their
bright Prince, almost as if they were beginning to idolize him.

General Tong then bowed to the ground, and exclaimed.

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“Your Highness’s talent and the extent of your great wisdom are
unfathomable. Before your arrival, we were discussing military tactics
against our enemies and the organization of our own troops. This saying
“One must know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be
defeated.” is commendable. It is praise worthy and deserves to be
credited to your Highness’s sharp mind. We would never have thought
that this “Art of War‘s” theory could also be applicable to the tax
system, this is magnificent, pure genius!”

Feng Ming knew flattering him with “wisdom” on such matters

concerning the tax system and the “Art of War” was irrelevant, so he
quickly turned the conversation back to the important topic. He turned
to face tax minister Hei and said, “Stop with the nonsense. As for the
pending issue, you better explain Xi Rei’s current tax system from the
beginning.”

Tax minister Hei replied dutifully with respect to the Prince’s wishes.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

He cleared his throat and began detailing a thorough explanation of Xi

Rei’s enforced tax system.

How was Feng Ming meant to keep his interest in this topic, there were

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countless terminologies he did not comprehend, and they were being

used repeatedly.

A frowned edged onto his face as he listened, it only took a few

sentences before he started to yawn, and his thought trained back to
the handkerchief in Rong Wang’s clutches.

He had merely boosted to put a lid over Rong Wang’s troublesome

mouth but in all honesty he was disinterested in what the minister had
to say. But he didn’t interrupt his subject’s long winded explanation
about the taxes.

The words simply passed in one ear and out the other. Boredom was
clear on the Prince’s face as the man continued to drone on.

As Feng Ming was dropping into a drowsy stupor, a sudden warm object
startled him.

What ever it was, dipped into his backside under his clothing and made
the boy shudder violently to the intrusion, snapping his brain out of
hibernation.

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That thing belonged to the Regent King, who had somehow managed to
sneak closer to the Prince without him noticing. Without a word the
King’s large hand stealthily dove into the covers of Feng Ming’s lower
robes and started to fondle his lower regions.

Due to their superior standing in the court, they were separated from
the rest, and all their subjects were a decent distance away. For Feng
Ming’s sake, a sturdy grand table helped to obscure the actions of the
wandering hand.

No one seemed to have noticed.

With so many people before him, if they were exposed it would be

complete humiliation taking back everything that Feng Ming had built
over the two days.

Anxiety swept over Feng Ming but he didn’t dare to make a sound.

Rong Wang unfortunately didn’t have the word “restraint” in his

vocabulary and showed no signs of ceasing his action, taking Feng
Ming’s silence as no signs of protest, which compelled him to unbridle
his behavior.

The King’s invasion moved onto something more interesting, as his

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fondling attack travelled further south within Feng Ming’s breeches,

where it took liberty to seize a certain soft organ.

“AH!” yelped Feng Ming who practically jumped in his seat.

Everyone’s eyes immediately darted to the Prince as the sudden

assertion place a halt to the official’s monologue.

“Does His Highness wish to comment on the matter?”

Rong Tian’s mischievous had promptly darted out of sight the moment
Feng Ming shouted out.

Feng Ming let out a sigh of relief, surveying the eyes that were on him
he calmly asked in response.

“Tax minister Hei, you said the country’s tax income is solely based on
the nobles and the slaves, and the tax charges are based on noblemen
rankings. It couldn’t be possible that apart from the nobles and the
slaves that there are no other people from other classes? Don’t these
others have to pay taxes?”

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“For this question, please let this humble official explain to your
Highness.”

Rong Wang offered, answering his questions with a degree of respect.

“Prince, the people are divided by the land they own, according to
location and how many slaves live within their vicinities. The landowners
can claim their power over the settlers however, they are also held
responsible for covering the taxes for these slaves”

Feng Ming gave the man a quick study, eventually restraining himself
from retaliating for the trouble the King caused and nodded his head.

“I understand now, this country is socially dependant on slavery, all the

land of this country is probably classified as the property of the country
or to be more correct the nobility. Everything within a noble’s territory
inclusive of humans is considered to be in their possession.”

“That’s correct.”

“In that case…”

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An ingenious idea struck Feng Ming he couldn’t even hold back his glee
at the next question he was going to cast.

“Does this mean that everything in the Imperial Palace is my property?”

“This…”

All eyes were upon the Regent King.

Rong Wang shattered Feng Ming’s wishful thinking.

“The nobles of Xi Rei are under the direct control of Xi Rei’s Regent King
and they are his slaves. They only listen and obey Xi Rei’s Regent King’s
orders.” He said coldly cutting the threads of hope the Prince had to gain
an upper hand.

“You are simply the Crowned Prince.” He issued the next blow.

Before Feng Ming could even open his mouth to claim a bit of pride for
himself, the King gave him the ultimatum.

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“This naturally means the Prince’s palace quarters aren’t His Majesty’s
property.”

“Humph!”

Feng Ming certainly knew the meaning behind the words, it was a hidden
warning, so the boy bitterly refuted.

“Countries which are completely dependant on slavery are outdated, the

only advantage is only the [subjective motivation] they have is to exploit
the land mass and expand the country’s perimeters, so the country’s
power can rise.”

“Oh?” the complexity in Feng Ming’s words set awe in his listeners, and
tax minister Hei was first to show his interests as the official beckoned
the Prince for more.

“Your Highness, what is a [subjective motivation]? Does it possess that

much power? How can we attain it?”

“It is not an object, but an actual type of attitude.” Feng Ming scratched
his head, it was tricky, and he wasn’t able to clarify what he had meant
and he personally didn’t want to explain it.

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As he thought over the new problem his eyes met with the King’s, who
was openly mocking him with the smile stretched across his smug face.

Feng Ming was stirred up by the King’s intentional irritation, determined

to not let the King to dominate him, in terms of wit.

“In other words, if you were in the position of a slave and every day you
are forced to work, knowing there is no prospects or rewards, then
laboring would become meaningless, and one’s work ethics would fall.
Given that you aren’t a slave, and have freedom to work hard and
receive benefits and rewards for your efforts, you work harder. If
everyone in this country is given this mentality, then Xi Rei is
guaranteed to prosper in riches and power. This is precisely why slavery
should be abolished as this kind of social structure does not benefit the
country in the long run.”

“What the Prince has just said, is this a method to control the people?”
Rong Wang asked sternly.

“So to speak…” Feng Ming nodding in confirmation, before turning to the

man and in a low voice he demanded. “Give me back that
handkerchief.”

Rong Wang’s replied in a whispered.

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“It is my incentive to work harder. It’s my [subjective motivation].” He

teased.

Feng Ming froze on the spot, like he was punched in the face every
emotion tied with anger started to well up.

General Chu interrupted the hate as he commented, “Forgive this

humble General’s stupidity, however this [subjective motivation] Your
Highness speaks of, although it sounds interesting, how do we go about
applying this method in practice?”

“As for the current military in Xi Rei, how are the upper positions
appointed and what determines the hierarchy?”

“Your humble general originates from a noble bloodline of servicemen, I

have been taught martial arts since childhood. The Country of Xi Rei
requires selection of officials by the process of one’s prestige from
esteemed family backgrounds, to avoid contamination with
commoners.”

Feng Ming slapped his knee in frustration before condemning what he

was told.

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“That’s the problem, a selection system solely based on one’s bloodline,

no wonder Xi Rei is challenged by so many enemies. The best solution, is
to base selection by an individual’s abilities, for positions in the military
and to rise in the ranks, who ever possesses the integrity, merit and
talent can have the opportunity to become a High official. Hence, this
will drive each individual to strive for promotions, and as a result it will
naturally promote competition and enhance the quality of our soldiers.”

General Tong cried out in disbelief, “If this was to happen, wouldn’t any
plain civilian be able to become a high ranking official? That is
preposterous! It must not happen!”

“Why shouldn’t this be allowed?” Feng Ming’s eyes flashed at the

General and he rebuked the outcry.

“This is the best solution in selecting candidates within the army, worthy
of a high position and we won’t be wasting precious talents. [Heroes are
born with out boundaries], do you understand?”

With his impassioned remark, Feng Ming pretty much managed to

provoke every member of the crowd, as each were willing to offer a
counter argument to his plans.

“This This …is nonsense!...”

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“It’s not tradition…”

Feng Ming was just one voice against a whole room full of old coots, his
face was red with anger, when he left the discussion hall, he was fuming
with rage as he stomped back to the Prince’s quarters.

Rong Wang followed his blazing trail of fury, and when they entered the
Prince’s chambers, he ordered the servants out and quickly grabbed
Feng Ming and embraced him tightly in his arms.

“Let go of me! You bunch of fools, how can you not comprehend such a
simple reason. It can’t possibly be that all ancient folks are completely
brainless? “

The Regent King laughed at the bitter lashes of words sprouting from the
Prince’s pretty little mouth.

“Don’t be so hasty, I know what you said is right. [‘Heroes are born with
out boundaries’]”, he clicked his tongue, “I would have never imagined
that you can be so impressive, conjuring these reasoning by yourself.”

“That’s right, compared to you idiots who depend on your family status
and blood heritage to rise in ranks, I am stronger!” Feng Ming spat.

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“Why the temper? Such good reasoning indeed must be heard. However,
you can’t be impulsive. All matters that require adjustments can be fine
tuned from within and can be carried out away from prying eyes.” Rong
Wang held Feng Ming closer to his own body, they were basically
plastered together.

“The country is in my hands, what is there that I can’t do?” he said in an

intimate voice that tickled Feng Ming’s ears.

Under the candlelight, the Regent King’s words revealed his dark
ambitions.

Feng Ming suddenly lifted his head, studied the face above him, he could
only feel that the man before him was valiant and extraordinarily
handsome.

This type of man was destined to become a legend that would last an
eternity.

“What‘s the matter? Why are you staring at so intently at me?”

Feng Ming didn’t reply and instead asked him seriously, “I am capable of
making you the ruler of all under the Heavens, do you believe me? Even
if you are a Cao Cao, I will still help you.”

“The King of King’s?” A smile emerged on Rong Wang’s lips. He gazed

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down at the young man in his arms and gently replied.

“I believe you. Since I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were something
different altogether."

“You want me to help you?”

Rong Wang nodded his head, and asked outright, “What are your
conditions?”

“There are two”

“Tell me then.”

“First, return the handkerchief you have in your pocket. The second…”

Feng Ming conjured up his bravery, and placed his neck on the chopping
board.

“Let me top you once!”

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Feng Ming didn’t know whether this kind of tactic could be considered as
rape.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 11

I think I might like some of you guys…

Thank you for the well wishers here is my return present.

Happy…err…midweek!

I was actually banned from going to Uni Monday and Tuesday because I
was a biohazard to every living being.

--- --- --- --- --- ---

“First, return the handkerchief you have in your pocket. The second…”

Feng Ming conjured up his bravery, and placed his neck on the chopping
board.

“Let me top you once!”

Feng Ming didn’t know whether this kind of tactic could be considered as
rape.

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His audacious words immediately swept silence across the large

chambers, creating an eerie tomb.

A stifling force of embarrassment smacked the Prince, he bowed his

head timidly.

How pathetic, instead of this sorry display he should have held his head
high and stood with his chest out, self satisfied and smugly waiting the
response of his servant, Rong Wang’s answer.

Moreover, this was an opportunity to stir King Rong.

The Prince contemplated making that handsome face fault just by

shooting a frivolous glance to show the vulgar intentions he had, hoping
then he would be able to bask triumphantly in the King’s shame.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the balls to act out his plan.

"Let me top you once?" the King repeated and his voice remained
normal.

"Yes." Feng Ming confirmed, nodding his bowed head gently.

The arms around his waist slowly tightened their hold, gently
imprisoning the Prince.

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“However, is there a reason for ‘only ‘once?” Rong Tian whispered.

“If it was me, I would definitely have said ‘a lifetime’.”

“Would you agree to a lifetime?”

"You are so sure that I would not consent?" his lips pulled back into a
sneer, the King’s attitude exposed crucial clues.

Rong Tian’s eyes stared dangerously at him and Feng Ming began to
fear the outcome of this conversation.

The King’s thin lips softly raised as he questioned, “Be honest, why did
you even mention such a ridiculous requirement?”

Feng Ming felt at this moment as if he was a naughty child being

reprimanded.

“That’s because I need to strike first and gain the upper hand.” He
replied in a low voice, and returned the Regent King’s look with a hearty
hate-filled glare.

“Don’t think I’m not aware of your heart’s dirty desires!” he blurted
out.

"Oh? My dirty desires?" the King teased.

Feng Ming couldn’t stand the oppressive atmosphere the King held over

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him so with a renewed dignity he whipped his angry face upwards and
stared intently at the man.

"Don’t you dare deny it! You’ve had perverted thoughts of me from the
very beginning. Don’t think that I’m a fool not to notice. Rather than
letting me be eaten by you, it would be better to let me top you, besides
the newspaper articles I’ve read said that being the receiver hur-mm-
mph…nnnnhhh…nnnnhhh…”

The concluding words of Feng Ming’s rambling were timely cut off as the
King worked his skillful mouth over the soft full lips.

As usual, when their lips locked the young man’s heartbeat raced and
his chest heaved like a bellow desperately sucking in air. He was again
drawn into a fit of frenzied passion which left him in a daze which
included losing control of his own body as it melted with the heat of the
moment.

When their kiss finally broke Feng Ming gasped for breath, by the time
he calmed down he was completely leaning within the crook of the
King’s strong arm.

“Hey! Where are you taking me?” he shrieked as his weakened body
was swept up in a sudden motion.

In fact, it was a needless question as they where both clearly heading

towards the Prince’s bedroom.

Feng Ming immediately tensed.

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Rong Wang sent his reassurance, bowing his head to whisper with a
smile. “Didn’t His Majesty give me his requirements? Given such an
alluring condition, who in this world could refuse?”

Feng Ming was taken back because he never conceived his business
proposition to run so smoothly.

Feng Ming almost bit his tongue again when he found the words to reply.

"So you agree?" he studied the King with disbelief.

"I agree."

Rong Wang moved effortlessly with his bounty and placed the Prince on
top of the bed.

“To have me allow you to top once, actually isn’t necessary, under the
circumstances when both parties are willing, if you wanted more I would
give my consent without an issue with it.”

Feng Ming’s jaw basically dropped off his face.

"Well, go ahead." Rong Wang’s perfect features were closing in on his

own face and the man’s voice was thicker than velvet as he showed no
signs of hiding his delight.

The scent of desire flowed from the King, his lust thickened in the air,

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swamping the Prince’s senses.

Feng Ming almost fell into the King’s bewitching pace. He shied his face
away from the man’s poison.

He was hesitating.

“I…” his face seared with glowing red embers.

“I’ve never had any official…”

“I see.” The Regent King smiled tentatively, as if it wasn’t a problem.

His large hands rested on the Prince’s shoulders and they stroked the
boy reassuringly.

“In this case, let me guide His Royal Highness.” He offered genuinely.

To be address as His Royal Highness, at this moment touched Feng

Ming.

Sure enough, the King began to carefully guide him.

"Love between men, in fact, is the same as that between a man and
woman. In Xi Rei we have a traditional custom, where young men live
and learn from an experienced adult man, learning skills, and to develop
courage and perseverance, the matters of the body can also be taught

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by direct contact of the mentor during this learning phase, so a majority

of men have experience in this aspect. Only…”

Concurrent with his lecturing Rong Tian’s large coarse hands were
fondling all parts of the Prince, the boy’s ears were practically scarlet.

Feng Ming barely managed to defend himself.

“It’s not like I’ve never had any experience, I’ve simply forgot that’s all!”

Hearing the Prince’s quibbling, the King reached unexpectedly to a pink

erect rose bud on the boy’s chest and gave it a forceful twist. The boy
body’s reacted as his spine curled under the hold.

Feng Ming released a whimper, his body loosening to the assault and he
collapsed powerless on top of the bed.

His clothes were splayed out beneath his body. The numerous layers
had been worked off his body by the King.

“Looking at the Prince’s seductive composure, it is not difficult to believe

that the Prince has precious experience”

The King ridiculed him, “Only that it has been forgotten.”

His mischievous hands gradually teased Feng Ming’s body till it was

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burning with desire.

At that point Rong Tian left the bed, and moved towards a cabinet to
retrieve a small bottle. Tipping the entire contents of the vial into his
palms a pool of viscous liquid formed which vaguely had the scent of
pleasant herbs.

Taking half of the volume he applied the cool liquid onto his own body,
and the remaining portion was eased onto Feng Ming’s flaccid member.

The King gently coaxed the modest length of muscle to harden in his
grasp.

Under the rhythmic strokes of the warm wet hand, Feng Ming was easily
aroused and his penis ached for more attention. His own body twisted in
the man’s unceasing touch. His voice was trapped in his throat, as he
made small animal sounds.

“I would have never thought you’d be so enthusiastic.” The man teased.

“Nonsense! I’m topping you, it’s only natural I get this passionate.”

“Well, I’m ready to have you on top.” A gentle smile eased across the
King’s lips, he reached to help steady the Prince into a straddling
position on top of his own body.

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Feng Ming felt a little light-headed as his brain was in overload and
shooting him warnings.

“This doesn’t seem right.”

Rong Wang laughed as he asked “Where is the problem?”

“You should have your legs open and I shouldn’t be sitting with my legs
open on top.”

“Is that so?” The Regent King snaked his hand around Feng Ming’s
slender waist and gently adjusted the boy until his hardened and erect
member softly nudged at the Prince’s tightly closed entrance.

Feng Ming whimpered as the strange sensation sent the boy reeling, his
hips immediately twisted away from the stimulus.

An indescribable noise was choked back in the boy’s throat from his
surprise.

“Feng Ming…” Rong Wang’s voice was exceptionally husky as he

beckoned the younger man. He clasped his free hand around Feng
Ming’s arousal, comforting the length that was on the verge of
exploding.

His brain was in a muddle, as the older man drowned him in pleasure
stroke by stroke, tugging at every nerve of sensation.

In the final moment, as Feng Ming reached his climax a soft pressure

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was applied to the tip of his aching muscle, blocking the exit for the
fluids of his passion.

Under the King’s cruel control which stopped his release, Feng Ming
nearly broke into tears.

He cried out his captor’s name without thinking.

“Unnh…Rong Tian.”

“Not bad, you seem to recall my name now.” The man was satisfied,
presenting a smug grin.

Rong Tian propped his upper half up and pulled Feng Ming into his arms,
one arm fixed firmly around the boy’s waist to hold him in place and the
King’s other hand continued to torment the boy’s desperate member.

He laughed lightly, “Feng Ming, I’m going to let you release, does that
sound good?”

Damn you!

Why would you even ask such a question?

What part of that doesn’t sound good?

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The arrow has already been drawn back on the bow there’s nothing
more to do but shoot!

However, this wasn’t the time to lecture him with any strange phrases.

Feng Ming couldn’t find his voice so he hurriedly nodded his head.

His eyes glimmered with pleasure as they signaled and pleaded with the
King.

Rong Wang sneered, then loosened his firm grip around Feng Ming’s
penis and quickly gave the member a gentle squeeze. The Prince
quivered in his arms.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!” Feng Ming screamed, his body completely softened

and slumped into a mass on top of the King.

Warm white bodily fluid had squirted all over Rong Tian’s hand.

The boy’s eyes closed shut as his body savored the moment, at this time
Rong Wang moved to whisper into the Prince’s ears.

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“Feng Ming the transaction has been completed.”

“What?” The Prince’s chest was still catching all the air it could manage
to help recover from his dismal state he even struggled to open his eyes.
When his hazy eyes managed to partially open, the look of Feng Ming’s
face was a captivating sight.

“You have released yourself on top of me, hasn’t your terms been
met?”

This comment cleared Feng Ming’s mind immediately, he shook his head
urgently to reclaim the deal.

“No, this isn’t, this doesn’t count!” his frustration wasn’t hidden on his
face.

“How can this not count?” The Regent King pressed the man who was
flailing frantically in his arms.

The King’s rich voice whispered deviously into the boy’s ear.

“The evidence is conclusive, or shall I send for an imperial guard to pass

his judgment on the matter.”

“How can you call a guard to testify such matters? Anyway, this doesn’t
count!” Feng Ming indignantly stammered with anger.

Rong Tian expression snapped, his face pulled back and he raised an
eyebrow.

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“I want to very much commit something to offend your Highness…”

“What?”

“You haven’t realized that you were the only one who had the pleasure
of being released, likewise, I haven’t been comforted in such a
manner.”

With this comment, Rong Wang pointed towards his erection and its
generous length hit the air like a skyscraper.

Immediately, all the fierceness behind Feng Ming’s fangs vanished when
he had initially decided argued with the King.

Fearing what was installed ahead he turned away from the King’s
weapon and swallowed the knot in his throat before timidly voicing
himself.

“But you really didn’t comply with the agreement….”

Under the frightening power of Rong Tian’s gaze the last few words
automatically disappeared from Feng Ming’s mouth. The eyes that fixed
onto his naked and vulnerable body completely stripped any ounce of
fight left inside of him.

“Sleep now.” The King unexpectedly ordered.

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His eagle like eyes watched the bowed head for a while before finally
sighing.

“Otherwise, I really can’t resist.”

Feng Ming was aware that the King was telling the truth, this was a
matter of time and place. He wasn’t going to dare risk the “truth” by
trying to explain the facts on how their agreement has not been
completed now.

The moment the King loosened his grip, the Prince didn’t hesitate to
jump into the covers of his sleeping pallet. He quickly drew the heavy
quilts over his naked body ensuring he carefully covered any part of him
that may lead to alluring the other.

“I will take a bath.” Rong Wang finally got off the bed, before he left he
swiveled around and dropped his face down to Feng Ming’s level
cautioning him.

“You were meant to go with me however in this state if we shared a bath

something would surely happen between us. I don’t want you to go
biting your tongue again.”

Feng Ming discovered at that point, that Rong Wang actually had a fear
of his “suicidal tendencies” and it must have engrained a deep
impression for him to withhold his actions.

This was one messed up evening.

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Originally the Prince was going to have his wishes granted unfortunately
he was cheated on their bargain.

However, if it was the matter of deception, he couldn’t really lump

different matters together.

Considering the Regent King’s power and the fact that he had repressed
his needs was good.

Also…Rong Wang’s technique isn’t too bad with his hands….

As Feng Ming had these thoughts in his mind, Rong Tian had already
finished with his cleansing and promptly returned.

Upon hearing the man’s footsteps Feng Ming hastily closed his eyes
feigning sleep.

Rong Tian stripped out of his garments, and entered the warm covers of
Feng Ming’s quilts.

When Feng Ming was suddenly drawn into the King’s embrace from
behind, his heart raced erratically, scared stiff whether the King would
try anything on him tonight.

Suffering in silence, he waited for a long time, and seeing there was no
further activity from the man, Feng Ming could finally relax.

So there are still really people that honor their words, or perhaps the
ancient folks have strong morals?

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No, impossible.

This King has shown his true self previously.

The word moral doesn’t even exist in his vocabulary.

Otherwise why would the original Prince have so many scars on his
body?

Feng Ming imagination ran wild before his thought patterns waned, his
concluding thoughts fixed on how warm and cozy it was to be hugged by
the King.

Managing to tire himself out, his mind slipped into a daze and he
gradually drifted off to dreamland.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 12

Terminology:

Death by a thousand cuts – was a capital punishment carried out from

the Ming Dynasty up till the early 20th century. The criminal was bound
to a pole and literally parts of an individual were cut off until they
ultimately died from blood loss.

---- --- --- ---

The following morning Feng Ming’s eyes fluttered open with the warmth
of the rising sun.

Shortly after, the memories of last night’s activities flooded back into his
mind, he could not help but to blush from ear to ear.

He contemplated for a while on what to do, but decided in any case he

had to face the King so he prepared for the worst and committed himself
to confront his bed partner.

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His gritted as he rolled over give the King a good stare down.

Once he had moved, he was surprised to discover the man who had
embraced him as they shared the bed for the night was no where to be
found and in fact had disappeared without a trace.

In a flash, an overwhelming anger hit him, feeling dejected by the

desertion discontent bubbled from the depths of his heart.

Feng Ming sat himself up on the bed and stared blankly at the spot
where the King had slept.

His slender fingers reached for the surface of the bed was still warm
where the man had laid remained slightly depressed from the older
man’s weight.

Why did he leave in a hurry?

Chiu Lan was outside, waiting on her master to wake, hearing the
shuffling inside the Prince’s chambers prompt her to enter and assist the
Prince to change into his outfit.

“Chiu Lan…”

“Your Highness, what is the matter?”

Feng Ming dipped his head, thought about it briefly and decided to not
pursue the matter.

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He shook his head.

“Forget about it.”

Is it possible that Rong Wang is even more thin skin than me?

Was he was too embarrassed to see me so he made his break before

morning?

The idea of the Regent King scrambling in panic before taking flight
made his stomach twitch, though it was more likely due to hunger.

Chiu Lan had also brought his meal.

Feng Ming indulged his imagination over the question “why?” as he ate
his breakfast absentmindedly.

For the past few days, Rong Tian had been turning up to his quarters like
clockwork, bright and early every morning.

As much as Feng Ming didn’t welcome the man, the King did provide
some type of muse for Feng Ming upon each visit.

Boredom can make one desperate.

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Feng Ming found the King annoying when he ever he hung around
however when the King was absence a bit of him was missing that daily
“muse”.

After taking his meal, he waited for two hours hoping that something
would happen. His impatient hit the roof when nothing more than insects
paid him any attention. So he decided to try his luck and see whether he
could escape out of the Prince’s quarters again.

Considering it wasn’t his first time, he knew the chances were slim given
that every other time the guards easily caught him.

As if it had become a routine for him to try and only be dragged back to
his confines. He was beginning to treat their daily episodes as good
exercise.

He stealthily stuck his head out to check the coast was clear around his
chamber before attempting his dash to escape the guarded doors of the
hall’s main entrance.

Sure enough, as soon as he stepped foot outside the perimeter, he

smacked into someone’s chest, and that someone immediately arrested
Feng Ming.

The strong grip hauled the Highness back into his cage.

Only this time his handler wasn’t a palace guard, it was the King

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himself.

“What? You can’t tolerate staying still for a second?” he chided.

The King released his hold on Feng Ming’s collar and dragged him along
to sit down next to him at a table before ordering Chiu Lan to bring a hot
meal.

“Prepare our meal and bring some light refreshments.”

When Chiu Lan left the two, Feng Ming studied the King’s face when he
didn’t see any signs of awkwardness from their activities in bed he was
able to ease up his concerns.

Not before long, Chiu Lan returned and promptly placed dozens of
delicious snacks and down on the table before excusing herself.

“Haven’t you had breakfast?” Rong Tian asked as he reached for his
chopsticks and picked up a palace made savory dumpling. He gladly fed
himself and chewed it delicately and nodded to the Prince.

Instead of a reply Feng Ming interrogated the King, “Where did you go so
early in the morning?”

Rong Tian suddenly snorted at the question, a smile pulled across his
lips as he studied the boy.

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Feng Ming went red, the eyes that pinned down on him was making him
flustered.

However, that was short lived as he defended himself angrily.

“Don’t you mistake it as if I’m concerned about you.” He spat.

“Why do you blush so easily? What are you ashamed of?” Rong Wang
shuffled in his seat and outstretched his hand for Feng Ming’s waist.

“Come over here.” He commanded the Prince.

“What are you going to do?” The boy looked at him with suspicious eyes.

“You have to sit on my lap.”

“Get out! I’m not a ‘call girl’” offended Feng Ming struggled away from
the swaying hand in front of him.

“What’s a call girl?”

Feng Ming face pulled back in a grimace, he stuck out his tongue at the
King.

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“It’s not like you’d ever have the fortune to see one, she’s a beautiful
woman of goddess like proportions.”

With that said the Prince dodged the hand that shot out for him again,
and he escaped to sit the furthest he could manage from the King’s
position.

Rong Tian looked at Feng Ming’s display, rested the pair of chopsticks
and calmly reached into his chest pocket, and drew out yesterday’s
offending handkerchief.

The younger man’s eyes widened like saucers as soon as he caught the
first glimpse of the white material, he suddenly jumped up and
demanded angrily.

“That’s mine! Give it back to me, we had a deal!”

Rong Wang gave him a scandalous smile.

“I’ve only received half of your deposit and if you succeed in assisting
me to become the ‘ruler of all’ then I’ll happily return the rest to you.”

He then tucked the handkerchief back into the cavities of his garments.

Feng Ming just stared at him in disbelief but his mouth rushed to rescue
the situation.

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“You can’t possibly be serious! Are you planning to keep something

that’s dirty on you all the time?”

Feng Ming pinched his nose to exemplify how possibly unhygienic it was
to carry something that had been soiled around.

His face then scrunched up into a scowl, having his hand and face
occupied making his disgust Feng Ming completely dropped his guard.

Seizing the opportunity, the King abruptly snatched the boy’s wrists
immobilizing the smaller man and drew him into his arms and
subsequently pressed his mouth tightly against the scowling pair, kissing
any rebuke out of them.

“Feng Ming you are so attractive…”

“Hey! You aren’t allowed to be rude to the Prince!”

When the Regent King satisfied his quota of kisses, he reluctantly

released the boy and sternly asked.

“Feng Ming, are you really the Prince himself?”

From the beginning Feng Ming has always stood his ground on this
question.

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He immediately nodded.

"There is no need to lie to me, even if you are not the ‘real’ Prince, I will
protect you."

"I have no need to lie to you from my head to toes which part of me isn’t
the real Prince!"

His answers were becoming cyclic.

Rong Wang stared at the defiant boy momentarily before commenting,

“From your words and your behavior, in contrast to the original Prince
you are completely two separate people.”

All of a sudden, his voice turned sinister as he asked the next question.

“Feng Ming, you have to be honest, are you using some type of ‘soul
possession’?”

As the King finished this eerie question, the words practically hit Feng
Ming, he jolted on the spot and his body was frightened stiff.

He had reflected on his own experiences so far, and was sure that no
one in this backward ancient civilization could possibly comprehend his
situation.

The fact that anyone in Xi Rei could understand “possession” was

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insane.

In his case, the term “soul possession” could be partially be used to

described what had happened to him and his journey to his new world.

Rong Wang had what he wanted, he had purposely asked the question
to elicit a reaction from the mysterious character and judging from the
boy’s strange display the King was already connecting the evidence in
his mind.

He let out a sigh “So this is really the case then.”

“The thing is, this is a really a very very complicated and long story, and
it’s probably longer that the longest river of Xi Rei.” Feng Ming gulped as
his mouth went on the defense he actually had no idea how long the
longest river in Xi Rei was but he was buying time to figure out how he
could stop Rong Wang from misunderstanding why he had deceived him
from the beginning.

Shaking his head, he decided it was only best if he explained the facts to
the Regent King.

Rong Wang immediately interrupted his explanation asking him

seriously.

“Feng Ming, how many people know of you using “soul possession”?

Seeing the intense expression on the King’s face, he couldn’t help to get

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scared.

He desperately shook his head and in a small voice replied.

“I’ve always said I was the Prince himself.”

“Do you understand what it means to commit ‘soul possession’ in Xi

Rei?”

The blood drained from Feng Ming’s face as he stood without an answer
for a while then he bitterly replied.

“Rong Tian, don’t you dare threaten me by telling me you will have me
burnt to a crisp.”

"In terms of ‘possession’, Xi Rei’s history records this type of paranormal

events in ancient fables. It starts when a soul of the ‘dead’ with the help
of an external power invades and steals the body of a living being,
eventually killing the host and expelling the original soul. Additionally, to
survive in its borrowed body the occupant will need to devour the life
force of another being each day. In Xi Rei, if an individual is suspected of
committing such dark magic, they would be captured and be publicly
executed. Death by being sliced to death alive, the act ensuring no other
human will fall victim to the evil.”

Feng Ming shuddered to the information he was dealt.

The punishment was on par with the sickening ‘death of a thousand

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cuts’ that was reinforced as capital punishment by a famous Eunuch

during the Ming dynasty of China!

Feng Ming’s complexion changed with the blood curdling images that
flashed into his mind, he tugged at Rong Wang’s sleeve.

“Hey, it’s not like I was the one that killed the Prince, I haven’t even
harmed anyone you can’t charge me of any crime.”

Rong Tian tipped his head lower to the boy, who by now was wearing
fear on his face.

"Well, I’m not saying you are guilty of a crime."

The beautiful black eyes were stricken with fright the usual lively light
they held had dimmed as the younger man stood stiff.

Seeing the boy’s state the Regent King could not refrain from smiling.

"Do not be afraid as no one knows your condition. I believe that you are
not an evil spirit, otherwise, the first person you would have killed would
have been I.”

Relieved Feng Ming regained his composure.

"As long as you know, Rong Tian, don’t you dare to threaten me instead
you should hurry up and tell me how you came up with the idea of ‘soul
possession’.”

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The Prince paused.

“Also, how are you going to deal with me now?”

Another hesitation before he gulped.

He asked suspiciously, “you can’t possibly be serious about dragging me

out to be executed, right?”

“This morning, I left to practice martial arts, coincidentally as I made my

way around the palace I came across part of the palace chamberlain
quarters, and there in one room something caught my eye. After
investigating I found the room was filled with a collection of relics and
sacrificial offerings. I was suspicious, so I immediately summoned the
servants living in that quarter to explain themselves. After interrogation
they confessed that the Prince’s strange behavior had made them all
recall the stories of “body possession” and in fear they had prepared for
a ritual to seek their ancestor’s protection from evil spirits.”

Rong Wang provided a complete understatement in fact the servants

involved were all tortured to confess the truth of their actions.

Feng Ming innocently asked as he remained proud of his efforts thus far
as ‘Prince’, "I have always felt I’ve performed my act very well, how did
they discover me?"

"Within the Palace, there are countless people that watch each and
every move you make, why would it be strange if someone suspected

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you? Given the situation, the only a quick solution was to suppress the
problem, I have already had the servants involved executed."

"You what!?" Feng Ming cried out in disbelief. .

Since the very beginning Feng Ming was at least thankful that he was
given the role of being a Prince, compared to a servant. But nothing
would have prepared him to meet a man that could treat human lives so
lightly.

"Why?" Fengming asked still shell shocked at the cold blooded man in
front of him. .

"They were only scared, but why did you have to kill them?"

"Feng Ming, you are too simple and need to pay attention to your own
identity.”

The Prince looked like he was going to pass out, so the Regent King
ushered the younger man to sit down.

His voiced lowered to a menacing tone, “You are the Crowned Prince of
Xi Rei, on top of foreign disputes, even within the country there are
countless people who would better see you dead to an early grave.”

“On this occasion you’ve manage to make mistakes on your behavior,

people are always on the watch for your flaws, once they have a reason
it would only take a matter of time for rumors to spread. They will seek
every opportunity to have you executed. All they need is an excuse and
this time you gave them an interesting excuse.”

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It goes without saying the flowery nature filled palace of great splendor
Feng Ming had liked to envisage himself imprisoned in of was completely
shattered with the King’s dark words.

Feng Ming realized his nightmare just got a lot worst than the Regent
King.

He was surrounded by traps with enemies waiting for him to turn his
back, they were around him waiting to pounce he was in a living hell
where his life was on the line.

The thought made the Prince shiver.

“However…” the younger man hesitated.

“However… what? A Prince fearing his own country would shake the
very foundations of the nation’s system and prestige. The Royal Palace
is a horrible place of treachery. As your soul ‘possesses’ the Prince’s
body, you will have to live in his place. Accept your duties as the
Crowned Prince. If it was the original Prince in your place this event of
‘soul possession’ by an evil spirit would merely be another a rumor. Do
you think perpetrators of the rumors will get off lightly? I purposely
stayed in the Prince’s chambers, to provide a warning to those who
target you that your identity has been acknowledged by me hence no
one is permitted to question your status and if they do I shall take them
as directly challenging me.”

Feng Ming forced a smile, "Rong Tian, I'm getting confused, what did you

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mean by my fear?"

Rong Wang caressed his cheek, smiled softly and replied with no rush to
his words.

“The knowledge you have to gain about the Palace, would take more
than 10 years of studies to accomplish, for now the most important
aspect is that you should remember exercise caution regardless of
where you are and you must not be brash in your actions, try to fight
that hardhead of yours”

"Rong Tian, are you not afraid?....I am a ghost."

The Regent King burst into a fit of laughter, exhilarated by Feng Ming’s

rather silly question.

“I’ve come across the most fascinating creature I’ve met during my
whole lifetime, and that’s you, you little demon.”

Then his voice lightened as he exclaimed “There’s something I am even

more worried about.”

Feng Ming was getting nervous, having no idea what the King was on
about.

“What do you mean?”

“The Original Prince’s body was not bad, however it couldn’t withstand

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the love making between men, his entrance was too tight, and easily
tore so each time he ended up with injuries. If you really possess the
original Prince’s body, how am I going to fix this problem?”

Feng Ming was stunned like a fish out of water, his mouth was left
gaping and his eyes pierced the Regent King with another level of his
deadly stares.

After a long awkward period, something inside the Prince finally snapped
as incoherent roars of anger burst from his lips before he finally shouted,
“Rong Tian what did you just say you are going to do with the Crowned
Prince? Get out of here now!”

As one can well imagine even with all the screaming the result was that
it didn’t convince the King to retreat from the Prince’s quarters.

Instead Rong Wang had managed to intimidate the poor boy, till he was
too scared to give a fight.

The imitation obediently sat down and picked up a brush to begin

practicing his imitations of the original Prince’s calligraphy skills.

Feng Ming understood that getting his writing down to pat equated to
staying alive and if he got caught as a fake there were dire
consequences which most likely would be fatal.

All he could do now was to surrender to the King, reluctant to be the

man’s student, but Rong Tian was his life line.

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Even Feng Ming wasn’t that stupid to throw it away, so he was now
renewed with determination to commence studying the art of being the
original Prince.

For two consecutive months, Rong Wang continuously dragged Feng

Ming to participate government proceedings and requested sermons on
the awe inspiring theories that the mysterious boy had in his mind.

Each day Rong Tian accompanied Feng Ming to study the world around
him as well as the Prince’s own history.

In regards to how Feng Ming felt towards his new regime, he was
obviously miserable but none the less he through his hardship and
torture Xi Rie and the world beyond was becoming a clearer picture.

Even his ugly calligraphy skills that could make a grown man laugh was
forming into strokes of art.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 13

On December 20th the palace was welcomed with the chill of winter,
additionally this date was the Empress of Xi Rei’s birthday.

Rong Wang was concerned with organizing the palace into shape for this
grand occasion which was part of Xi Rei’s tradition. Naturally, the
festivity was to be arranged by him, and with the Regent King’s orders,
each and every flag post hoisted a colorful flag, vibrant lanterns
decorated the eaves of the palace, lively fine silk banners adorned
mantles and silk screens were renewed. In addition to these stunning
arrangements candles were alit throughout the halls, their fiery flame
used to wish the Empress longevity and youth.

A hundred of the imperial courtesans and officials also brought tributes

to Her Highness, most had arrived bearing fascinating trinkets or
priceless treasures. The worldly presents had been gathered and
delivered to the Empress early in the morning.

Throughout the year, the queen remained faceless, only on her birthday
would she venture out to her subjects dressed in the grandest of
ceremonial costumes. Topped with her sovereign crown she would sit on
her throne and await company in the Empress’s hall located in the
centre of the inner palace, a region dedicated to women only.

Routinely on the day of the Empress’s birthday, one hundred of Xi Rei’s

high court officials would be led by His Royal Highness to pay her
eminence a visit. Today was no exception, everyone was waiting for the

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Prince to arrive and collect the well-wishers. However, that very Prince
they were waiting on was gloriously throwing a fit of rage within the
Prince’s chambers and had yet to front his entourage.

“WHAT?” he screamed at Rong Tian.

“You are talking about my mother? “

The Prince was suddenly forced to wear a set of extravagant robes after
taking a bath. Feng Ming was completely stumped by news which hit
him out of the blue.

“I actually have a mother, the Empress?” he uttered in disbelief.

“What is so strange? Everyone has parents, although Xi Rei’s King has

been in a coma for countless years, the Empress has always maintain
her duties within the inner palace. The Empress enjoys her peace and
rarely makes an appearance outside of her confines.”

Feng Ming stared at the Regent King firmly, showing his dissatisfaction
and he paced back and forth bickering at the misfortune looming
overhead.

“Why did you bring this up with me now? This is such a big matter and
you suddenly want me to bring a hundred officials to accompany me to
make a formal visit to my ‘mother’.” He stammered before hissing
angrily, “My god! She will sense something is wrong!”

Feng Ming turned to the King and nervously grabbed the man firmly.

“A mother knows best, she’ll see right through me!”

“That’s why I am telling you now. This will test you for the past two
months of study you’ve undertaken and to verify what you have learnt.

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You’ve covered palace etiquette so to have you bring out the basic
framework of the Prince is not impossible. To conceal your true identity
to the people, you need to be able to satisfy the Empress. If you can’t
even convince a woman who spends most of her time hidden away
within the inner palace, in the future when you travel to represent the
country on envoys of diplomacy, you’ll indefinitely be exposed as an
imposter.”

Feng Ming was like a broken record, he repeated the strange words he
just heard.

“In the future I will travel…”

“You are the Crowned Prince, naturally there are many places that you
will need to visit to establish ties with other countries,” Rong Wang
stationed the younger man in front of himself, before reaching to assist
the Prince to straighten the delicate garment which the boy had
scrunched under his hold out of his near nervous breakdown.

“Don’t be scared, the Empress is a docile individual. Particularly, she and

An He did not often share the best relationship. Just relax and she will
not see through your act. Besides, I will be there with you.”

With the King’s words, Feng Ming felt the weight on his heart lighten,
however it stroked his suspicious.

“How come the Prince and the Empress don’t often meet? Aren’t they
mother and son?”

Rong Wang hesitated before answering, “The customs within the Royal
Palace are like this, you’ll slowly get accustomed to it. Anyhow, the
Prince was rather disappointing as a result the Empress was not
particularly proud of him nor did she favor him in any light.”

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Although Feng Ming was clear that Rong Tian was talking about the
‘Original Prince’, he still found it offensive and gave the older man a
deadly glare to show his discontent.

King Rong chuckled, amused by the boy’s reaction, so he corrected

himself.

“The former Prince was the disappointing one where as on the other
hand you are the complete opposite.”

Rong Tian’s large hands shuffled down to stroke at the shorter man’s
slender waist.

Feng Ming laughed in response to the man’s fondling.

The playful couple lingered in the Prince’s chambers for a good period of
time, unnerving the hundred officials and servants that had assembled
and waited for the two in a large courtyard near the inner palace.

When the two important figures finally emerged from the Prince’s halls a
flood of relief washed over the servants. The pair finally marched on,
heading towards the courtyard to address their entourage before leading
them to greet the Empress.

As they reached the boundary walls of the inner palace, voices of

celebration rang through the air as did the sound of string and wind
instruments.

The festivities could not strip away the fact that at this very moment,
Feng Ming was going to step foot into the ultimate exam, to authenticate
his identity, his heart could not help but beat hard against his rib cage,
panic was running through his brain.

He suddenly halted before the entrance of the courtyard where his

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subjects were waiting, his hand shook as it tugged at Rong Tian’s

sleeves, completely grasping onto the material with a death grip.

Rong Wang witnessed the color drain from Feng Ming’s face, fear glazed
over the boy’s face. He was starting to secretly feel guilty and
irresponsible for not giving Feng Ming a few days notice. However, given
this situation it was a perfect opportunity to toughen the Prince, so he
could stand on his own.

Without any better alternative, King Rong roughly reached for the hands
attached to him and fiercely tugged them off his sleeves.

The abrupt action startled Feng Ming, as well as when the King suddenly
bowed and announced as loud as he could bellow out:

“His Highness has arrived!”

Rong Tian immediately made scarce, stepping back to stand well behind
Feng Ming, leaving the stunned fish standing all alone at the grand
entrance to the open court.

Suddenly, the court doors slammed wide open, all the officials have
been waiting early and eagerly for the Prince’s leadership. They were
aligned neatly and all the men simultaneously bowed welcoming their
Crowned Prince, “Your Majesty!”

Feng Ming gritted his teeth, muttered his hatred for a certain King under
his breathe. All he really wanted to do right now was to turn around grab
the man and give him a good pounding.

However, he knew this was an inappropriate time as for the time being
he had to stick out his chest and take charge with his own two hands. It
was time to show his prowess, the blood and sweat he invested in
learning practically everything needed to be showcased today. This

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included speaking in a dignified calm and collected manner which he

had engrained into his mind.

“All ministers and officials may rise, please accompany me to pay the
Empress our respects.”

The past two months of training by Rong Tian appeared to be fruitful for
now, the words that left Feng Ming’s lips were stern and authoritative, as
expected of a leader.

His subjects answered in unison, “Yes, Your Highness.”

Feng Ming raised his head, prompt out his chest and advanced towards
the Empress’s palace quarters. His large brown eyes flickered around
with the sight that surrounded him. The inner palace was brilliantly
designed, beautiful and tranquil, a spacious boulevard lead to a grand
hall that sat within the middle of the Empress’s palace walls.

The Empress was obviously waiting for her visitors.

Considering the solemn and serious atmosphere and the crowd of

respected Xi Rei’s officials that followed him, Feng Ming couldn’t help to
feel like a fool.

God!

Was he actually going to see this through, pretending to be the Prince of

this ancient country?

Even daring to even prance around in front of his ‘mother’ to

congratulate her on her birthday?

Rong Wang sensed the Prince falling into a daze which was clear as day
on the young man’s face, such manner was inappropriate so the King

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immediately strode over to the boy and whispered: “Your Highness,

please proceed to the main hall to give your well wishes to the Empress”

The Regent King’s low voice startled Feng Ming, his shock was short
lived as he remembered the cruel prank the man played on him by
pushing him out alone without any conscience, he gave the King a good
glare before straightening the heavy gold crown that rested on his head,
and he proudly advance without a regret.

Unafraid he marched dignified to the end of the boulevard, and entered

the main hall of the inner palace. Upon his arrival Feng Ming was graced
with the sight of a young married woman dressed in exquisite attire
situated in the middle of the room. This woman was surrounded by
countless palace maids. Although she wasn’t as outrageously attractive
as Feng Ming had initially expected her to be, the woman carried an air
of refined grace and nobility.

“An He wishes the best to mother on your birthday!” Complying with

Rong Wang’s teachings, after he heartily made his announcement, he
knelt down and bowed slightly to show his respects to his mother.

As he attempted to carry himself with a degree of refinement his

thoughts were secretly damning the chance of any mistakes.

Be good now.

This is the Empress! The mother of the Prince I’m impersonating!

If she discovers me to be an imposter, I promise you it will not be any

fun!

With this in mind, he was more worried that Rong Tian would provoke
him to make a mistake, with this thought in mind he couldn’t refrain
from trying to shoot a glare at the said King who was meant to be

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behind him.

As he couldn’t see the man out of his peripheral vision, Feng Ming
bowed his head downwards and tilted it slightly to the side, only
discover the troublesome man was no where in sight.

In fact, the Prince found himself alone. He was the only one who had
entered the hall and knelt down before the Empress. His entourage
instead of following him inside had situated outside into their neat files,
all were down on their knees outside of the Empress’s hall!

Feng Ming had been so engrossed with determination and focus on his
performance, when King Rong had stopped the procession just outside
the hall’s entrance he had shot through and continued to march on solo,
completely unaware of his fault.

A sudden cold sweat broke.

Rong Wang you bastard!

You tricked me again!

Feng Ming fumed with anger between his gritted teeth.

Breaking the awkward silence, a soft voice heralded above his head.

“My child, you may stand.”

“Thank you your Highness.” Feng Ming stood up and raised his head
hoping to get a proper glimpse of the Empress only to discover that the
other was doing the same.

With their eye contact, Feng Ming immediately averted his gaze, feeling
guilt well up inside. He dared not to speak, his heart was thumping

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restlessly and his mind was just as overactive, he was uneasy and
frankly scared of the Empress and whether she would pick up on any
clues of his coy act.

It seems like if he started to make small talk he might just get away with
it.

Unfortunately, Feng Ming was tongue tied from fear, just in case his big
mouth leaked a tell-tale sign of his origins he decided it was best to
stand awkward and keep his lips sealed in front of his mother.

Luckily, the Empress appeared to not have much attachment with this
son, so when she started to break the silence, the topic of her talk was
quite broad.

“How has my child been lately?”

Feng Ming was secretly amazed, given the palace custom. These people
would have rarely seen each other. Nonetheless, they were mother and
child, why was there no excitement in her eyes?

He nodded and replied dutifully.

“An He is in good health.” Rong Tian’s voice boomed down his memory
lane about ‘etiquette’ and he quickly added, “Thank you, your Highness
for your concern.”

“Have you been studying?” It felt like a routine question, that wanted a
routine answer and her voice was detached and cold.

“My studies have been good.”

The Empress continued with several textbook questions and then finally
said, “Your father is ill, and incapable of governing the Country. Ensure

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you seek advice and guidance from the King Rong, it is for the best.”

Seek King Rong for advice and guidance?

That’s the ‘best’ plan to lead Xi Rei into complete and irreversible
destruction!

Luckily for Xi Rei, I have aligned myself with this Cao Cao and I intend to
make Rong Tian a hero through the ages.

At this time Feng Ming felt an urge to flock to the Empress’s feet and cry
and complain about his mistreatment and tell her all the bad things
Rong Tian has done to him.

However, studying the Empress, he shook his head secretly and

resigned the idea. From her ice cold gaze and complete indifference to
this Prince, it was evident Feng Ming wasn’t going to squeeze an ounce
of pity from the stern woman.

Trying to side with this type of woman would doom Xi Rei, Feng Ming
was better off trying to expand the country’s prospects by aligning with
King Rong.

He bowed his head again and answered obediently.

“Yes, An He understands that he must seek King Rong’s advice and

guidance on all matters, and not make his own initiative on decisions
that need to be made.”

The Empress’s expression changed slightly, one could possibly claim

there was a hint of a smile as she nodded her head.

“That’s the right way. Where is King Rong? Send him in for me to see
him.”

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What is there to see? Feng Ming muttered bitterly inside.

Advised of his summon, Rong Wang immediately made his presence into
the Empress’s hall. His stride was confident as he made his way in front
of the Empress and he bowed deeply.

“Your humble servant, Rong Tian is here to pay respects to your

Highness. I wish you a blissful life for eternity.”

The demeanor he was carrying out was certainly at another level, the
elegant body language the smooth gestures and the expression his
handsome face was making were completely out of the ordinary.

This was his act!

"Good, that is all well. It has been a year since I’ve last seen you. I have
heard that you have dealt with many affairs abroad and they have all
been successful. You should be properly rewarded.”

A smile tore through the ice mask and it was bloody brilliant. Feng Ming
could barely keep his jaw shut but he managed to show the shock in his
saucer wide eyes.

Who exactly was her son again?

The Empress continued her tender words with the Regent King.

“King Rong, the gifts that the officials have brought for me today,
although you are mature you are still quite young and I’m afraid I am
beyond the age of being able to enjoy their worth, I shall give them all to
you, enjoy them slowly.”

Rong Wang smiled and replied graciously.

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“Thank you your Majesty for your generous reward, Rong Tian will only
select one or two, so to be reminded of your Highness’s grace and
kindness.”

The gifts that were sent from the nobles, officials and court members
had been readily stacked into a pile within the Empress’s main hall.
Rong Tian darted over and paused for a short while before quickly
selecting two items and returned to allow the Empress to inspect what
was taken.

The Empress nodded, sighed and reluctantly announced, “The time has
come, and you all must leave, I will take my rest.”

"Yes!"

Feng Ming let out a big sigh of relief, as he in unison with Rong Tian
made their final salutations to the Queen before their departure.

As they made their way out, Feng Ming suddenly heard the Empress call
out to them.

“Wait a minute…” she beckoned, both men abruptly halted in their steps
and returned to her audience.

They waited in spot for a while.

Before the Empress ordered to her maid servants, “retrieve that mink
cloak and I bestow it to King Rong.”

The servant girls hurried and collected the mass of heavy fur from the
pile of presents and handed to the King, who respectfully held out both
hands to receive the parting gift.

The Empress stared at Rong Tian for a moment and said with much

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concern in her voice, “Rong Wang you deal with Xi Rei’s matters
endlessly, even overnight. The winter nights are bitter cold, it is better
you stay warm.”

“Thank you for your Highness’s thoughtful gift.”

The pair finally left the main fall, and together with the officials they
retreated away from the inner palace.

“That was strange the Empress treated you particularly well. It is as if

you are her real son.”

When they returned to the Prince’s chambers Feng Ming was more than
happy to strip the heavy ornamental cloak he had to wear for the day.

His eyes studied Rong Tian suspiciously.

“Don’t give me any nonsense, your status is different than mine, you
shouldn’t let others know what happened.”

“Are you trying to threaten me again? The things you forced me to do

today! I haven’t even settled that with you yet!” Feng Ming pouted.

“Hmph!”

“I am her son, why did she give me nothing, and yet you are rewarded
this and that?”

“That’s because I am the head of state, the Regent King,” Rong Wang
chuckled, he unfolded the beautiful mink coat that was bestowed to him,
swiftly wrapping it around Feng Ming and bundled the young man tightly
within the folds of the warm heavy material.

He softly whispered to the disgruntled Prince.

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“What was rewarded to me doesn’t mean it can’t be rewarded to you as

well?”

Rong Tian reached into his pockets to produce the two items he had
selected from the Empress’s loot, waving them in front of Feng Ming’s
eyes.

It was a beautifully made small mirror decorated with fine detailed

painting and the other was a modestly crafted small sheathed dagger.

Feng Ming’s eyes practically lit up when he saw the knife. He was very
interested and very surprised, and he shouted out in glee. His hand
darted to snatch the small knife and he quickly drew it out of its sheath.
The blade was cold, sharp and deadly. Just playing with the knife and
holding such a dangerous weapon in his hands made Feng Ming shiver.

“This knife is amazing!”

“This knife has a long history and it is prized as a treasure of Xi Rei, you
better keep it along side you just in case you run into any problems.
From my point of view, as it is selected from the Empress’s gifts it has to
be authentic.”

Feng Ming didn’t give the dagger a second thought, but gratefully
tucked it into his waist, he raised his eyebrow curiously at the second
item that Rong Tian picked.

“I don’t see a use in picking the mirror, oh right, given your looks, you
must be infatuated with your reflection, I bet you stare at yourself in a
mirror heaps, am I right?"

“You are wrong again. This mirror is for you.”

“It’s for me?”

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Rong Wang lifted the mirror, and triumphantly pointed out with a smug
voice, “Don’t tell me you haven’t realized that this handle is made out of
pure gold? It’s even thin, very smooth and most suitable for you to use
on your body somewhere, it will assist in training that part of you to
open up slowly so I don’t have to worry about hurting you.”

Feng Ming blinked and blinked again in utter disbelief and he caught
sight of the evil grin that was painted on Rong King’s lips, and he finally
understood the situation.

He immediately jumped back, drew the dagger from his waist, with his
eyes widened, he hollered a warning

“Rong Tian, don’t you dare!”

“Why wouldn’t I dare?”

The King paid no heed to the small untrained creature that was waving
the present he gave at him, and without any fear he swiftly moved
forwards.

“Don’t come over here!” The Prince threatened.

“Your Royal Highness, that is not how you wield a knife.” The King
laughed as he clicked his tongue.

“Gee, it looks like you haven’t been studying well in martial arts.”

“You bastard! Go away! Get out! …” Feng Ming tried to avoid the man as
he suddenly lunged forwards.

“Argh! Let me go! Give my knife back, you said it was for me!” he
screamed.

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“However, to help you loosen down there is nothing to be scared about.

I’ll take extra care not to hurt you…”

“Help! Ahhhhhhhhh!!” Feng Ming choked as his predator was closing in

for the kill.

“Come save me! Someone save me!...”

Upon hearing Feng Ming’s blood-curdling screeches, the experienced

staff of the Prince’s quarters inclusive of the maids and guards had
quickly called it a day.

They all made their way out without a trace, making sure to close the
doors tightly shut behind them.

It appears that Xi Rei’s true King was completely in control.

--- --- --- ---

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 14

Finally the matter of the Queen’s birthday was behind Feng Ming, and
one could consider that he had passed his first exam. His success
promptly reflected the fruitful triumph of the two assiduous months he
lived under the guide of the Regent King. It was a good result.

As an award to commend the young man’s efforts, Rong Tian permitted

Feng Ming to ride White Cloud solo for one whole day. However, this was
in consideration that horse riding was also a necessary skill the
‘stranger’ had to study.

Come the day of the anticipated horse ride, Rong Tian feared White
Cloud’s unsettling temper, as the stead refused to allow anyone else but
his master to mount him. As a result, the King retracted his offer and did
not allow Feng Ming to even come an inch closer to the great animal.
This completely shattered the young man, as he spent hours fuming and
issuing Rong Tian the dirtiest look of discontent. With the turn of events,
and their plan in turmoil, Rong Tian immediately shifted all official Xi Rei
meetings to be undertaken two days earlier, a move to purposely allow
them to have a break soon after. The Regent King made another deal
promising to take Feng Ming on White Cloud for a ride outside of the
Imperial Palace and indeed it was the King’s ploy to regain Feng Ming’s
waning favor.

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“Are you for real?” Feng Ming’s wide eyes shining with glee was hardly
concealing his delight, there was still doubt sitting in his mind so he
nervously grabbed the King’s collar. “We will go out of the Palace? And I
get to ride on White Cloud? You’ll let me ride alone?”

“I will ride beside you and watch you closely,” he confirmed.

“That’s great!” Feng Ming’s beautiful handsome face shared the same
excitement seen on a child unwrapping a present. He couldn’t hold back
his joy, as he tackled the king with a French-like greeting, a warm hug
and quickly planted two loud kisses on the King’s face.

“However…” Rong Tian interjected after the young man’s elation

calmed, “Tomorrow, before we leave the Palace, you must accompany
me to meet someone.”

Feng Ming’s intuition flared, sensing some type of conspiracy spiraling

around him. He asked suspiciously, “Who is it?”

“Your father, the King of Xi Rei, An Jiang.”

“WHAT!?” Feng Ming exclaimed with a hint of fear in his voice.

“It was only a few days ago you came out of the blue and drag me off to
meet the Queen. Now you want me to meet the King? Hey, people have
something called stress and tolerance, and I’m going to hit that limit do
you understand?”

Of course the Regent King could never comprehend how “stressful” it

was to assume the identity of another human! Instead of providing any

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sympathy the man chuckled at the boy’s reaction.

“Don’t be afraid, the King has been deep asleep for years, as his son,
you should pay him a visit him.”

Just pay him a visit?

It was obvious the Original Prince would have not often visited his own
parents.

Xi Rei’s family system is so strange, how could the relationship between

parents and children actually feel so unfamiliar, alike to strangers.
Perhaps this was a downfall of the lack of “human interaction” within the
Palace?

Feng Ming lifted his gaze onto the King’s stern face, knowing although
the man was smiling through his teeth, what came out of the man’s
mouth was a complete order. Even if he continued to argue, it was
always pointless, worst, he could lose his privilege of riding the dazzling
White Cloud outside of the palace.

His best response was to bare it and nod before uttering bitterly. “I’ll go
then, to come across this reincarnation of Cao Cao is my own bad luck.”

Feng Ming had exposed his immature side, a part never cease to amuse
the King. Although Feng Ming was gifted with an exceptionally attractive
appearance he wasn’t someone you could find in the Royal family. There
was no one that could compare with the nobility of his appearance and
the intelligence he held. This blend of assets made him a form of

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amazing beauty which held a fresh and pure atmosphere.

.
King Rong’s eyes were deeply fixated on the young man, falling deeper
into the vortex of Feng Ming’s allure. The more he saw the more he
loved, his strong arms brought the slender waist closer and tighter
within his hold.

With a seductive voice, the King whispered “I only want you to become
aware of your current situation earlier, to avoid any disasters in your
path in the future.”

Then he released a deep sigh.

“How I’ve wish if you weren’t the Crowned Prince.”

Feng Ming’s heart overflowed with the sweet sap oozing from the King’s
words, it even made him blush, before lightly scolding the smooth talker.

“Don’t bother sweet talking me, I’ve promised you. I will definitely go
tomorrow, he is only a vegetable.”

The two of them caught each other’s gaze, sharing the same thought
pattern, their hearts were in a flurry and their faces reddened with each
passing moment.

Rong Wang was the first to succumb to the luster of Feng Ming’s
compelling charms, he suddenly smothered the younger man’s mouth

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with a long kiss, and his hands began to caress the man’s slender form.

Feng Ming had now become used to the King’s hasty greedy kisses
which he reciprocated with his own, showing the older man that he
wasn’t submitting.

The atmosphere between the two heated up into overdrive…

“Today I must…” Their breathing was labored and coarse, as both of

them struggled for air supply. The King’s voice was even deeper than
normal and it was muffled by the soft pair of lips.

Feng Ming mind was hectic and he was mesmerized by the man’s touch
as if it left a trail of desire, leading him into an elated daze as he could
only instinctively clutch at the Regent King’s clothing for support. The
Prince’s face was painted with a spoilt expression.

When the Regent King’s slender fingers managed to unravel the

holdings of Feng Ming’s outer robes, Feng Ming immediately followed
suite, copying the King’s action and moved his hands to fiddle and
undress the older man.

Given such a heated situation, where wanton feelings were practically

seeping out there was a sense of urgency, a desperate need for skin on
skin contact between the two men.

At a glance, it was apparent that Feng Ming had a stronger urge as he

basically peeled the outer robe off his playmate with so much haste
there was no delicacy involved!

“There’s no need to hurry, we have the whole night.”

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Why run before you can walk, in the end the Regent King could give
Feng Ming a run for his money on who was faster at disrobing. The older
man finished stripping Feng Ming clean to reveal the delicate flesh of the
younger man’s beautiful body.

Feng Ming’s hands were clumsy as they struggled to undo the intricate
clothing under-robe that the King adorned. The King’s large hands
moved the boy’s fumbling disaster away from the challenge and quickly
helped speed up the process as he continued to undress himself.

It wasn’t long till a grin was painted wide across the King’s face as he
stood triumphantly in front of Feng Ming, proudly showcasing his healthy
well toned naked body.

“Do you like it?” he smiled, as he moved Feng Ming’s hands so they
rested on the smooth muscles of his chest. The King’s eyes welled with
tenderness.

Feng Ming fondled the warm skin under his palms admiringly, his large
black eyes wide with amusement, as if he was looking at a treasure.

“How beautiful…” Feng Ming gently gasped in praise.

In the Regent King’s eyes, the real beauty was the naked Feng Ming
standing in front of him.

With a swift movement, he motioned to sweep the young man off his

feet and carried him over, placing him in the centre of the bed.

“This time we aren’t going to use my hand or my mouth, I’m telling you

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in advance, so don’t say that I bullied you.”

Feng Ming was already spellbound, his soul was off with the fairies, he
was paying no attention the Regent King words. All he wanted to do was
to feel the other. He sat up and reached for the older man, instead he
found himself being gently pushed back down onto the bed.

“Lie down, the time we have during the evening is very valuable, we
should cherish it.”

Although Feng Ming was dazed his managed to offer the correct “idiom”,
murmuring to the King, “Stupid, it’s called “Every moment of a lover’s
tryst is precious.”

Rong Wang was startled by the boy’s comment. He laughed as he

repeated patronizing the Prince “Every moment of a lover’s tryst is
precious, well said.”

Rong Tian’s large hands made way to Feng Ming’s thighs, gradually
coercing them to part, and he shuffled to make his way between them.

Feng Ming’s felt cold as he his most secret parts was exposed. He let out
a small sound that sounded like a whimpering animal.

Rong Wang softly assured the boy, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll make sure to
pleasure you first and moisten you.” With this, his hands reached to
caress Feng Ming’s rear entrance, his head dipped down, his mouth
wrapped around the semi erect member.

The heat that radiated from Rong Tian’s mouth sent Feng Ming shouting

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in excitement. There was no restraint left in Feng Ming’s voice when the
King’s tongue teased the tender tissue on the tip, then his head bobbed
up and down engulfing the sensitive flesh into his wet warm cavity.

“Rong Tian…no... nnh…” Feng Ming short pants of incoherent words

amounted to nothing. His naked snow-white body twisted with each
motion on top of the rich silk sheets.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 15

Important terms:

不能食言 (bu neng shi yan) You can’t eat one’s word - To go back on one’s
word

===========================================
============================

“No more?” The King’s sultry voice mocked his lover; his lips remained
suctioned tightly over the Prince’s hardened muscle. As Feng Ming was
reaching the point of his climax, Rong Tian suddenly abandoned the
aching organ, cruelly leaving him at a plateau. Instead of heeding Feng
Ming’s soft pleas, Rong Tian turned his attention to the trembling
fevered body, his breath ghosted along the surface of Feng Ming’s inner
thighs where he proceeded to lightly kiss, repeating this step until he
trailed over the boy’s soft abdomen.

Feng Ming’s orgasm was just a spasm away from erupting under Rong
Tian’s tentative care. However, now that the King’s mouth was occupied
elsewhere, the blood that had rushed forth into Feng Ming’s most
important organ was begging with a painful swell, waiting for the next
surge to send it overboard. The deprivation during his peak was harsh
and unbearable.

“Nnnhh…No…” Feng Ming immediately whimpered in protest, he twisted

his body in agitation, beckoning the King to fulfill its wishes.

“Oh…” Rong Tian chuckled, his lips stretched with a smile when he
quickly blocked off a frustrated kick that an angry Feng Ming had issued

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towards him. Instead of hitting his intended target, Feng Ming found his
ankle easily caught by the man’s large hand. The King left him no time
to react, his remaining hand braced Feng Ming’s other ankle. Having full
control of the younger man’s legs he stretched them apart, completely
exposing his lower body.

With a charming sight before him, how could a King resist this appetizing
meal?

Homosexuality customs between nobility, was not a rarity, in fact it is

highly enjoyed. As the most privileged are able to sample an exquisite
palette of bed partners given their wealth and power, no one was out of
reach. Rong Tian didn’t want to stall a moment longer, as he positioned
himself between Feng Ming’s outstretched legs, his own organ begged
for action. He leaned forwards, pressing the tip of his thick
circumference into the tight folds of supple skin. Feng Ming grimaced at
the intrusion. Rong Tian continued to part the entrance, gently sliding
his length little by little, in an unhurried manner until he was finally
buried within the Prince.

“Ahhh…” The sensation of the large foreign object that filled his body
that had initially startled Feng Ming now left him trembling.

Rong Wang maintained calmness in his coarse voice as he whispered. “It

will be alright in a moment, don’t be afraid.” Although assuring words
left this mouth, for Rong Tian pausing midway was never on his
agenda. Instead he was fully prepared to advance his coupling with
Feng Ming and to finally seek his glory, all starting with a powerful
thrust.

In a blink of an eye, the uncomfortable feeling of being stretched out to

his whims converted to an indescribable painful sting, which shook Feng
Ming’s core.

The thrill of his pleasure disappeared without a trace, for Feng Ming who
whole-heartedly intended to obediently submit to the King, instantly

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struggled underneath the man.

“Don’t! It hurts, it hurts!” he screamed shaking his head sideways like a

rattle, the beautiful face was contorted with agony and his complexion
grew paler by each grinding second.

To have the King surrender at this stage was cruel.

As much as he could, Rong Tian kept the distraught young man pinned
down beneath him, coaxing the boy with patience.

“It will always hurt in the beginning, Feng Ming you don’t need to be
scared.”

Planning to leave Feng Ming sexually satisified, there was no more

hesitation as Rong Tian marched forth. Mercilessly ramming his
manhood into the slender frame.

With the King’s next impact, Feng Ming shot up from the bed and his
hands outstretched to clench the bed sheets.

“Ahhhh!!”

“Nnhhh…!!”

“Nnnnhhh…”

The Prince’s carnal blood curdling screams echoed into the Prince’s
hallways.

Rong Wang was interrupted by the sound that was similar to silk
material being ripped, and it wasn’t a pleasant noise. Concern washed
over his mind, with haste he withdrew.

Pulling his thickness out from Feng Ming’s tight passage, bowing his
head down, his eyes widened when he discovered that he was covered
in the tint of warm red blood.

This hit him by surprise given the time he had invested in training Feng

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Ming’s body to relax, and the amount of foreplay he practiced. In the

end Feng Ming’s body was not ready and it could not bear the full force
of Rong Tian’s endowment.

A wave of remorse washed over the King.

“I’m to blame,” Rong Wang’s own face paled, in a flurry he brought the
young man into his embrace.

Checking again the condition Feng Ming’s injuries, the blood flow had
not ceased. Now Feng Ming’s warm deep red blood was spreading
across the silk sheets.

Refusing to release his hold on the Prince, Rong Tian shot his hand out
towards the bedside stand searching for anything that could help in this
emergency.

Fortunately, the original Prince would often get injured, and ointments
and medical pills were always nearby. The treatments available to the
Royal family were the best cures for ailments you could find across the
whole realm.

Fumbling around Rong Tian located a vial of ointment, which he used to

delicately tend to Feng Ming’s heavy bleeding.

“It hurts…” Feng Ming’s handsome brow tightened, and occasionally a

hiss of pain would escape his pursed lips as he was treated, the heart
wrenching noises that left his whitened lips only escalated in more worry
and guilt for the King.

Witnessing how his lover could break into a cold sweat from the pain he
caused left the King distressed.

Finally he finished tending his patient and he discarded the ointment so

he could draw Feng Ming into his arms again.

The two figures laid down to rest, sweet talking to each other into

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slumber.

“Does it still hurt?”

“Mmm…” Feng Ming managed a groan.

“I’ve ended up hurting you.” The King replied coldly.

Feng Ming was feeling reasonable, he offered the King with a weary
smile, “Rest assured you told me in advance didn’t you? So I won’t say
that you bullied me.”

Upon hearing this line Rong Wang was given a little peace of mind, at
least the young man’s wit was intact.

“You are injured and temporarily won’t be able to ride a horse. That
means tomorrow we will have to postpone your ride. When you get
better, I’ll permit you to ride.”

“No way! I want to ride, you promised me and you’ll get fat if you eat
one’s word!”

Turning in the King’s embrace, Feng Ming shifted around to thread his
own arms around the King’s form, drawing him closer, this motion was a
trap. Rong Tian easily a victim as he fell for as it when the warm small
body next to him tugged at his heart’s string.

“Alright, I promise, however, you must left me hold you whilst we ride
White Cloud.” He compromised.

Then he asked. “What do you mean by that I’ll get fat by eating one’s
word?”

“Well, that’s a classical saying…” Receiving Rong Tian’s commitment

made Feng Ming happy, so he didn’t mind explaining and showing off to
the King about advance literal sayings from the future.

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The endless night concluded as the early hours of the new day, the two
finally drifted into slumber with their bodies cuddled together.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 16.1

Terminology:

Winter in the northern hemisphere spans from late Dec to March, lasting
for a three month period.
三月春 (san yue chun) is the name given the unique flowers found within Xi
Rei in this story. The literal translation can be interpreted as “Three
months of Spring”. Spring ( 春 ) the character can also be used in the
context of youth, love and lust. Therefore the name can be understood
as “three months of lust”. \:D/ Implying lovers would have fun in bed for
3 long and cold months with this flower that would magically invigorate
(Ancient Viagra anyone?).

狸猫(Li Mao) means the common raccoon, also popularly known

as ‘tanuki’ from Japanese. In Chinese myths, raccoons are believed to
be spiritual animals that possess the power to transform and are a
master of disguising as objects, people etc. They are known to be
mischievous.

Rong Wang (Snr). In Royal courts, it is common to inherit a position from

your deceased Father.

---------------------

It surely wasn’t the first time that Feng Ming found himself awakening
within the crook of King Rong’s sturdy arm. Yet this time he had to face
the consequences of last night’s activities. Recollection of memories
overwhelmed him and his face burned like blazing embers as he couldn’t
hold back his embarrassment. He kept his movements low keyed, slowly

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cracking his eyes open just enough to peek at the King. Rong Tian’s
handsome features were in full view and luckily he appeared still in the
spell of sleep. Feng Ming had the urge to get up and changed.
Unfortunately, before he could attempt a getaway by slipping secretly
out of the bed, he had a problem to deal with. That was the task of
removing the King’s possessive arm off his waist.

As he motioned to displace the weight for his freedom, a familiar low

and husky voice, sweetly greeted him in his ear.

“Does it still hurt? Dawn is just breaking in don’t flail about too much.”

Feng Ming looked genuinely stunned, “You were already awake?”

Not satisfied that he was potentially monitored by the King, Feng Ming
shot Rong Tian a fiery expression.

“Did you wake up early so you could tease me?”

“I woke up when you moved,” Rong Wang pointed out, “Only a dead
person wouldn’t feel you stirring within their arms.”

Usually King Rong behaved seriously and he would conduct himself

maturely, nonetheless the ever growing moments he shared with Feng
Ming was tearing down the tough exterior. He was able to keep his poker
face whilst he was in a playful mood towards the Prince.

Feng Ming chuckled at Rong Tian’s reasoning before serving him a piece
of his mind. He delivered a hearty kick under the heavy silk quilt they
shared.

To his own surprised, the moment he recoiled his leg back from the
assault, a sharp bite of pain shot from his backside. He winced at the
unpleasant sensation that had been caused by aggravating his wound.

Rong Wang paled in concern for the Prince’s wellbeing, “What

happened? Does it still hurt?” He leaned over, studying Feng Ming’s
whitened complexion that was withered with pain.

With reproach he whispered, “I did warn you not to move about.”

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Not delaying the issue any longer Rong Tian decided to take it into his
own hands, whipping the heavy silk covers off from Feng Ming, before
positioning himself between the Prince’s legs.

His large hands firmly parted the boy’s thighs for an inspection.

Flustered and helpless Feng Ming shouted his objections, “No, don’t
look!”

Within a flash, Feng Ming shot up and retreated to one side of the bed
before Rong Tian could catch a hold of him.

“It’s nothing really you don’t have to check.”

Seeing how Feng Ming was hell bent on refusing him, and that forcing
him to cooperate could lead to more damage Rong Tian let go of the
subject and finally offered his submission, “Alright, I won’t take a look as
you wanted.”

He left the warmth of the bed pallet and proceeded to dress himself, his
departure allowed Feng Ming to calm down and adjust himself back on
the bed. Which became his vantage point, where he could keep his large
brown doe eyes glued on the King.

“Hey, take off those clothes again,” he suddenly requested. Feng Ming

had snuggled himself back onto the bed, he was positioned with one
hand lifting up his cheek.

“I want to watch you again.”

The outburst served to amuse the King, who had just tediously finished
dressing the outer layer of his intricate heavy and elegant outfit.

He smirked, “What? Are you inviting me?”

Feng Ming gave him reserved look.

“I liked the snap shot images I could get of you changing your clothes,
oh that’s right, you don’t know what a camera is,” he sighed ” talking to
Ancients is really difficult sometimes. I can’t communicate using modern

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words.”

Waving his attention from the confused Rong Tian, Feng Ming wrapped
himself tightly within the warm quilts, shifting himself until his head
rested at an awkward angle on the bed’s headboard.

“I wanted to see you get dress again.” He pouted.

Feng Ming was getting ahead of himself even audaciously making

requests. Unfortunately, Rong Tian was not in the mood to complete
Feng Ming’s whimsical request.

“Aren’t you getting up? If it gets any later, I won’t take you out to ride
White Cloud.”

With just those few words the King lured Feng Ming to leave confines of
the cosy blankets in a matter of seconds.

The Prince’s eyes had lit up by simply thinking about the arrangements
he had today. He was especially excited and now he couldn’t care less
that he was denied the joys of admiring Rong Tian’s physical charms. A
slender hand shot out from beneath the warmth, reaching for his under
robe. He drew the garment under the quilt where he shuffled around
dress himself. As he conducted himself in such a hasty manner, it was
inevitable that he had accidentally pulled at his injuries.

Feng Ming’s face immediately twisted in discomfort, and his eyes

watered.

“Do you need a hand?” Rong Tian had been watching closely with a
smile.

“There’s no need!” Retorted Feng Ming who was now determined to

keep what was left of his pride.

“There’s no need to be so thin skinned, nowadays homosexuality is a

widely accepted customs throughout the country there’s no need to be
shy about such matters. This won’t be appropriate, especially if you
remain bashful on this topic outside of the Palace.”

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“Why would it be an issue?”

“His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince would be expected to live a life
filled with many sexual liaison within the Palace, thus being shy to such
aspects of Palace life would surely incite suspicion of character,
correct?”

By this stage Feng Ming was at least clothed in his plain undercoat and
he finally left the sheets. Now he was being doted on by the King, as the
older man stood next to him and assisted in fixing a white belt around
his small waist. He then proceeded to help him into the plentiful layers
of his eloquent outfit.

Continuing the topic of ‘love liaisons’ it suddenly struck Feng Ming,

“Wasn’t An He not compatible with you in bed? So how could he not be
embarrassed about a same sex relationship? Furthermore, wasn’t he
timid and weak by nature? Rong Tian don’t you dare coax me into doing
things by using the Prince’s name and “reputation” to threaten me!”

Rong Tian chuckled at how bright this “Prince” was.

“Oh, An He was honest with me however in the presence of others he

had another persona. Naturally, when I bullied him he carried his wrath
out on other people. Well, after all he was the Crowned Prince and he
could do whatever he wanted.”

“Are you implying that he…and other men… he did…,” Feng Ming was
finding it hard to swallow and he feared the answer.

“As time passes by within the Palace, it is certain that one would
entertain themselves, using and abusing their authority.”

“Who was it with?” Feng Ming asked desperately.

“I never paid attention to who he shared his trysts with, although based
on An He’s ability I highly doubt whether he was able to seduce anyone
of high ranking or nobility. It is most likely he bullied the servants around
him into submission to cater for his needs.”

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The thought that there could be one or two servants around him that
had once shared their bodies in intimacy, made Feng Ming’s stomach
lurch and a layer of goose bumps formed over his skin.

“Wasn’t An He yours? He sought lovers within your own territory, didn’t

you get jealous?”

“Whoever said he was mine? He was merely a plaything, when I am

absent he had the freedom of doing whatever he wants.”

Rong Wang suddenly broke out a sinister laugh.

“You are mine, if you sought a lover in the palace, I will be jealous.
Actually I would be infuriated and jealous.”

“Hmph!” Feng Ming snorted as he stood nearby finally dressed.

“We should leave quickly, just in case we miss the ‘deadline’ and you
break your promise.”

“When have I broken my word?” Rong Wang asked, as he happily

ushered Feng Ming out of the Prince’s chambers.

At this time the country was midway through a long winter, the air was
icy and dry, the sun peaked out and shone down onto the palace,
permeating warmth for a few good hours of the day.

Feng Ming was held in the Prince’s quarters for a long period of time,
and on the occasion he would be permitted to step out of his perimeters
he was always scuttled off by Rong Tian in a hurry. Feng Ming was in
terrible discomfort today, which was the result of strenuous bedtime
activities.

Seeing the Prince was physically challenged today the King allowed a
casual pace as they made their way around the Palace grounds. The
King was unusually attentive and careful with Feng Ming as if he was
made of porcelain. Rong Wang spontaneously took Feng Ming on a
detour, so he could enlighten his love with the majestic winter scenery
of the Royal Palace. On their new path, they bypassed the grandest

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Palace garden.

Xi Rei had a strange breed of flowers, which preferentially blossomed in

full during winter. The bright colours of a fully opened bud was a
completely contrast to the dull greyness of winter. Each flower was
capable of growing into the size of a human palm. They were
exceptionally beautiful.

Upon setting his eyes on the strange flowers that were in full bloom in
the dead of winter, Feng Ming stopped in his steps and pointed out
towards the vast splashes of colour around him and exclaimed, “These
flowers are breathtaking!”

Rong Wang approached the Prince, closing their distance until the warm
stream of air from his nose was gently blowing on Feng Ming’s pink
frosted cheeks.

He murmured to his lover, “Those are a speciality to Xi Rei, this breed of

flower is called ‘Three months of Spring’, as this country’s Prince, how
could you not even know?”

“You’ve never taught me! How would I’ve known?” He rebutted.

“Haven’t I told you, if you come across something you don’t know or are
unfamiliar with do not make a big scene. Instead stay quiet and I will
naturally explain it to you.”

“Humph!”

Rong Wang studied Feng Ming’s face, and it was rather transparent that
he wasn’t satisfied. Not paying heed, he ignored Feng Ming’s mistake
and reached for the boy’s collar, and drew the cloak collar together to
seal in the warmth. He bent down and intimately whispered, “When
these flowers bloom they are a splendid sight, but if you greet them with
this sour face of yours you’ll make them heart broken.”

Listening to Rong Wang’s concession, Feng Ming was bashful with the
man’s way with words. He was still reluctant to admit any wrong doing,
so he waved it off and said, “I’m not mad, just merely curious to why it

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has been given such a name considering they only open in winter, why
are they called ‘Three months of Spring’?”

Suddenly a strange and wicked smile stretched across Rong Tian’s lips,
with a soft and mischievous voice he whispered into Feng Ming’s ear.

“These flowers are capable of invigorating the one’s passion until they
are bursting at the seams. The nomenclature refers to the actual
‘usage’ and ‘effectiveness’. Dearest Crown Prince, why else would they
be planted so plentifully around the Imperial concubine quarters?”

They were that type of flowers with that type of usage.

By the time Feng Ming had time fully digested what Rong Tian had
explained to him, his face immediately lit up like a matchstick. Whilst
they were dawdling, he had plucked a stem of this said flower and had
been innocently twirling it in his hand. Upon realisation, he had quickly
thrown the offensive ‘Three months of lust’ at the King’s chest.

In a disgusted voice he blatantly scolded the man.

“I knew something was fishy, I wondered what purpose you had by

taking a detour and you brought me here!”

Rong Tian defended, “You were the one that asked why blame me? As
the Prince, when you are unfamiliar on how to handle matters, you
should be thoroughly reprimanded. Now come over here and I will
punish you for not fulfilling our goals from last night, instead we shall
conclude it here.”

Feng Ming froze on the spot.

Rong Wang had only meant it as a joke and found the Prince’s reaction
priceless. He reached forth, taking Feng Ming’s hand into his own, so
they could walk hand in hand to their next destination.

Along the way, Feng Ming was laughing, telling jokes and banters to
amuse the King. It was not long before they reached the perimeters of
the Queen’s palace.

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Standing in the grand entrance of her gates the unloved Prince could
not help but feel unease as he recalled the lukewarm reception he had
the last time. His heart was reluctant to step forwards and ultimately he
refused to place his foot forwards to enter any further.

The Regent King understood the Prince’s mindset and discomfort thus
he did his best to console the boy “The Queen stays within the
innermost chambers and rarely ventures out. We will only visit the King,
as there’s no need to see the Queen.”

The King boldly stepped forwards taking the lead by walking through the
gate and to the side. Prompting the Prince to follow in his footsteps,
finally Feng Ming took a gulp and gathered his nerves to cautiously
follow.

Across their path numerous guards stood on watch, each man saluted
and greeted their masters.

On the day of the Queen’s Birthday, Feng Ming was pretty much herded
back to the Prince’s chambers after the meet and greet of the
ceremony. He barely had the chance to take a look around the second
largest living quarter within the Royal grounds. It was only natural that
he would be curious, taking the opportunity to peek back and forth at his
surroundings.

Gradually the path they took lead into a wide corridor where near the
end they took a left turn through a small door, which connected into a
smaller hallway that was equally as long. Rong Tian continued his pace
guiding Feng Ming. The couple continued to walk for a while. Again they
made a turn, entering another narrow corridor, which appeared to host
less traffic and guards. At the end, it was connected to a small corridor,
which was immensely different to the rest of the Palace.

In contrast the building design was less elegant and it was awfully
peaceful. The hallway didn’t feel inviting, it was tunnel-like, even though
the sun was beaming down overhead where they were going to advance

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into had no windows. Instead this hallway depended on two rows of

torch to illuminate the darkness.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 16.2

[NOVEL] FENG YU JIU TIAN CHAPTER 16 PART 2

“Where is this place?” Feng Ming suddenly felt very unsettled, he was
still standing behind Rong Tian and with the sight presented before him
his legs were hesitant to march down the eerie hallway. He was soft
spoken but his voice managed to echo down the narrow and confined
corridor

“Don’t make a fuss, just follow me.”

Both men remained silent, venturing deeper into the mysterious path.
One lead and one followed obediently after 5 to 6 minutes they finally
halted.

They had reached the end of the corridor where a small door sat. The
metal details on the door had long lost their metallic lustre by the aging
of countless months and years. The main highlight of the rustic relic was
a large cast iron padlock which had turned slightly green from erosion.

Feng Ming’s heart started to race as he couldn’t refrain from associating

this situation with the television shows about Ancient martial arts sects,
where each usually held a dark and forbidden secret only the disciples
were privileged to learn.

A shiver ran down his spine, as gloomy thoughts circled his mind.

It couldn’t be that the King isn’t in acoma and instead Rong Tian has
imprisoned him in here!?

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Over the past months he had gradually developed good feelings towards
the Regent King, at least managing to get along. His impression of Rong
Tian had progressively shifted to a positive light. Regardless of their
development, deep down inside Feng Ming knew a malevolent beast
resided inside Rong Tian. He had witnessed it awaken several times
when the Regent King handled matters. On occasion the man’s resolve
was vicious and merciless, driven not yield to others nor offer any
kindness. It was possible that he would rebel against his superior and
commit treason without a blink of his eyes.

The Prince’s heart was hammering hard against his chest.

There was a chance that this was the scheme of treacherous officials
conspiring to overthrow the current King, to seize the throne out of
greed or discontent.

As he pondered over the possibilities, there were flaws which remained

perplexing. Especially, why was Feng Ming brought here by Rong Tian?

Although he was speculating, the thought about being entangled into

such terrible traitorous conspiracies within the Palace sent more chills
over his body.

Their surrounding was smothered by a deadly silence and there was no

trace of guard footprints or any disturbances on the dusty floor.

Rong Wang’s face was determined, he reached into his bosom and drew
out a key, steadily clicking the metal in place and turning it firmly to
unlock the padlock. Removing the rusty metal, he pushed the heavy iron
reinforced door open, revealing a steep and dark staircase.

A rush of cold wind blew up from the staircase and assaulted Feng
Ming’s senses. Even his mink cape couldn’t prevent the chill from
seeping in, the cold air were like tendrils lashing at them. The Prince
shivered against the icy breeze.

“Why are your hands so cold? This staircase will lead to is a secret
chamber that is underground, there is a large harbour of ice, make sure

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you don’t catch a cold.”

Rong Tian had turned around to face Feng Ming, grabbing hold of one of
the boy’s frost bitten hands he carefully lead him step by step down the
stone stairway.

Eventually they reached the end of the stairwell, and entered a

completely different world. As if they walked into a fairy tale of a Crystal
Palace made of ice. The temperature inside the cavity was beyond
freezing but the beauty of the translucent ice walls gave a feeling of
ethereal magic.

To Feng Ming’s surprise he was standing in a grand chamber

constructed solely from ice.

He spun around to face one of the many ice walls that divided the room,
and was shocked to see two rows of jars. It was pottery was used in Xi
Rei to keep relics of the dead during funeral rites. These vessels were
stacked neatly everywhere within the room.

The next object that made Feng Ming reel backwards was a glassy coffin
that had been carved out of ice, the surface was embedded
extravagantly with countless precious crystals and rocks. The casket
was positioned in the middle of the icy room and there was a person
lying inside.

Feng Ming swallowed and he moved closer to take a look.

His eyes set on a handsome looking individual, who was wearing the
royal clothing of Xi Rei. The man appeared young not a day over thirty.

It can’t be! This is the King of Xi Rei?

Sure enough as if Rong Tian had heard Feng Ming’s inner thoughts, he
suddenly knelt down beside the coffin and proceeded to bow three
times.

As he stood up he confirmed the question in Feng Ming’s mind, “He is

the King of Xi Rei, your father.”

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Feng Ming’s eyes fixated on the cold dead corpse lying in front of him,
his skin tingling from the news. He felt numbness swept over his body.

“He was in acoma right? How is this…”

The Regent King cut him off.

“That is what is known and accepted by everyone outside, in truth the

King had passed away many years ago.”

“Who did it?” spat Feng Ming as he nervously stared in disbelief at Rong
Tian.

If ‘An He’s’ situation was the result of the cold blooded murder then it
was just too cruel. Everything that had happened to the Original Prince
was all because someone wanted power and the throne. The
downstream tragedy was that the Crown Prince became a prisoner
within his own Palace and a man’s plaything.

His stomach was making knots in disgust.

“I do not know who was responsibly as the King’s death was extremely
sudden. There was not even the slightest clue that could explain his
death or a trace thereafter. On the morning of his death, the maids had
routinely entered his bedchambers to wake and prepare him for his
official duties. However, they found that the King had stopped breathing.
Afterwards, we executed everyone that knew of his death, and then
fabricated a story that the King was ill. A few days passed and we
officially announced that the King had fallen into a mysterious incurable
sleep. The power of the state was assigned to me and I govern as the
Regent King.”

Seeing Feng Ming staring at him and his complexion whiten the Regent
King prompted, “Are you suspecting that I am the culprit?”

His guess was spot on, that was the doubt running through Feng Ming’s
mind.

“The King is dead, aren’t matters currently in your favour? If it wasn’t so,

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how else would you be able to monopolise the Royal court?” accused
Feng Ming.

Rong Wang’s face remained emotionless and he stared blankly at Feng

Ming before abruptly swinging his arm across to net the boy by the
waist. Feng Ming was caught off guard by the King’s sweeping motion,
startling him to the point he froze over like the ice around him.

All he could do was look wide eyed into Rong Tian’s face.

“Don’t be foolish, I’ve purposely of brought you here to inform you of

this matter,” Rong Tian planted the corner of his lips onto Feng Ming’s,
kissing him deeply twice.

He gently continued “secrets within the palace are vast and limitless,
what I’ve exposed to you is the biggest kept secret in all of Xi Rei. The
King passed away years ago and the suddenness of this death would
have been a golden opportunity for an uprising within the Royal court.
There are countless individuals within the ranks that are blood thirsty
and crave the throne for their own. The death of the King was never
announced, and an excuse was used to conceal his passing.”

“Was it really necessary?”

“The Prince was too young at that time, he was unable to inherit the
throne and succeed his father. The King has a younger brother, who is
ambitious and would have jumped at the chance to claim his birth rights
as the Crowned Prince to become the next King. To avoid having him
surge into the Palace with soldiers we had no other choice but to conceal
the King’s death.”

“Such a big matter and you’ve managed to maintain everyone in the

dark?”

Rong Wang’s lips eased into a soft smile, he gazed down at Feng Ming
and lovingly whispered.

“The matter depends on the individual.”

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Inside Feng Ming could only compare the attitude and treatment the
‘Original Prince’ received. He was confused to how Rong Tian who
treated him so harshly was so willing to risk so much for the ‘Original
Prince’s’ sake?

Standing huddled together in the wintry room, Rong Tian sweet and kind
moment was in a hard to come by, Feng Ming knew better than to say
something to offend the man.

“The Prince was in a dire circumstance as his fate lied with the destiny
of Xi Rei and was constantly surrounded by conspiracy and danger.
Since he was born he has been the target of several assassination
attempts. For the sake of protecting the Prince so he can reach the day
he could ascend the throne, the Queen and the most trusted court
official Rong Wang** discussed and arranged for the Crown Prince to be
‘exchanged’ and raised externally.”

“Huh?” Feng Ming was shaken by what his head was trying to process.

“Then An he, that means? The Crowned Prince within the Palace…”

“Yes, he was a fake.”

“So after all this, I am actually a fake?” Feng Ming then lit up with
excitement.

“Then who is the real Prince? Don’t tell me it’s you?”

Rong Tian nodded in confirmation, “Yes, it was me. I was the Prince that
was smuggled from the Royal Palace to live at Official Rong’s Estate.
There I was raised sheltered from danger by living under an assumed
identity as Rong Wang’s son. When I grew up my adopted father passed
away, naturally I inherited his title and took over the matters of the
court.”

Feng Ming blinked his eyes in disbelief for a long time, before finally
saying “Anyway, that means you aren’t a Cao Cao, instead you are a
raccoon!”

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He shook his head, conceding “No wonder the Queen was indifferent and
treated me so coldly, in contrast to you being fawned by her love.”

“Feng Ming, the reason why I’ve told you my story today, is because you
are in danger.”

“Don’t try to frighten me again!” chills ran down his spine, he growled “If
you want me to return the title of your rightful heritage just ask me
directly! Don’t scare me in such a creepy place!”

King Rong didn’t budge, he was not joking.

“I’ve received a message, and the message informed me that the secret
surrounding the King’s death has been exposed. Previously they did not
have significant definitive evidence to prove otherwise and we were able
to smother any suspicions. We weren’t so fortunate this time as it
appears our opposition has in their possession proper concrete
evidence.”

“So what?” Then the Prince thought about it for a moment and it
immediately struck him. “Oh, I know. Now that there are rumours
spreading around Xi Rei, the King’s brother must be storming in to claim
back the throne! That means Xi Rei will be in utter chaos.”

“Yes.” Rong Wang flashed him a praising smile which quickly shifted into
a stern look.

“This man’s name is An Xun. He had failed time and time again to win
the title as the Crowned Prince in favour to his older brother. His forceful
efforts were fruitless, so he left Xi Rei and married into the Royal family
in the Country of Fan Jia. Now that there is an opening to seize what he
has sought for so many years, it is only right to say it’s his opportunity of
a life time which he will certainly not miss.”

“Even if he returns, you are here to see over matters, there’s no need to
fear him.” Feng Ming stated calmly.

“An Xun has planted numerous spies within the Palace, I’ve caught and
rooted out the majority of them. However, there remain countless

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enemies which have concealed themselves well. Even I have failed to

detect them.” He paused.

“Feng Ming, think about it, if you wanted to seize the throne, what would
be the most convenient solution?”

“A solution?” Feng Ming scratched his head then a spark lit up, “Kill the
Crowned Prince?”

“In your words precisely, even a child would use this method. That’s
right, if the Prince was killed, then An He could use his authority and
fairly overtake the throne. Even all the ministers and the Queen would
not be able to suppress his uprising, that’s because An Xun carries the
Royal lineage in his blood, it is his birth right.”

“But I’m not the Crowned Prince, you are the Real one.”

“In the past I never concerned myself if the ‘fake’ Prince was to be
murdered, he was sought to fill my role and live a life of luxury, in the
end he would have merely been my scapegoat. But you…”

Rong Tian took a deep breath, bracing Feng Ming tighter in his arms.

“Did you know that recently someone had been tampering with your
food and drinks?”

“What? I didn’t notice.”

“I have already dealt with the problem however the servant that had
been slowly poisoning you committed suicide; I never had the chance to
interrogate her.”

Feeling Feng Ming’s heart racing so much it practically fell out from this
chest made the King laugh, “Don’t be afraid, I am here. No one will be
able to harm you. However, the situation we have at hand is critical, you
must exercise caution everywhere. For instance, in the garden today you
made a small mistake make sure not to repeat it. When food, clothing
and gifts are sent to you by others don’t just casually consume them.
I’m more worried about your impulsive and naive behaviour. You are too

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easy to take advantage of.”

Feng Ming’s face bittered.

“How could being a Prince be more terrifying than living as 007 with all
his enemies?”

“Alright, well let’s end the conversation here. Behave yourself from now
on, and don’t stir trouble. Now let’s go horse riding.”

“Great! Let’s go quickly!” Just hearing the word horse had lightened
Feng Ming’s mood, he was anxious to leave the strange and gloomy
sanctuary, he took the lead and pulled Rong Tian in a hurry out of the
room.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 17

Terminology:

Terrace (for agriculture): Using slops by carving tiered platforms to

cultivate crops. The design allows maximum usage of sunlight, decrease
soil erosion and harnessing natural water run-off. They look amazing
from a plane too!

-----------------------------

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The two men rushed out of the palace, galloping away into the fields.
Feng Ming’s spirit was completely uplifted. There was no trace of the
shadowy darkness, as he suppressed the unpleasant thoughts into the
back of his mind.

King Rong’s horsemanship was worthy of envy, as he held his lover with
one hand, he maintained the reins with the other, speeding into and
challenging the hurtling wind.

As cold gusts of wind lashed continuously, the pair remained carefree as

the thrill was exhilarating experience.

Feng Ming head peeped out from under the cloak that the King had
tightly wrapped around him like a bundle. A large goofy grin was painted
across his face as he released shouts and cheers.

Rong Tian reined in White Cloud to a halt; he swiftly dismounted and

carefully carried the Prince back down to earth.

“If Spring was here, this field would be filled with endless stretches of
grass that appear to reach of the skies. Studded with countless flowers,
a sight that is truly enchanting.” He glimmered, pointing to the vast and
barren landscape in front of them.

“Now it’s bare!” Feng Ming didn’t spare the dried up empty land a
second glance

Rong Tian rarely had the luxury of venturing outside of the palace on
non-official business, and here he was trying to create a romantic
atmosphere aiming to move Feng Ming heart.

“Yes, that’s true. However, it is the lonely cruel winter that makes us
lament for warmth of spring’s prosperity. All living beings on earth live in
a cycle don’t they?”

“That’s right, that’s the amazing strength of life,” Feng Ming secretly
thought whether it was an appropriate time to flaunt his ‘talent with
words’.

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‘Wildfires may strip the land of life, but once the spring wind blows the
battlefields will flourish.’ Those words weren’t his and Feng Ming wasn’t
comfortable stealing someone else’s words, so he had better forget
about his display.

White Cloud had been nibbling at by a patch of dried grass he flicked

his long tail and trotted slowly to his master seeking attention. The
prized pet was feeling displaced, jealous that Feng Ming had gained
more importance than him.

Oblivious to the animal’s displeasure, Feng Ming felt a crazy attraction to

the horse, the gravity of the force was stronger than any feelings he had
for the King. This was one dangerous love triangle.

Wanting to feel the sleeky length of White Cloud’s tail, the prince
couldn’t resist trying to catch it in his hand.

White Cloud was the property of the Regent King who did nothing but
spoil him. He was a proud animal and he shunned contact other than his
master. His rejection to Feng Ming was evident as he responded by
whipping his tail into the boy’s face then turned back to offer a
disgruntled neigh.

“Be careful,” The Regent King long anticipated that Feng Ming would do
something to provoke his pet, as expected the repercussions of Feng
Ming’s action only served to give him a laugh.

When White Cloud whipped his tail at the Prince’s face for round two,
Rong Tian stepped between and separated the boy and the animal.

The fact that Feng Ming failed to grab hold of White Cloud’s tail
frustrated him, he glared at the beast angrily snapping “He is looking
down on me!”

“Why did you go and provoke him? Horse’s have a temper, besides
White Cloud is the best horse in Xi Rei.”

“I’m being stared down at by a horse, it makes me angry!” Feng Ming

gritted his teeth, and reminded the King “I want to ride White Cloud and

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you promised me that I could take a long ride today.”

Rong Wang raised an eyebrow, “You’ve injured yourself there last night
are you still able to ride?”

Recalling his humiliating injury, Feng Ming grew even more enraged. He
snatched Rong Tian’s collar and threatened, “I want to ride and I will not
give up until I do!”

The King was caught up in the boy’s demand, he had no other option
than to raise his hands up and surrender, “Alright, I will ride a lap with
you. Just around this mountain how does that sound?”

Feng Ming immediately jumped at the offer, and the King mounted and
lifted the Prince so this time he sat mounted front of him.

In fear of working up Feng Ming’s injuries in this position, Rong Tian

refused to let the horse bolt carelessly. Instead he had limited White
Cloud to stroll. Along the way as the pair passed landmarks the Regent
King’s guide and mentor role kicked in. The lovely scenery became the
classroom as the King taught his pupil geography and local conditions.

“Over there lies Xi Rei River, the largest river in our country. The land
which the river crosses is highly fertile and gives rise to the majority of
our agricultural success.”

Feng Ming gazed into the distance, sure enough caught sight of a large
body of water rushing and snaking through the landscape from the east.
On either side were countless plots of cultivated land. Although it was
winter hardworking peasants were still labouring away.

He didn’t understand farming so after a few more glances he was

disinterested. Instead he turned his attention to the high mountain
ranges that were beyond the farmlands which appeared to span far into
the distance.

“Look over there, there are so many peaks, those are more spectacular.
When Spring arrives you have to take me to the mountains to play.”

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“All day long you only think about having fun. Next Spring will be your
eighteenth birthday do you know what that means?”

Spoiling the mood the Regent King was talking about politics
again…Feng Ming immediately frowned and gave the King a look.

“What are you trying to imply?”

“The Crowned Prince is eighteen therefore you can ascend the throne.”

“I know, at that time you want me to return your title, right?”

Feng Ming’s pitiful expression was entertaining, Rong Tian let out a
chuckle before stroking Feng Ming’s back tenderly.

“Feng Ming, next year Xi Rei’s power fight for the throne will finally
conclude. Such a complicated matter will be settled, however, it won’t
be without enormous difficulties ahead. For us to be able to survive till
next March is a hard task.”

“Please don’t speak of such depressing matters! Aren’t we out here to

enjoy ourselves today? Even if you work hard you can’t neglect the joys
of living and having fun. How about we set aside business and work on
leisure?” The Prince protested.

Rong Wang lovingly stroked Feng Ming’s head in apology.

If given opportunity to meet both men at the same time, one may be
surprised to hear that they were in fact roughly the same age. In
comparison whenever you looked at Rong Wang, he always appeared to
be old and wise as if he had matured years ahead of Feng Ming.

Fengming looked deeply into Rong Wang’s face and then suddenly
thought of all that the Regent King had to endure to reach the stage he
was at.

Growing up surrounded by feuds and conspiracies was an unhealthy

environment. No wonder why the man was so stern and tense. How
many secrets of his past were still hidden deep inside? Was he scarred
from such a complicated childhood? The more Feng Ming put his mind

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to it, the more he felt sorry. Rong Tian was like a modern day child that
grew up from a dysfunctional family. The Prince decided to let this one
slip.

With sympathy he purposely changed the subject, “Where was I up to?”

“You just said that in spring you wanted to climb the mountains.”

“That’s right. There are so many hillsides to be explored, I bet in spring

it will be stunningly beautiful.”

Feng Ming giggled.

Rong Wang let out a sigh, “Those Mountains are a pleasing to the eyes
from where we stand but in reality the terrain is not welcoming.
Numerous mountain ranges make up the majority of Xi Rei’s land and
unfortunately there isn’t much arable land left. Our yearly harvest is
barely able to get us over a long winter. If there is a bad harvest, that
year our people will face a famine and we will need to seek assistance
from other countries paying a fortune for provisions.”

Feng Ming raised his head to look out into the distance sure enough
there were only a limited area of flat plains on either side of the river.
The mountains girted these plains and they were all covered with
withering dead growth.

“Sure it is mountainous, there’s still soil shouldn’t it be fertile, why

haven’t you taken advantage of the hills?”

“The slopes are too steep. The plants aren’t able to receive enough
regulated water, sunlight and nutrition how can this land be used?
Cultivating the hillside is inconvenient, what’s more is addressing the
problem of irrigation. The water needed to sustain the crops would be
much higher than what we use with the crops near the banks of the
river.”

Casually Feng Ming replied, “You can transform the mountain. Oh! If you
construct terraces then your problem would be solved!”

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“Oh?” The strange suggestion had the Regent King by the ear, “What is
a ‘terrace’?”

Feng Ming snapped and shouted out in frustration about how ‘behind’
these ancient folks were.

On the spot he gave a quick verbal lesson to the concept of utilizing

terraces for cultivation of crops. It wasn’t helping as he couldn’t
physically show Rong Tian on White Clouds back. Subsequently, Feng
Ming convinced the King to dismount.

Squatting on the grass like a child in a school’s playground, Feng Ming

quickly hunted down a few rocks to use in his diagram he had drawn out
with a stick.

After demonstrating the various terrace designs he had remembered

from his era, he quickly rushed the King to take him back up on the
horse so they could resume their ride.

“Let’s stop here.” The Prince asked when they reached the foothill of a
small slope where they both dismounted again so the lesson on how to
construct the foundations of the terraces could be taught.

Rong Tian listened earnestly, occasionally nodding his head. Finally a

large smile stretched across his face, as the man was satisfied with the
new knowledge gained. It also served as praise for the boy’s logic.

Even White Cloud could sense that the boy was gloating in the way he
presented himself, this time he allowed Feng Ming to bath in Rong Tian’s
attention. Instead of reclaiming his rightful position with his master, the
white steed turned his attention on grazing to the side.

“I understand the idea of installing levelled terraces, now what I don’t

understand is how to resolve the irrigation problems…”

“Irrigation is a major agricultural aspect. I was stupid I should have

contributed earlier with what I know!” It was evident by now that Feng
Ming had been strongly influenced by Rong Tian, now when it came
down to business, he was equally serious and invested.

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“To my knowledge, there are several gold standards of agricultural

irrigation from my era. There are tankers that carry loads of water and
disperse them evenly to the crops; we could also install irrigation
channels. Given that our challenge is uphill we can’t so apply the second
option. There’s another possibility, if we were to build a large reservoir
on the hill side, and then allow it to accumulate rain water, then we can
go forth with ‘canals’. Secondly, in the meantime we can deal with the
water shortage by carrying by horse drawn tankers.”

The King clasped his hands together in thought, “Although I don’t know
what you mean by tankers and irrigation channels, I like the sound of
harnessing rainwater and turning the mountains into useful land, if this
plan is successful, Xi Rei’s agriculture will flourish.”

Having finished on that sentence, Rong Tian reached out and clutched
onto Feng Ming’s hand. His eyes gazed out into the landscape with a
glint of renewed hope for the land.

He could barely able to hide his excitement, “Feng Ming your knowledge
is going to revolutionise Xi Rei. According to your suggestions, if our
plans carry through, we shall be able to transform this harsh
environment to be one that will provide an endless supply of food to our
people. This is more vital than any policies or country relations.”

The Kings words were impassioned.

Feng Ming couldn’t help but to feel proud of this moment, “Of course,
only I’m capable of turning you into a man of legend, the King of Kings.”

Rong Wang noticed the complete change in the Prince’s behaviour that
went from a serious to the gloating child in front of him. It made his
heart flutter inside and he immediately drew Feng Ming into his arms
and told the boy, “This will be a turning point in the history of Xi Rei.
Shall we do something special to commemorate the occasion?”

“What are we going to do?”

“Naturally, I’m implying something romantic…” Rong Wang chuckled as

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he had leaned over the Prince.

Feng Ming was pinned onto the grass under the King’s body, finally alert
to what the King had been hinting at, he struggled and blushed.

Where they were lying was a decent patch of long brittle grass, just
enough to conceal them if they were lying down.

“It’s broad daylight, aren’t you even a bit ashamed of yourself!”

Midway through his protest, the King’s tongue entangled his own. The
couple engaged their tongues exploring the moist warmth inside each
other’s mouths.

A playful smile formed on Rong Wang’s lips, taking the lead as his hands
probed beyond the folds of Feng Ming’s clothing leaving the belt in
place, His warm hands slipped in so he could caress the soft buds on the
Prince’s chest, which hardened under the gentle attention.

“Ahh…” Feng Ming’s nipples were being tormented by the devil’s touch
and he could not hold back a sob as the contact became unbearable. He
started to whimper, he twisted his neck and the hue of pink flushed up
from the nape to his cheeks.

The sight was certainly a temptation of flesh.

Rong Wang felt his abdomen burn, his organ tingling with the surge of
heat that raged havoc in his mind, especially when he was edged on by
the stimulating sounds and sights beneath him. He knew he had to be
patient with Feng Ming, for now he worked on satisfying his lover. His
hands kneaded the erection that peaked up from the lower half of Feng
Ming’s clothing, massaging in a circlet motion until the boy arched his
back to gasps out. At that moment the King locked his mouth over the
opened lips, doubling the force and passion in his kiss. Attacking those
soft lips until Feng Ming was left senseless.

Whenever he was touched by the King, it was like he was in the hands of
a professional that knew all the spots of his body to tease. The state of
his mind left him powerless to effectively decline the heavy petting, and

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it seems like he too had forgotten that he was ‘injured yesterday’.

Rong Tian had undone his outer cloak and laid it flat out on top of the
earth beneath them. Just as he had shifted Feng Ming’s flippant body to
rest on the warm material to continue their session, both men heard a
sudden burst of hooves galloping nearby.

The noise was drawing closer by each second, until it went completely
past them.

The Regent King could not help but to frown as the interruption had
clearly spoilt the mood.

He had taken Feng Ming out of the palace under the guise of a ride as a
‘couple’. However, unknown to the Prince the King had ordered two
squadrons of horsemen to stand guard a good distance away. Since who
ever had managed to bypass the guards, indicated their interruption was
due to an emergency within the palace that urgently required attention.

Although Rong Tian sat at the highest rank, he didn’t even have the
privilege of half a day off from his duties.

Rong Wang looked lovingly at Feng Ming, and released a disappointed

sigh, to be interrupted at such a romantic time where both of them were
just about to peak. Seeing there was no time to play anymore, it was
only best to bundle up his lover, and help him fasten his clothes and
cloak before whoever had rode past returned.

Feng Ming who had also heard the thundering hooves rushed past where
they laid knew it had meant their time together had fell through, his face
turned gloomy.

The two mounted White Cloud and set off.

At a rapid pace they headed back to the palace, where they were
intercepted by a minor official who was acting as the messenger.

The man drew his reigns, dismounted and greeted the pair, “My respects
to the Crown Prince and King Rong.”

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Rong Tian replied bitterly, “If you have something to say, go ahead.”

“Yes your highness! I’m here to report from the Palace that the King’s
younger brother, An Xun of Fan Jia is on a tour to Xi Rei. He has almost
reached the capital.”

Feng Ming looked a bit shocked.

Boy, I only heard about this man in the morning and he is here by the
afternoon!

Considering An Xun is the son in law of Fan Jia’s King, Feng Ming
wondered if he had brought along the Princess.

“I understand. So An Xun has travelled to Xi Rei to represent Fan Jia. We

will both quickly return to the palace and welcome our guests.”

The pair’s plans for the day were aborted, as Rong Tian rushed back to
the Palace with Feng Ming.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 18

Oh, so I realised I was reaching the end of volume one. Silly me, did I
never share the proper spread artwork of volume one with the folks at
home? Well here it is below. The art is by Liu Wei who goes by several
other names.

Here is Mr. Cockblocker no. 1 (An Xun)

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And I thought it may help if I updated the FYJT world map so you guys
know where Fan Jia is located.

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Green – Fan Jia

Red – Li

Orange – Xi Rei

Blue – Tong

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Notes: Be aware that nobles, royalty tend to refer to themselves as a

third person.

With Fan Jia’s An Xun procession quickly looming the palace doors, Feng
Ming and Rong Tian rushed back to their chambers, exchanging their
riding garments for their official court clothing. The security had
forwarded word that the important guest was making his way through
the capital.

“Open the gates!”

A chorus of sounding bells and beating drums welcomed the guests. The
court officials led by Feng Ming were all lined up in the front courtyard,
standing before the main section of the palace and all ready to greet
their special visitors from afar.

The strangers were dressed in the attire of traditional to their country,

each were wearing an iconic black cloak. One of the arrivals took the
lead, walking in front with his chin up and dignified. On top of his head
was a glistening gold crown, needless to say this had to be the notorious
An Xun.

“Good to see you Prince An He,” An Xun slowly paced towards Feng
Ming, offering the slightest of bows, a gesture that was very
gentlemanly.

“An He is most delighted to see his Royal Uncle.” Feng Ming

reciprocated the manners. Although this man had married into another
country, he was still capable of enforcing his blood inheritance.

In Feng Ming’s imagination, he had expected to be confronted by a

treacherous looking scoundrel instead he was pleasantly surprised at
how handsome An Xun appeared. There was definitely a similarity
between ‘his’ uncle and the Regent King. However, An Xun’s skin was
pale, and in an overall assessment he was slightly androgynous.
Regardless, he was actually quite an attractive man.

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“Uncle has journeyed for so long, An He had to personally welcome your

honourable presence, else it would be a complete shame.” Feng Ming
was basically biting his tongue as he picked his words. The unnatural
pattern of speech was giving him a headache.

An Xun’s eyes glazed over his nephew, sizing him up as a smile drew
across his lips.

“Many years have pasts since I’ve last seen you now the Prince is all
grown up. Uncle is very relieved. Uncle has resided in Fan Jia for
countless years and has not had the opportunity to visit your father,
which I hope to make amend during this visit. Recently, I have heard
rumours entailing my Royal brother’s condition. I’ve heard horrible news
that his condition is growing dimmer, An Xun felt restless thus
immediately rushed days and nights on end to return to brother’s side.”

Raising his hand he signalled a servant behind him, moving to her

master she produced a small shiny box.

Taking the box into his hands, he opened the container and revealed the
content had been delicately wrapped in layer and layers of intricate and
beautiful linen. Indicating the content was something rare and
exceptional.

“This here is the secret treasure of Fan Jia, the Spirit of the Snake a
preserved gallbladder that has been aged over a millennium. It has
unspoken powers, capable of reversing a desperate situation. An Xun
has personally arrived to Xi Rei with this gift and wishes to help your
father’s illness. Dearest Prince if you could kindly lead the way to where
my good brother rests.”

An Xun lifted his hand ushering the Prince to take the lead, with such a
stunning speech and grand display of his loving intentions how was Feng
Ming supposed to decline the invitation? He needed a quick fix to cover
the truth that the King of Xi Rei had long taken his last breath, and it
was impossible to take him to see the living being.

Feng Ming’s eyes darted around desperately, catching Rong Wang’s

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attention who immediately inserted, “The good King of Fan Jia has
travelled endlessly, how did you managed to get here? We only received
word of your approach to the city.”

An Xun had left Xi Rei for over ten years and had never returned during
that period. However, he kept himself well informed about Xi Rei court
matters. The man who stood awe-inspiring that spoke unwavering to him
was no doubt the newly appointed Regent King, Rong Wang. He
understood that the man was in control and dominated the current
political affairs of Xi Rei.

He felt that this’ Rong Wang’ had an even more overbearing and
powerful presence in contrast to his predecessor. There was an air of
mystery around the confident handsome face.

“On this trip, I was carrying a precious cargo. The travel plans were
rushed, and the number of troops in the entourage was minimal for
convenience. To prevent mishaps along the way, the soldiers were
ordered to cover our tracks as we sullied forth to Xi Rei for this great
emergency. It was only when we reached the city was it necessary to
erect the flags of Fan Jia.”

An Xun lifted his gaze and settled momentarily on the Regent King
before turning his eyes towards Feng Ming. He cupped his hands in
obeisance and lifted up to ask for a pardon. “Uncle’s failure to notify you
of my pending arrival was my fault, forgive me my Prince.”

“There’s nothing to be pardoned, and no need for such formalities.”

“You are my blood relative, why the degree of courtesy? Most

importantly is dear brother’s sickness, I would like to meet with Xi Rei’s
King at once.” He persisted by bringing back the topic of seeing the King
in person almost too casually.

Feng Ming played with the information he had been given, An Xun
definitely had the upper hand, the King was nothing but a body. He
couldn’t help but shudder at the level of cunning acting his uncle was
portraying in this pre-emptive attack.

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Just as he was about to signal to Rong Tian for a helping hand, the
Regent King intercepted the ball once again.

“The King is in the inner Palace recuperating, he is currently not seeing

any outsiders. However Fan Jia’s King is also the Royal brother of Xi Rei’s
king who has brought a medical treasure for the King to use, hence, it is
a different story altogether. May I have the honour of leading Fan Jia
Wang to the King?”

“That is good.” An Xun had succeeded in achieving his goal, he set aside
the treasure in his hands showing that he was eager to depart.

King Rong tilted his head, eyeing the vast numbers of Imperial Guards
that had escorted the Royal visitor. “The King is resting, I’m afraid we
must not disturb him.”

“Certainly.” He simply replied. An Xun knew the meaning behind the

man’s words, he turned around and commanded his men, “All stand
down and wait for my return in the annex, only Xun Tian is permitted to
remain as my guard.”

Feng Ming had no idea concerning King Rong’s intentions. Were they
taking An Xun to see the cold dead corpse that lied in the icy crypt?

He was a nervous wreck, he couldn’t help but to secretly tugged at the

King’s sleeve, catching the man’s attention he signalled desperately with
his eyes, along the lines of ‘What the hell are we going to do!’

Rong Tian issued him a sly smile.

The party of important men entered the inner grounds of the Palace, and
walked towards the Queen’s quarters.

Feng Ming knew the location of the King’s body, hidden deep in a maze
of corridors that lead to an underground cavern. But with An Xun and his
personal guard easing towards Xi Rei’s largest and darkest secret he
couldn’t help but feel apprehensive of what was to come. There was no
comfort from Rong Tian who had walked beside him.

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“The King has been recuperating within the Queen’s quarters.” Rong
Tian pointed at the closed doors.

The men had reached the gates for the grand entrance into the intricate
network of the Queen’s chambers.

“I can finally see my Royal brother. I wonder whether the years have
changed his appearance.” An Xun sighed loudly.

Pushing pass the entrance the four men entered the reception hall. Due
to the Queen’s preference of a serene environment, inside the building
was only guarded by a few soldiers. Rather it was filled with several
maids that occupied themselves with cleaning and tending to the
gardens. Upon seeing who had entered, the servants all quickly paid
their respects to the men.

They continued their way, threading through the spacious reception hall
and into the grand hall. It was the room that was used for the official
greetings during the Queen’s Birthday ceremony.

The Prince was shaking as he maintained his wits about him, everything
that has happened so far felt like a strange drama, the problem was that
this was real people, real props and now the story has developed into
the climax that was riddled with tension.

Usually on television, in a moment like this his heart would react by

pounding in suspension…at least a commercial break would timely
switch on and let his heart relax. This wasn’t television and he didn’t
have that luxury, everything was flowing down a rapid river without
stopping.

Once they turn out of the main hall and pass a several complex corridors
they will be facing the secret chamber. Was Rong Tian serious about
letting An Xun meet with the King? Or was this a decoy, so he could lure
them into the room, entrap them and let them freeze to death in the
dismal prison?

Feng Ming thought about all the possibilities, his mind jumping from one

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conclusion to another completely preoccupied with his thoughts.

Sure enough they had made a turn heading in the right direction as
Rong Tian continued navigate the men.

Turning into the second corridor, all four men were startled by
something unexpected.

“Oh?”

“Ah!!”

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

--------------

-insert witty remark because trying to post this has left me drained-

Dear all,

I read through everyone's comments in my e-mail and its been painful

because I want to reply and cocktease all. Sadly, LJ is being harmed by
mean people who clearly have nothing better to do - ça me fait chier! I
haven't been able to click into my own posts after they are upped or
reply to any comments. Thank you to the LJers who have tried endlessly
to leave me some love. I finished translating this chapter pretty much
after chapter 18 as a surprise, didn't go as smoothly as I planned when it
came to posting! I was chuckling at the predictions...but happy to see
that no one foresaw the following!

<3 Sooky

P.S: Thank you for the song recommends! I have a playlist made with
your love.

---------------

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Notes:

Fruits and seedlings: In ancient Chinese culture, people tend to talk

about babies and children in context of seedlings and fruit. So the Prince
is frequently called a fruit in this chapter…lol

Second Spring: In Chinese, the youth and love are considered one’s
Spring-time. Hence, having a second Spring means to enjoy a second
round of love.

Clarification of An Xun's status: Please note that An Xun is married to the

Third Princess of Fan Jia, although he is entitled "King", it's just a name
given to him as he is Royalty and is in the running for the throne. So this
means that he is currently not the King of Fan Jia and is third in line for
accession. The Chinese word for King (Wang) is also the same word for
Imperial/Royal.

---------------

At the entrance of the torch illuminated corridor, a sole figure adorned

with simple silk robes was kneeling. Facing the eerie lit long stretch of
corridor in front of them, the person had their head lowered keeping
silence even with the uninvited guests.

The rows of torches lighting the path crackled, the flames danced and
flickered. Those who were familiar with the face could barely identify the
person by her profile, and one could immediately notice that she was
beautiful.

The unexpected road block was the woman who rarely ventured out of
her chambers, the Queen of Xi Rei.

These four grown men had been startled, each crying out alarm when

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they had first caught sight of her, and now after catching their breaths
they exchanged looks.

King Rong approached quietly, kneeling behind the Queen and

whispered: “Your Highness, the son in law of Fan Jia’s King has arrived.
An Xun has personally returned to Xi Rei offering a gift to give our King,
a rare medicine.”

Where the party had paused was narrow although Rong Wang’s voice
was soft, there was a slight echo that returned from the distance. Even
with the flames flickering down this passage, it felt as if the other end
was going to swallow you with darkness.

The Queen provided no immediate answer, her head still slightly tilted
downwards as if she was occupied in her own little world. After a while
she finally responded however there was no change in her expression.

“I know.”

After providing a short sentence she returned to her taciturn behavior.

Not a sound as she continued to kneel in the corridor, her presence was
sealing off the path. She lifted her head up focusing her eyes at a
pinpoint towards the end of the dark tunnel.

Everyone was growing uncomfortable and as the Queen was stalling

their visit, and making it impossible to bypass her. The awkward silence
was piercing and no one wanted to overstep their authority. As long as
the Queen remained in her position, she was cordoning the path to see
the King of Xi Rei.

At this point, Feng Ming did play with the idea that this sudden road
block could possibly be part of Rong Tian’s master plan by employing
the Queen in this emergency to stall for more time. What would happen
if An Xun gets impatient and charges through? Doesn’t that mean this
plan was flawed? The scenario that ended badly in his mind made him
shudder, he flashed his eyes across to see how An Xun was reacting to
the barricade.

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Surprisingly, An Xun appeared to be calm and without any intention of

marching his way through the Queen’s vigil. On the contrary, his face
had paled like a ghost, and his hands were balling up. If you looked
closely, beneath the thick layers of clothing you could see that he was
trembling slightly. It was obvious that the sight of the Queen had a very
big impact on him.

How peculiar, don’t tell me that there’s hostility between the Queen and
An Xun…

No one knew how to react to the Queen’s antics and suddenly she finally
spoke breaking the tension with a forlorn voice. “Since long ago the King
has been ill and I am his Queen, thus by status it is my duty to oversee
the prayer rituals. I’ve persistently recited prayers to the heavens at a
boundary a hundred paces from where he is now resting. This is a
matter of the King’s life and death, if there is any Intruders the spiritual
powers would weaken. At this moment no one is permitted to disturb the
King until I am completed with my prayers and receive a mandate from
the heavens.”

Without turning back she ordered her son, “An He, you are the King’s
flesh and blood, kneel beside me and start praying to the heavens for
your father’s recovery.”

Feng Ming didn’t believe in such things, but he had no alternative. This
was the Queen’s personal order, there was no way out. It was best he
assume the exterior of a filial son, answer to his mother’s beckoning and
kneel obediently beside her without a word.

He thought inside, ‘how long are we supposed to pray? Until we receive

a divine answer? What was this mandate from the heavens? What if they
had to be on their knees for another three to five days just to get a
response, would it be a bad sign?

The Queen gently reasoned, “An Xun, you are also of Royal blood quickly
kneel and pray for your Royal brother’s health.”

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Feng Ming lowered his face from out of view, trying to hide the shock
horror when he heard the Queen’s second command. The woman was
audacious, even ordering An Xun as if he was her subordinate. True
enough, his uncle was lesser of rank but none the less he had return to
Xi Rei carrying another Royal title to his name. He was certainly no
ordinary man. If the Queen could control him with her words along, why
would there be a need for Rong Tian to intervene? Wouldn’t it be better
if she’d directly tell him to beat it!

“An Xun will follow your wish.” To everyone’s surprise An Xun submitted
to the Queen and immediately went down on his knees next to Feng
Ming. Feng Ming swallowed the knot that had developed in his throat.
The two mean were side by side, aligned behind the woman.

The Prince’s guesses were proven wrong, nothing was turning out like he
had anticipated and he didn’t like the situation which was growing
ominous with each second. He bit down on his tongue fretting about his
current predicament. Nervously he flashed his eyes sideways in an
attempt SOS signal Rong Tian. The plight was short lived he was
abruptly shaken by the Queen’s calm voice. She had not once turned to
face the men, “Only the people of Royal blood are able to pray, others
withdraw.”

“Yes, your Highness.” King Rong replied promptly, he had anticipated

the Queen’s next move. Complying with her command he offered her a
respectful bow.

Feng Ming knew that now he was in for it, this was an emergency.
Knowing that his own thread of hope was departing he was even more
desperate with his voiceless pleas. His frantic eyes caught hold of the
older man, who paid no heed and only offered the younger man a faint
smile.

The other person remaining was An Xun’s personal guard, who was

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awaiting his master’s orders.

An Xun followed suit, nodding. “Leave us and wait outside for me.
Without my order, do not enter.”

With this Rong Tian and the guard disappeared from sight.

Once the men left quiet washed over the corridor.

Feng Ming kept his head lowered slightly and he was nearly motionless.
His eyes darted around, from the Queen’s back and then sideways to the
man who had easily obeyed her orders.

He thought inside, given the scenario it couldn’t be that the three of us

would talk? But at this very moment the atmosphere was strange, and
he didn’t dare to take the initiative to ask questions to get the ball
rolling. They weren’t exactly best friends he could casually talk to. Feng
Ming sighed inwardly, cursing his string of bad luck and decided it was
best to keep his mouth corked and ignore the pain that was shooting up
from his cramped legs.

The three unlikely candidates remained kneeling for a good hour, and
the Prince cursed even more when his calf muscles gave up on him to
the powers of paralysis. Inside he had conjured new words and nasty
names he could use to scold the King. He had practice them numerous
times inside his head. With his squinted eyes he checked on the other
two but they remained solid as a clay figurine, unbending to the pains of
the body.

Breaking the silence, the Queen suddenly inserted “An Xun is your
purpose here to claim the throne?”

Feng Ming nearly reeled backwards as he had never expected that the
Queen was capable of speaking so directly, her tone was serious and she

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meant business, he was amazed by the fact that she exposed An Xun’s
motives by hitting the nail on the head.

His Uncle hesitated for a moment before collecting his words, “There is
the throne, yet there are other things.”

Feng Ming’s eyes widened completely gob smacked, he had not

expected the man to be so straight forwards, with no sense of need to
cover up his intensions to steal the throne.

Hmph! Clearly he doesn’t treat the Prince as a threat. He is trampling all

over me!

Thinking about being looked down on, Feng Ming shot a piercing look at
An Xun.

“You still want something else? So many years have gone, and you
refuse to give up?” The Queen prompted, her voice remained
unwavering.

An Xun was stifled, his body language was agitated, with his hands
clenched he replied, “…during that time…that time he stole you, if it
wasn’t for him…we’d…we’d…” By now both his hands were shaking
uncontrollably, he started to lean forwards towards the Queen. He
stopped halfway, barely able to contain himself, as his body wanted to
throw his arms around her.

Feng Ming watched the scene unroll in front of his wide eyes, he was a
complete bystander. His mind was hitting the red abort button!

Calm down heart! I can’t believe the Queen and my Royal Uncle were an
old flame, this is insane!

Even ancient people were capable of being so romantic. From what he

manage to gather, it seems that An Xun received the shorter end of the

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stick, Feng Ming couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy.

Then his thoughts trailed to other aspects of the story, parts where he
had to deal with. The Queen was his mother by name, now given the
likelihood that An Xun would force himself on her, would he be
responsible for protecting her? If he intercepted their attempt to reignite
an old flame, then won’t he be stripping away their opportunity to enjoy
a second Spring*? Even if he was to defend her, An Xun was well
schooled in martial arts and he’d be immediately exposed as a
counterfeit Prince. If he didn’t protect her from his uncle’s assault then
wouldn’t he be…

All these possibilities were making a big mess in his mind, then the
Queen continued “Do you mean you intend to seize everything that was
taken from you?”

“Correct!” His uncle answered with no hesitation.

The Queen trembled then she finally whipped around to face her two
relatives, proudly stating “I am already the Queen of Xi Rei, I’m not that
naive Mu Lan that you once knew! Don’t set out in vain! Stop deluding
yourself!”

“As long as I ascend the throne, I will be King and you will be my
Queen.” An Xun begged.

“An Xun, this is madness!”

“No, I have not gone mad. Do you know how many years, the hardships I
have struggled through, just to reach this day?” He pleaded love sick.

Feng Ming watched on as the two high ranked individuals took turns on
the stage. This was one crazy classical romance. These star crossed
lovers continued to exchange their lines and the Prince could only pivot
his head from left to right, right to left. Their voices and composure were

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thrown out of the window, both man and woman had forgotten their
identities. The words that were spat across made the corridor feel like a
battlefield, such dialogue was uncalled for.

An Xun spat, “In order to escape from my Royal Brother’s scrutiny, I

married into the Royal family of Fan Jia. Taking one of their princess’s as
my bride, however my heart has never left your side. Mu Lan, my
brother is already dead, as long as I claim the throne and overtake Xi
Rei. The Queen would be allowed to remain. We can finally be together.
Don’t you want this?”

The ardent voice of her old lover reminded her of the innocent love they
once shared. Her face was tormented with sorrow.

“Do I want this? I am the Queen, it is my responsibility to protect the

King’s bloodline, so Xi Rei can rise above the other countries.“ She
turned to stare down the depth of the cold corridor, before bitterly
enquiring, “An Xun I ask of you, once you are King, what will become of
this mother and child? What of Xi Rei’s future?”

“As long as you become my Queen, I would have the love for my country
as a true King would. I will forgive the past and rule the land fairly.”

“You have not given me a full reply, what is my son’s fate.”

An Xun quickly shot a quick glance over Feng Ming, who had been a fly
on the wall. There was nothing but viciousness in the man’s eyes. The
Prince released a muffle gasps.

“He is my brother’s flesh and blood.” His voice was hoarse and
disgusted.

The Queen replied with the same tenacity of displeasure. “That child is
also my flesh and blood.”

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“Mu Lan…” An Xun continued, as if Feng Ming did not exist, he softly
coaxed “Our future will give us the opportunity to bring fruits to our love,
have our own offspring.”

“If you can talk with such confidence, does that mean you came
prepared? It is only natural that the Crowned Prince would fight you for
the throne, but…” Then the light was extinguished in the Queens eyes,
as if she just decided it was too much for her and she wanted to give up.
She paused for a long while before finally confessing, “To tell you the
truth, the King has passed away years ago.”

She had revealed Xi Rei’s biggest secret, and it had escaped from her
lips so easily. She showed no remorse for her actions. The news stunned
An Xun, his eyes fixated on her in disbelief. Even Feng Ming was shell
shocked. She just exposed the only thing that was keeping Xi Rei safe,
how were they going to deal with the aftermath?

It didn’t take look for An Xun to snap out of his surprise, he nodded and
claimed, “I had expected that, however I had no evidence over the
years, otherwise, we did not need to be separated for so many years.”

“You must understand that I had worked extremely hard to hide this
secret over the years. I did not want you to discover the truth, I did not
want you to come back for the throne, I didn’t want Xi Rei to be covered
in blood…”then she finally admitted, “I did not want to see my son or the
love of my life die in this feud!”

“This is brother’s fruit and not mine!”

“I’ve had enough, I am tired of this. As Xi Rei’s Queen, I can’t allow the
end of our dynasty. Only the Royals can settle the matters of the throne.
From the two of you, I will pick the one that will become the King.” The
Queen’s tired eyes looked back and forth from Feng Ming to An Xun.

They both held their breath, waiting for her crucial decision.

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Then the Queen asked his Uncle, “I have been informed that in the
mountain passes of Xi Rei, you have several bases. There are men there
under orders, that if you were to come to harm they shall poison the
drinking wells throughout the country. You have also prepared foreign
alliances to attack Xi Rei, to ensure that the Crowned Prince will never
rule. Explain yourself!”

After those revealing words, the Crowned Prince gaped at An Xun, the
man’s beauty was misleading because his heart was rotten to the core.

A smile eased on An Xun’s lips, he remained quiet as if it was to confirm

the Queen’s sources.

“It appears that if I was to lay a finger on you, Xi Rei will be facing a
catastrophe. In such a time of crisis, I have to sacrifice my own son, for
the sake of preserving the peace of my country.”

The Queens eyes set upon Feng Ming, making him shudder.

Feng Ming felt as if he was a juicy frog that a venomous snake had
spotted and he broke out in a cold sweat.

Her eyes bore holes into him before she managed to approve of her
choice, “As the Crowned Prince, to sacrifice yourself for your country is
your duty. As your mother, I am very proud of you.” Then she shifted her
attention to An Xun. “I will help you become the new King. However if
you act now, this will easily stir criticism in the court. The Prince is due
to ascend the throne in March next year, at this time you can officially
challenge him.”

A chaotic storm was thundering and striking lightning bolts overhead,

Feng Ming froze.

The development was strange, he had no idea what was happening and
everything was playing out like a long nightmare.

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An Xun had expected the Queen would compromise to his favor, his face
was beaming with a wicked smile.
“However, by next March the Prince would have the chance to claim the
throne. If I keep him around, it would be too much of a risk.”

Hearing this, she stayed speechless and then released a sigh.

“You are forcing me…to…” she bit her lip, “well, for the sake of Xi Rei I
am willing to do anything. Go on, make your move. I will announce that
the Prince has fallen ill and share the same symptoms as the King. Once
March arrives, I will formally declare that the Prince had passed away.
You will be appointed the new King. However, before anything else you
must withdraw any spies and underlings you have stationed across our
land. A black list of names shall be publicized and these men must ally
themselves with Xi Rei. This plan will ultimately serve to avoid any
disasters in Xi Rei.”

“Withdraw my spies?” he raised an eyebrow.

The Queen looked at Feng Ming as she said “I am already willing to

sacrifice my son, he is in your hands now. Once the Crowned Prince is
gone, there is no one that can compete for the throne. You are the only
one left standing, who else can I trust? Why would there be a need for
spies? The future of Xi Rei will be finally settled.”

As she concluded her plans, she reached within the folds of her white
robe and produced a small bottle in the palm of her hand.

The long forgotten bystander shuddered, just listening to the cold

twisted conversation that played out before him had his heart pouncing
and his body urging him to run.

As An Xun and the Queen continued their devious conversation the

Prince had started to inch backwards along the side of the wall for the
exit. When he was finally near safety, he whisked around and found his
only exit had been blocked by a wooden door and unknowingly to him,

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had been barricaded from the outside. The door did not budge as he
pushed against it in frustration. This could have been the Queens doing
it was possible that she had this all planned out, she certainly wanted to
get rid of someone. When he turned his attention back to the estranged
lovers he noticed that An Xun was now holding the vial that previously
sat in the Queen’s palm. His uncle was heading towards him now, step
by step. With nowhere to run, Feng Ming was frightened stiff, and the
word ‘Poison’ quickly spouted in his mind.

Why? Why do they want to kill me?

Feng Ming felt An Xun’s sinister eyes set on him the once handsome
face was now contorted with a unfriendly sneer. The Queen remained
indifferent, expressionless like a mannequin watching on.

That’s right! A spark lit up, the Queen is willing to have me killed, so that
An Xun would abandon his plan to force his way onto the throne. Once
she obtains a blacklist Rong Tian would be able to deal with An Xun at a
later date. When March comes, her true son would finally be able to
ascend the throne with no opposition. I am just a mere pawn this perfect
opportunity to eradicate enemies against her son.

Such a complicated plan, who was the mastermind? Was it the Regent
King? Did Rong Tian sacrifice me just to secure a safe passage to the
throne?

Just the thought of this betrayal weakened Feng Ming at his knees, his
body felt powerless and he stumbled backwards against a corner. His
eyes searching erratically for help as An Xun closed in their proximity. In
his moment of peril, the different faces of Rong Tian he had encountered
surfaced in his vision, as if they were little mirages hurtling in a cycle in
front of him. The furious, the terrible, the smiling the gentle, the coy and
ambiguous…and even the moment they shared with the short lived
‘Spring of March’ … where was he now?

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Snapping back to reality, he retraced the scene that was played out in
front of him. Everything had had happened toppled the mountains and
overturned the seas. There was no logic, it was insane!

He wanted to wildly scream, ‘This is impossible! This isn’t right!’

A sharp pain hit his heart, his throat tightened as if a vacuum had been
installed in place. His teeth trembled but he couldn’t manage a word.

An Xun stood overbearingly over him, although his Uncle appeared weak
Fan Jia’s King was well learned in martial arts so he didn’t even see Feng
Ming as a challenge. A hand reached over to lift up his chin roughly.
Blood thirsty eyes pinned him to the spot, “Drink this now, you will die
immediately, there will be no pain.”

Feng Ming pursed his lips until they were firmly closed, his large eyes
looked on with despair, and finally he muttered “Rong Tian…” sadly his
plea was too soft, an An Xun did not care to listen to a dying man’s
words.

“Don’t strain yourself with any last words, as I have already selected the
perfect departing lines for you.” An Xun advised, “‘The Heavens have
not granted me the gift of a long life on earth, for the sake of Xi Rei the
throne should be entrusted to my Royal Uncle in order to maintain Xi
Rei’s prosperity’.”

With that said, his hands easily pried Feng Ming’s jaw open as the
younger man was unable to put up any resistance. He tipped the volume
of the bottle down the Prince’s throat.

Feng Ming gagged as the cold substance entered his mouth and slipped
down his throat unhindered, the taste was sweet but Feng Ming’s mind
was filled with bitterness. He was holding onto the last strand of hope
that his lover would break through the door, save him and hold him in
his arms and tell him that this was all a ploy to lure out their enemy.

The toxic liquid began to sear his windpipe, his stomach churned and he

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bellowed over collapsing into a heap, his vision was clouded with
flickering white spots. Letting go of that hope he allowed himself to sink
into the pit of darkness, a familiar place called death.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 20

Feng Ming slowly slumped into the cold darkness of the shadows that
dance with the flickering flames.

An Xun knelt beside the boy, snatching the slender wrist to survey for a
pulse, he wanted certification that the last beat was exhausted from the
dying body. Satisfied, he relinquished the lifeless arm and stood up.

The Queen was closely behind, standing to one side, her tear glistened
eyes swept over the motionless Prince. Her voice was calm and gentle,
“For your sake, I have sacrificed my own child, there is no mother under
the heavens as heartless as I am. Keep your word and recall your spies
in Xi Rei and you will also avoid any outsiders taking advantage of leads,
else you will endanger Xi Rei.”

In contrary to her emotionless state, a turbulent sea of sorrow raged

inside the Queen. The elaborate display of loyalty and submission to her
old lover today was all part of a ploy to force An Xun onto a path of no
return.

Her heart still urged her to deny An Xun’s profound love, even after all
these years. Her eyes were dampened by her tears, she was crying for
An Xun.

Naturally, the poison that Feng Ming was force feed was potent but alas
a fake.
An Xun nodded in agreement, “Good. There’s no Prince, who else could

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oppose me now? My men are no longer the needed in the grand

scheme.” He suddenly released a deep growl, his hand shot to his waist,
where he drew out a hidden dagger.

The distinct sound of metal scrapping against the sheath echoed in the
hall, it was ear splitting.

Shivers ran down the Queen’s spine, as the sharp blade eerily reflected
the fire light.

Fear struck down with a heavy hand, she trembled as she dared to ask,
“An Xun, what are you doing?”

“Mu Lan, It’s not that I do not believe you.” An Xun wielded the sharp
object threateningly, his voice had a gentleness reserved only for his
lover whom he also offered a smile to.

“Merely I do not want take any risks. Xi Rei’s Royal Arcanum excels in
the art of medicine and they’ve developed ones riddle with mystery for
assorted purposes. There’s a possibility that their drug was designed to
feign death and the manner of his death gives me no ease.”

He smiled.

“Which will be resolved, if I wound him mortally to guarantee his death.”

He waved the weapon. “I can be assured that he will not rise from the
dead. Then I shall hand over my last bargaining chip to you.”

Rong Wang had been especially concerned with Feng Ming’s safety, with
one stab, who can guarantee that there will be any life left to recover?

The colour drained from the Queen’s face. ”The Prince is dead, aren’t
you satisfied? Don’t tell me you won’t even allow me to preserve his
corpse?"

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“Rest assured, after I stab him several times, I will have his wounds
sewn.”

“An Xun!” The Queen’s raised her voice in disbelief.

“Mu Lan, we are adults now and far from the innocent days we spent as
playmates.”
An Xun clenched his fists on the handle and issued her a bitter laugh.

“In the end you were his mother, both involved in the title of the King
and keeping the throne in his bloodline, haven’t I been treading
carefully? Everything was for this moment, my love, the affections I
have for you will never change. Not now, not forever“

Taking a couple of steps back, the man’s words struck the Queen like
high voltage electric shots. She couldn’t bear to hear her past lover’s
confession, as the words echoed in her mind it left her critically
damaged, her emotions were in turmoil.

Her legs were numb and they faltered beneath her she managed to
catch her balance by supporting herself off the wall behind her.

Eyes closed, she shook her head slightly and in a soft voice,” His body
no longer has a pulse, yet you insist on scarring my child’s remains? Will
you withdraw your men afterwards then?”

“Where is the problem, if he has no pulse then it wouldn’t matter if I

inflict wounds on his body with this knife? I’ll withdraw my men when my
doubts have eased. From then onwards I’ll ensure Xi Rei’s security and
nothing will come to harm this land.”

At that very moment, it appeared that if the Queen was to obstruct An

Xun’s bidding she would certainly rouse suspicions.

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She stood there, staring intently with much hesitation, remaining silent
as millions of thoughts turned in her mind. Rong Wang’s face surfaced in
her thoughts, his face that had her trust and the imagery of Xi Rei in
cindering smoke of war torn times.

Biting her lips, she finally gave the sign of approval to An Xun, settling
on the safety of Xi Rei as the most important agenda she could choose
between the two choices. “Very well, if this is the case then let’s put this
matter to rest. Proceed and do as you please. Aim for the heart, this way
no miracle of medicine will bring the Crowned Prince back to life. You
should be at ease.”

An Xun’s face lit up, cheerful at the shift of power, “Mu Lan, I know you
are hurting inside. After all he is your son, don’t worry once I ascend the
throne, I will ensure he is given a proper grand burial befitting of his
status.”

He looked down at the unconscious Prince, his eyes glossed in savage

glimmer. Wielding his murder weapon with both his hands, he raised it
above the chest cavity, aiming directly for the boy’s heart.

As he motioned to pierce his prey a sudden a loud thunderous clap

interrupted the tragic scene.

An intruder had kicked down the wooden door, like a whirlwind the sole
figure charged into the narrow passageway.

The couple were thrown off, as the man swung into action at lightning
speed brandishing a sword that aimed a slash at An Xun’s head. He had
taken the An Xun by surprise.

Luckily, An Xun’s dagger quickly switched position, his attention

immediately diverted from the Prince. The years of the man’s
experience showed as his reaction time saved him from a vital wound.

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Clang!!

The screech of metal clashing was deafening as An Xun blocked another

murderous blow from his attacker, however the force behind the
attempt was enough to leave his own arms numb.

An Xun was confronted by the face of a raging lion engulfed by anger,

this beast was powerful and deep in a frenzy of adrenaline. The
intruder’s handsome face snarled with benevolence.

Rong Tian retracted his arms and initiated a continuous onslaught at the
man’s vital points, thrusting his blade with such agility An Xun barely
managed to keep defending.

The Regent King was unrelenting as the rhythm of colliding weapons

intensified. The younger man gave no room for recovery, indicating that
there will only be one survivor at the end of this battle.

CLING!

CLANG!

CLING! CLANG!

Flints flew from the point of contact between their swords as the men
demonstrated their skills and talent. Rong Wang fighting style was
flamboyant and powerful, each swipe had excellent precision. Although
his age was tender, he was not shy in tactic and performance, such
gallant pose was rarely seen in swordplay, it was becoming apparent to
who was the weaker in this deadly game.

An Xun’s years were catching up to him, he staggered slightly dodging

the swift swish of Rong Tian’s blade. His breath was laboured and he
knew he was reaching his limits in contrast to the fitter King. Making a

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cowardly withdrawal, he backed towards the speechless Queen his eyes

glared at her.

“Mu Lan, hurry and order him to stop!” he yelled with all his might.
The Queen had watched wide eyed like a stunned fish, she had bitten
her lips until they were bruised and her complexion was like a starched
linen.

Regardless of any impending commands the Regent King did not

hesitate to seize the opportunity, he took the opening. At the speed of
light he outstretched his sword and dislodged the weapon from his
enemy’s hands with a flick of his wrists. Quickly in one stride he was in
range to inflict the finishing move on the older man. With no escape he
brought his blade down and brutally slashed An Xun.

When the blade struck, An Xun could only return a helpless expression.

“Stop!” a blood curdling scream came from the Queen but unfortunately
it was too late to intervene.

Rong Tian could care less for grace, he had slammed his blade from An
Xun’s scalp down to his abdomen, the older man’s muffled scream was
mixed with the gargling of blood, he slumped down on the very spot he
was wounded. A disturbing sound came from his bloodied lungs before
he finally expired.

Although their match only lasted a few moments, Rong Tian had put a
violent end to Xi Rei’s biggest threat.

“An Xun…” The Queen’s voice trembled, she had just witness a cold
blooded murder.

Her legs rushed to the dead man’s side she had nothing now, but the
aftermath. She bowed her head down to that familiar face, emotions

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floated to the surface. A mix of anger, pain, disbelief and bitterness

clouded her mind and tears flowed like rivers down her cheeks. She
turned to face the killer, her own son.

“W-Why did you kill him?” she spat out as she cradled An Xun’s head on
her thighs.
Rong Wang’s anger was only fanned by her actions, he coldly stared
down at the pair

“This man is a traitor of Xi Rei, he even dared to conspire to ascend the

throne with underhanded means, yet the Queen weeps for him?”

“Rong Tian!” the Queen scowled at her child in a sharp tone wanting no
more of his cruel words. She tried to calm her emotions, and gasped for
breath between her sobs.

“Everything I have done, has always been for you, don’t you
understand? Everything could have been resolved if you didn’t barge in
here in cold blood, why did you have to destroy everything we have
worked so hard for?” she screamed.

Instead of answering, Rong Wang turned, paced towards his lover and
gathered the boy into his arms. His eyes softened and the fury subsided,
he was completely captivated by Feng Ming.

“The original plan, did not include Feng Ming’s death.” His voice was
chilled as ice.

“It was a matter of urgency, in order to protect Xi Rei, why can’t we

sacrifice this imposter? You willingly threw away our perfect strategy
and brought upon a catastrophe for Xi Rei? All for this fake Prince?”

“Feng Ming is not as simple as an imposter. When the Queen has time,
she should consider listening to his theories and opinions on the matters

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of ruling this country. This boy is the most precious treasure Xi Rei has in
its possession. As for An Xun’s untimely death, I shall handle the
repercussions.”

With one hand steadily holding his bounty, he uncloaked the mantle he
was wearing and gently wrapped Feng Ming in a tight bundle.

He murmured with a hint of annoyance as his gazed pitifully at his lover,

“Once the poison subsides Feng Ming should awake but not without any
after effects. If I had known earlier that this ploy was useless, I wouldn’t
have him suffer like this.”

Reflecting on her choices, the Queen knew her decision to use Feng
Ming as the bargaining chip was the reason why Rong Tian was furious
with her. She could tell by the tenderness in her son’s eyes for the
younger boy.

She trembled in disbelief, her son had abandoned her.

“Rong Tian, you…you are angry with me? I did this for your throne, for
your Xi Rei.” Her words quivered with every word.

At this moment, she didn’t even pay mind to her country’s future. The
words that left her mouth were from a mother that truly loved her child
and couldn’t deal with being shunned because of her wrong doing.

With his back facing the Queen, Rong Wang softened to her desperate
cries, “A mother’s hardship, is always for her child. Only that I ask of the
Queen that you must not bring harm to Feng Ming ever again.”

Reaching to stroke Feng Ming’s face, he could feel a slight rise in the
boy’s temperature. Life was returning to the motionless body, a sign that
the drug was wearing off.

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Rong Tian turned to face his mother, his eyes catching hers as he
sincerely informed her,“ If mother wants to act upon Rong Tian’s sake,
then please treat Feng Ming as if he is your own blood and flesh.
I…we…” He frowned, and released a deep sigh, cutting his sentence
short.

He was determined to not linger a moment longer so he bowed slightly

at the Queen to excuse himself, taking Feng Ming with him.

All the Queen could do was to watch as her son walked defiantly away
from her, all the energy drained from her body and she slumped down
on the spot.

Heartbroken by the turn of events, she looked sadly down at An Xun’s

dead profile. His once handsome face was tormented to the very last
breath of his life.

He had died with his eyes wide open.

Her tears poured down like a faucet as she grieved, the salty drops
mixed with the dried blood on the man’s face.

“I didn’t want this, why did you return here, why did you have to
challenge my son?” Her hand shook violently as she traced her fingers
over the cheeks of the face marred by the wound.

She cried, and wallowed.

“This is a curse of being a Mother! Can’t you even understand

something so simple?” she wailed.

“As Xi Rei’s Queen, how could I be idly sitting on the sidelines when you
want to violate this country? An Xun, you are brave but still so foolish!
With all the spies across this country threatening Xi Rei, tell me how am

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I to deal with them now? “

Her ex-lover provided no answer, his eyes emptied and soulless, only
wrought with despair and disbelief.

The cold of the hallway had long welcomed him and all that could be
heard was the Queens muffled sobs.

“Even though you couldn’t ascend the throne, my heart was always
yours…”

She wept until she couldn’t bare the sight of An Xun’s open eyes any
longer. She reached out with her pale jade-like hands and gently
brushed the lids so they closed, changing the pained expression so he
could be at rest.
…

The violent death of An Xun within Xi Rei’s palace quickly travelled

across the country, it wasn’t long until the country of Fan Jia caught wind
of the news, sending the country in a complete uproar. A chaotic mess
of a raging diplomatic storm was heading to Xi Rei.

Even countries border-lining Xi Rei were restless.

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 21

Notes:

Traditional Chinese medicine doctors routinely check a person’s pulse as

a judgement for their state of health. Diagnosis of many diseases often
depended on the patterns and irregularities to one’s pulse as well as
swelling of “chakra” points, and condition of skin colour etc. Remedies
revolved around boiling herbs, roots and parts of animals. The taste
leaves much for improvement, usually the concoctions are bitter and the
smell so pungant it makes you cringe.

--------------------

The aftereffects of the poison were evident and took a heavy toll on the
Prince’s feeble body. Even though Feng Ming’s pulse returned to a
regular pace he was immersed in a spell of deep slumber.

Needless to say, Xi Rei was now in a state of emergency, their political

ties were in complete disarray. Adding fuel to the fire, Fan Jia’s royal
family had pronounced that they will be seeking retribution against the
whole country for the breach of confidence and betrayal.

Government officials surged to the frontline of the political battle,

attempting to hold back each state from falling blindly headfirst into a
bloody war.

Fortunately King Rong was able to create an intricate cover up and his

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efforts eventually eased the hectic courts and the restless officials which
had the nations in a standstill.

As countless matters were being settled over the bargaining table, Feng
Ming remained unconscious and oblivious.

Several days following the return of peace to the courtrooms, the

Prince’s body remained unmoving in the middle of a large bed. His
condition had not improved and every pair of concerned eyes was glued
on the boy waiting for any signs of improvement.

Included among the eagerly waiting subjects, were a set of blazing eyes
that kept the Prince in his line of sight. Naturally, they belonged to King
Rong.

Suddenly a soft groan finally released the tension.

“Nnhh…”

The lips that had been pursed throughout the ordeal had opened ever so
slightly giving a muffled noise to everyone’s pleasant surprise.

A rosy taint had already returned to Feng Ming’s cheeks, a positive turn
indicating he may be ready to wake.

Each servant had participated in vigil for days on end in hope that the
Prince would recover. Now it was apparent their master was awakening,
everyone continued to look on with anticipation, holding their breath.

The Prince’s lush and long eyelashes began to dance, as the heavy lids
beckoned them to part. As if shy under the close scrutiny of his
onlookers, the movement suddenly ceased.

After a delay his large eyes abruptly opened.

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The pair of intoxicating dark eyes that had been hidden for numerous
days was finally open and at the moment he peered out towards his
observers, an overzealous joy rushed into the crowd.

Exuberant cheers echoed the halls, “His Majesty has awaken!”

“He has awaken!”

Praises for the heaven were belted out.

“Heaven bless!”

Within the hustle and joy of the servants, Chiu Lan immediately knelt
beside her master and prayed to the Gods in thanks.

The King made no delay, striding to the bed and presenting himself in all
his glory beside to the boy. He placed Feng Ming’s wrist into his own
hands, surveying for the strength of his lover’s pulse.

“Do you still remember who I am? Where are you hurting?” he prompted
anxiously.

Feng Ming had just awoken and he was aching from head to toe. Raising
his head to gain a better view of the King, he then recalled why he was
in this predicament in the first place. However, he was in no state give
Rong Tian a chewing.

As he was about to attempt a few words, Feng Ming was interrupted by

a serious of short chuckling.
“King Rong need not be worried.” The unfamiliar voice offered, “Our
legendary potion will absolutely never fail. Your servant, Official Xia is
willing to use his life to guarantee this fact. The Prince was unconscious
for seven days and it has been a sufficient period of time for him to
recover.”

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An old man stood nearby, cloaked in a rich green embroidered outfit, he

had a sharp chin and slender eyes.

In his hand he was holding a rather peculiar fan. Although he came

across as odd, he was Xi Rei’s highest and revered Master of medicine.

He had a natural disposition of an eccentric and borderline antisocial

personality. This talented man only operated under the orders of the
Royal family, preferring to live like a hermit he was indeed a rare sight
to be out in the open.

The toxin Feng Ming had been force fed was the brain child of this senile
genius, who belted out a hearty laugh.

Shortly another man’s voice entered the conversation.

“The Prince has the heavens luck shining upon him, within such a
devious grand plan you’ve manage to demonstrate your bravery and
prowess, exterminating an enemy with evil intentions. Truly a trait you
have inherited from the former King.”

General Tong stood boldly as he gave endearing words of support to his

Master he rested his hands on his waist, one rested upon the hilt of his
sword.

“Exterminating an enemy with evil intentions?” Feng Ming repeated

vacantly.
“Indeed Your Highness, this is referring to the traitorous King sent from
Fan Jia. Your Majesty brought a warranted end to An Xun by your blade.
You were merciful to issue him a death that was quick and dignified”

“An Xun is dead?” Feng Ming’s jaw gaped at the news and a soft cry
escaped his lips. His strange reaction was quickly rectified when he was
prompted by Rong Tian. The older man had reached inside the bed

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covers, grabbed and tugged at Feng Ming’s sleeve sending him a cue to
play along.

Drawing his jaw shut, he swallowed.

After ingesting the foul poison, he had surmised that he had fallen into
Rong Tian’s trap, the doubts he had
were washed away as soon as he had waken. He was kicking himself
inside for making the wrong judgement.

Glad to have a conclusion to the doubts cast around Rong Tian, Feng
Ming was now focused with the task at hand. The situation he had been
confronted by was perplexing and in all honestly Feng Ming couldn’t
even guess what had played out in the moments that followed his
blackout. He knew he had to proceed with caution, and silently waited
for further instructions from Rong Wang.

Regardless whether he knew fact for fact, it was wiser to feign his
knowledge. To get the ball rolling, he changed his expression, turning in
a serious nod of agreement.

“That’s correct. Traitors that scheme against Xi Rei deserve a death

sentence.” Although he forced himself to sound assured Feng Ming
couldn’t help but think about his deceased uncle.

Now that An Xun is dead, what of the Queen’s second spring?

Anyhow, it was that bastard who forced me to drink the poison, his
death served him right.

He nodded again after coming to an internal agreement that the man’s

death could be justified.

“Yes, his death was necessary.” He confirmed with an adamant tone.

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The Prince made eye contact with the high ranking officials who had
participated in the bedside vigil, and it was clear that in each of their
hearts the Crown Prince’s old visage of a pathetic, irresponsible and
useless coward had been permanently erased. Rather he was growing
into a wise and resolute natural leader and on the thought of Xi Rei’s
promising future one couldn’t help to feel a sense of content.

Feng Ming strained to shift himself so he could lean on Rong Tian for
support. His face appeared hollowed out and he was in a terribly weak
state that left him barely any energy to keep alert, hence handling any
government affairs was completely out of the question.

Chiu Lan hastily fetched a bowl of tepid herbal medicine she had
prepared for the Prince and brought the bowl to his lips.

General Chu had been present all this time and he raised his cupped
hands in obeisance to Feng Ming. His voice was deep, “

“His Majesty facing such perils managed to eliminate An Xun and spared
Xi Rei’s people from an upheaval. Indeed your choice to end his life was
impetuous and brute and will be followed by enmity from those with
different opinions in court. However, on closer analysis it is evident that
it was vital to save the people of Xi

Rei and as an outcome you have won the faith of countless officials”

“At present so long as we take care of the remaining spies An Xun had
disseminated throughout Xi Rei, we will be able to overcome this hurdle.
We have managed to capture almost half of the spies and these men
have been tortured for confessions. Several have given statements on
an impending attack against Xi Rei city, they have been left specific
orders that under certain circumstances they must infiltrate and poison
the wells, to cause an internal strife and civil unrest. This is a matter of
great importance, how shall we advance Your Highness? King Rong?”

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Since the time Feng Ming had demonstrated his tactical talent, with his
sermon on making foreign alliances he had gain respect among the
Generals at a rapid rate. This was supported by fact these men who had
once belittled him was now requesting Feng Ming to make a political
decision for Xi Rei.

General Tong let out a chortle, “General Chu there’s no need to be

worried over this matter. King Rong has already reassured us that the
Prince had thoroughly planned his moves before taking An Xun’s life.
May it be the spies that are to poison our water or an impending army
from Fan Jia, we will be prepared to take them head on.” He waved.

“The Prince has recovered, nothing could hinder us now.”

The conversation was growing into a tangled mess inside Feng Ming’s
brain and he could only assume that this was all Rong Tian’s doing and it
was unclear on what responsibilities the devil had push upon him.

He turned his head, and sent the King a death glare with all his might.

King Rong merely gave him a faint smile as a response, before softly
saying “You’ve just awaken so don’t strain yourself for now.”

His lover then diverted his attention from him, raising his head to look at
the occupants of the Prince’s chamber and ordered them in a firm
manner.

“The Prince has recovered his unconsciousness and everybody has

placed in an exhausting effort in the past days, at this moment may you
all be relieved of your duties. You may all take your leave for rest.
General Tong, as for Fan Jia affairs you shall continue to be in charge.
General Chu, the matters of chasing out the remaining spies rests on
your shoulders you’ll need to be on guard to avoid any disasters
arising.”

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Rong Tian’s sharp eyes finally rested on the hermit man who sneezed
when the man’s gaze fell on him. The King’s lips turned into a slight
smile, “Master Xia, the Prince’s body has not returned to complete
health and I request that you are posted nearby in case there is any
changes in his condition.”

All the subjects listened and dispatched themselves according to Rong

Wang’s orders, with their minds at ease with the Prince’s awakening
they happily left to do the King’s bidding.

Poor Master Xia was about to fall over and snore on the spot, thanks to
an infuriated Rong Tian who caught and forced him to attend the Prince
for the past seven days straight.

Although he was tired and could sleep like a log he was anxious, he
bowed at the King. “King Rong, humble Xia has a crop of herbal
medicine that has never been tended by anyone else, please permit Xia
to have a look and I shall return immediately to the Prince’s quarters as
you have ordered.”

Rong Tian understood that his man lived for his passion of medicine, and
the rare herbs he reared manually were his most treasured objects in
the world. He nodded, “Alright, go quickly and return as quick and don’t
delay the Prince’s next prescription of medicine.”

“Humble Xia’s gratitude to Your Highness and King Rong.” The old man
quickly became invigorated and slipped out of sight with a big grin
planted across his face.

A tranquil peace finally returned to the Prince’s chambers, Chiu Lan was
clever and instinctively knew that Rong Tian wanted to be left alone with
Feng Ming. She beckoned the other attendants in the room with her
hands, and without a sound the pack of servants retreated and closed
the bedroom chamber doors behind them.

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All that was left was Rong Tian and Feng Ming. Once the door clicked
shut, Feng Ming felt the arms that held him tighten. He immediately
looked back at the man, Rong Wang’s eyes were red hot, his gaze
pinning themselves upon his body. The famished look he was receiving
was starting to burn into his flesh.

“You…”Feng Ming muttered a little afraid.

Inside his heart he had so many questions that begged for answers and
as soon as he started to speak again Rong Tian had already forced
himself on the Prince.

His lover pressed his lips firmly over his and where their lips met the
temperature was scalding, the arm that had snaked around his small
waist was going to snap him in two. Alike if Rong Tian wanted to engulf
the boy to make him part of his entity forever.

“You little devil.”

Rong Tian kissed and nipped at Feng Ming’s swelling lips as he vented
his suppressed passion and the stress from the worry he had to live with
for the past seven days.

“Even daring to sleep for seven days.” He scolded.

“You… You are the real devil here…”In hindsight the mastermind behind
all their troubles was Rong Tian and Feng Ming genuinely felt the rights
to refute.

There was no need to ask, Feng Ming was sure Rong Tian had another
plan up his sleeve which no less included him without any prior notice.

However, in his current circumstance he was not fit to be doing anything

than have his lips kissed by a madman in a frenzy of lust.

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How could he contest against this onslaught?

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Vol. 1:

Chapter 22-23

It would be over Feng Ming’s dead body before he would admit that it
was Rong Tian’s onslaught of kisses that was the cause of his fainting.
Conveniently, he blamed the Regent King and the dose of mysterious
herbal medicine fed to him before he had properly recovered.

From the moment he woke up, he treated the King with aversion, his
eyes sharp as the tip of a blade as he bore holes into the man with his
stare.

“You still haven’t explained everything to me!” He claimed sourly, taking

the position of the victim in this charade. He displayed his displeasure,
purposely distancing himself out of reach from Rong Tian on the bed
pallet they shared.

King Rong stretched forth his long arm, and immediately drew him back
into his hold. His breath gently tickled Feng Ming’s ear, “Wasn’t I
explaining the situation to you yesterday?”

“Yesterday?” All Feng Ming could recall was their kissing session, just
the imagery made him feel humiliation. He gritted his teeth.

“Alright, let me repeat it more slowly this time around.” The King
offered.

Sensing Feng Ming’s fumes growing, Rong Tian was smart to pacify him

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before he exploded. The King quickly submitted himself and thoroughly

retold the Prince from start to finish of the developments up to this
point.

Rong Tian possessed eloquence one of his strongest traits which gave
him a tongue that was smoother than any silk. Naturally listening to him
was enjoyable.

He explained to the disgruntled Prince that he had managed to be one

step ahead of An Xun, and before his uncle had entered the palace
grounds he made haste to approach the Queen and fabricate an
intricate plan. Importantly, was their move to lure An Xun into the’ out of
sight’ corridor, and eventually everything had proceeded as planned.
Rong Tian updated Feng Mingon the events after he had collapsed.

Feng Ming was baffled, listening intently to Rong Tian’s thrilling words,
and he thought inwardly: That’s why we had to rush back to the Palace
the other day, you left to organise so many things.
When he heard that An Xun not only intended to force the Prince to drink
the ‘poison’, his uncle wasn’t leaving anything to chance. The love-sick
man wanted confirmation of death by defiling Feng Ming’s body with a
dagger to the heart.

“Aiyah!” Upon hearing how close he had been to a real death he

shivered.

Rong Tian looked on pitifully, “Don’t worry, how could I permit him to
hurt you, it is because of this turn in events I was forced to make an
early appearance. It is also the reason why An Xun’s end came so
violently. Alas, our plan fell through on the last hurdle.”

Feng Ming issued a cold snort.

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“Don’t you pretend your innocence in this mess, just because you’ve
rushed to rescue me the fact you’ve used me to your advantage is not
erased. Hurry up and spit it out, why didn’t you include me in your
scheme beforehand? You nearly had me scared to death!”

“By then, I had time constraints, An Xun had already entered the palace
grounds, when could I’ve drawn you aside to explain everything?
Moreover, An Xun is a cunning man. Under the heavens there is only one
person that can lie to his face and succeed, and that is the Queen. If you
had the truth in your possession, it would be inevitable that you’d give
the game away.”

“Hmph! That’s nonsense!” Feng Ming was dissatisfied with the idea that
he wasn’t ‘competent’ enough. Instead of drawing out his displeasure,
he recalled the spies that An Xun had dispersed throughout Xi Rei thus
changed the topic.

“Now that you’ve slayed An Xun, isn’t Xi Rei in a mess? Fan Jia’s Third
Princess had just lost her husband so it is no doubt they will be seeking
revenge. Along with the countless spies left in this country, it’s already a
headache.”

Remembering the words of the general s that made an audience the day
before, he quickly declared, “And I certainly don’t have any ‘grand
scheme’ that is meant to solve all our problems.”

“I don’t know what kind of lies you’ve sprinkled onto General Tong!
Saying that once I am rested that I with deal with matters appropriately?
Don’t shift the responsibility onto me!”

Rong Wang silently gazed at Feng Ming’s tensed face, his lips turned
slightly upwards before he softly whispered,

“What are you afraid of, that I would bring you harm? I’ve got a great

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strategy under my sleeves, if you kiss me once, I might just tell you.”

His voice was like liquid silver, smooth and gorgeous and tempting. As
he articulated every word slowly into the Prince’s ear, there was a
certain charm about the way he was baiting the boy.

Feng Ming’s heart suddenly pounded against his chest to the pace of a
herd of cattle being mustered. His face reddened, the heat burning his
ears, he bowed his head and did not reconcile, “Why should I kiss you?
This is your Country, your throne, and your own stirring pot of
trouble…nnnhhhh…nhhhhhhhhh…”

Halted midway in his speech, Rong Tian had covered the perfect red lips,
mashing his own onto them and nipping at them until they were swollen.

Their breath became more rapid and desperate in between the contact.

The distinct scent of eaglewood incense filled the Prince’s quarters,

smoky trials floated in the still air creating a hazy atmosphere.

Under the silk covers, Rong Tian had Feng Ming pinned, the Prince’s
hands pushed above his head and kept firmly in place by one of Rong
Tian’s hands. The man’s other hand went exploring over the curves of
the boy’s body. The King had rested himself between Feng Ming’s
widespread legs. Prolonging the torment, Rong Tian refused to touch
Feng Ming’s most delicate part directly. Instead he employed his own
body to tease him by causing a stimulating friction with the gyration of
his flesh against the boy’s. His free hand moved south to caress the soft
thighs that seemed to relax and melt against his touch.

The King’s mouth was dosed in the taste of Feng Ming. With little effort,
he had subdued any protest from the smaller boy who was moaning
softly beneath him. By now the Prince’s body was a senseless mass that
had given up the fight long ago, allowing himself to be raptured by this

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man.

The only part of Feng Ming’s senses that had resisted the King’s power
to be turned to mush, was his pair of large vivid black eyes which
remained wide open glaring at the man. His expression held a hint of
resistance which was buried under the overwhelming yearning they held
for the face above.

Rong Tian’s attacks strengthened, the energy they shared was reaching
an indescribable plateau of ecstasy, entering such a crucial moment the
King was mindful to ensure Feng Ming was on the same level of
pleasure. His tongue, sought every inch of skin to seduce.

Gradually, the feisty eyes let down their guard, the King had him hook
line and sinker, Feng Ming felt like he was being swallowed by
quicksand.

As their love began to advance to the next stage, an invasive voice

heralded an arrival from outside the Prince’s room.

“Your Majesty, the medicine is ready. Master Xia ordered it to be drunk

whilst hot.” The soft voice belonged to Chiu Xing.

Feng Ming was startled and flustered.

He frantically buckled under Rong Tian, attempting to throw him off with

all his might. His jaw locked down as he turned his head, unfortunately
he had forgotten that Rong Tian’s tongue had been excavating inside
leading him to give the King a nasty bite.

The King’s face distorted from pleasure to pain, his eyebrows knitting
into a frown and he shot a quick dissatisfied look at Feng Ming before
relinquishing his hold.

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Chiu Xing already opened the doors, entering whilst carefully holding a
platter with a bowl of steaming black liquid in the middle. She made her
way towards her master, her eyes glued on her cargo making sure she
didn’t spill any of the precious medicine.

“This was just brewed, Your Majesty please drink it immediately.” She
looked up and her eyes set upon an extremely flushed Feng Ming who
was sharing his covers with Rong Wang.

This type of situation was a common sight in the ranks of nobles, and
relationships were respected. Certainly, the palace servants were well
accustomed to male-male relationships given the history between the
two men.

There was no reaction of surprise or shame from the Regent King, who
sat coolly resting himself on the back of the bed’s headboard. Rong Tian
outreached to bring Feng Ming into his arms so he could administer the
Prince’s medicine. However, Feng Ming was thick skinned and refused
such treatment in front of his servant and struggled out of his hold, still
beat red with embarrassment.

Chiu Xing kept a poker face, smiling and handed the bowl to the Regent
King, “Your Humble servant will now take leave, I shall not disturb your
Highnesses.” Without another peep, she slipped away making herself
scarce.

As soon as Chiu Xing was out of sight, Feng Ming released a heavy sigh
of relief.

Rong Wang chuckled. Holding onto the bowl steadily with one hand, his
other shot across the bed to retrieve his lover into his embrace. Once he
had Feng Ming trapped, he coaxed the Prince into drinking the bitter
fluid, mouthful by mouthful.

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After Feng Ming downed the final gulp, he finally revealed his cards.
“Given An Xun has been killed, we shall claim that he was murdered by
an assassin when he arrived to visit his ill brother. The imperial guards
were too late onto the scene, hence this disaster resulted. Conveniently,
we shall claim during this incident Xi Rei’s own King was murdered
alongside. This being the case, the fact that we’ve lost the most
important person in this country will mean that we are also the ‘victims’
of this unsolicited attack. Giving substantial evidence that An Xun’s
death is highly unlikely caused by Xi Rei.”

“However, General Chu and several others are loyal to Xi Rei, in the case
we will need their assistance in the future it is important to keep them
as allies. We shall not conceal the truth from them. It is wiser to tell
them that we were the ones that killed him.”

“Still how would they believe that I managed to take him down? Was this
meant to be part of my awesome plan?”

The King looked at Feng Ming.

“Oh, my little Prince! ”

He leant in to steal a kiss.

“Haven’t I been weaving a good image for you? That His Royal Highness
is brilliant, intelligent, possesses god-like fighting skills, wise beyond his
years and has great foresight for the Country’s future? I’ve made sure
you’ve left this mighty impression on the officials. This is the only way
you can harness and gain the loyal support of your subjects. ”

Feng Ming gave him a snivel.

“You still haven’t given me your plan to resolve how we shall deal with
Fan Jia’s Royal family as well as those spies. It’s obvious that they won’t

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fall so easily for your reasoning of assassins! Also, why do I need you to
build this great ‘image’ for me in front of the court? The one ascending
the throne is the cunning Rong Wang, and that’s you! “

Feng Ming poked his finger at the King’s chest.

“The one who has been eyeing the throne to Xi Rei has always been An
Xun. An Xun’s wife is the Third Princess of Fan Jia. Although she is the
daughter Fan Jia’s King dotes on, it is possible that he shall not
immediately declare war over the death of an in-law. We must make it a
priority to appease the Third Princess and Fan Jia’s King. Naturally, a
little trouble along the way is unavoidable.”

“Then…about the spies…”

“The spies in question…” Rong Wang gave him a cryptic wink and he
turned to the bedside and retrieved a scroll, unfurling it with a whisk of
his hand.

“This is the list of all the spies working for An Xun, a majority of them
are present here within the city, so long as the Crowned Prince gives the
command, they will all be arrested. Without a doubt, we will need to
gather countless guards to watch over each well in the city. The water
shall be tested by guards who would drink it every two hours, just for
protection.”

The list presented before Feng Ming was painstakingly pieced together
after An Xun’s death, Rong Tian invested many of his sleepless nights in
a huge effort to gather intelligence. Hence, being able to present Feng
Ming a completed list, he was very complacent of his handiwork.

Of course, Feng Ming was oblivious to the sweat and blood required to
make the list as he lazily grabbed the flippant paper from the King and
had a look at it himself.

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“If you knew there was a list earlier, and you’ve indicated it would be a
breeze to take care of the matters with Fan Jia, then why didn’t you just
kill An Xun? Was there really a need for one scheme after another?
Wouldn’t it been easier to take him out with one clean sweep?
Especially, when you ended up dragging me into this and having me
take in such a bad tasting poison!”

Feng Ming’s complaints had Rong Wang on a boil. The King stared in
disbelief at the naïve boy who was ignorant of all his efforts. He wanted
to give the Prince a thorough punishment, by ruthlessly kissing him until
he passed out.

“Is it necessary to test the waters by drinking it? Can’t we just use a few
fishes to make sure the water is potable? As long as they are alive, they
can be used as the judging meter. It’s better than risking a human life.”

Rong Wang was suddenly surprised, taken back by such a simple

suggestion which was a better solution. It was impossible to see by the
naked eye whether water was poisoned and Feng Ming just proved his
worth. The King was delighted he immediately tightened his arms
around the Prince and planted a kiss on him, before laughing.

“You are clever! The Crowned Prince is indeed a genius by coming up

with such a wonderful technique. You are very smart indeed, and it looks
like you won’t need my assistance to establish a great image for yourself
to the rest of the people.”

Feng Ming was still confused, “Why should I build such image? You’ve
still haven’t told me.”

“That’s because we’ve already formally announced the death of Xi Rei’s

King. As An Xun is dead, there is no one that can oppose the Crowned
Prince of his rightful place on the throne. At present the Crown Prince
shall represent Xi Rei.”

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“Next March, you shall ascend the throne, so that means I can enjoy
these months at leisure before the time has come.” Feng Ming smiled.

“That’s not possible.” Rong Tian cut off bluntly.

“Why?” Shot the Prince fully alert.

“That’s because…in order to prevent any troops being deployed from

Fan Jia to attack our borders, as well as to demonstrate our innocence
on the part of An Xun’s death, Xi Rei has already issued an official
statement to Fan Jia that stated, the Crowned Prince would personally
visit Fan Jia, and bring back the Third Princess and let the widow live out
her natural life in our Country as compensation.”

“You…WHAT!?” he screamed.

One would think that Feng Ming’s eyes could not stretch any wider and
he almost jumped up from the news.

“Are you insane? Fan Jia hates Xi Rei to the bone, and you’ve actually
told them I was going in there so they can have me killed! Hey, let me
make this clear to you. I do not want your stinky throne, and nor will I
occupy your position as the Prince, you can take everything back I don’t
want you to put me into a death-trap!” he shrieked cursing at Rong Tian.

Rong Wang’s eyebrows creased before he replied, “You think I wish this
upon you? Xi Rei has suffered through a severe drought this year. There
is a food shortage and we’ve got troubles at hand with our own citizen.
The bandits attacking our borders haven’t helped the situation as we are
nearly at war with the Country of Tong. If Fan Jia becomes our enemy,
even Xi Rei’s army would not be able to handle it at this rate. Fan Jia’s
King has prepared his troops, several Generals are leading armies.
Fortunately, they have not broken into our borders as yet. We are
working on borrowed time. It appears the King of Fan Jia is hesitating to

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attack us, none the less his army is advancing slowly. We must utilize
this opportunity to settle matters with Fan Jia. Xi Rei’s is not in a good
position, the court is in disarray, I cannot leave. I ask you only this once,
for you to substitute for me as the ‘Crowned Prince’.”

Rong Tian’s voice had grown more serious and it was unfitting.

Feng Ming shook his head.

Rong Tian turned to his old measures, in a threatening voice he warned,

“If Xi Rei comes under fire, you as Xi Rei’s Crowned Prince will certainly
be killed.”

“It’s better than obediently putting my head on the chopping board.”

Feng Ming muttered with his head down, “You clearly want me as the
scapegoat.”

Seeing Feng Ming with such a terrible but rather comical aggrieve look,
even the Regent King’s anger washed away.

Finding it funny, he caught him and brought the boy to his side.

In a gentler voice, he scolded him, “You don’t trust me? Of course I

won’t be sending you into a pack of wolves, when you travel to Fan Jia I
have a fool proof plan to have you return to Xi Rei safely in one piece.”

“An Xun’s dead, unless you can miraculously make another one.”

“Silly, An Xun is dead. Not everyone in Fan Jia will hate you. In fact
you’ve done several people a good service. Fan Jia’s King does not have
any sons as heirs, only three daughters. You’ve rid the family of one
person to which they may have to fight the throne with. Thus, at least
the Third Princess’s two sisters would love you for your deed. They will
be the first to run and thank and protect you.” He finished with a note of

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sarcasm.

Again, with fighting and competing for the Throne! On an interesting

note, Feng Ming was surprised that even in this ancient time, a Queen
as the monarch of the country was not prohibited. That was really
interesting idea.

Then Feng Ming was taken by that thought and quickly voiced his
concerns, “Since there’s only Three Princesses leading to the Throne,
they each have the right to inherit the throne, why would the Third
Princess be willing to come to Xi Rei?”

“You can’t come to a conclusion on this part.” The Regent King grinned,
he place Feng Ming on his lap, keeping his arms wrapped possessively
around his slender waist before explaining to him, “The Third Princess’s
husband in now deceased, she had no children thus she has no chance
in getting the throne. If she stays in Fan Jia, she would be a sitting target
for anyone that wants to ensure her chance remains at zero. If she was
smart, she will return to Xi Rei with you.”

“But, An Xun…” Feng Ming started.

“Don’t be afraid. I will let you meet a person.” Rong Tian interrupted
him, and he called out into the air, beckoning someone to come.

“Rong Hu, come in.”

The grand doors of the bedchambers softly creaked opened and a

person entered soundlessly and knelt at their feet.

“As you’ve wished Master.” The voice was young the invited guest it was
a man that was possibly in his late teens.

Feng Ming studied the stranger curiously.

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Rong Wang nodded and ordered, “Rong Hu, lift up your face.”

“Eh!” Feng Ming responded, when the face came into view.

Rong Hu had fair skin, large eyes that were set in an extremely
handsome face, from what Feng Ming gathered by sight alone, he
estimated the man to be around seventeen. The expression the boy
carried was very calm and mature.

Sharing the same surname is Rong Tian, Feng Ming couldn’t dismiss
whether they were actual brothers as Rong Tian also had the same air or
maturity around him.

Correcting his suspicions, Feng Ming reminded himself that it was

impossible for Rong Tian to be an actual ‘Rong’, he was the King’s child
that was fostered.

As Feng Ming’s imagination ran wild, Rong Wang finally gave the answer
away, “Feng Ming, Rong Hu grew up together with me, however, he has
always concealed himself and acts as my shadowing bodyguard. Rong
Hu, this is your new owner. Xi Rei’s Prince, An He. His real name is Feng
Ming, let me make this clear to you. His real name must remain a secret
that only you and I will know, it must not be leaked to any outsiders.”

Feng Ming thought inwardly, ‘that’s not right, I know that fact too!”

“Greetings Your Royal Highness.” Rong Hu promptly said whilst giving

Feng Ming an unwavering deep look with his sharp eyes. The intensity of
his gaze somewhat startled Feng Ming, it was as if Rong Hu was
engraining every feature of Feng Ming into his own mind.

The boy then bowed his head, “Rong Hu will ensure his Royal Highness
is unscathed.”

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Rong Tian nodded his head.

“Very well, you may go.”

Rong Hu stepped back, giving the pair a salute and quietly retreated.

“From now on, he will protect you from the shadows.”

Feng Ming gave the King a strange look, “You honestly don’t think I’d
believe that two stupid princesses from Fan Jia and one good guard
would ensure my safety, right?”

Rong Tian chuckled, nodding.

“I’m not going.” The Prince objected.

“You have to go.”

“Nope, I’m not going!”

Rong Wang closed his eyes, and thought for a moment before asking,
“What would it take for you to agree to go?”
Without reservation, Feng Ming ordered, “You come along with me!”

“If I could leave Xi Rei, why would I send you in the first place?” Rong
Wang smiled.

Feng Ming was distressed he was backing into a dead end.

Rong Wang silently watched his lover for a while, and then let out a loud
sigh. He moved Feng Ming from his lap, stood up and stroll to the
window and remained there gazing out into the distance.

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Not sure what to make of Rong Tian’s strange behaviour, Feng Ming
could only think of what Rong Tian would do to force him to submit.

To his surprise, Rong Tian lifted his silence, “Well, if it’s going to be like
this. Then you don’t need to go.”

“Really?” Feng Ming looked wide eyed happy, his mood lifting up
immediately with those words.

Rong Wang didn’t say a word.

---- ----- ---- ---

Conversely, since the day Feng Ming managed to weasel out of leaving
Xi Rei the Regent King did not make an appearance in the Prince’s Halls.
It was now already the third day in a row.

Not being able to see Rong Tian for three days was starting to take its
toll on Feng Ming who was finding the cold treatment very tough to
combat.

The Prince’s hall had a spell placed upon it. His days were spent in an
awful silence. The blankets he slept in where excruciatingly cold and
everywhere he looked none of the servant girls were his normal
familiars. Feng Ming’s eyes monitored the main entrance like a hawk, his
ears at attention, listening out for the sound of familiar footsteps.

Unconsciously, by not being able to come into contact with Rong Tian it
had ultimately brought him to the stage where he was starting to be
sleepless during the long nights.

The countless flow of servants and messengers he had sent to find the
Regent King was fruitless. All returned, reporting that the King was busy
and could not sacrifice any time to see him.

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When Feng Ming tried to take matters into his hands to search for the
man, he would be blocked off by guards. He had never expected Rong
Wang to be so heartless, and that he meant it when he didn’t want to
see Feng Ming.

Poor Feng Ming could only be left with his thoughts.

Although I am afraid of death, if you beg me a little wouldn’t I easily give

into you?

Even though you agreed to let me stay, you are embittered by my

choice, why must you hide it?

All the Prince could do was resign to his chambers for the past three
days, being bored to death in the Palace was just as bad as senselessly
running to Fan Jia.

I’ve already died once, I guess it shouldn’t be scary the second time
around?

On the end of the third day he held vigil for Rong Tian, Feng Ming
couldn’t stand it any longer and called out Rong Hu from the shadows.

Rong Hu appeared as requested.

“What is my Master’s orders?”

“You go and tell that bastard Rong Tian, that I will go!” Feng Ming bit his
lip, “I’ll go! Tell him he has to come and see me!”

Instead of taking the order, Rong Hu showed indifference before

replying, “The Regent King has ordered Rong Hu to be your personal
body guard. Under no circumstances shall I leave your side.”

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Feng Ming let out an enraged scream of frustration, crying out to call for
another guard and Rong Hu disappeared out of sight.

When several guards entered the Prince’s chamber Feng Ming belted out
his commands, “Go and tell Rong Wang, that I agree and promise that I
will happily march into Fan Jia to accept my death!”

The guards made haste and galloped away. After two hours, they
returned to report to the Prince.

“Rong Wang has replied that all the provisions and required equipment
for the Prince’s journey is prepared. Your Highness shall set out on your
journey tomorrow. The Regent King is busy so he will be unable to
personally see you off.”

The Prince was steaming with rage, his heart was on the verge of
jumping out and he felt light headed. All emotions of sorrow and grief
from the rejection and desertion he was given by Rong Tian now
churned chaotically inside. He was at a lost, he arrived alone into this
ancient world, and the only support he thought he had was nothing but a
heartless unreliable bastard.

Suddenly, he pulled his heart out from despair. He turned and nodded at
the guards, bitterly telling them to pass the word, “Well, you go and tell
him, I don’t need him to see me off. Once I get to Fan Jia I don’t plan on
coming back to Xi Rei!”

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 1-2

Terminology:
鹿鼎记 (The story of the Deer and the Cauldron) – a metaphor for inner
China and the Chinese Empire. A story written in 1969 by Jin Yong, the
protagonist of the story is called Wei Xiao Bao (韋小寶, an extremely lazy,
illiterate whose redeeming points is his witty and cunning brain. He is a
complete nobody born to a prostitute and after a chain of events he
finds himself posing as a eunuch where by sheer luck he becomes the
most trusted to the Emperor. I assume that he had in possession the
dagger that was mentioned in chapter 1 of Volume 2.

无双 (Wu Shuang) Unparalleled – I was frustrated when I had to decide

what name I had to give this stupid sword because in Chinese, the
characters mean more like there is no twin or double. So I ended up
picking ‘unparalleled’ instead of ‘Matchless’ sounds more classy right?
------ ------- ------
Early next morning Feng Ming and his entourage were due to 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 diplomatic mission 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.

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“It is ready now.” Chiu Yue stepped back to double check the collective
efforts 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 of
excitement pushing through.

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.

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“I refuse to believe it, our Crown Prince is leaving for abroad and the
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 dressed for the occasion.

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

He wasn’t in a mood to admire their clothing, seeing it wasn’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 ordered the 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.

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“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 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 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

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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.

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
to offer a rare old sword which might not even pass the grade to give
haircuts.

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“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.

“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?”

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Feng Ming looked at the people around him, who too were sharing a
bewildered and clueless look to Official Xia’s question.

“How am I supposed to know?”

The old man chuckled.

“Well indeed, Xi Rei’s most treasured items are tucked neatly 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.

“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.”

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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
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.”

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
servant will do his utmost protect Your Highness, I shall serve Your

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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?”

“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 en route 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.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 3

A new cheeky character, you will fall in love!

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Lie Er – Chinese name literally means ‘Strong Child’

Updated FYJT world map:

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Purple is Ruo Yan, Red Li Guo, Green Fan Jia, Blue Tong Guo

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 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.

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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 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 was notorious, poor Feng
Ming was a victim to the late Prince’s only ability. Feng Ming couldn’t
falter 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 like hangover.

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Feng Ming’s head was just about to split open, as he struggled to open
his 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 lying within 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.

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

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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.

“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.

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.

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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.

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 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

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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 a
sudden smile which also displayed his adorable dimples.

“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. Lie Er will not dare to
complain.”
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

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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.

“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…”
changing his tone to the most threatening he could feign, he enunciated,
“You are absolutely forbidden to attend to me in bed.”

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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.”

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,

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please arise and change.”

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.”

“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.

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“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 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 back a giggle. Doing his best to suppress his laugh, he gestured to
the Prince, “Please allow Lie Er to serve 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 himself
wholeheartedly to aid him. Feeling no ulterior motive or any wandering
hands on his body Feng Ming 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.

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“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 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.”

“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

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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 aware of his prowess
clicked inside. So it was pointless to conceal it.

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.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 4-5

Portrait of General Tong…I’m sure there’s one of official Xia somewhere

I’ll add that later.

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Updated map of FYJT

Lin Dan is in Navy blue.

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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 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.

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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
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.”

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.

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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.

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, “If you want to see Lie Er so badly,
perhaps I shall summon him here.”

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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 desire 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
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.”

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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?”

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

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.

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“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 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 type of person to go back on his words.
The more he stressed about it, it became apparent that perhaps it would
be better to 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

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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.

“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
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.

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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.

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 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.

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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.”

“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

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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 the other chamberlains to bully him and he
bared it all with clenched teeth. Not even voicing against his
mistreatment. It is likely this is all a ploy to trick the Prince to allow him
to share the same carriage.

This is what I have managed to deduce from his actions so far, we must
beware as he is a calculating person, and certainly not as simple as he
portrays himself.”

“Do you mean…”

“In Xia’s opinion, he is likely a spy that Ruo Yan has pinned onto the
Prince.” The skinny old man’s eyes narrowed, coldly adding “The King of
Ruo Yan had a male consort called Fu Er, who apparently died of an
illness less than half a month ago. I stumbled across portraits of his
lover, and I was shocked to see that Lie Er is a spitting resemblance of
the late Fu Er. How could there be such an uncanny coincidence? There
is something fishy.”

Feng Ming shivered.

“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

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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 the Prince wishes to bed him, do as you
like.”

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.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 6

美人计 (Mei ren Ji) Honey trap method – is using one’s beauty for
entrapment.

Royal Uncle/ Uncle/In-law – Chinese people have a very complicated

nomenclature system, depending on which side of the family and the
positioning people are given specific names to show their relativity to an
individual in the family. Hence, although Feng Ming is not directly
related to Giu Sen, he has to refer to him as a Royal-in law (ranking
position). I’ll try to explain this portion a bit better in the future…but I
hope I don’t confuse too many people.

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 moment.

--- --- ---- --- --- ----

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.

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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 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 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.”

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“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 to secretly admire his
will against falling for such traps of attraction.

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 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?”

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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 could feel the murderous aura steaming from
each foreign soldier.

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 to attack
given the word. It was Official Xia that knew Feng Ming was scared and
apprehensive. In 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

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useful information he had retained from Rong Tian’s lectures. An idea

struck him like lightning and he 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.

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.”

“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.”

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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 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
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.”

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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.

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 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.”

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Hearing Chiu Lan’s attempt at a consolidating speech Feng Ming laughed

bitterly.

“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,
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.

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“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.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 7

Volume 2 Chapter 7

---

Didn’t see this coming did you, ahhhh the element of surprise!

---

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 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 south-
wards 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

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white jade, as well as ten fine soldiers on the lookout.

Feng Ming dismounted from his carriage, his eye glued to the amazing
details of his Aunty’s home. Suddenly a strange feeling welled inside
him, but 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

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 the visitors towards
the front gate.

Before they could even make a step through the door, to their surprised
the guards barricaded the entrance, stopping them in their stride.

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“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 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 off your fuse,
it’s no great hindrance, let’s have King Gui Sen, entertain us for the
day.”

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.

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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 front of everyone.

The thought that such a crafty woman was going to get the best of him,
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
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.

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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 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
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 gate-
crashing, 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.

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“Hmph! I’m no stranger to understanding the looks in men’s eyes and

his 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
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 Gui Sen. The
Third Princess is currently entertaining a guest who has arrived from
afar. The 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

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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 play favourites?”

The blunt question was returned with a sweet smile and a set of
dimples, “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.”

-----

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 8

Joss-sticks/incense sticks – burnt as offerings to the dead and the gods,

additionally, due to the nature in which they burn slowly, they are often
used as a ‘timer’. The modern incense took around 45 min to burn up.

Anointment – cleansing oneself for sanctification, in this case Feng Ming

felt the need to be transformed for the occasion.

Mistake clarification: I’m not sure why I’ve been writing Ruo Yan as a
country from which Lie Er is suspected as a spy, it’s永殷 Yong Yan. I’ll
make those corrections in the future…XD!

----

Gui Sen nearly tore apart the dainty curtains as he self-righteously made
his entrance.

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

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extravagant building. Official Xia cleared his throat to loudly herald the
arrival of their Prince, “An He Crowned Prince of Xi Rei, has arrived to
pay a visit to His 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 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 back at
the main courtyard.

By now Official Xia had gathered hints and made his deduction, “It
appears one of the guests the Princess is paying audience to is the King
of Li.”

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His master nodded, and asked, “How did you draw that conclusion?”

“The Third Princess, a connoisseur of mathematics and world famous for

her obsession and innate talents in the matter. Being widowed recently,
the only one that could engage her Highness with such fascination is
most likely, the great master of arithmetic from the Country of Li, Dong
Fang Tian.”

“Why did you mention the King of Li?”

“Prince, don’t forget, there are two guests, if the Princess deems one to
be a very important guest, than the other present and could only make
Gui Sen retreat silently with his tail between his legs is no doubt, the
King of Li.”

“Is it possible, that Rou Yan intends to rely on Master Dong to help him
win her affections and entice the Third Princess to follow him back to Li
to be his new Queen?”

Official Xia was stunned, before admiringly replying with flattery, “Prince
is extremely clever! The country of Li’s trickery certainly didn’t last long
undetected under your watchful eyes. Official Xia had a similar notion.”

The Prince laughed and flashed Li Er a complacent signal with his eyes
before continuing casually, “Isn’t it better this way! Now we won’t have
go through with the troubles of convincing her to migrate to Xi Rei. Let
her have a second chance with love, Ruo Yan can marry her. We can
wish them happiness and a blissful life together until ripe age.”

Official Xia shook his head, then solemnly replied, “Such absurd events
absolutely cannot transpire, the problem lies in Ruo Yan’s ambition to
annex his power, he aims to dominate the world. If he marries the Third
Princess, there’s the likelihood he will instigate revenge by convincing
the King of Fan Jia to bring upon military forces to beat down the doors
of Xi Rei. This trap is like a net cast by a fisherman, no doubt the King of
Li will benefit from both our losses.”

“Then what are we…”Feng Ming face painted with serious concern

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turned and faced the scholar, hesitating mid-sentence.

The man looked stared at the Prince sternly, gritting his teeth before
softly whispering one word.

“Destroy.”

“You mean we should intervene?”

Feng Ming thought to himself, if they were going to meddle in Ruo Yan’s
plan, on Fan Jia’s turf to prevent the Princess hitching herself into a
second spring, it wasn’t going to be an easy task.

Given their opponent was the fearful King of Li, Ruo Yan.

Feng Ming snaked his hand behind his neck, rubbing the sudden
stiffness to try and expel his tension, “Are we really going to wreck it for
her?”

Official Xia’s eyes held him firmly, before giving affirmation with a nod,
“Yes, for the sake of Xi Rei, there shall be no marriage.”

The young man blinked before resigning with a groan, “Well, l guess we
better intervene to prevent a disaster.”

One could detect the dispiritedness behind the Prince’s voice he really
wanted to burst into tears, why couldn’t things be simpler.

After their deliberation over the matter, Feng Ming and his group
remained in the area waiting for the Princess to send word.

The small group was stationed out in the open courtyard, exposed to the
harshness of the winter. Each individual couldn’t deny that they were
numbed down to their bones.

Feng Ming finally hit breaking point and suddenly he called out, “An He
is here to pay respects to His Royal Aunt!”

Again, there was no indication that he was welcomed. After about half a

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joss-stick’s time, there was the sound of a soft female voice calling out
to them.

“Please Prince, you could have proceeded straight into the main hall
long before, why did Prince stand outside in the cold for so long?”

The Prince who waited patiently to be beckoned by the conceited

Princess cursed the woman inwardly several times over, any trace of
sympathy fly out the window. She had done it on purpose! He bickered
as he stomped towards the main hall. Nonetheless, he was relieved to
be addressed, so he replied respectfully, “Royal Aunt is one’s elder, An
He dare not trespass, only entering when he has been granted
permission.”

From the depths of the house, a melodic laughter rang.

Everyone standing in the courtyard looked at each other bewildered.

Then the curtains in the main entrance to the halls suddenly parted. The
maid called Fen Yan, which they had the fortune of meeting earlier, was
now accompanied by another servant girl who was dressed in red.

Fen Yan walked down a flight of stairs to greet the Prince, her dark crow-
like eyes sizing up the Prince for a moment before she bowed, “The
Third Princess invites Prince An He inside. Additionally, the Princess
wants An He to understand that the halls in this part of her residence are
quite small and inconvenient thus she recommends that your Highness’s
attendants advance to the guest reception hall for some light
refreshments.”

Feng Ming did not expect he would be heading in there alone, and the
great responsibility of operation ‘Destroy’ now rested upon his
shoulders. Immediately his eyes turned to Official Xia and General Tong,
with a very pitiful look about them.

All three men could agree on one thing, the fact that the Princess was
even willing to see Feng Ming was a stroke of luck, with the positive turn

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on events it came as a big relief to know that they weren’t permanently

pushed to the side due to any egocentric charade. The Prince’s two
senior advisors encouraged him forwards.

Feng Ming watched on as his men were led to the reception room by the
maid dressed in red. He was left alone to fend for himself, regardless of
his rank he felt like he was wronged…or at least someone up in the
heavens was having too much fun toying with him.

Thinking of the intimidating occupants of the room that awaited his

arrival, the King of Li, a woman who just lost her husband and a
formidable math genius was enough to make him queasy. He was
contemplating whether he’d need to anoint the ground he walked on.
Fen Yan had already parted the length of shades for him to pass
through, a gentle laugh escaped her lips, “Dear Prince, you will freeze to
death, make haste and please come in.”

There was no alternative route he could take, bracing himself he

summoned the courage to put his best foot forward to bite the bullet.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 9

Need to know:

Abacus: is a calculating tool used primarily in parts of Asia for

performing math processes. It is often constructed from bamboo with
beads sliding on wires, but originally they were beans or stones moved
in grooves in sand or on tablets of wood, stone, or metal. The abacus
was in use centuries before the adoption of the written modern numeral
system and is still widely used by merchants in this day and age.

YES a new character and one that would be prevalent throughout the
plot. I’m sure the Third Princess’s profile is floating around
somewhere…but meh…!!

Ruo Yan is one hot bishie – he is actually considered quite handsome but
because Feng Ming is exposed to so many attractive people. He believes
Ruo Yan is average XD.

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------

Forced into the tiger’s den, Feng Ming armed himself with courage and
stepped with his best foot forwards to bite the bullet.

Upon entering the building and making his way into the inner chambers
he was welcomed by warmth, the air inside was laced with a distinct
smoky scent. It was the smell of aromatic incense. Feng Ming felt like he
was visiting a Buddhist temple, the air was thick but the smell was
rather pleasant. Listening carefully, Feng Ming caught the sound of a
water flow hidden in his surroundings. It created a serene and calm
atmosphere. He continued his way until he finally reached the inner
sanctum.

His eyes rested on three individuals, sitting casually in the main room.
An attractive woman sat in between two men, she was wearing a deep
plum coloured dress, the design of her outfit was long and graceful. The
cuffs of her sleeves were decorated by extremely detailed trims and
patterns. Her cheeks were naturally a shade of peach blush and her eyes
were as sharp and bright as lacquer.

There was no doubt in Feng Ming’s mind that she was the Third Princess,
she was really living up to her rumoured beauty. He was used to seeing
pretty girls on television, none the less he had his fair share at admiring
beauties from all over the world. However, she was a rare specimen in
this ancient world; he nodded slightly in appreciation but didn’t feel
embarrassed about his eyes lingering on her.

The Princess’s personal attendants were standing to the side of the

room, Fen Yan stood near her master. All of them were observing Feng
Ming secretly and they were bewildered by the Prince’s calm composure
and the fact that he didn’t intend to intrude.

Official Xia was right on the money, the two men accompanying his Aunt

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were indeed the King Li, Ruo Yan and the math genius Master Dong.

The trio sat around a sand pit, purposely installed for etching their
discussions and calculations. Master Dong appeared quite brutish,
grizzly and unkempt. The man had a big upturned pompous nose. Feng
Ming never would have guessed the man was a genius if he had passed
him on the streets.

The old man was holding a bamboo pole in his hand, and was occupied
with drawing and discussing his work. The Third Princess was completely
caught by the lecture, her head bobbed as she processed the
information.

Looking at Rou Yan, Feng Ming figured the King was in his twenties,
appearing mature Feng Ming guessed he was perhaps around twenty
seven or eight. His appearance was nothing special, and at his waist was
a very modest looking sword. If it wasn’t for Lie Er’s and Official Xia’s
warnings, Feng Ming wouldn’t have felt Ruo Yan was much of a threat.
To be honest, he really couldn’t see how the man was anything to be
reckoned with.

The Prince continued to monitor the proceedings of the party he wasn’t

really invited to, he didn’t want to ruin the happy atmosphere. He
guessed that the moment he opened his mouth and interrupted the
exchange of knowledge he would be immediately escorted out for his
impertinence. It was cold outside and having to brace the chilly winter
wind again wasn’t on his menu.

Knowing better, he resigned and chose to quietly wait in the sidelines.

He found a seat and settled himself down. From his location, he sat
listening in and playing the role of the obedient and respectful
youngster.

Master’s Dong’s voice was very light and everything that left his mouth
was professional jargon. Feng Ming barely even understood half the
sentences that the man spoke. The prince basically continued to rot
away in the shadows for almost an hour. Boredom was one of his worst

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enemies and this was a cruel. He cursed inwardly, his suffered in silence.
Thinking to himself, he should have marched right in and announced
himself to the Princess to save his current brain punishing wait. But no,
he wanted to look generous and caring, by not crashing the class only
god knows how long he would have to wait until he gains an audience
with his Aunt.

Ancient people were terrible at interpersonal management - it was

obvious they placed little value on people’s precious time. Fan Jia and Xi
Rei currently aren’t in the best part of their political buddy relationship.
One would have thought matters of a Country would be more important
that minor discussions about maths theorems.

In a rare moment, Master Dong finally came to a pause as he finished a

long winded explanation. Seeing the man’s mouth finally shut for the
first time, Feng Ming let out a heavy sigh.

The Prince gathered his wits and motioned to leave his perch believing
now was the opportunity to finally greet the Princess.

Instead, he was shot down before even having his bottom off his seat.

The Princess pulled the scholar back into discussion, “Master Dong, the
tools you’ve discussed appear naturally easy to use but being able to
digest the reasoning behind them is a very complex process, on a
national level it would take a lot of manpower to teach the basics.”

The old man replied, “Your Highess is correct, however, I have studied
numerous math tools used for solving advance mathematics. Each has
their pros and cons. Even if they are simple they might not be
sufficiently precise, and some tools although accurate can be extremely
complicated. This tool is now regularly used in the Li Palace, and has
been proven time after time as the best candidate for solving complex
problems that we have. It would take a month or two for the most
talented to master the use.”

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Feng Ming rolled his eyes and groaned to himself, they were starting
their talk again.

Unknown to Feng Ming, once he had entered the room Ruo Yan had paid
very close attention to him. The King caught Feng Ming’s soft
disgruntled sound and gave the boy a fleeting glance.

Ruo Yan’s lips curled into an amused smile, with a touch of arrogance he
suddenly spoke: “I’ve heard of Xi Rei’s King Rong’s capabilities in
mathematics, perhaps the Crowned Prince is well learned in this area.
Does the Prince have any opinions on Master Dong’s new calculating
tools?”

The King of Li’s sudden bidding towards the outsider immediately

brought all eyes onto the Prince.

Catching him off guard, Feng Ming quickly arranged his composure and
sat with his back as straight as plank.

How the hell was he to know anything about number theorems!?

Instead of answering the King’s request, he pushed the question aside

and took advantage of this moment to grab the Princess’s attention.

Feng Ming flashed his Aunt a big warm smile, he stood up and moved
towards the three and gave her the proper greetings, kneeling on one
knee with his hands clasped and raised to the level of his head.

“An He is here to visit his Royal Aunt.”

The Third Princess simply replied nonchalantly, “Prince please rise, you
have travelled from afar, it must have been very tough.”

Feng Ming was genuinely surprised that their meeting would be very
civil, and there was no mention of the death of her husband, An Xun. A
bit dazed by her reaction, Feng Ming returned to his seat his eyes
focused on his Aunt.

“Royal Aunt, An He has travelled to escort you back to Xi Rei. An He will

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definitely treat Aunty as his own mother. Would your Highness promise
to return with me?”

“An Xun travelled to Xi Rei in order to claim the throne, and my father
has deployed troops from Fan Jia to Xi Rei in our country’s best interests.
For the Crowned Prince to travel under a peaceful notion over a great
distance, it is highly unlikely that you only want to welcome a stranger
to move to Xi Rei. For all this trouble, what is the true reason for coming
here?”

The Princess’s eyes turned towards the surface of the sand box, her
gazed looked beyond the granules. As if deep underneath the pile of
sand, she had hidden away her treasures and joys. Her red lips parted,
“If all your efforts are just for the sake of obtaining power and wealth,
then it is exhausted. Such earthly measures are always changing. Isn’t it
better to invest your time in creating ageless and unbreakable laws and
theorems for mathematics? What do you say, Crowned Prince, am I
correct?”

Feng Ming was silent for a good length of time, he would have never
thought the Princess would have such views on politics and that she was
this fanatic and passionate about math. The Prince didn’t know how to
respond.

Ruo Yan stole the spotlight and praised the woman, “Princess certainly
has a lot of experience and your innate talent is extraordinary. Ruo Yan
has heard of Princess’s intelligence and wisdom for many years, today I
have taken the liberty to propose to you. Naturally, you would become
my Queen. Princess’s identity is highly praised and befitting of the
position, no one would dare oppose my selection. You shall not be
disturbed or challenged for your interests. In fact you will be free to
research and develop at your own pace. Furthermore, Master Dong will
be there to aid your learning. You will be able to excel and become a
Master yourself. With me by your side day and night, how can this not be
paradise on earth?”

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Master Dong quickly affirmed his King’s claims, “That is correct, this old
man would be able to teach you whilst you are in the Country of Li. If
this was to happen, it would be a joy to all.”

These remarks were obviously attempts to impress the Princess and win
her heart. The Princess turned her eyes to briefly study the King’s face
before returning her attention back onto the sand.

Feng Ming’s alarms were blowing off, ever since he set out for Fan Jia
Official Xia had given him plenty of leads and taught him how to deal
with certain situations if they were to arise. However, the matter of Ruo
Yan proposing marriage to the Third Princess so quickly and without
shame came as a big surprise. Feng Ming didn’t have any backup plan
up his sleeve to counter this situation.

It was easy right? He had one objective, and that was to ensure the
proposal does not succeed.

It was evident that the Princess’s heart was wavering and she was
contemplating the idea. Thus in a rush to put a halt in Ruo Yan’s plan,
Feng Ming interjected with a sounding shout.

“No way, that’s impossible!” Letting out his roar, all eyes diverted their
attention onto him again.

As soon as he opened his mouth, Ruo Yan’s deep gaze fixated on him.
This time there was a strange flash in the man’s eyes, they were pinning
him down like a vicious tiger waiting to shred its prey to bits.

Feng Ming was breaking out in a cold sweat.

No wonder everyone warned him to watch out for Ruo Yan, the fear he
struck in people with just his powerful gaze alone was enough to live up
to his reputation.

The King’s sharp eyes switched and the tense moment slipped away as
his face softened and broke into a smile before gently asking.

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“Prince An He, are you implying that the Third Princess is forbidden to
marry me?”

Feng Ming’s back was literally drenched with sweat by now. He gritted
his teeth and stood his ground by replying, “That’s not what I meant,
considering Aunty is obsessed with math, she should be returning with
An He to Xi Rei. Xi Rei is well known for excelling in academics, including
math. Thus it is more suitable for Her Highness to study in Xi Rei.”

Desperate times called for desperate measures, Feng Ming had no idea
whether Xi Rei was known for arithmetic. He was pulling the claim
completely out of thin air…god help him.

Master Dong immediately laughed out loud and sneered before turning a
blind eye on the boy’s mistake.

The Third Princess looked at Feng Ming with scorn, mathematics was her
life’s passion and people making false claims wouldn’t pass lightly under
her judgment. Her expression darkened, “Prince An He, you should pick
your words carefully, everyone knows, that the country with the title of
most advance knowledge in this area of study belongs to the Country of
Li. Naturally, Master Dong is the highest ranked scholar in this field. For
the sake of coaxing me to follow you home to Xi Rei, why would you give
me such false words?”

Feng Ming’s face turned beet red.

The King’s piercing eyes enjoyed every bit of humiliation the Prince was
feeling. The boy’s pretty face blushing caught the tiger’s attention; the
King felt something in his heart for a very short moment before
coughing.

His eyes remained on the boy, “Since the Crown Prince is so proud of Xi
Rei’s advancements, perhaps Prince An He would like to demonstrate
math tools currently used in Xi Rei?”

The King’s didn’t offer him a friendly invitation, it was a trap purposely
and thoughtfully organised to ridicule him. If Feng Ming was to discuss

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theories with Master Dong upfront, it would result in nothing but a mess.

Feng Ming stared at the carpet in front of him, he was anxious to find a
way out of this trap. Walking over hot bricks he forced himself to think
hard and fast of any modern knowledge that could rescue him from this
potential disaster. Tools weren’t a big problem, but the only issue was
he was only familiar with using a computer or a calculator…where was
he going to find one in this archaic world?

With a stroke of luck, Feng Ming had given Fen Yan a good impression;
the maid servant threw him a life line. Leaving her post she kneeled
beside her master and whispered softly into her ear, “Your Highness,
Master Dong is here. It is natural that Prince An He would feel
intimidated by his presence. Perhaps a private audience with you
tomorrow he would be more comfortable in sharing his knowledge with
your Highness?”

The Princess glanced over to her nephew, indeed the poor boy was
sweating in discomfort, feeling that he had learned his lesson she was
about to nod and pardon him. Only to be interrupted by Feng Ming’s
loud shriek.

The Prince leap into the air, bolting towards the trio and was barely able
to contain himself, shouting: “I’ve got it! I’ve got it!”

The unwarranted outburst stunned everyone.

Feng Ming ignored everyone’s reaction and instead danced excitedly in

front of his Aunt.

“The best tool for the trade, I’ve got it!” A big smile eased across his
face before he furthered, “To be able to use it, I need to first ask Your
Highness for a few important things.”

“Oh?” The Princess was taken aback, “What do you need?”

“I’ll need about fifty perforated pearls, ten gold thin wires and two strips
of wood.”

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“Don’t you need a wooden block?” She asked.

“I don’t need one.”

During this era, the majority of tools used for complex mat were
designed based on algorithms engraved into a wooden surface.
Everyone in the room was surprised that Feng Ming would not be
requiring any carving tools or a wooden base. The Princess was
genuinely curious to what Feng Ming was going to do with pearls, wire
and flimsy bits of wood.

Regardless, she had her servants fetch the materials. Once gathered
and passed to the Prince. He quickly threaded the pearls into strings
with the gold wire and tied the ends to the strips of wood. Laying his
work gently on the ground he finally declared happily, “This is it! The
tool that has last throughout the ages! Even when the westerners were
shown this, they were amazed by this invention.”

With quick thinking, Feng Ming managed to improvise a very simple

abacus.

The Third Princess was at the edge of her seat, her eyes locking down on
the strange contraption.

“How does this thing work?”

Even the King was intrigued; the older man peered curiously to the same
spot before glancing up at the Prince. His eyes lingered on the boy’s
smiling red lips.

Ruo Yan coldly snickered, “Such a pitiful looking tool, it’s quite
laughable.”

Despite the King’s attempt to downplay this unseen invention, Master

Dong studied the contraption before concluding, turning his focus on the
Prince. “This device may seem simple. But how it can be used baffles
me. Please, Prince An He enlighten us and explain the theory behind the

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usage.” The scholar’s tone was very different from the rough reception
Feng Ming had first received.

Feng Ming tried to hide his victorious grin. Who would have thought, a
tool that has existed in China for over a thousand years and still used in
the modern world would completely stump a genius.

He cleared his throat, and looked at the Third Princess, offering her a
smile to melt her heart, “If Her Highness would state a problem?”

“What do you mean?”

“Such as addition or subtraction, for instance one hundred and eighty

eight plus three hundred and ninety seven equals?” Feng Ming explained
triumphantly.

Soon he found the atmosphere changed. The Third Princess gave him a
strange look, “Such a simple calculation, why would you even use a
tool?”

“What?” Feng Ming replied.

Had he made the mistake to assume that the people of this world was
very backwards in terms of arithmetic knowledge? Perhaps they have
already established a tool that was on par with the capabilities of an
abacus? He was sinking deeper into his own trap, what other tool was
there apart from an abacus?

Sweat was breaking out again.

The tension between the study group dropped, the Princess was
unimpressed, and Ruo Yan sneered as the Prince was making a
spectacular mess of himself. Only Master Dong appeared to be
interested in what Feng Ming had to say.

This was looking bad.

Feng Ming had boasted so loud and proud about his invention, to retreat
at this moment would only mean shame.

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Feng Ming wiped his forehead with his sleeve; he gritted his teeth before
pulling out his last cards.

“Well then, if I could request the Third Princess for a subject for me to
solve? The abacus looks dainty but there’s no problem on heaven and
earth that this won’t be able to find and answer to.”

He thought to himself:

If she gives me one that’s completely out of my range, I’ll claim that only
King Rong would be able to solve it with an abacus, thus I’ll try and
convince her Xi Rei is the best place for her.

The Princess obliged, given how confident the Prince made himself out
to be. Although a still skeptical, she nodded and said. “Alright I have a
good question for you.”

Suddenly, the crowd's attention focused on her lips, Feng Ming was
especially nervous his eyes didn’t even blink in anticipation.

Whilst the Prince had his attention on his Aunt, he was oblivious to the
pair of intense sharp eyes that targeted him.

“The problem is…”

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 10

Notes:

Pie π sounds the same as clap 拍 (pai) and r sounds like 阿(ah) , which is
an expression similar to ‘what’.

----- -----

“Well, my question is...” The Princess paused, cutting off mid-sentence.

Her eyes glimmered, they had an aura of elegance and it was without a
doubt they were beautiful like the rest of her. She released s soft
laugh.

Feng Ming consulted with his inner conscience. His Aunt was one fine-
looking widow thanks to An Xun’s blood on his hands. It will be such a
pity to destroy her second spring. With that thought, Feng Ming’s flashed
his eyes onto the King of Li.

This proved to be an untimely mistake on the Prince’s behalf, the very

moment he turned to face the man, their eyes locked. The King’s gaze
was sharp as the tip of a blade, and they did a great job of piercing into
the Prince. Feng Ming could easily imagine electric sparks streaming
from the man’s eyes.

Rong Tian’s gaze had the same level of electrifying intensity, however, it
was different. Feng Ming would turn into gooey hot mess, his heart and
brain would be completely flustered, as if he had accidentally poked his
finger into a power socket.

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Instead, Ruo Yan’s gaze was startling, like cracks of lightning and once
he struck, you were left surrounded by a harsh chill. The unfriendly
gesture, was etched into Feng Ming’s mind, he couldn’t help but break
into a cold sweat. Feng Ming never knew that a man could send him
trembling with unease by the mere use of his eyes.

The pinning stare lasted for a brief moment although the effects lingered
on the Prince. Ruo Yan switched on a more amicable look and nodded in
acknowledgement to the Prince. The King’s action sent every last strand
of hair standing on his body, Feng Ming shifted from his spot from
discomfort.

As he backed away, he felt a tug on his sleeves.

“Prince?” Fen Yan asked gently.

“Huh?”

The maid gave him a giggle, “Prince An He, the Third Princess has given
her question to you.”

“Oh?” Feng Ming was amazed by his own absentmindedness.

Any reason to break away from Ruo Yan’s line of fire was good at this
point. Feng Ming pulled his sleeves down and patted the beads of sweat
from his forehead before turning his attention back to the Princess.

The Princess’s observant eyes noticed her nephew’s paled complexion,

with a frown she continued, “Why is the Prince in a panic? “. She thought
for a moment, before advising, “As for the question I have set for you,
there is currently no defined method to resolve an answer efficiently.
Nor has anyone come close to solving the problem. Therefore, it is
completely understandable that answering this question on the spur of
the moment is beyond your capabilities.”

Reassuring his Aunt that this challenge was the last of his problems Feng

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Ming replied, “I’m fine, I’m just feeling a bit cold.” With that said, he
automatically turned his attention to the sand pit. The question,
installed for him was neatly drawn out with a bamboo stick. Studying
closer, his Aunt had drawn a perfect circle, almost as if she had drawn it
with a compass.

The audience were all focused on the shape in front of them, it was clear
that the topic was centric around a circle.

Feng Ming frowned, “A circle?”

Don’t tell me you want me to find the circumference of a circle or the

area of one?

Now he was secretly kicking himself on the inside for not listening, he
might as well play the fool, “Royal Aunty, forgive me, as for the
question, An He did not understand clearly, could you inform me
again?”

The Third Princess was surprised to see Feng Ming’s persistence, she
stated, “The Prince must be well acquainted with this area of
mathematics to have such confidence in a topic with little negativity. “

Ecck! Feng Ming had a gut feeling that he was supposed to know the
question just by looking at the shape she drew.

Is this how the ancient folk set out questions? What does she want me to
answer?

Fortunately for Feng Ming, lady luck was smiling on him. Fen Yan, out of
kindness whispered softly just within his ear’s reach.

“Your Highness, the Third Princess’ requested the calculation of how

many granules of sand does it take to fill a globe.”

In the end, Feng Ming’s worst concerns were coming true, even in this
era mathematics was well developed. The young man quickly forced
himself to think quickly. A bolt of lightning struck his thoughts as he
realised, the question was basically asking him, how to work out the

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volume of a sphere.

He laughed inwardly, isn’t this a piece of cake?

Given relief, Feng Ming’s tensed muscles could finally relax. The Prince
offered his eager audience a smile before blurting, “Well, if it is this
question, it is rather simple. If one seeks the volume of a sphere, it can
easily be solved by a formula. First we will need to know the radius and
the formula is four thirds multiplied by pie and further multiplied by
radius cubed.” ***

Feng Ming had answered nonchalantly, as if it was the simplest problem

he had encountered. Everyone in the room was surprised.

The Princess’ face was painted with confusion, she queried, “ Aunt
cannot follow your prompts, what’s clap? And what’s Ah? What did you
mean by four thirds and cubed?”***

“It’s quite simple, if Aunt would review what I have mentioned here.”
Feng Ming grabbed the bamboo pole and etched in the formula on the
surface of the sand. He drew a line from the centre of the circle that
extended to the edge to represent the radius.

He patiently explained, “This line is given the name R, and pie is roughly
a number valued at 3.14159, and cubed indicates a value to the power
of three. Four thirds is the same as, four parts divided by three“.

Feng Ming was very fortunate, that during his younger years he’d often
get punished writing out formulas by his maths teacher. Now, not only
did he retain his knowledge for a broad range of formulas, he could
explain them in a detailed manner. This was sufficient to pull off his
stunt of a maths genius.

Fen Yan was astonished, how the belittled Prince had instantaneously
managed to captivate everyone’s attention. All eyes in the room was
drawn to where he had made scribbles during his lecture.

Master Dong, was wide eyed and eager, it was clear the man was still
trying to process this new found information. The man’s jaw coated with

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a grey bearded jittered. Naturally, as a proud researcher in the field,

Master Dong’s first reaction was to send a servant to retrieve
measurement tools, so he could immediately exercise Feng Ming’s
solution. He wanted to test whether such profound formula would solve
this challenge.

Prior to the Prince’s induction, as part of his research, Master Dong had
manually quantified the number of sand granules in a given sphere.
However, this was a primitive method, and an attempt to work
backwards trying to find any patterns in the numbers. They had simply
filled certain spheres with their capable volume of sand. The contents of
the spheres were measured in pre-weighed boxes. This tedious manner
was carried out over various sizes of containers. When brush and paper
arrived, Master Dong jotted down the calculations and found that Feng
Ming’s formula gave the same answer to his research.

This affirmed, Feng Ming was a serious contender, the faces of the Third
Princess and Master Dong could only be described as shocked. Both of
them were true enthusiast of the art of arithmetic, studying countless
years and placing their souls into research. Seeing such an unearthly
challenge resolved before their very eyes, they could only stand in awe.
It was truly, a heaven sent moment and both were extremely touched by
the turn of events.

Master Dong choked on his words as he struggled to make a coherent

sentence, “Third Princess...this...is really the same...as our manual
quantification. “

The Third Princess’s face was still suspended in disbelief, the quick pace
at which Feng Ming provided the answer to a baffling problem left her
feeling flustered. A blush washed across her cheeks, as if she was being
coy with a sweetheart.

The Princess turned her head suddenly towards her maidservant, Fen
Yan.

“Quickly, go retrieve a brush, ink and paper. Record everything.” And

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her servant made a wild dash to bid her master’s orders.

Returning her attention onto her nephew, her face glowed with
anticipation, “Prince, seems like your talents as a mathematician was
underestimated, there are countless questions which has not been
solved, and yet to witness a solution to one unravelled before my very
eyes, there is nothing I can offer in return. Please Prince, accept my
gratitude and respect.”

The woman immediately, dropped to her knees, giving him a deep

prostrated bow.

Feng Ming snapped into action, “Please Aunt, An He does is not

deserving of your praise!” Not in a million years would Feng Ming
foresee the Princess to be enrapt to this extent, and at once helped her
back onto her feet.

As he was supporting his Aunt to stand upright, Master Dong had

followed suit out of excitement. The old man’s eyes brimmed with tears
of joy.

“Old Dong, was also very disrespectful to your Highness. Please forgive
my rudeness.” The old man knelt on his knees and offered him a deep
bow.

Feng Ming’s face was red as a tomato, given that he was trying to
preserve a bit of modesty, but it was a tough job as he had to help
people back onto their feet left and right.

“Please, don’t mind me. Please rise.” Feng Ming muttered slightly
abashed.

Whilst this took place, Ruo Yan sat as the silent bystander with his sharp
watchful eyes.

After much trouble and chaos, everyone finally returned to their seats
that surrounded the sand box. The Third Princess was still rallied with
energy, she couldn’t resist issuing another question, “This formula is
certainly advance, even for our current standing in mathematics. Can

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Prince explain, how we can apply the ‘Abacus’ for calculations?”

“Indeed, such a clever tool. If Old Dong could have the privilege of
understanding the mechanisms, he would certainly die a happy man.”
Master Dong chimed in.

Feng Ming had actually forgotten about the Abacus he had boosted
about, the contraption laid undisturbed in the middle of the room. Sure,
he could pull off basic calculations with addition and subtraction.
However, he had never used the abacus for complex calculations. How
was he going to give them an answer!

Master Dong waited for a response enthusiastically, but seining

hesitation from the Prince, he gave his own question a thought and
suddenly realised, “Oh, this is Xi Rei’s invention. If the Prince is
uncomfortable with sharing the country’s secret knowledge then please
refrain from obliging.”

One could read disappointment stamped all over the Third Princess’s
face, and her feelings were made clear by her silence.

At this moment, it wasn’t good to offend the Princess. This would mean
taking a step back to square one. So far, Feng Ming and his blunders
have managed to make great progress, and it was best to exploit this
avenue whilst it was still active.

He had to get his Aunt to promise to return with him,after his own
experience with Ruo Yan, although short, he was very sure that the King
of Li was in fact a terrifying man and the Princess would probably be
better off not marrying him.

Given this circumstance, a bright spark flashed inside Feng Ming’s mind.
He dipped his head down, thinking for a short while before returning his
attention to the crowd around him. A triumphant and charming smile
eased across his lips.

He arose from his seat, and looked at his audience; this included making
eye contact with Ruo Yan. This was the second time their eyes met,

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although it was momentary, it wasn’t any easier than the first. Feng
Ming’s heart was erratic and in distress even with the short contact.
However, this time he managed to switch on a calm facade, his face
remained indifferent, as if he was brushing the negative vibes off
effortlessly.

Finally, his eyes settled on the face of his Aunt, with an air of elegance
he brought his hands clasped together to give her a greeting of
obeisance.

With a tone of deference he reasoned, “In truth, Ah He cannot be fully

credited for the formula demonstrated today. My explanation is only
partial, in fact King Rong was the one who created this formula. I’m
unclear in which methods he used to create such a solution. However,
this shouldn’t matter as upon returning to Xi Rei, Aunty would have
plenty of time to confer with the Regent King. Naturally, Master Dong is
also welcomed to join us in Xi Rei. An aggregation of the smartest
people in the field solving all these earthly challenges is a rare
opportunity, and our findings would be a blessing from the heavens.”

Feng Ming had thrown the silly old man a lifeline, seeing that he was
winning in this tug of war he did him a favour and offered to save him
from Ruo Yan’s clutches. Once Feng Ming had finished announcing his
offer, the Princess was on the edge of her seat. No one could argue that
the Prince’s invitation, to join a league of scholars, to combat difficult
challenges in her beloved field of studies was extremely attractive. In
contrast, Ruo Yan’s offer was wanning in prestige.

The Princess worded her response tactfully, as Ruo Yan was still present,
she replied faintly.

“Thank you Prince, I have heard of Xi Rei’s Regent King’s feats over
many matters. It would truly be a splendid experience to witness his
abilities for problem solving first hand.”

It was clear on where the Princess sentiments lay, after this

confrontation. Ruo Yan knew he was out of the game, in terms of

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mathematics. He retained his noble demeanour and offered the Princess

a slight smile, and didn’t pursue the matter vocally.

The King pinned his eyes onto Feng Ming, his glare was alike sharp
arrows piercing into the Prince, the only person to obstruct his
objectives.

Feng Ming had also been keeping tabs on the King of Li in the corner of
his eyes. For the ill back digging look he was receiving, Feng Ming could
only wish he could return it with equal animosity. However, he was
afraid as having the man’s cold stare linger on him, made him feel like a
frog in the vicinity of a viper, ready to pounce onto a meal. He was
frozen to the ground.

Hearing the Princess’s positive response gave him relief, at least he

managed to accomplish half of his goals. It was best he stayed clear of
Ruo Yan and search for means to seal the deal later on. Finding a reason
to end his discomfort, he quickly cupped his hands again and directed to
his Aunt, “To trouble my Aunt today for such a long time, An He is best
to take his leave.”

The Princess and Master Dong didn’t hide their expressions of dismay,
as both were unwilling to let go of the Prince from their discussion.

His Aunt exclaimed, “Prince, you are leaving so soon?!”

“That’s right, this Old man has many questions pertaining to this subject
to discuss.”

Feng Ming was beginning to feel like a pin cushion, and Ruo Yan was the
one doing the stabbing, no one in their right mind would stand around
and subject themselves to this psychological pressure.

Feng Ming waved his hands in protest, “My apologize, I have matters to
attend to. An He will make sure to visit another time.”

Seeing the situation was helpless, the Princess stood up and personally
saw her guest out of her manor. Shortly, General Tong and the rest of
his entourage made their way out from the waiting from where they had

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spent most of their time resting and drinking tea. The party met in front
of the main gates.

It was a promising sight, when the Third Princess stepped out and
attentively saw off her nephew to the door. Regardless, everyone
inwardly felt that there was something strange about what had
happened.

After climbing into the horse drawn carriage, not only Lie Er but Official
Xia had squeezed into the small space to accompany the Prince. The
only one riding a horse was General Tong, as his stature was a bit too
big to be welcomed into the carriage.

The first words to leave Official Xia’s mouth when he scooted into the
chamber were, “Congratulation Prince, Prince certainly has god sent
powers, to be able to win over the Third Princess and persuade her to
side with Xi Rei.”

Feng Ming flashed him a grin, “What gave it away?”

Lie Er interjected, “It’s really obvious, it’s her attitude towards you. Prior
and after, who can’t tell the difference?”

“Furthermore, Li’s King, Ruo Yan gives off an unfavourable feeling, and

his appearance is not very attractive, perhaps he failed in his attempt to
propose a marriage on that basis. Recognition must be given to the
Prince’s courage. This humble Xia had suspected that due to Prince’s
youth, Prince may not be able to stand his ground whilst facing such a
fearful man. It appears my concerns were unrequired.”

The zany old man let out a hearty chuckle, giving a nod of
acknowledgment to Feng Ming.

Feng Ming thought of Ruo Yan, his brain flooded with the overbearing
weight the man imposed onto him just by staring at him. He shuddered
at recalling the scene. He shook his head and grumbled bitterly, “Don’t
mention him again, that man is horrible. When I’m near him I can’t help

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but tremble.”

His face pulled strange expressions as if he was trying to get a bad taste
out of his mouth.

“Nonetheless, in the end Ruo Yan could not match up with Prince’s
brilliant streak of tact. He was unable to capture the heart and mind of
the Third Princess.”

“That’s right, how did Prince coerce the Princess? What kind of clever
trick did you employ? And how did you deal with Ruo Yan?”

It was going to be a long story from start to finish, so Feng Ming did his
best and incorporated gestures with his hands and makeshift drawings
on the ground, giving very animated detail as the group travelled back
to their stay.

Both Lie Er and Official Xia were infatuated with every minor detail, and
at the end they couldn’t help but cheer and applaud the Prince’s moves.

As the debriefing concluded, Official Xia sighed, “Xia knew King Rong
was well versed in history, geography and astronomy. I did not expect
him to have reached such a high plateau in the field of mathematics.”

This statement clicked with Feng Ming, considering he fabricated this lie
for the sake of boosting Xi Rei’s credentials, he giggled to himself.

In a short time, the fleet had made their way back to the hotel. Inside,
Chiu Lan and the rest of his servants had awaited their return for the
whole day. Hearing the bustle of their master’s return, they ran eagerly
to greet him outside.

The Prince was welcomed with the smiling faces of his three closest
maids, each of them ushered him inside, and helped him change into his
indoor outfit.

Chiu Lan praised “Congratulations Prince, in a few days we will be able

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to escort the Third Princess back to Xi Rei. If news reaches King Rong, he
would be certainly happy of your success.”

“How did you guys know?” Feng Ming was surprised, word certainly
leaked out fast. He hadn’t even mentioned it to the girls.

Chiu Xing was straight forwards, nodding with a grin, “Naturally,

because our Prince is suave, outstanding and charming, he has no
match in the world. It is only right that the Princess would return with
us.”

“Oh please, Chiu Xing. We used those words yesterday! You should find
something fresh to say!”

Chiu Xing pouted, “Hmph! I’m only speaking the truth. Everyday His
Highness is very charming; therefore we can say it on a daily basis.
Chiu Lan, it’s not my fault you decide to read Official Xia’s and General
Tong’s faces to figure out that it is ‘good news’. What does that say
about your taste?”

Feng Ming laughed at the petty bickering and decided to do some

damage control by raising his hands.

“Okay, alright that’s enough. We’ve manage to pull today off without

much of a hitch. We should be able to return to Xi Rei quite soon. We
should all be happy.”

With that statement, the three maids giggled and steered the
conversation into gossip and curious ramblings. Questions such as,
what the Princess looked like, and whether she lived up to rumour were
first on the agenda.

The hotel was filled with chatter and laughter.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 11-12

-----

**

Silver was often used for royalty in terms of everyday objects from
cutlery, dishes bowls, combs, as it was believed to be able to detect
poison. The surface of the metal becomes tarnished after immersed in
suspected poisoned food or liquids.

-----

The next day, the weather suddenly intensified and the chills soon
turned into icy deposits. The courtyards were now heavily cloaked with a
thick layer of snow.

Early in the morning, Gui Sen had made his way to visit the country’s
important guests at their stay.

Perhaps it was an unspoken standard for Fan Jia, even the men of were
not an exception to the rule of ‘beauty’. Gui Sen had presented himself,
dressed head to toe in black. Even his cape was made from a
glimmering material that was jet black. Gui Sen’s pale skin was
translucent and flushed with blood from bracing the cold. His complexion
matched the flakes of snow that he had gathered on his cape. One
couldn’t deny that he was handsome and elegant under a certain light
and his presence demanded brilliance.

Feng Ming had originally intended to hibernate longer in his cosy bed.
However, his plans were disrupted when Chiu Lan and his two other
maids tugged the weary Prince out of bed and he certainly didn’t go

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without a fight. When they eventually dragged him out they assisted the
Prince in making himself presentable to his guest, naturally it was best if
he received his visitor than keeping him at bay.

“You are quite an early bird, my Royal Uncle in-law.” When Feng Ming
stepped out from his private quarters he was greeted with the sight of
Gui Sen sitting casually sipping on a cup of tea. Feng Ming cupped his
hands together and raised them to bid the man a greeting of respect.

Feng Ming had woken from slumber, and was content with staying warm
and toasty indoors hence there was no plans to leave this comfort.
Naturally, he was dressed for the occasion, adorning an exquisite purple
silken gown. His neck, wrists and waist were girted with trimmings from
a deer pelt that Chiu Lan had especially chosen to compliment his outfit.
Even though what he was wearing was decided on the spur of the
moment, Feng Ming pulled it off with grace and a noble temperament
which was very unique to his overall appearance.

Upon lifting his head to look at the Prince, Gui Sen’s eyes lit up, he arose
from his seat and grinned.

“Gui Sen has purposely paid a visit to congratulate Prince An He.

Yesterday, Prince’s unparalleled talents and prestige has already made
the Third Princess yield. The display you made has awakened a yearning
in the Third Princess, persuading her heart towards Xi Rei. The Third
Princess has expressed her wishes to our great King, so that she may be
able to return to Xi Rei with the Prince’s entourage.”

To everyone’s surprise, the turn of events was running very smoothly,

no one would have fathomed that the Third Princess would scramble to
seal the deal at such a lightning pace.

All that escaped Feng Ming’s lip was a stunned noise, “Ah!” He turned
his head towards Official Xia and General Tong, and they both had an
equal expression of disbelief drawn on their faces.

“Additionally, the King believes that the death of An Xun and Xi Rei’s
involvement should be pardoned, hence, the King has already given

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orders to Fan Jia’s army to immediately withdraw.”

In an unhurried manner, Gui Sen gave the foreign group the most
important piece of news.

General Tong laughed out whole heartedly, clapping in delight and

proclaiming, “This is great!”

Official Xia saluted Gui Sen, and sincerely spoke, “Thanks to the
generous assistance of King Gui Sen, otherwise our success would have
not been possible. Xi Rei will never forget your Highness’s benevolence.”

Gui Sen returned with a smile, shaking his head in denial of his part,
“You flatter me. Gui Sen naturally had to help family.”

The modest man turned towards Feng Ming and an amicable manner
told him, “Three days later, the King will personally summon the Prince
and invited to a grand feast. Meanwhile, for the next two days, Prince An
He can enjoy his time and appreciate Fan Jia’s winter scape. How does it
sound if Gui Sen introduce you to areas of interest?”

Feng Ming didn’t really have anything he could or could not do whilst he
was in Fan Jia, but hearing that he would be able to go out and play, he
quickly recalled Gui Sen’s fine-looking looking stallion he had met earlier
and was just about to nod his head when Lie Er interrupted.

“Prince, during these next two days perhaps we can slip out and head
off and blend in, so we can try out all the delicacies amongst the
civilians? “

Official Xia immediately continued, “Ah, that’s right, if everybody knew

that we are an envoy from Xi Rei, then we won’t be able to experience
the everyday lifestyles of the people in Fan Jia. We’d certainly miss out
on the daily customs.”

“If this is what you’d like, naturally I can take the Prince to visit the
commoners.”

Lie Er interjected with a dubiously statement whilst smiling, “Your

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Highness, you stand out with your impressive demeanour and you are
well recognised in this country, how would you be able to play a meagre
civilian?”

Gui Sen face blanked, “If that’s the case, then perhaps Gui Sen will not
accompany the Prince.”

The older man turned to give Lie Er a disdained look before directing his
attention to Feng Ming. In semi-scathing voice he finished, “Prince, Gui
Sen has other matters to attend to today, I shall take my leave.”

Once Gui Sen was out of sight, Feng Ming scratched his head and
swivelled to focus his confusion onto his servants. His face scrunched up
in a frown, “For what reason were you all treating Gui Sen with such a
terrible attitude? He was going out of his way in kindness to accompany
me. Perhaps I would have even had the chance to get his permission to
ride his horse...”

Official Xia kept an enigmatic expression on his face as he patted his

whiskers and persisted in his silence.

Lie Er ignored Feng Ming’s antagonising glare, and for a while he didn’t
reply but he finally answered with a degree of respect for his master,
“Prince, Gui Sen only ran into a snag yesterday and he was completely
dejected and depressed, so why would he appear normal to give us good
tidings?”

“I don’t know...” Feng Ming was perplexed with what he was meant to be
getting from Lie Er’s words, and he wasn’t ashamed to ask his
subordinate the answer, “Tell me why?”

Lie Er stole a furtive glance at Official Xia, and offered the Prince a smile
in return for all the pressing, “I’m just a lowly servant, how would I know.
However, Official Xia should certainly know.”

Feng Ming immediately placed his attention to the old man.

Under many sets of watchful eyes, Official Xia paused in his therapeutic
strokes of his whiskers. Sighing, he finally submitted, “The Third Princess

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is excessively impatient. Gui Sen is overly enthusiastic about it all, and

the Great King of Fan Jia is acting too warm towards us. There is
certainly something wrong under these circumstances. Old Xia is
currently unable to digest the inner workings of this dilemma. However,
it is not a simple one. Prince must take caution and proceed with care.”

General Tong reinforced, “That’s right, Fan Jia is very different from Xi
Lei, Prince absolutely cannot leave this building at will.”

Inwardly Feng Ming cursed, even if I was in Xi Lei, I couldn’t even leave
my quarters at whim.

Seeing everyone keep a grave expression on their faces, Feng Ming

couldn’t help but feel a sense of fear. He arched his shoulders in
discomfort and scolded, “Alright, everything is always suspicious, did
King Rong send you to scare me on his behalf?”

After all, he knew something was wrong with the smooth sailing he was
riding, so he could only be obedient and stay in the hotel, only to watch
the snow fall on to the landscape from his window. Chiu Lan, Chiu Xing,
Chiu Yue and Lie Er accompanied him by playing and keeping the Prince
entertained. General Tong and his men remained indoors to secure the
premise and only Official Xia slipped out to carry out business. No one
knew what he was getting up to.

----

When night fell, Official Xia scuttled back in a hurry.

General Tong immediately pulled the old man aside, and the two spent
what seemed forever, exchanging whispers in a private area.

Feng Ming and Lie Er received news of Official Xia’s return, and the two
young men caught sight of the engaged pair and quickly joined the
party.

“Official Xia?” the Prince prompted.

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The advisor abruptly turned to the Prince and gave him a polite salute,
“Oh, Your Royal Highness.”

“Official Xia you’ve been absent all day.”

“That’s right, and it has been quite rewarding.” The old man stroked his
beard, and motioned his audience to settle down on a seat around him
so he could divulge closer details of his new insights.

“There are two matters at hand, firstly, the informants I have sent have
returned. It appears that last night, the great king of Fan Jia suddenly fell
ill to a strange disease, he almost died in the morning and it has been a
miracle that he has recovered. After his brush with death, he
immediately summoned the Third Princess to his Palace.”

Feng Ming’s eyes wedged wide open, he scratched his head in disbelief,
“To knock on death’s door the night before and to be soundly alive by
the morning. Hey, it looks like Fan Jia’s medicine is well developed.” He
swiveled quickly to Lie Er and made a note, “Sometime before we head
back to Xi Rei, we should make sure we recruit a Tai Yi from Fan Jia to
take with us.”

Lie Er shook his head in disapproval, “In terms of medicinal studies and
knowledge in this world, is there anyone that could match Official Xia’s
expertise in this area? There’s certainly something suspicious about this
situation.”

Everyone was on common ground with that idea, all their eyes focused
on Official Xia in anticipation.

The old man nodded, “Indeed, not that I wish to gloat. According to Old
Xia’s experiences, the King’s illness has only been countered

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temporarily. Rather his health is like an arrow at the end of its flight. In
less than three days, Fan Jia may be mourning at his funeral.”

Feng Ming let out a startling shout.

“What! That…that…can’t…the King of Fan Jia is hosting our farewell

banquet exactly three days later.”

Lie Er remained calm, he dipped his head in thought before asking the
trusted advisor, “Official Xia, how can you be so certain that the King of
Fan Jia would die?”

Official Xia stood proudly and fondled his beard, giving off a slight smile.
“According to my inquiries into Fan Jia King’s symptoms, it appears that
this was not a sudden impact from an unknown serious illness. In fact, all
his symptoms are akin to that of being poisoned over a long duration. It
is only coincidental that his symptoms flared to life threatening levels in
the past day. To the best of my estimations, he has been slowly
absorbing the poison.”

It was the beginning of another Royal conspiracy, Fan Jia and Xi Rei were
sharing the bad luck in this department, and not even the highest
position in the kingdom was spared from this devious plot.

Fortunately for me, I’m just a counterfeit Prince and in three months I’ll
be tossing in my white towel, to enjoy my auspicious retirement.

Feng Ming patted his chest, and asked in a low and cautious voice,
“Considering the King has been poisoned, have they not caught the
culprit?”

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“Slow acting poison is extremely hard to come by, and only a handful of
people in this world would know the potency of the raw materials, and
for the effect to manifest after such a long time, along with the myriad of
perplexing symptoms which are similar to other diseases. Even after a
bout of illness one would not detect traces with a silver needle **. The
cycling pattern of illness and recovery would repeat several times, two
or three times usually before death would finally overwhelms the
victim.”

General Tong’s eyebrows knitted together, “Who is so bold, daring to

harm the head of state, Fan Jia’s King?”

“Since it is a slow acting poisoning, the culprits are likely people

surrounding the King. Firstly, we must place hunting the murderer aside
as we must focus on our own pending issues.”

The old man flicked the fan he always held in his hands open, and waved
it a few times before turning his attention to Feng Ming.

“Prince, the Third Princess attitude towards Gui Sen is very strange and
old Xia here has figured out why there is strain between the two.”

“Xia, please speak your mind.”

Official Xia rose from his seat, and with his eyebrows arched and he
slowly walked concentric around the table, he finally turned to face the
crowd with his opening explanation, “Firstly, why would the Third
Princess be so eager to relocate to Xi Rei. It could be that she
anticipated her father having a short reign, and once the good King is
dead, whether it is her first or second in-law that takes the throne, either
way would be disadvantageous for her. It is logically, better that she left

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as early as possible and seek refuge in another country.”

This speculation was extremely reasonable, and everyone was obviously

clear on the Third Princess’s intelligence and surely it didn’t only cover
the field of mathematics.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Secondly, why would the King order the withdrawal of the army?” The
man paused here and gave them all a cheeky smile leaving them to
guess, “Anyone have the slightest clue to why?”

Feng Ming and the rest bowed their heads down, a flash hit the Prince
instantly.

“Is it because of Ruo Yan?”

Xia applauded the Prince’s reponse, “Prince, your mind is sharp and on
track. Indeed, it is due to Ruo Yan’s presence.”

General Tong pushed forth, “Considering Ruo Yan’s sudden proposal to

the Third Princess for her hand in marriage it is an obvious measure to
seize the throne. The Great King of Fan Jia is no fool that sits ideally.”

“The King is well aware that whatever disease he has been plaguing his
body has seeped well into his vital organs and is beyond a cure. Prior to
his death, he would want to see his most beloved daughter leave the
country in safe passage to Xi Rei. This exchange comes with a personal
favor of his withdrawal of Fan Jia’s army in Xi Rei. He wishes to leave his
country on the path of a prosperous future and if Fan Jia happens to

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encounter any complications there would be one more ally to lend a

hand.”

Official Xia’s one man show successfully became a relay of input, and
each participant contributed to unravel the overall situation.

Even Lie Er voiced his speculation, “The Third Princess appears as if she
does not care for such worldly matters, however, she is King Fan Jia’s
most valuable chess piece. As long as she is in Xi Rei and is in favor of
the Crowned Prince, it would be easy for any requests to send out troops
to solve problems.”

The man servant continued.

“Moreover, a large garrison of his military is currently far away from

home, if the King is about to pass over, of course he would want the
army to return, it would help contain any unsettlements or uprisings
during the country’s mourning period.”

Feng Ming bit his lower lip, and concluded in dismay, "That is to say,
even without my stellar performance in front of the Princess, she would
have agreed to return with me to Xi Rei. Well, here I was thinking the
mathematics I’ve retained from high school was actually useful to me.”

Official Xia consoled him, “Prince, why dismiss yourself in such a

manner? If it wasn’t for the Prince’s outstanding efforts in front of the
Third Princess, how would the King feel assured in Xi Rei’s capabilities to
safe guard the Princess or aid the country in need. Furthermore, he may
have been compelled in accepting Ruo Yan’s proposal, and only declined
due to his confidence in Xi Rei’s Prince.”

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Feng Ming was pleased with the old man’s reasoning, and dimples
formed as a smile eased across his lips. His brows lightened with the
change in his mood and he returned to his usual lively self. If Rong Tian
was by his side at this very moment, it is very likely that the man
wouldn’t be able to resist sneaking a kiss.

The advisor went on to say, “Thirdly, there has to be motive behind why
Gui Sen has been so accommodating.”

The Prince was eager to show his flare, raising his hand with enthusiasm.

“That’s due to the possibility that Gui Sen also knows the grave danger
the illness is placing the King in, and he is the most prospective person
in line to inherit the throne. Naturally it would have him prancing around
in high spirits, what’s more, he’d hope we’d whisk the Third Princess to
Xi Rei which would mean he would have one less thorn in his side.”

General Tong shook his head in disagreement, “Prince’s speculations are

quite sound but I do not feel Gui Sen is in a rush to have us depart, in
fact I sense he’d hope we’d stay even longer.”

“That’s right, ideally he would desire that we remain until the period a
new King ascends the throne.”

Official Xia nodded and he reached for his cup of hot tea that was sitting
on the table and took a sip before further commenting.

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“Gui Sen was eager to pass us the message so early in the morning, and
strangely offered to escort the Prince without any hesitation. This is his
move to keep the envoy in a relaxed state, to assure us that Fan Jia’s
King’s condition is not serious. In case there is truly a Royal burial to
take place soon, we will have to remain for the Third Princess’s sake and
we would be required to accompany her until the King has been
appointed.”

Feng Ming was perplexed by the idea and he questioned the motive
sarcastically, “Why would we need to stay? Surely they don’t intend to
fatten us up with their supplies and let us overstay our welcome?”

Official Xia suddenly lowered his voice and the corners of his lips drew
upwards into a mysterious grin.

“As long as I disclose one important factor to Prince, Prince would

immediately understand.”

The old man deliberately paused perking the attention of his listeners as
they anticipated the next line.

With a smile he continued, “After finding out Ruo Yan was in Fan Jia, I
had organised spies to monitor his whereabouts and movements. Does
the Prince know, after yesterday’s session with the Princess, where was
his next destination?”

The gears were in motion inside Feng Ming’s brain, then his face
immediately soured and he blurted out, “Gui Sen?”

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“That’s right. He went to see Gui Sen. As his proposal failed, the Princess
is no longer any use to him, and expectedly he would seek to ally
himself with the one next in throne.

Feng Ming shook his head, “That’s doesn’t seem correct, how would Ruo
Yan know that the King would die soon?”

“Ruo Yan is a well versed man and extremely knowledgeable therefore

there is not much that could be concealed from him. Moreover, he would
have been aware of the King’s medical history. Although the King’s
previous attacks have never been as severe this time, there would have
been notable signs of the King’s ailing wellbeing.”

Feng Ming nodded in agreement, inwardly he thought:

If this is the case, Ruo Yan is indeed a force to be reckoned with. His
ambitions and thirst for power gives him premise to instigate the
poisoning of Fan Jia’s King.

The Prince scrunched his face and asked the old man, “Ruo Yan and Gui
Sen are dealing in the shadows, there’s a large chance it would be
matters to assist Gui Sen’s accession to the throne.”

“Hmph! So what if Gui Sen gets his seat, what does Ruo Yan receive in
return? No wonder Gui Sen has been acting so certain that he is
undoubtedly first in line. However, what I still don’t comprehend is, why
would Gui Sen need us to remain in the country? Does he have plans to
harm the Third Princess?”

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It seems as if it was better he had kept his questions to himself, once he

had opened his mouth and shot his queries off like rockets, everybody’s
face turned stiff and stern.

All their eyes stared at their master.

Feng Ming blinked innocently, “What’s the matter?”

General Tong seemed a bit embarrassed and he turned his face away
from the Prince. Official Xia pinched his beard and closed his eyes.

Only Lie Er didn’t shy away from the question, in fact he was trying to
contain his giggles.

Moving closer to Feng Ming he whispered gently into his ear, “Prince, Gui
Sen isn’t after the Third Princess, he is after you.”

“What? Harm me?” Feng Ming’s eyes shot wide open, “What does he
have against me?”

Lie Er didn’t give him an answer straight away, but instead gave the
Prince a good sizing by looking him up and down and he clicked his
tongue before responding, “Prince, when you lock eyes with people, not
only Gui Sen, but even Lie Er feels like his bones have melted.”

General Tong swung his head back and scolded the servant’s insolence,

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“Lie Er, you are merely a lowly attendant, how dare you address the
Prince in such a manner? Don’t think that the Prince favors you that you
can disregard the difference in status.”

Lie Er shrunk back and bowed his head down after being reprimanded
for his actions.

Feng Ming tugged at Lie Er’s sleeve chasing clarity, “Do you mean Gui
Sen…he…”

When Feng Ming thought about it, he could recall Gui Sen’s eyes
watching him attentively and the man always smiled as he monitored
him. The thought alone, sent a chill down his neck.

Lie Er shot a glance at General Tong, then again he moved over to his
master and whispered, “It’s not a problem for us if Gui Sen is after you,
we are more afraid that you are part of his dealings. Gui Sen and Ruo
Yan may have been making arrangements for the transition of the
throne. One of the conditions may be Your Highness.”

“What?” Just the mere thought of being traded between the two men left
him a bitter taste and he could imagine the sinister appearance of both
men during their secret meetings.

Goosebumps suddenly washed over every inch of his skin and the hairs
on his body stood up simultaneously.

With a shaky voice he reasoned, “That’s impossible, I’m the Prince of Xi

Rei, how can they dare to use me…”

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What came to mind was Gui Sen taking him hog tied and manhandling
him over to the clutches of Ruo Yan, the scene that played out in his
brain immediately left him numb.

Official Xia exclaimed, “If we were to remain to see the King’s funeral,
Fan Jia will sooner be in Gui Sen’s control, there will be no restraints on
what they would dare to commit!”

THUMP!

General Tong suddenly gave the table a pounding which startled

everyone.

He stood up abruptly and raised his eyebrows, and in a heavy voice said,
“Fan Jia is facing huge imminent changes, there is no time to lose, we
must set out to leave as soon as possible.”

Feng Ming was still in a state of shock by the tiger’s roar, trying to settle
his nerves back to resting state however he was the first to agree with
the general. His head bobbed up and down furiously like a chicken
pecking at specks of grain on the ground.

He repeated, “Yes, that’s right. We should take heed and leave as soon
as possible.”

“Prince is seeing the matter in the same light as your humble Xia.” The
official batted his fan a few times.

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“However, we can’t just up and go as we please. We are honorary guests

from afar, whom want to take the Third Princess away, in the least we
ought to hold a discussion with the Third Princess and the King before
we can take leave.”

“Alright, let’s see that we pay a visit to the Third Princess this very night
and gain her word in person that she will return with us to Xi Rei.”

Official Xia continued, “General Tong, if we make our move tonight and
approach the Princess. Naturally, she would seek an audience with her
father. If everything goes as plan, we could be expected to be
summoned to see the King as early as tomorrow, and then we can ask to
take leave directly.”

Feng Ming nodded, “Okay, let’s do it this way.”

Finally after making proper arrangements, General Tong set off in a

hurry, rushing towards the Third Princess’s residence.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 13

Important notes:

An – 安 it is the character used in An He’s name…however, An by itself

has several meanings such as, calm, quiet, safe, security, peace.

Sleeve pockets – in traditional Chinese clothing there sleeve had a sewn

in compartment that people commonly stored their money and coin
bags.

------ ----- ------ ------

Lie Er turned his focus to the old man, “Official Xia, there were two
matters to be dealt with. You’ve finished discussing the first one, what is
the second?”

In a stern voice, the man replied. “The remaining issue only concerns
only the Prince. As a servant Lie Er, you dare to pry?”

Lie Er gave the Official a disgruntled cold ‘Humph!’ and soon turned his
attention to his master. A slight grin drew across his lips, “I know you
want to have a confidential discussion. Well, I’ll see myself out and carry
on with my duties.” Shortly after, the young man waltzed out the door
and shut it attentively after his exit. He then left to seek the other
servants.

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Feng Ming’s eyes left the door and back to the remaining occupant of
the room.

“Official Xia, why did you intentionally target Lie Er? He was only
prompting the continuation of our talk.”

A nasty sneer drew across the advisor’s lips, “Prince, do you not feel as
an attendant, Lie Er seems quite knowledgeable and overly bold for
someone in his rank? Additionally, all the events he has given foresight
into have proceeded with his predictions.”

“Haven’t we discussed this matter already? He may be a spy however as

you’ve said he is unlikely to bring me any harm. In fact he may be able
to even help me so let him.”

“Spies can be taken advantage of, but they can never be fully trusted.”
The old man rebutted whilst stroking his beard with concern.

“I am worried about Prince, under these circumstances you are well

aware that he is untrustworthy, yet you’ve continued to invest your
confidence in him.”

“This…” Feng Ming was genuinely surprised by his advisor’s comment.

Indeed, even though Feng Ming knew of Lie Er’s questionable origins, he
held the young man in high regard. Lie Er had an unspoken unique
charm, and unknowingly everybody began to rely heavily on him.

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The Prince was experiencing an unsettling alarm, if Lie Er was using his
charima and virtue to shuttle in between countries, indeed it would be
very hard to put up a guard.

Official Xia continued, “Up until now, Lie Er has openly showcased his
talents. He is making it explicit that he is not as simple as he appears.
Preciously because of this, we have taken our guards down and relaxed
in his presence.”

Feng Ming nodded silently in agreement. He had a good point Lie Er

does seem to have a repertoire of psychological strategies up his sleeve.

Official Xia was satisfied with the Prince’s response. The old man
rekindled the need to be alert around the spy. Seeing that he had
addressed the mater, he gave his master a smile.

“We can discuss Lie Er at a future date, it’s hard to say perhaps Prince’s
charm has him wrapped around your little finger and he is indeed
serving you wholeheartedly.”

Taking a deep breath, “As for the second agenda, it’s this…” he paused
and carefully took out something tucked inside his sleeve pockets. He
held out the item and whispered, “King Rong wrote a letter.”

”Really?” Feng Ming immediately jumped with joy, “What did he write?
Quickly, pass it to me!”

The moment the Prince’s hands reached out to snatch the letter the old
man drew back and chortled and shook his head in disapproval.

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“Prince, compose yourself, have you lost your sense of etiquette? Let me
explain. King Rong sent three letters in total. Each of them has been
personally addressed. One for General Tong, the second to myself and
the last was for the Prince. We have already digests our individual letters
in private. The Prince should proceed to do so alone.”

The old man finally revealed the contents in his hands for taking. In his
palm laid a small capsule made out of wax.

Feng Ming blinked curiously as the odd container was presented to him;
he reached for it and inspected the casing at a closer proximity. Walking
towards a window for a source of light, he held it above him trying to see
whether there was enough transparency to hint at what may be inside.
Inwardly, he cursed the King for getting up to such strange antics to
send a simple letter. Naturally, he had no idea what he was meant to do
with the capsule.

Reacting quickly to the Prince’s confusion, the advisor immediately

cleared his throat and began to explain.

“Prince, to open the capsule you’ll need to knead the wax in your hands
until it can be peeled back.”

“Oh…” Feng Ming followed the man’s instructions and pinched the wax
between his thumb and fingers under the capsule gave and split open.
Interestingly, he found a lump of black gauze-like material that had been
carefully wrapped.

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This time Feng Ming didn’t require any assistance and his fingers worked
quickly to unravel the expensive looking material.

As he stripped back the layers, the material was not black as he had
originally thought. Instead, it was layer open layers of words written in
black ink on a near transparent cotton gauze. When he finally finished,
the letter spread out could easily cover half the top of a large table.

“Huh?” Feng Ming was taken aback as he tried to process the extremely
strange letter that lay before him. His excitement had already
dissipated. Originally, he was very eager to find out what comforting
thoughts the man had have written. Perhaps even how the sly bastard
would write about how much he was missed and beg for forgiveness for
sending him out on a diplomatic mission.

Now that he had time to settle down and read, unexpectedly the densely
written letter was solely composed of one word repeated.

“An.” **read notes

An? What is that supposed to mean?

If the King missed him excessively, shouldn’t the letter be filled with
‘Feng Ming’? Then again, such a corny romantic act would never spout
from the romantically challenged Rong Tian.

Is it unlikely that the letter was delivered by mistake? Feng Ming’s face
scrunched up in frustration.

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“Prince,” Official Xia glanced at the Prince’s unsightly reaction and he

pretty much guessed the young man was stumped to what was before
him.

“Does the Prince know of the Royal rituals in praying for safety?”

“Praying for safety?” repeated slowly as he dug back into his memories,
although the impression was not very deep he did recall Rong Tian
teaching him about it.

Was he to blame? The Prince was taught too fast and the contents way
too much for him to handle. On top of the teaching process Feng Ming
was under constant harassment from the King and he was barely able to
concentrate on their studies.

Naturally, it would be easy for him to forget.

Official Xia stepped in with his bountiful wealth of knowledge to quickly

explain: “A special ceremony is conducted to pray for protection for
someone important. The prayer will immerse their body in pure
environment for seven days and devote themselves to a diet of
vegetables. In front of god should they pray and write ‘An’ religiously
and repeatedly. King Rong intended to have this delivered to you so you
can carry it with you at all times and remain safe.”

Feng Ming stared blankly and his face faintly washed with a blush. He
knew his face quite easily lit up like a beacon so he dipped his head
downwards to avoid eye contact with the old man. Under his breath he
murmured to himself, “Such superstitious nonsense. If you are
desperate enough for these types of antics why pressure me into leaving
in the first place…”

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But the mere thought of the King not eating meat for seven days
softened Feng Ming, as it was a quasi sacrifice. Feng Ming decided to
give the man a break.

“Prince, this letter…”

“Although it’s all superstition, at least having something prepared is

better than being empty handed. Especially, if I get requested to see
that terrifying Rou Yan.” As the Prince spoke, he carefully tucked his
personal letter into his sleeve pocket.

Official Xia gave the Prince a questionable look and laughed teasingly
which only acted to escalate Feng Ming’s embarrassment. With out a
further word, the Prince left and sought the company of his servants.

In the middle of the night, General Tong who braved the snow was back
and he immediately made his way to see Feng Ming and Official Xia to
pass on the news, “The Third Princess is aware of our critical situation,
and tonight she will ask the King of Fan Jia to meet with your Highness to
hasten our departure.”

Official Xia asked, “General Tong, when you paid an audience with the
Princess did you touch upon her father’s strange illness and symptoms?”

“Hey!” The General face was normally righteous and friendly but now he
was revealing a sly smile. “If she read between the lines, I did secretly
deposit certain details about poisonings and such. The Third Princess is
clever and will naturally she catch onto the hints and hopefully voice her
concerns to the King.”

Feng Ming interrupted in a boisterous manner, “Looks like Gui Sen is

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about to meet with bad luck!”

“The King of Fan Jia is severely ill and with the country’s politics as
unstable as it is now, it is highly unlikely he would have Gui Sen
executed.”

“However, Gui Sen being in the line of fire is unavoidable.”

Lie Er let out a bout of giggles.

“That’s better than Gui Sen stalking our Prince in circles.”

Everyone burst out in a fit of laughter, only Feng Ming remained silent

and red faced.

Official Xia proceeded to ask the General another question, “Did you
mention anything about the poisoning of her father and how it will
induce his death soon?”

“Why would I say that? If I was to tell the Third Princess the whole truth
would she be willing to leave Fan Jia?”

“That’s good.” Official Xia nodded his head in approval. In a blink of an

eye the old man changed the topic to uplift the mood.

“Given that our Prince will be summoned by the King of Fan Jia tomorrow
morning, it is best that we prepare our baggage for our journey ahead.”

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”Great!” they said unanimously.

Each person looked at everyone else with smiles beaming off their faces,
eager to start packing their baggage for the journey home.

As Official Xia had speculated, the next morning a messenger was sent
to the Prince’s hostel and An he was sincerely summoned by the King to
pay a visit at his palace.

Chiu Lan and the two younger maids dressed the Prince carefully in a set
of his finest robes, smiling as she said, “This is the last day in Fan Jia and
you are going to make the King speechless when he lays his eyes on
you!”

“Chiu Lan, you make it sound like the only thing going for me is my
appearance.”

“That’s not right, there are countless men with ability in this world,
however, Prince with both ability and good looks is only a handful
amongst these men!”

Chiu Lan covered her mouth when she let the comment slip, but
proceeded to finish, “As I said, the women in Fan Jia are the most
beautiful however, the men from Xi Rei are the most handsome. I even
had a wager with Chiu Xing that Prince would be able to scout a
beautiful woman from Fan Jia to become our Princess.”

Chiu Xing exclaimed after laughing, “Even if you don’t bring back a
princess, the Third Princess is a good prize to take home too!”

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The three girls were excited to see the famous beauty of Fan Jia. The
more they thought about it the higher their levels of anticipation. They
began to whisper to each other of all the possibilities.

Feng Ming had learnt over time why the power of three women would be
able to beat any of the trios he knows of from stories and history.
Feeling helpless he allowed the women to chat as they finished the final
ornaments on his costume including his saber. Considering how he had
dodged all the bad luck, he was prepared to march though the gates of
the palace and finish his mission.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 14

Translation notes:

Classical Gardens of Suzhou: It is an UNESCO heritage site that is nearly

1000 years old. The garden was designed by scholars, which
incorporated many meaningful aesthetics. The landscape was made to
look like natural scenery of rocks, mountains and rivers. Each feature
usually had a deep and poetic meaning. The layout of the garden is also
suspected to have ties with celestial importance, such as constellations
and alignments with the sky.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_Gardens_of_Suzhou

Double entendre

Double meaning, in this case Feng Ming is in the way of Ruo Yan’s
plans.

-------------------------------------

Fan Jia’s Imperial Royal palace was composed of several magnificent and
distinctive red buildings. The perimeters were boldly decorated to
showcase the King’s grandeur.

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Feng Ming had led General Tong and Official Xia into the main entrance
to the King’s palace but Li Er was required to remain in the carriage due
to his lowly status.

By this time, the heavy snow fall had stopped. But inside the palace
grounds, the floor was absolutely spotless. It was obvious that the
palace maids had worked towards sweeping every speck of snow off the
ground.

Gui Sen had been awaiting Feng Ming’s arrival along the main hallway,
once seeing the party arrive he scurried across to greet the Prince.

‘Prince, we meet again.’ Gui Sen’s face was beaming with a smile. His
demeanor showed no signs of being disgruntled with having his
companionship rejected openly the day before.

The older man took Feng Ming’s hands into his own, and in a grave voice
he warned, ‘To be honest to Prince, the King’s health has not been
fairing well in the past days. It is likely you were summoned upon the
Third Princess’s instigation. Prince needs to be cautious around that
woman. She has already made arrangements with Master Dong and Ruo
Yan.’

Feng Ming was stunned for a brief moment.

Gui Sen was already rolling around in treachery, and now he dared to
front as a friend and provoke distrust between the Third Princess and Xi

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Rei.

What a despicable man.

Feng Ming turned his gaze on the man, the corner of his lips jerked into
a soft smile. In a low voice he replied, ‘Thank you Royal Uncle for your
warnings However, during our visit in town, we heard the people on the
streets discussing the state of the King. It seems they suspect that it is
not ill health consuming their King but rather a case of poisoning. Royal
Uncle, you need to take care with your own meals.’

Although Feng Ming had only intended to toy with his Uncle, it was like
he had served the man a final blow. All color immediately drained from
Gui Sen’s face. The older man’s mind was off somewhere momentarily
before he regained his composure. He quickly asked, ‘Prince, where did
you come across such news?’

‘On the streets, it’s the current talk of the town!’ Feng Ming feigned
innocence and pretended to be shocked, ‘Don’t tell me Royal Uncle has
not caught wind of this rumor?’

‘This…’ The man stuttered, ‘This…’

It was obvious that Gui Sen was harboring a guilty conscious. Failing to
talk coherently was a dead give away.

Gui Sen clasped his hands in respect to the Prince as he dismissed

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himself.

‘Gui Sen has many state matters to attend to, my apologies for not
being able to accompany Prince. Please remain here as the King shall
summon your presence soon.’

The man hurried away, most likely to investigate the word spreading
amongst the people of Fan Jia.

Feng Ming giggled at the thought, shortly messengers that had left to
herald the King returned.

‘Our King is unwell and currently needs his rest. It is unadvisable for a
large audience to attend. The Prince may proceed alone.’

‘Proceed into the palace alone?’ General Tong was the first to lash out
his dissatisfaction and looked for consensus from Official Xia. He politely
cupped his hands and signaled to the messengers.

‘Please report to the King, General Tong is under direct orders from King
Rong to never leave the Prince’s side by even a step. With all due
respects, is it possible for Tong to accompany the Prince to great his
Highness?’

Feng Ming passed the General a glance.

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If the regent king had laid orders for General Tong to act as a shadow,
why did he not bring up this spirit of loyalty when Feng Ming was asked
to proceed alone into the Third Princess’s inner residence?

The attendant that was sent as a messenger served the King directly, he
replied dutifully, ‘That being the case, please excuse me as I will return
to seek the King’s command.’

The man disappeared once again, and returned roughly half an hour
later to address the Prince.

‘The King is out of sorts and is no condition to see too many visitors. If
the Prince is apprehensive about proceeding to the palace alone, please
consider seeking an audience two days later when the King has
recovered. At that time, he would be able to hold a session in the
proceedings hall where many people can be catered to.’

Feng Ming thought to himself, ‘I am afraid in two days I may have to visit
the King in heaven.’

Feng Ming knew that he shouldn’t delay matters so he hurriedly flashed

a signal with his eyes towards Official Xia. The ball was in Official Xia’s
court, it was up to him to decide what should happen next.

The old man stroked his beard as he muttered softly, ‘Since it can’t be
helped, our Prince shall pay his respects to the King of Fan Jia.’

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‘But…’ General Tong interjected.

‘General Tong, there is no need to be concerned. The Prince is wise,

brave and nimble. He will be safe in the palace, we can rest assured.’

Feng Ming’s forehead was beading with sweat.

An Xun was also had such characteristics and it was also in a similar
palace setting where he lost his life and his head was almost halved like
a watermelon by King Rong’s blade.

The attendant bowed to Feng Ming.

‘If all is in order, may Prince please follow my lead?’

Feng Ming stood still in a moment of hesitation, which led to Official Xia
giving him a friendly joist from behind to encourage him to get a move
on.

Feng Ming thought inwardly, perhaps Official Xia’s eagerness was a sign
that everything was running as expected. Most importantly, he knew it
was unfitting for a Prince to wimp out, just because he had to approach
Fan Jia’s King alone. Working up the courage, his hands balled into fists,
he walked forwards with his chest proudly protruding and head held
high.

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The inner sanctuary of Fan Jia’s Imperial palace stood out from the
smaller palaces and residences that Feng Ming had seen so far in the
country. Instead of small passages leading to each building, there were
large and spacious avenue-like paths. It was styled like the Classical
Gardens of Suzhou from Feng Ming’s world. Perhaps the Fan Jia palace
was also built with consideration in mathematical or celestial
significance. Regardless, it was apparent that they had a great respect
for natural terrain and scenery.

Feng Ming continued to follow at the heels of the attendant, turning left
and right on what seemed to a complex and interweaving path. It felt
like forever, when they finally arrived at the bottom of the main steps
outside the King’s resting chamber.

The long staircase was composed of beautifully polished white jade. The
path threaded through two rock mountain displays. Once you
surmounted the mountain pass you were greeted with a charming
entrance. Overall, one could sense the dignity, elegance and artistry
from such an arrangement. If this design was entered in a modern day
architectural contest, it would be a clean sweep of the first prize.

As Feng Ming occupied himself with being amazed, two men entered the
grounds by a door in the opposite direction they had come. They walked
closely, one after the other. Feng Ming turned around, his face contorted
in confusion as he did not expect the King of Fan Jia to have other
guests.

As the men closed in, he continued to stare in their direction so he could

identify them.

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The blood drained from his face, the proud chest he held immediately
deflated as if someone knocked the air out of his lungs.

The man that in the lead was a palace attendant, however, it was who
followed that set off Feng Ming’s alarm. It was none other than Ruo Yan.
A mere look from the man would make the Prince freeze on cue.

‘Prince An He, we meet again.’ He cupped his hands and gave the Prince
a sign of acknowledgment.

In fact, Ruo Yan had quickly noticed the Prince and decided to join him
at the bottom of the staircase.

The Prince had originally intended to deal with matters quickly. He didn’t
expect that he would come face to face with the last person he wanted
to see. In fact, he had an urge to hide behind the attendant or bolt away
safely. As he contemplated his next move, in a calm and collected
manner Ruo Yan shifted purposely blocked access to the stair case.

Even if he wanted to, Feng Ming didn’t dare to push the man aside and
flee into the palace. He had to stand his ground and swallow the fear
clogging his throat. He nodded his head in acknowledgment.

‘Is the King of Li also here to pay his respects to the King of Fan Jia?’

Ruo Yan’s eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the Prince. A hint of a smile

lifted on the corner of his lips. ‘I have caught word that the King is

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unwell. Naturally, I will be here to pay my respects. What is the Prince’s

agenda with the King?’

‘I? An He is also here to pay respects.’

The King clicked his tongue and teased.

‘Ruo Yan was under the impression that Prince was feeling unease in Fan
Jia. In fact I sensed that you may be seeking the King for an earlier
pardon to leave with the Third Princess.’

The man was purposely inciting Feng Ming. However, the Prince could
see through the man’s trick. He wasn’t that foolish to walk into the trap.

In a cool manner Feng Ming replied, ‘You are correct. An He wishes to

hasten the departure. Fan Jia’s rich scenery is beautiful but An He must
make haste. Xi Rei is without a leader and due to setbacks with
escorting the Third Princess, An He’s accession to the throne has been
postponed. It is important that I return to Xi Rei as soon as possible.’

Upon hearing the Prince’s reasoning, the King chuckled. His eyes fixed
onto Feng Ming’s own. The Prince turned rigid, as if he was struck by a
bolt of lightning.

Feng Ming’s heartbeat ran erratically, his eyes were wide in fear and he
took a few steps back.

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Ruo Yan found mused with watching Feng Ming’s reaction.

Ending his charade, he acted as if something finally dawned on him.

‘Oh, I was wondering why the Prince was frozen like a statue. As it turns
out, I was in the Prince’s way. To speak bluntly, Prince is also blocking
my way.’

A cold sneer stretched across the King’s lips, his words packed a double
entendre.

He stepped aside, and gestured with his hands.

‘Prince, please advance.’ He invited.

‘No, it is better that King Li takes the lead.’ Feng Ming declined.

‘Prince, I insist.’ Even the presence of the attendants, King Li suddenly

reached out and audaciously grabbed Feng Ming’s shoulders.

The unwanted touch almost scared the Prince out of his skin. Instead he
scrambled up onto the first step to break off the man’s contact.

‘I will go first then.’ He quickly muttered.

Ruo Yan chuckled and followed closely behind.

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Why is this flight of stairs so long and winding?

Feng Ming felt like he was being followed by a hungry tiger, his heart
would not settle and now he was venting his problems by cursing the
architecture and design of the King’s inner sanctuary that he had
admired only moments before his current ordeal.

All of a sudden, Ruo Yan’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

‘The sword at Prince’s side, could it be the unparalleled sword?’

‘Ah?’ Feng Ming’s voice trembled as he nodded hastily in reply, ‘Yes, it

is.’

I didn’t expect him to identify the sword with just a glance.

Then it dawned on Feng Ming, if Ruo Yan knew of the sword’s history
and origins, perhaps he would suspect the other sword is in the Regent
King’s possession. The moment their swords are drawn, and if Feng Ming
is struck down on the very spot he stood. This would mean the same
would happen to the Regent King. Xi Rei would be in absolute chaos!

Ruo Yan has ambitions to conquer the land, wasn’t this scenario befitting
of his wishes?

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The more Feng Ming pondered over the matter it was anything but
reassuring as the thoughts made the hairs of his body stand.

At the same time, as he was enwrapped with his thoughts he failed to

pay attention to his footing.

‘AH!’ he choked in horror as he felt his balance slip away.

Such a misfortunate mix of absent minded treading and the winter

slicked jade surface!

He was now flying helplessly backwards.

From behind, a pair of strong hands clamped down on Feng Ming’s lower
waist. Within a flash, Ruo Yan’s form pressed against the Prince to
cushion his fall.

Ruo Yan gazed down at the Prince.

It was as if Feng Ming had voluntarily thrown himself into the King’s
arms.

‘Prince needs to take caution, the staircase is made with white jade,
given the snow fall it is a dangerous path.’

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Ruo Yan’s warm breath tickled the back of Feng Ming’s ears. Their
encounter was growing more and more into an embarrassing and
awkward event.

Feng Ming’s face was so close to the man, he could see a strange look in
Ruo Yan’s eyes. The unwelcomed stare he was receiving was sending
him into panic.

‘I know it is slippery.’ He muttered as he attempted to free himself.

Sadly, Ruo Yan’s swordsman training left him with a grip to be reckoned
with.

Feng Ming struggled to prostrate himself, let alone free himself from the
King’s vice like hold.

From afar, it would even appear as if Feng Ming was deliberately leaning
into Ruo Yan’s embrace.

Ruo Yan didn’t spare Feng Ming, teasing the Prince again, ‘Prince, you
are not going to stand up?’

This time the King was more assertive, breaking further into the Prince’s
personal boundary. He had pressed his lip against the ridge Feng Ming’s
ear.

Ruo Yan blocked off the view for the attendants that were following
behind. Taking this opportunity, he stuck out his tongue and gently

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licked Feng Ming’s ear. With an audacity that only would reach the
Prince’s ear, he whispered, ‘I didn’t expect such happenings within the
hierarchy of Xi Rei’s Royal Palace. Surely the Regent King has savored
you already.’

Feng Ming shuddered, his skin prickled as goose bumps popped up from
head to toe. His face was beaming red as he gritted his teeth and glared
ferociously at the King.

Lowering his voice, he growled: ‘Let me go.’

Ruo Yan laughed at Feng Ming’s attempt to bare his fangs.

‘Oh, there is such passion in your eyes. Truly are not fit to be a Prince.
Perhaps the role of a lover would be better adapted.’

Having his fill of toying with the Prince, Ruo Yan finally loosened his
hands.

As the deadlock was released, Feng Ming sprang from the devil’s
clutches. He quickly clambered up the stair case, placing a few steps of
separation from the King. Feng Ming whisked his head and gave the King
another death glare before bolting up the rest of the climb towards the
King of Fan Jia’s chambers.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 15

Notes:

Jin: A Chinese measurement, it is roughly 0.5 kg

Water displacement: Let’s touch up on physics, a quick lesson

on Archimedes' principle. Archimedes was a Greek philosopher. The
story goes that a king wanted a new crown made entirely of gold. After
the smith finished, the king was suspicious that his crown was made of
iron and coated with gold. The king did not want to destroy the crown if
in fact it were gold, so he asked Archimedes to figure out if it was pure
gold or not without destroying the crown. Archimedes pondered this day
in and day out until one day while getting into his bath he discovered
the principle that bears his name. The tub was full to the rim, and when
he sat down in it, he noticed that the more he sank himself into the
water, the more water that spilled over the side of the tub. He was
supposedly so happy to make this discovery that he ran out into the
streets naked shouting "I found it!" What he discovered is that the
amount of water displaced by an object depends on the mass of that
object (not the weight). If he knew the mass of that object, and the
volume of fluid it displaces, he could determine its density. Since the
densities of iron and gold are different, he did a test. He determined the
density of the crown and compared it to the density of pure gold to see if
they were the same.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

When Feng Ming raised the issue of an earlier departure with the King of

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Fan Jia, he was surprised that the King readily agreed, and in a rather
cheerful manner.

After a series of discussions over organizing the envoy’s return, the King
changed the subject. He had caught word of Feng Ming’s scholarly ways
and couldn’t resist witnessing the talent himself.

“News has reached the Palace that Prince has deciphered one of the
world’s unsolved mathematical problems. Prince has shocked all by your
abilities.”

Feng Ming felt the eyes that had been carefully watching him dig deeper
like thorns against his skin. Under all the attention, he forced a smile
and waved his hand in dismissal.

“Your Highness flatters me. However, An He should not be credited with

such prestige as An He did not solve the problem. In fact it was the
Regent King who imparted his knowledge.”

“Oh, it appears that Xi Rei’s Rong Tian embodies the fearlessness of

youth as well high intellect. King rong and the King of Li are both well
distinguished men, and of high caliber in skills and talents. But who
would have thought, that King Rong is well versed in mathematics!”

The King of Li smiled and replied, “Ruo Yan is not deserving of such high
praise. It is King Rong whom is truly extraordinary. Ruo Yan has been
enlightened by the Regent King’s abilities. Moreover, it was a surprise
that the Crowned Prince also embodies scholarly intellect in addition to
his attractive appearance. It can be said, they make a formidable pair.”

As Ruo Yan spoke, his eyes traveled in an equivocal and unscrupulous

manner along Feng Ming’s body. The un-welcomed attention warranted

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an angry glare from the Prince.

Whilst the Fan Jia King was not paying attention, Ruo Yan seized the
opportunity to toy with the Prince.

He flicked his tongue outwards ever so slightly and motioned a gentle

lick. The croquet gesture sent Feng Ming’s reflex flying. His hand shot up
to protectively cup the ear that the King had licked earlier. His eyes
peeled back in shock.

Feng Ming’s naive reaction caused Ruo Yan to chuckle. The man lifted a
cup of wine to his lips, and casually imposed, “Since the Prince is
proficient in the art of algorithms and such, Ruo Yan would like to seek
guidance in a few difficult problems.”

With Ruo Yan’s persistent treading and provocations, Feng Ming was
fuming with rage inside. Playing his cards right, he maintained a
completely calm and indifferent face.

A nonchalant smile spread across his lips, “Oh, certainly the outstanding
King of Li does not possess problems he cannot resolve. Perhaps the
purpose is to challenge An He’s abilities.”

Upon hearing the words exchanged between the two young men, the
King of Fan Jia’s interest perked. He had already notice an odd tension
between the two when they had first entered his domain. Now they were
confronting each other, and what better to do than to sit on the sideline
and watch the show.

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Ruo Yan clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“How could I be as heartless as to purposely place the Prince in an

awkward situation? If Prince is afraid, then I shall refrain from detailing
the questions in mind.”

In this way, Feng Ming was going to lose face in front of the King of Fan
Jia. He gave Ruo Yan a cold snort, “King Ruo’s question is?”

Inside Feng Ming thought smugly: The Third Princess has promised to
return with me to Xi Rei, even if I fail to answer your stupid question it
won’t be a chip off my shoulder in any respects!

“Then I shall proceed,” the smile extinguished from the King’s face as he
sternly gave the riddle.

“There is a giant boulder, weighing one thousand jins. There is a small

child, and his arms are only able to lift ten jins. The question is…how
does the child move this rock?”

Fan Jia’s King bellowed a hearty laugh, “This is preposterous, is it joke?

How could a child barely out of is diapers shift such a heavy boulder?”

Feng Ming stood dumbfounded. He had no qualms in solving the

question. He was surprised that the people who seem to be quite
mathematically advance for their time had not grasped the fundamental
laws of physics.

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Ruo Yan had anticipated his question would stump the Prince, he flashed
a smug grin towards the young man’s direction.

It was obvious the King was purposely pushing all of his buttons. Feng
Ming was at boiling point and rage had been building inside him. Now
tendrils of his rage was spilling out, encouraging him to abandon the
fear that Ruo Yan normally incited in him.

Feng Ming furthered the moment of silence, he feigned as if Ruo Yan had
deliberately made things difficult for him. His brows knitted together as
if he was deep in thought. Just when everyone thought the Prince would
surrender and beg the King’s pardon,

Feng Ming suddenly clicked his tongue and shook his head with
disappointment. Before solemnly replying, “Why is King Ruo asking such
a simple problem? Surely this can’t be the most difficult and baffling
unsolved problem in the Country of Li!”

The Prince laughed.

“The solution is easy! All you need is a long sturdy bamboo pole and a
flat stone. The two can be used together as a lever system. The position
to where the fulcrum should rest can be calculated. A lever will amplify
an input force. A small child can use his body as the counterweight...”

Compared to mathematics, science was Feng Ming’s element. As the

men were dining, Feng Ming conveniently used his chopsticks as props
to demonstrate the theory. His explanation was clear cut. The two King’s

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were astounded.”

In actual fact, scholars of Li had only recently made groundbreaking

formulas to solve the problem and had not release the news to the
academic world. Ruo Yan had intended to use his knowledge against
Feng Ming, only to have it completely backfire as the Prince continued to
explain the solution in layman terms. He was speechless.

This Crowned Prince was clearly not a useless ‘simpleton’ as humor has
it.

There was a mysterious magnetism in the young man’s behavior and

appearance that attracted people to him. Unexpectedly, the Prince had
the brains to match his seamless looks.

Ruo Yan pondered for a moment, before revealing the next challenge.
His sly eyes lit up.

Feng Ming had been monitoring the Ruo Yan and he could tell the man
was up to another devious act as he caught the slight change in the
King’s eyes. The Prince was no fool. He knew Ruo Yan was going to
trouble him with another problem. As a counter measure Feng Ming took
a pre emptive strike and stopped the King in his tracks.

“One hears of King Ruo’s adept abilities in the field, An He has heard of
an interesting mathematical problem. Would the King would be game to
attempt an answer?

Given the situation, the Prince had just responded to the King’s

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supposedly ‘advance’ question. It would be embarrassing if he declined

to answer one from the Prince.

“Please ask, Prince.” Ruo Yan sneered.

“A wealthy King wanted a new crown. He handed a craftsman five jins of

pure gold. The craftsman was indeed a master artesian. When the crown
was finished, it was worthy of gods. However, the King suspected the
artesian pocketed gold when he was ‘forging’. He summoned his
servants to weigh the crown, and indeed the crown weighed five jins.
However, the King could not be entirely sure that his newly forge crown
is pure gold. In fact he suspects that his crown has been contaminated
with other metals. As for the question King Ruo, how would one
determine whether the crown is gold or a composite metal formed from
gold and silver?”

After the Prince introduced the problem, the two King exchanged
bewildered looks.

No one would have thought the Prince would issue a complicated

problem. The King of Fan Jia reached to touch his own crown as he
wondered whether it too, was solid gold.

Ruo Yan had a useful subordinate, Master Dong to assist him. Usually,
they would be able to make a breakthrough. However, the Prince’s
question was complicated and unfathomable. Ruo Yan could not help to
speculate that perhaps Xi Rei has overtaken Li in terms of mathematical
scholarship and knowledge. Perhaps Li was no longer the dominant force
that means his country will lose the prestige of being number one.

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As advance as Li was, it was possible Xi Rei has been secretly overtaking

them.

A dark thought crossed Ruo Yan’s mind, ‘perhaps we will need to

capture the Prince and force him to spill some secrets...’

The young King’s eyes fixed onto the Prince.

Feng Ming was elated with his next revelation. He was oblivious to the
strange look aimed at him. Instead, he was thinking about the glory he
would receive when he explains one of ancient Greece’s greatest
discovers to these ‘ancient’ people. Underneath the stoic face he
presented, he could hardly contain himself. Trying to suppress his
laughter had his stomach tying knots.

Given the King of Fan Jia had a daughter who was a master in
mathematics, over the year he too had developed interested in the
discipline. Feng Ming’s question definitely held his interest. After
pondering the solution, the King relented and inquired, “Such a difficult
question, Prince, how does one determine whether the crown is pure
gold?”

Feng Ming soaked his success, feeding off Ruo Yan’s deflating ego.

In a matter of fact tone he replied, “Actually, it is quite simple. Your

Highness, which is bigger in size, five jins of silver or five jins of gold?”

The King answered with no delay, “Naturally, it would be five jins of

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silver! Then if you mix silver and gold, that means the alloy would be
larger than just solid gold.”

“That is spot on, however even if an alloyed crown is heavier. The king’s
crown was designed with intricate carving details. How does one
differentiate whether the crown was conveniently carved down to the
appropriate size and weight?”

Feng Ming clapped his hands excitedly.

“If the King would be as kind as to organise two identical basins and
have them filled to the brim with water. Once you place your crown and
five jins of pure gold, you shall receive an answer!” **

Ruo Yan is an intelligent man thus even without a demonstration, the

solution immediately clicked in his head. However, his face was
plastered with astonishment. There was an intensity in his eyes are he
stared at the young man in awe.

Such a simple and strange method to solve such a difficult problem was
entirely foreign and unheard of.

After a further lengthy two hour discussion in the King’s chambers, Feng
Ming not only obtained permission to set off the next day, he also gained
victory over the King Ruo. The man suffered a complete defeat; with his
tail between his legs

Feng Ming wore his triumph with stride, as he marched out of the palace

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gates. Catching sight of their Prince, General Tong, Official Xia and Li Er
immediately swarmed towards him.

“Prince, what was the outcome?”

“Oh, actually when I was on my way to see the King, I encountered the
King of Li, Rou Yan.” Feng Ming sounded dejected.

“What?” General Tong face was pale with alarm, he persisted, “Was Rou
Yan’s intention to interfere and create problems?”

“Perhaps he has blocked Prince’s departure from Fan Jia?” Official Xia
added.

The two men’s complexion had seen better days, their face were solemn
and anticipating an answer from their Prince. Both were deeply
repenting for not accompanying the Prince.

“About that….” He wore a poker face and teased in a stern voice.

Feng Ming calmly observed the two men’s nervous behavior before
giving away the game in a loud burst of giggles!

“Haha! I am going to die of laughter. Get inside the carriage and I will
explain the rest!”

Once the men loaded themselves on the carriage, Feng Ming explained

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the happenings in chronological order.

As he vividly recounted the events that folded out, he guffawed

endlessly. When he reached the part describing Ruo Yan’s complete
embarrassment he almost fell off his seat.

”Don’t you guys think it’s hilarious too?” Feng Ming prompted as he
hugged his stomach.

Feng Ming was the only one giggling away at his story. The three men
had listened on with gripping concern. Their faces only showed dismay.

They exchanged glances before Official Xia finally broke their silence,
“This strange method of solving the problem, how in the world did Prince
conceive such a solution?”

General Tong followed, “Surely such a technique is our country’s

national treasure, yet Prince so casually divulged this information to a
tyrannical man like Ruo Yan?”

“I am more afraid that Prince has made his abilities apparent, Ruo Yan
will not let you off the hook for his shame.” Lie Er bit his lower lip and
spoke in a timid voice.

Feng Ming didn’t take offence from the trio’s doubts, instead he
thumped his hand against his chest and proclaimed, “Nothing to fear, I
am well versed in many disciplines, water displacement and density
calculations are merely a scratch on the surface of what I know. Anyhow,
scientific knowledge should be shared to allow for advances. As for the
King of Li, Ruo Yan...”

The mere thought of the man reminded Feng Ming of the King’s

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inappropriate behavior. Feng Ming trembled with the mental back-

flashes but forced the imagery out of his mind.

Consoling him-self, he muttered softly, ‘Regardless, we will be leaving

for Fan Jia tomorrow. If he dares to approach Xi Rei and tries to make an
advance at me again, Rong Tian will exterminate him!’

“What advance?!” The three men shouted out in unison.

Feng Ming would rather die than have such an embarrassing thing out to
public so he quickly dismissed any notions of being ‘molested’, “No, you
guys are jumping to conclusions!”

- - -------

When the Prince returned to the hostel with his small party, the positive
news quickly spread, evoking uproars of happiness. After all, everyone
had been away from home for a long time. Everyone was yearning to
return to their homeland.

Messengers were also sent to inform the Third Princess of the departure,
asking her to meet the envoy at the main gates of the city. They will
finally leave for Xi Rei.

It was an occasion to be celebrated, that evening a big feast was held.

General Tong brought out two enormous jars of expensive and high
quality rice wine. They were gifts from the King of Fan Jia. Upon laying

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his eyes on the prized alcohol, Official Xia smoothly gravitated towards
them.

Chiu Lan and the other servants were encouraged to join in the
festivities. General Tong also insisted Feng Ming try the rare wine.

Since discovering Lie Er in between his bedsheets the last time he drank.
Feng Ming was firm about not drinking alcohol. However, his
determination was extremely weak against peer pressure. His cheeky
maids urged him on and Lie Er was beside him, coaxing cup after cup.

His low alcohol tolerance emerged once again, first he lost his sense of
direction and then he suffered a complete black out.

The Prince suddenly woke in the middle of the night, his head in a daze
as the drunkard stupor was beginning to wear off.

At least they had tucked him in. However, his eyes flicked open as soon
as he sensed something was out of line. Turning on his bed, he found
himself looking into large glassy eyes.

“You are in my bed, AGAIN!?” Feng Ming shrieked. The familiar face was
sharing his sheets. Lie Er had not been asleep.

The young man blinked innocently, “Prince, it’s not my fault! You are
being unreasonable. I was in charge of escorting Prince to rest, yet when
Lie Er tried to leave Lie Er was tugged down and held tight. Prince was
crying and kicking and demanding I stayed.”

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Feng Ming was exasperated he scolded, “Didn’t I give orders to douse

me with cold water to wake me up?”

Lie Er shook his head, “No, not on a cold day, the Prince can easily fall
sick.”

“Let me get ill, it is better than forcing you into bed!” he exclaimed.

“With tomorrow set for departure, wouldn’t the Prince falling to illness
be the last objective?” His servant reasoned.

“That...,” Feng Ming was speechless. Damn the boy had a point.

“Moreover, Lie Er behaved, Prince can check and see that Lie Er is still
wearing his undergarments.”

With that said his servant playfully grabbed his hand under the sheets
and ran it down his clothed body.

Feng Ming quickly flung his hand out of the boy’s grip and gently pushed
the other’s body back.

“No touching! No contact” He enforced.

Suddenly, Feng Ming noticed Lie Er’s face was contorted in discomfort.
He moaned loudly in pain. The Prince had no idea what he had triggered.

“What’s wrong Lie Er?”

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“Nothing.” Lie Er lied between gritted teeth and he shook his head for a
faulty attempt at reassurance.

Hearing his reply and seeing the boy’s facial reaction, Feng Ming was not
convinced. Riding on his suspicions he prompted.

“Are you sick?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Then why are you guarding your chest? Let me have a look.”

“Don’t mine me your Highness.”

Being told not to care about his subordinate, Feng Ming was driven to
find the answer.

He was pretty confident that Lie Er was trying to conceal something from
him.

With a loud snort of defiance, he stated, “The more you deny me, the
more I want to see.”

Using new grappling techniques he had learnt from Rong Tian, Feng
Ming wrestled Lie Er into a submissive position. The young man tried to
wriggle his way out.

He gasped in pain, his face waning in color before he finally submitted

and asked for mercy.

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“Alright, Lie Er will let Prince see, but please do not ask anything. Lie Er
will keep his mouth shut.”

The servant finally removed the hand he held protectively over his
chest.

Feng Ming reached between the openings of his garment and felt his
chest. To his surprise, the young man’s chest was bound in thick layers
of gauze.

“You are hurt?” he swallowed in shock.

Lie Er nodded.

“When did you get this injury? Who did this to you?”

Lie Er looked at his master dearly, his eyes were smiling as if they seem
to reflect what was on his mind, ‘look, you are already asking a million
questions.’

Feeling moisture at his fingertips, Feng Ming exclaimed, “This is terrible!

You are bleeding profusely!”

Lie Er immediately reached to cover his master’s mouth and said, “Your
Highness, don’t be so loud!”

“We have to re-dress your wound right now!” he insisted.

Lie Er sighed, resigning to his master’s doting.

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“The medicinal herbs are in my room.”

In a valiant manner, Feng Ming immediately volunteered, “I will fetch it

for you.”

“People can’t know about this, please Prince.”

“Ah...” Feng Ming recalled that Lie Er was a man of suspicion, perhaps
the reason why he was hurt...

Lie Er was very sensitive to the change in the Prince’s eyes.

He voiced himself, “Does Prince suspect Lie Er of wrong doing?”

“That’s not the ...” Lie Er interrupted him, his eyes staring sternly into
his own.

“Prince,” Lie Er said cordially, “Please believe Lie Er, Lie Er will never
harm Prince.”

Feng Ming peered into Lie Er’s eyes. The boy was watering up. He
nodded.

“I believe you. I believe that you will never harm me. Okay, I will sneak
out and retrieve your medicine.”

He briskly climbed out of bed and draped a cloak around his slender
form to brace the cold outside.

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His footsteps were soft as he made his way towards Lie Er’s room. There
was no snow on this night but the winter winds were unrelenting. As
soon as he opened his bedroom doors, the wind bombarded his exposed
cheeks and sent chills up and down his body.

Cautiously he tipped toed his way to Lie Er’s room, once he was inside
he rummaged through the young man’s belongings. Sure enough, he
found medicine and wrappings. However, there were also a few
questionable items and artifacts.

Perhaps these are contraptions that a spy would use in this era.

Lie Er had a certain gift, one wanted to trust his every words. Feng Ming
had surprised himself. He had wholeheartedly believed him. Wanting to
return to help his servant he quickly grabbed the items and left.

Stepping back out to the hostile weather, Feng Ming thought

inwardly: Certainly everyone is nice and cozy in their beds in this
forsaken weather.

Only this sneaky Prince was out prowling the darkness, but what if he
was mistaken for a thief...

On that thought, a flash of movement suddenly caught the corner of

Feng Ming’s eyes. He barely whisked around to catch the shadow of a
tall blackened man.

Feng Ming’s eyes were going to pop out of the socket, when he wanted
to scream for help, the black figure’s hand clamped down tightly over
his lips immediately extinguishing his voice.

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The tall and threatening stranger had raided the Prince’s temporary
residence and dared to attack the Prince of Xi Rei!

Under whose command was this assailant working under?

What a miserable end! Regret washed over the Prince. Maybe he should
have kept his mouth shut instead of parading his victory over Ruo Yan.
Did the King take offence? Was this an assassin to root out the trouble?
Oh, god what kind of torture was he in for!

With his thoughts running a mile a second, Feng Ming was feeling light
headed.

The strong man, kept his hand firmly over the Prince’s mouth. The other
hand pinned the young man’s hands behind his back. The strangers
form was pushing against him leaving no room to maneuver.

The hidden eyes stared into Feng Ming’s panic-stricken ones. He pressed
his masked face against the side of the Prince’s ears and bit down
lightly.

The masked man softly laughed.

“Did you miss me?” teased a familiar voice.

As soon as the man whispered into Feng Ming’s ear, the Prince’s world
was shaken upside down.

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His hands that were bound tightly were suddenly freed. Feng Ming
flipped around and punched the man hard in the stomach.

Through gritted teeth he scolded, “Rong Tian! You bastard! I...”

Before he could finish chewing his lover out, Rong Wang’s hand snapped
over his mouth again.

Feng Ming was scared half to death, he even had tears welling up. His
fist pounded against Rong Tian’s chest endlessly.

Rong Tian pulled down his mask to exposed the handsome and chiseled
face that Feng Ming had yearned for.

The taller man removed his hand from his lover’s mouth and quickly
replaced it with his own to smoother the Prince’s rage. The little Prince
continued to thump fists against the King’s chest.

Nothing could ever beat the taste of the Prince’s soft and sweet lips.

Once their lips touched, they battled and attacked each other with their
tongues. The anger inside Feng Ming was turned into a fevered passion.
Rong Tian gave his lover a thorough oral inspection as his techniques
melted the Prince into a wanton mass.

Their contact broke only when Feng Ming was beginning to suffocate.
Now that the Prince’s anger was sedated he allowed himself to be held
in the King’s embrace.

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In the dead of the night, King Rong pulled his lover in the shadows of a
corner out of sight from passer-bys.

“Why are you here all of a sudden?”

“Once I caught news of King Ruo’s presence in Fan Jia, I immediately set
off. How can I allow you to be thrown into a pit with a vicious wolf?”

He flashed Feng Ming a doting smile, and pulled the young man closer.

“What about Xi Rei?”

“No one knows that I have left, it won’t be an issue as long as we get
back at god’s speed. Once we return, you will ascend the throne.”

“Even General Tong and Official Xia are in the dark?”

“Yes, there is no need to let anyone else know about my presence in Fan
Jia. Otherwise it will be dangerous.”

Feng Ming pointed out his flaw, “Then why are you telling me that you
are supposedly in hiding? I am telling you now, I am quite stupid. I won’t
be able to hide you well!”

“Now, how is my little Prince stupid? The Prince’s abilities and

intelligence has shocked the world.” He praised.

Rong Wang grinned, as he fondly bit his favorite spot on Feng Ming’s
ear.

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“As for keeping concealed, that’s not much of a challenge. All I need to
do is to hide in the Prince’s bed.”

“It was the Prince who taught me that ‘Every moment of a lover’s tryst is
precious’.”

Rong Tian grabbed his hand and pulled him towards his bedroom.

In my bed? Then it clicked.

Feng Ming had been so engrossed with seeing his lover to the point that
his mind had completely blanked out on his original objectives. Now that
they were heading towards his ‘bed’, Feng Ming remembered Lie Er!

Lie Er who was lying partially undressed in his bed!

As he was dragged to the door, Feng Ming broke into a cold sweat.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 16

Translation notes:

Yong Yin (country)– Yong Yin was formally called Ruo Yan, however, as
the country shared its name with the King of Li it was changed

------------------------------------------------------
-------------

Rong Wang was on the verge of making his way through the doors when
Feng Ming moved with lightening speed to barricade him. His reaction
speed was akin to a cat that had its tail treaded on

“Don’t go in!”

Rong Wang was baffled by his sudden insistence.

“Why?” he asked his eyes boring down onto his lover.

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“Because…because…” Feng Ming’s frantic eyes locked onto Rong Tian’s

own, his hands reached to dab at the sweat beading off his forehead.

“That’s because my sleeping pallet is not big enough for the two of us to
share!”

He nervously observed Rong Wang’s reaction in fear the man was

suspicious of his hidden agenda.

Rong Wang cast a fleeting confused look at the closed doors, then, as if
it suddenly dawned upon him, a gentle smile grew from his lips.

“Is that so?” he commented before he stepped forwards and sandwiched

the Prince between him and the cold wood of the entry

His large hand reached up to lightly caress Feng Ming’s lips, before
bending his own to spoil them with a soft kiss. He pulled the young man
into his arms.

”Standing outside at this temperature is turning you to ice.” Rong Tian’s

seductive magnetism quickly distracted Feng Ming’s initial motives of his
guilty conscience.

“If the bed is unfitting, why don’t you rest on top of me?” With that said,
Rong Tian kicked the doors open and whisked the Prince inside. He lifted
the boy effortlessly into his arms before striding towards the

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bedchamber. The warm air moved like currents embracing their chilled
forms. The room was fragrant and threads of smoke danced in the air
from the daily incense that Chiu Lan had set alit.

Soon the pair was directly across from the bed in which Lie Er laid.

“The bed is spacious enough.” The King judged, glancing down at Feng
Ming who was nestled in the crook of his arms. Feng Ming’s heart could
just about bungee jump from his chest, his face paled. “As long as you
feel it is big enough.”

Inwardly, he added - Three will be a crowd…

The delicate tassels highlighted the fine drapery that hung on the bed
frame creating a private cloaked space for within. It was this cover that
was prolonging the agony.

Feng Ming watched Rong Tian in gripping silence as the older man
carried him step by step closer to where an imminent storm brewed,
spelling his doom

He prayed.

God, I hope Lie Er was smart enough to hear us and made his way out
without a trace.

Please be an empty bed.

It has to be an empty bed! Otherwise I am a dead man…

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With his eyes shut and deep in prayer, a soft and attractive voice waffled
from behind the partition.

“Prince has finally returned, why was Prince out for such a length of
time?”

Rong Tian halted in his footsteps with the unexpected voice. He coldly
stared at the drapes before slowly turning his attention to the man in his
arms and giving Feng Ming a condescending look

The eyes glaring into him made Feng Ming tremble with fear his guts
harbored a foreboding feeling that Rong Tian would violently rape him as
punishment

Even if he didn’t have sex with Lie Er, Rong Wang would never believe
him.

Grotesque and disturbing images of sick and twisted revenge taken out
by jealous men from Ancient history flashed in Feng Ming’s mind. Oh, he
trembled from top to toe.

Rong Wang issued him a deceiving smile before gently asking, “Feng
Ming are you cold? You are shivering.”

The fake sincere smile the King was fronting was a hundred fold more
dangerous than any threat from Ruo Yan.

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This is a disaster!

What a cruel world!

Is this the calm before the tempest?

Feng Ming primal instinct had him close his eyes tight, like an ostrich he
buried his face into the crook of the King’s arms.

Rong Tian chuckled suggestively, prompting the Prince to rest on the

bedside, one hand reached to lift the drapes to reveal Lie Er. The servant
was in a simple tunic, his body reclined on the bed with one white jade-
like arm propping up his head. The boy’s childlike eyes met with the
intensive glare of the King.

Feng Ming held his breath, his thoughts in conflict.

Should I or shouldn’t I help Lie Er? If I save him it would be even harder
to wash away this misunderstanding!

If I don’t do anything…

“Why are you here?” demanded an unimpressed Rong Tian.

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Caving into the tremendous mental pressure, Feng Ming could cry he
shied away from the bed.

“I don’t know! I don’t know anything!” the Prince proclaimed.

Lie Er reaction was to the contrary, in a calm manner he lifted the quilt
and slipped out of the bed to kneel obediently at the King’s feet. In a
small voice he made grace. “Lie Er pays his respects to his master.
Today is the Prince’s last day in Fan Jia territory. Lie Er is worried, so
stayed watchfully beside His Highness.”

The young servant lifted to glance at the Regent King’s expression.

Seeing that there was no advert expression, he laughed playfully.

“Lie Er has not done anything. Prince belongs to the master. Lie Er dares
not meddle.””

“I will forgive you for not daring! You have grown! However, you are still
so mischievous and frivolous, nothing like your mature brother!”

King Rong gave a cold snort, “Have you settled matters in Yong Yin?”**

“Lie Er received Master’s instructions and secretly arranged to

exterminate his post. Ensuring that no trace is left to doubt my
disappearance in Yong Yin, the King of Yong Yin truly believes I have
died of illness.” He replied dutifully.

The King made a sound of approval.

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“You have been carrying out espionage in Yong Yin long enough it was
time you returned to Xi Rei.”

Rong Tian nodded and then turned his attention to the Prince that sat
stupefied on the sidelines.

“Feng Ming, I will let you know, I have assigned my best men to
safeguard you. You have met Rong Hu. Although Lie Er is naughty, he is
quick witted and adept at dealing with contingencies. I feel a little peace
of mind to know they are by your side.”

Thump!

“Feng Ming? Feng Ming!?” Rong Tian’s deep voice permeated the room
as he looked at the Prince in distress.

“Master, it appears the Prince has fainted...”

--- --- --- ---

The next day, the envoy from Xi Rei finally departed with an additional
member, the Third Princess. Their departure was majestic and grand.
However, during this period it was said that the Prince had fallen ill. In
the carriage he settled in seclusion to nurse his ailments along the
beginning of a long journey home. It appears when the Prince was ‘sick’
he had a bad temper. From time to time one could hear him curse along
with the various sounds of objects being smashed. Not to mention the

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sharp sound of skin being slapped.

For everyone on the outside, they all inwardly awed by the male
chamberlain on the receiving end of the abuse. Curiously, each time Lie
Er left the carriage he was unscathed, completely without even a
slightest bruise on his face.

After three or four days the bitter chiding and cluttering of random items
died down. Instead, they were now replaced with interesting moans that
made people blush.

The curtains that decorated the carriage in winter were thick and far
from transparent. One would could only listen on and imagine what was
taking place inside.

“Chiu Lan listen, they are…” giggled Chiu Yue.

“They are what? Lie Er is good looking, it’s only natural the Prince would
give into temptation.” Chiu Xing commented.

“Well it’s not like I am saying anything about it in particular but I am

afraid someone might feel…” teased Chiu Yue before Chiu Xing slapped
her on the shoulder.

Pouting as she scolded, “Don’t make fun of me! The Prince’s business
with Lie Er has nothing to do with me!”

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Chiu Yue choked back her laughter before giving her playmate what she
wanted to hear. “Yes, yes. It’s not any of our high and mighty Chiu Yue’s
business. Nonetheless, how would the Regent King handle the matter
when we return to Xi Rei?”

On the other hand, General Tong ushered his horse to stride beside
Official Xia’s to ask question that has been bothering him.

“Official Xia, we’ve been on the road for four days yet the Prince has not
shown his face this…”

Official Xia waved battered his fan back and forth, stroked his beard and
explained, “A journey can be lonely, Lie Eris a rare specimen. Would
General Tong be so eager as to dampen the Prince’s leisure?”

“But if this persists…I am afraid there will be detrimental affects to the

Prince’s body.”

“No ailments shall reign over the Prince’s body as long as Official Xia is
around, General Tong can rest assured.”

The matter was settled and the party continued to travel day and night
for another two days where they finally left the borders of Fan Jia. They
will now travel through Yong Yin for another seven days before they
would reach Xi Rei.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 17

Path of a king: In this context, General Tong is trying to say that Feng
Ming must not fall victim to bedroom lust. As in the past, a King must
live for his people and country – this was when King’s lived in a more
honorable time.

Translation complexity (a) 烦 (fan) In this sequence, it is a play on words

in Chinese, as this character means to annoy and trouble. So RT means
if he meets with ‘trouble’ – i.e. dies.

-- -- -- --- --- --- --- --- -- -- --

Just as they had moved closer to Yong Yin territory, news of Fan Jia’s
King death due to illness reached them.

Everyone who was aware of the situation could only marvel at Official
Xia’s incredible foresight.

Once the Third Princess was informed, she fell into deep sorrow and
wept for her loss. Inside her carriage her tears flowed out. Her misery
extinguished her energy. In the Prince’s quarters, Feng Ming attempted
on many occasions to escape from Rong Tian’s clutches and after much
difficulty he finally slipped out to console the Princess.

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“Please royal Aunt, you are going to overexert yourself. The King had
been sick for a length of time, this…this…” the words were caught in his
throat, finding it hard to carry on the topic when the Princess’s face was
stained with tears.

Feng Ming was unable to give her any advice. In all honestly, his time
with the late King was short and the man had left no real impression.
Secondly, it was obvious to all that the King’s death was sudden and
worthy of suspicion. However, he and Third Princess understood this
moment was not the appropriate time to instigate investigations.

Regardless of what era or dimension there are always conspiracies and

treacherous schemes being brewed and carried forth. It is a sad fact of
human nature.

Feng Ming spent a long time comforting the grief stricken woman. Whilst
he sat beside her, he could not help but to think about his own situation.
What would happen if he did not have Rong Tian? How many times
would he have been devoured by his enemies?

The thoughts gave him an unappetizing gut feeling, he released a heavy

sigh.

His Aunty continued to weep in bouts of soft sobs, seeing Feng Ming had
accompanied her for the worst part she finally decided to pack away her
emotions.

She wiped away her tears and finally broke her silence, “Father has
departed and my tears are worthless. When I think of my absence
beside my father when his life expired, I feel burdened that I have failed

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my filial duties. Being born in royalty has numerous challenges. There

are times when one will be helpless. These tears of mine are
inadequate.”

She heaved, changing the subject.

“Oh! My dear Prince, you must take care of yourself. Hearsay in days
past you had a cold and was confined to your carriage.”

Feng Ming’s face burned before he dipped his face down and murmured,
“Yes, indeed. An He shall wear enough clothing to avoid catching a cold
again.”

Inside the Prince cursed the Regent King who was avaricious, insatiable
and above all, his vigor knew no boundary.

He remained for a short time to offer more words of support before

finally slipping out of the Princess’s carriage.

As soon as he made his exit, he was greeted by General Tong and

Official Xia.

“In two more hours we shall cross the official borders into Yong Yin. A
grand feast and entertainment has been arranged to welcome Prince’s
arrival.”

“That’s great progress! We will finally leave Fan Jia’s territory.”

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The Prince recalled how generous Master Zhang had been when he held
a reception for the envoy.

He swallowed before nervously raising a matter with Official Xia, “Official

Xia, if Master Zhang approaches me to be his drinking buddy you must
intercept him! I don’t want to end up with another Lie Er.”

“Another Lie Er in your possession wouldn’t be a bad thing right? Prince

will feel less lonely along this journey.”

General Tong laughed heartedly at Feng Ming’s expense and he lowered

his voice, speaking with a serious tone.

“In earnest, Prince must take care of his body, making love excessively
is not the path of a King.” **

Feng Ming’s face froze from the totally unexpected advice.

Snapping back to normal function, a forceful smile crept along his lips,
“Right, right it isn’t a road a King should walk along.”

You should be telling the bastard Rong Wang instead of me!

The men continued to converse about matters, afterwards each returned

to their carriage to sit back for the journey.

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As soon as Feng Ming stepped into his quarters, he was lifted up into a
tight embrace. A large coarse hand slid behind his neck and began
snaking southwards into the folds of his clothing.

Feng Ming clenched his teeth before fiercely chiding the perpetrator,
“Don’t you find yourself annoying? All day long you just don’t stop! We
are leaving Fan Jia’s territory and you are in no threat apart from mine
when I kick you out!” **(a)

A deep man’s voice whispered lazily into his ear, “If I don’t annoy you
one day, you will cry yourself to death.” **(a)

“I want to cry right now, take a good look at your handiwork on my neck!
What have you done with your bites?” The Prince couldn’t help but to
give the larger built man behind him a sharp elbow thrust.

The attack didn’t even make a dent. It didn’t stop Rong Wang from
playing along and replying with an exchange.

“Ouch! Be careful you might hurt your arm doing that!”

Feng Ming was not impressed he gave the King a grunt of frustration.

Lie Er was immune to his two master’s daily drama, instead of paying
any mind he sat quietly in the corner with his attention tucked inside a
book.

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The King’s large hands refused to stay ideal as they expertly slipped
further downwards.

“Don’t touch me!”

“If you want me to stop touching you then let me enter you.” The King
had no disgrace in his direct proposal while keeping his voice sultry.

Feng Ming immediately declined with a shake of his head, his voice
hinting at his cowardice. “I don’t want to because it will hurt.”

“Again with ‘it will hurt’. The King frowned before complaining, “You
can’t refuse my touch.”

“Irrespective of your demands, as long as I feel pain you will have to

restrain yourself.”

“Nesting together in such close proximity each day, who can resist?” he
argued.

“Take Lie Er for a model example, he is great!”

“Oh,” Rong Wang shot the young servant a glance, “Would he dare?”

Even though Lie Er appeared as if he was completely engrossed in

reading, his ear was always perked. He quickly put down his book and
respectfully replied, “No, I would never.”

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The servant muffled his laugh at Feng Ming’s expense.

The Prince’s face was like glowing embers, he took out his frustration by
punching the Regent King’s waist.

“If you bother me again, I will scream and tell our men that you deserted
your post in Xi Rei!”

The King clicked his tongue. “And whom did I secretly and
unconditionally rush across the plains to Fan Jia for?”

This deadlock atmosphere between the two lovers remained for most of
the day, however, their bickering eventually died down. Eventually, their
conversation steered into serious business.

“Now that we are out of Fan Jia, we have more reason to be cautious. If
Ruo Yan was to deal with you he may have an unpleasant surprise
waiting for you in Yong Yin’s territory.”

“I have nothing to fear!” declared a very smug Prince who proceeded to

laughed slyly. “I’ve got you, General Tong and his elite troupes. I am not
afraid of any challenges. Even if the heavens were against me you will
be my shield.”

“As a Crowned Prince, one should put himself in the lead…” commented
the King.

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“That won’t be the case once we are back in Xi Rei.” Completely

carefree he shrugged.

“Hey, speaking of which Fan Jia must be in for a ride. There will be a
funeral held for Fan Jia’s late King. Calamity is bound to ensue inside the
palace. There must be a fierce battle for the throne, who do you suppose
will take the top spot?”

“Who do you want it to be?” the King prompted.

“Well, I don’t have anyone in mind…” Feng Ming had stopped mid
speech to slap the King’s wayward hand as a bonus it followed his
trademark glare.

“Actually, I hope Gui Sen doesn’t ascend the throne. He has been
colluding with Ruo Yan to work against me.”

“Hmph! I manage to escape their crafty schemes based on my wit and

critical thinking.”

Rong Wang gave a rare nod of agreement, “I don’t think the successor
will be Gui Sen.”

“What’s the reason?” Feng Ming looked at the man intrigued by his
comment. “Isn’t Gui Sen the eldest husband in law and by default he is
next in line right? He also has the support of Ruo Yan. It would be a
wonder if he doesn’t become King! You must have been up to no good!

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Rong Wang was proud of himself. He lowered his face and nipped at
Feng Ming’s earlobe.

“Who forced him to make a move against my man?” he reasoned.

Feng Ming gave him a displeased humph!

“Don’t try to trick me! As if I’d believe that a scoundrel like you would do
all this for me!”

“Hasn’t everything been for your sake?” The King’s face was not suited
for a miserable expression, what he was showing Feng Ming was rather
amusing.

The Prince broke the strange atmosphere by jesting with the King. After
a while they left the tangent and returned to Fan Jia’s succession
matters.

“Gui Sen is indeed a capable man, but as far as I know, the second in-
law, Long Tian is a greater force.”

“Oh? I’ve never seen the second.” This perked the Prince’s interest, he
keenly pressed, “Given the in-laws I have seen, it appears that very
attractive men are married into the family. What does the second in-law
look like?

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“Extremely handsome and a man of high caliber yet he is still less

attractive than yours truly.” Rong Wang replied shamelessly.

The Prince targeted the earlier spot with a healthy punch.

Rong Tian shook his head, “Gee, looks like you are becoming more
uncouth and outrageous, once we get back to Xi Rei I will thoroughly
deal with you.”

Since making Feng Ming faint from suspense Rong Tian was subjected to
daily encounters of his lover’s irritated fist. Each time the King harassed
him the young man offered him a punch or a kick in return, though to
the King the abuse was more endearing than it was painful.

Any fear of the King had been erased from Feng Ming as now he held his
nose high and could boldly declar, “Since leaving for Fan Jia on my
ambassador mission, it was made aware to me that I possess charm and
unparalleled knowledge, above your own.”

The Prince broke free from the arms that were lugged around him. He
turned around to look Rong Tian square in the eyes before smirking,
“You should quickly beg me to teach you my knowledge on mathematics
or else you will make a fool of yourself in front of the Third Princess!”

The ambient temperature inside the small room was as warm as spring,
Feng Ming’s face was flushed from being hot and bothered. The King
tugged at the Prince’s collar loosening the material to reveal silky white
skin that was plastered with hickeys that had been left by him.

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The Prince’s lips were pursed into a playful pout, even though Rong Tian
was used to seeing the younger man’s face, he couldn’t help but
become intoxicated by the boy’s natural allure. He studied the Prince
with admiration before pulling the boy into his arms.

“Alright, I will beg you.”

“Well, if you want me to teach you any mathematics, you must kneel
before me and call me your master!”

“I am not begging you to teach me any knowledge.” Rong Tian

whispered into his ears, “I am begging you to promise me that you will
never leave my side again.”

Feng Ming was stumped by the King’s sudden proposal. He could even
feel his nose tingle and his eyes water. He gritted his teeth and dabbed
his eyes with his sleeve.

“Who exactly is the guilty party here? Obviously you forced me to go to

Fan Jia, and now you are audacious enough to act if I was the one that
deserted you.” Spat the Prince.

“Yes, that was my fault.” admitted the King.

“Less of this nauseating sappy talk, you were on about Fan Jia’s second
King in line. You were saying how handsome he was before you

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digressed on the topic. Hurry and continue.”

“Yes, Prince An He.” He mocked the Prince. But as always when it came
to discussing serious matters Rong Tian was full of enthusiasm.

“Long Tian is not an active man on the political scene. He keeps to

himself and is well conserved and responsible. One would feel that he
knows his place. Thus, his outward appearance is misleading, hiding his
true potential and abilities. In fact, he is one of the most intelligent
scholars of his generation, a formidable man. Thus, if I was Ruo Yan I
wouldn’t invest my stakes on Gui Sen, a man who rolls in the limelight.
He is most likely fostering support for Long Tian in the background.”
The King explained.

“If he wants to keep a tamed puppet to do his bidding, wouldn’t a

useless person be more beneficial?” suggested his lover.

Rong Wang looked on with appreciation, “Pretty good reasoning, on the

other hand are you aware of Long Tian’s origins?”

“His origins?”Feng Ming shook his head and his dark eyes glimmered
with intrigue as they beckoned the King. Rong Wang couldn’t resist he
smiled and gently kissed the boy.

Feng Ming pushed the King off with a frown, “Okay that’s enough! Don’t
keep people in suspense.” He reprimanded.

The King sighed, “I should have never let you leave Xi Rei as an
ambassador. Since being abroad you have developed a temper.” He
shook his head disapproving in a melodramatic manner before finishing

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his story.

“At a tender age, Long Tian traveled the realms to gain knowledge. He
was originally from Yong Yin. He was very young when he arrived in Fan
Jia where he met the second Princess. Not long after he married her and
became the second in-law.”

“Sounds like a nice saga.”

“An Xun and Gui Sen were suspicious of his history so they had secretly
arranged an nvestigation but their spies could not find any leads.”

“Or perhaps he really didn’t have much background, but what was more
important was that he was a skilled man, just like me” Feng Ming
boasted brazenly.

Rong Tian shook his head, his gaze lifted and his eyes appeared to stare
off to the distance.

“Long Tian identity is dubious, he did not come from a prominent family,
yet he gained the favor of the Second Princess and married into the
royal family. No matter how you look at it, there has to be a force behind
this arrangement. I have my reservations as I suspect he is from Li.”

“Li?” Feng Ming was surprised by the revelation but immediately

pondered over the situation. “If it is like that, then once Long Tian
ascends the throne, wouldn’t Ruo Yan annex his kingdom? But even if
Long Tian is originally from Li, it is unlikely he would obediently hand
over the reign.”

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“Ruo Yan has access to rare and unique medicines on his side, Long Tian
may even be held hostage over his own life. Perhaps it was Ruo Yan that
organized the deadly concoction of poison to be administered slowly to
Fan Jia’s King. This would have secured an early date for Long Tian’s
succession to the throne.”

Feng Ming was speechless, "That puts a twist to the plot! We may have
wrongfully suspected Gui Sen. General Tong had even approached the
Third Princess to inform her about the conspiracy that was brewing. We
even borrowed her word of mouth to alert, the late King of Fan Jia. By
doing so, we have unknowingly aided Long Tian's cause."

Once the Prince finished, Rong Wang tensed. Feng Ming could feel the
muscles holding him stricken. He whisked his head around and
beckoned, "What's wrong?"

"That's right...Xi Rei provided a catalyst to accelerate Ruo Yan’s...." Rong

Wang's face was stern, deep in thought as he was picking his brains with
this challenge, he murmured to himself, "Ruo Yan...Long Tian...Xi Rei's
envoy."

The man was focused. Even Feng Ming didn't want to interfere with his
train of thought.

The Prince sat patiently watching the King ponder over their problems.

"That's it!" The answer struck him like a bolt of lightning. The King lifted
his head in triumph. "There is a leak."

"A leak?" Feng Ming scratched his head.

Rong Wang nodded, "Correct, we have ourselves a spy". With that

statement, Lie Er who had been sitting quietly to the side placed his
reading materialaside and turned his attention to his Master

The Prince knitted his brows, skeptical about the King's claim. "A spy?

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How could we have a spy amongst us? General Tong was blind to the
situation and accidentally helped Long Tian."

"I should have noticed earlier." Rong Tian muttered before asking his
lover, "Feng Ming, think about it. Why did you all suspect Gui Sen had ill
intentions towards Fan Jia's King?"

"I am not sure, since the beginning I felt that Gui Sen would be the likely
candidate to carry out underhanded such killing off the King. It doesn’t
help that he is quite a despicable man."

Feng Ming stuck out his tongue.

"It's Official Xia." Lie Er's sharp voice joined into the discussion, Feng
Ming turned his head around.

Lie Er gravely input, "Gui Sen has been giving us countless connotations
which have led us to believe the culprit is Gui Sen, which has driven our
hostility against him. However, it is a fact that Gui Sen does have
negative intentions against the Prince."

"Official Xia?" Feng Ming shook his head in disbelief. "That's impossible,
how could he be the spy? Rong Tian, hasn't he been a trusted member
of the court and the royal family's personal medic? He is a veteran,
there's no chance it is him."

Rong Wang rejected the Prince's logic, "There are specialised spies that
are planted when they are at a tender age. For example, Lie Er was
assigned to Yong Ying, had I not summoned his return to be your
bodyguard he would have stayed beside the King of Yong Yin for the rest
of his life."

Feng Ming peered back at his servant who was faintly smiling as he
nodded his head in agreement.

"But Official Xia..."

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The King patted his shoulder, and softly spoke a hint, "Although the
second in law keeps to himself, such a man would not go undetected by
a person of Official Xia's calibre. Since arriving in Fan Jia has he advised
you to be cautious of Long Tian?"

Feng Ming thought carefully about this point, his head slightly bobbed as
he processed the information. Then suddenly he recalled something
important, he turned to the King. "That's not right, when I paid the Third
Princess a visit. It was Official Xia that had wanted me to disrupt Ruo
Yan's proposal. If he was from Li, why would he have me do such a
thing?"

quot;I have a few reasons." Lie Er's eyes were downcast as he

unravelled his opinions to his masters.

"Firstly, Ruo Yan has Long Tian under his thumb. Whether his proposal is
a success doesn’t matter. Seeking the Princess's hand in marriage is
only a decoy as he would have colluded with Long Tian under wraps.
Nevertheless, this distraction is important so he can disguise his sudden
arrival in Fan Jia. Effectively decreasing the amount of suspicion he may
arouse from the people of Fan Jia. This move also eradicates
any misunderstandings that could have flared up by his presence.
Secondly, Official Xia had truly underestimated the Prince's intellect. It
was most likely his original intention was to have the Prince become a
laughing stock in front of the Princess. However, that was not the case.
Prince succeeded in pushing the marriage to a halt."

This was a reasonable surmise of the situation, who would have thought
Feng Ming harboured such a wealth of knowledge, even the famous
Master Dong and Third Princess was left in awe.

The King agreed with a nod, "Ruo Yan's plan is intricate, even if he
cannot claim Fan Jia's throne by a proper means via marriage with the
Princess. He will have Long Tian ascend and he will be the master

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puppeteer. Regardless of which alternative has been undertaken, it

appears Fan Jia has already been swallowed whole by him."

Thinking about the ones that were closest to him could be informants,
Feng Ming let out a sigh before arguing one last doubtful point.

"If Ruo Yan wanted to seize victory with his own hands, why would he
waste his time working with Gui Sen?"

"Oh Prince!" Laughed Lie ER. "Has Prince forgotten the news we
received about Gui Sen and Ruo Yan collaborating was told by Official
Xia."

Feng Ming's face soured, King Rong could sense young man's sadness.
He brought the man into a hug before coaxing, "We will not be taking
immediate action or make any allegations on Official Xia. But if he really
is an informant, he will make his move in Yong Yin's territory, then we
will catch him red handed with evidence."

"Why would he make a move on me?" He looked at the solemn faces of

Rong Tian and Lie Er. Feng Ming couldn't help but tremble.

"Why target me? I am merely..." protested the Prince before the King
smothered his words behind a kiss.

He smiled warmly, "Upon setting his eyes on you, Ruo Yan would be
determined to lure you to spend a night with him. Now that he is aware
of your heightened abilities in mathematics you have more value.
Without a doubt he will do anything necessary to secure and claim you
to strengthen Li's power."

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"Another important factor, he must break the alliance between the

Prince and King Rong or else his ambitions to dominate the world would
face many challenges in the future." Lie Er who had been at the side
added.

Feng Ming patted his chest, "Well then, isn't it fortunate that he hasn’t
seen my true colors! Given my knowledge in the art of war and insights
for agricultural advances, wouldn’t he personally lead troops to abduct
me?"

With this remark the carriage filled with laughter.

Their hearty laughter diminished just in time as the carriage came to a

stop.

Official Xia's voice announced, "Reporting to the Prince, we are in Yong

Yin. Official Zhang has been waiting for our arrival. Prince can disembark
when he is ready."

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 18

** Li – old Chinese measurement equates to 500 meters (0.3 Miles).

Hence, the party was waiting for them 7km and 4.5 Miles from the city
walls.

Silence is a golden sound – saying in Chinese, you keep quite you will
win the gold medal with a mental strategy.

Safflower – although the varieties are more yellowish orange, I had a

peek and the dried version looks more reddish. In Chinese this flower is
given the name ‘Red flower’.

**Medicinal - drugged soup** - remember Official Xia has been added

things into Feng Ming’s beverages to help him sleep better.

---- --- --- --- --- -- --- --- ---- --- --- -- ---- ---

The men’s laughs ceased.

Rong Tian lowered his head, “He won’t be making a move now, however
if he incites you to make any changes to the original journey plans, it
may be the prelude of his treachery.”

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Feng Ming affirmed the King’s warning with a nod before quietly leaving
the cart with Li Er.

“Prince, Official Zhang has been awaiting your arrival.” Official Xia
greeted the Prince with a big grin as he pointed towards his welcoming
party.

“Since the Prince has outdone himself in Fan Jia, Prince’s status as
reached a new plateau. Countries are eager to cater to you. This time
they sent a delegate to greet us fifteen Li ** away from the city! Prince
is certainly the pride of Xi Rei.”

Feng Ming heeded the King’s cautions so he was on alert. He watched

the old man’s moves very closely whilst he nodded his head
absentmindedly.

Nearby Official Zhang was gathered with a small crowd of important

figure heads, they were pleased to see him.

“It’s been many days, pray the Prince has been well?” The warm official
smiled ear to ear as he lifted his cupped hands to greet the Prince.
“Yong Yin’s Zhang Qian at your service, we have been looking forwards
to this reunion.”

“Sorry for all the trouble.”Feng Ming sincerely replied.

“The hostel for the Prince and his guests have been prepared, Zhang

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has readied a grand feast. Please Prince proceed towards the city.”

Everyone was weary from being on the road for days on end so naturally
the chance to rest was enticing. The envoy from Xi Rei made haste and
entered the city to celebrate their achievements thus far.

When night settled in, the promised grand feast was buzzing with
energy and the scent of tantalizing food permeated the air. Official
Zhang played personal host to the Prince. Feng Ming invited General
Tong, official Xia and Li Er to accompany him.

Rong Tian stayed hidden in Feng Ming’s new sleeping quarters at the
inn. Before Li Er’s departure the King commanded, “Go along, be
careful.”

Li Er was a clever one, during the entire evening he stayed beside the
Prince. Each time alcohol was thrust in front of his master he would
swiftly interfere and down it in his place. Lie Er was an abnormally
attractive youngster, even for his age he was a skilled courtesan.
Switching on an air of charm and seduction was child’s play as he
immediately attracted many of the guests. He gave Feng Ming a run for
his money in the limelight.

After three rounds, Official Xia’s face was flushed as he radiated

alcohol’s warmth. He shuffled closer to the Prince and tug softly at Feng
Ming’s sleeve. Gaining the Prince’s attention he whispered, “Li Er is
acting strange today, Prince better stay alert.”

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Although Li Er had been dragged a short distance away by Official Zhang

he kept in check by using his peripheral vision. Seeing that Official Xia
was only chitchatting to his master he returned to the duty of consuming
endless cups of heavy wine.

Official Xia glanced towards the outside and asked, “Prince, I want to
talk to you privately. Perhaps if would be better to step outside.”

If the same question had been asked yesterday, Feng Ming would have
darted outside with no reservations. Today he shook his head calmly and
whispered, “It’s cold and dark outside, Official Xia if you have something
you wish to tell me, you can do it here.”

The old man chortled and stroked his beard. He was rather tipsy and
started to speak rumblings like a drunkard. “The Third Princess is
famous far and wide, yet she is not the most beautiful woman in the
world. Do you know who has that title?”

Feng Ming blinked and shook his head.

The old man heaved and looked out of the window to the starry sky. In a
sad tone he gave the answer, “She is a songstress from Fan Jia, her
name is Mei Ji. She was originally born into nobility. At fourteen she was
given the title of the most beautiful woman in the world. Unfortunately,
her father committed an offence to the King. The King had every male in
the family executed and all the women were abducted and sold to
various trades. She eventually wounded up in entertaining men by
performing as a singer.”

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The Prince looked at the female entertainers that were performing for
him and his party. He thought about the stories he knew from his other
life, how women were treated like a commodity in the flesh trade. Such
a tragic life she must have had. It was like her life came from the
dramas on television. He couldn’t help but to sigh, “How sad.”

“However, with her virtue and intelligence, within a year she became
well acquainted with the big guns from several countries. She
accumulated enough wealth to be able to buy her independence back
from her masters.”

As he spoke Xia’s face was becoming more animated and so was his
demeanor. He knitted his brows, “However, she did not want to leave
the entertainment business, rather ascended back into a noble status
she remained a lowly singer.”

“Oh?” Feng Ming was surprised and pressed, “Why did she?”

There was a faint smile on the old man’s lips, “When she was asked, she
said that ‘All men in the world are the same, there is no one worthy to
entrust her happiness and future to.’ Even if she left the industry she
would still hold the same sentiments.”

The Prince shook his head.

“Her ideology is a bit extreme, surely after a while she will figure out
that she wants someone to be there for her. Once she finds the right
man to settle down with she would change her mind.”

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“Prince, Mei Ji has a prestigious title thus her suitors come in endless
streams. If they weren’t dignitaries they were wealthy and extremely
capable people. None of them has ever convinced her otherwise. Finally,
one day an anonymous youth asked to be served by Mei Ji.”

Feng Ming tilted his head in curiosity, “That kid captured her heart?”

“Correct.” Official Xia firmly replied. He stroked his beard and nodded.

“This young man sat in front of Mei Ji for four hours and did not utter a
word and left.”

“What? He didn’t even say anything? How did he manage to win her
heart? Was he mute?” Feng Ming frowned, a bit disappointed.

His subordinate laughed, “Prince, you are really an interesting character.

The young man had not even conversed with her, but when he got up to
leave Mei Ji finally broke the silence.”

“She said, ‘I was wrong.’”

nbsp; "Wrong?"

“Yes, after intensely staring into the juvenile eyes in silence for hours on
end, it dawned on Mei Ji that not all the men in this world are the same.

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She finally felt a slither of hope that men can be trusted. When the
young man left, she told her maids, ‘If that youth becomes a King one
day, Mei Ji is willing to serve him as a concubine.’ Not long after she paid
her dues and left the limelight. She has since lived in seclusion and her
whereabouts are unknown.”

The Old man was lost in thought his eyes were distant as if he was
savoring the elegant and sweet memories of Mei Ji.

“Such a beautiful woman carries her self so, how can men not dream of
her?” The corners of his mouth curled into a bittersweet smile. “Does
Prince know who the youth was?”

Feng Ming blanked momentarily he wasn’t acquainted with many people

let alone ones with such capabilities. Within a second the answer hit him
and he blurted, “Rong Wong?”

“Prince is really clever.” The man reached over to pour Feng Ming a bowl
of medicinal soup.

“King Rong was quite young when he left Xi Rei on his first official tour.
Indeed it was our King that stole the heart of the number one beauty.
This news made an incredible impact across every country. It also
heightened caution, as a formidable power was rising in Xi Rei. King
Rong became a ‘legendary hero’ at the same time Ruo Yan was given a
similar title.”

A distasteful sourness was welling in the back of Feng Ming’s throat. He

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had known Rong Tian and Ruo Yan were famous across the realms and
idolized as heroes. It was that he thought his lover’s claim to fame was
contribution to some type of historical event. He was not pleased to find
that the King’s heroic title was issued under the premise of courting
women.”

Official Xia was unaware of the Prince’s displeasure he continued to

praise the King, “Rong Wang makes Xi Rei proud, his words can
persuade many. On the battlefield he is flawless, who can put up a fight
against him?”

Feng Ming pouted and bitterly muttered, “Silence is a golden sound.

Mental strategies are better than someone who hogs the spotlight. It is
more effective to keep your plans under wraps, like me. I would not be
yelling out commands.”

“Silence is a golden sound.”** The man repeated thinking about the

Prince’s words before his face became animated again.

“Does Prince…want to see just how attractive Mei Ji is?”

A woman like her to be won over by the likes of the Regent King was
very tempting. It immediately perked Feng Ming’s interest so he
swiveled around and asked, ‘Do you have a painting of her portrait?”

If there were cameras in this age it would have been great, they could
capture her and he could have seen her in much refined detail.

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“I don’t have any portraits.”

Seeing the Prince’s disappointment Official Xia exposed a sly smile.

“However I have caught word that, Mei Ji lives in the outskirts of this
city. The distance is around 3 Li, in place called ‘Endless Red Valley’.
There are several hot springs, safflowers** are in bloom all year round it
is truly a beautiful sight. We can sneak out and take General Tong’s
horse and ride there to seek her out. On the way back we can enjoy the
hot springs, doesn’t it sound good? If we leave and return within four
hours we are guaranteed not to be noticed.”

Face with such a tempting suggestion Feng Ming was feeling restless he
knew the hidden dangers behind the invitation. Had it not been for the
Regent King’s insight and now the cloud of doubt hanging over the
Official’s head he would have nodded and rushed out of the city with out
anyone detecting them.

Feng Ming shifted his eyes and nodded, “Alright, I will go with you.” and
he continued, “Can you fetch Li Er for me? I will head back to my room
and change into more appropriate riding gear. I will meet you back in
the courtyard. I will secretly ride General Tong’s prized horse and about
Official Xia’s horse…”

The old man rushed, “Prince does not need to worry about my ride.
Please go and prepare.”

Feng Ming took advantage of the drunken atmosphere to slip out

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unnoticed. The feast was still in full blast. When he made his way to the
exit he signaled Li Er with his eyes before quickly pacing towards his
bedchamber.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 20

Notes:

‘A weak stream flows three thousand but there’s only one ladle’ This is
the format of the original proverb. It originates from one of the most
famous novels written in China. It is called ‘A Dream of Red Mansions’ by
Cao Xue Qin. My interpretation: Water is necessary for life. Thus the
ladle (spoon) is what feeds you life by transferring the water. It can
mean water is plentiful but only life can be given from one source. The
authoress inserted ‘Dare’ and I inserted ‘Li’ to allow a relative
comparison.

Li an old Chinese measurement equates to 500 meters (0.3 Miles).

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Once Feng Ming slipped quietly from the banquet hall, he was greeted
with pitch black. As he made haste to return to Rong Tian, he
occasionally encountered guards on patrol. Each personnel carried a
handy spear to ward off attackers.

The warm atmosphere of the party and the lively music was isolated
within the banquet room walls.

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The wind was beginning to pick up and its tendrils attacked Feng Ming’s
bare skin. The Prince shrugged and nestled his head into his collar
hoping to trap what heat he could.

The Regent King’s suspicions he had desperately tried to deny were now
a harsh reality. Hearing the King’s accusations was one case, when it
came to play it left him numb.

With a deceitful smile Official Xia had attempted to lure him into a trap.
It appears no matter where he goes he was surrounded by conspiracies
waiting to jump at him, even in his own backyard. He shuddered at the
thought and an uneasy feeling welled inside the pit of his stomach.

He was horrified.

“Rong Tian…” he choked out as he entered the bedchamber. The calm

facade he held during the banquet crumbled. He threw himself into Rong
Tian’s arms and whispered incoherently, “Official Xia really…he really…”

Finding his lover trembling, the King’s heart melted. The Prince had
directly sought his arms for comfort. He held the young man firmly in an
embrace.

In a soothing voice he reassured the Prince, “Everything will be fine. He

can’t hurt you.”

Feng ming looked up, his eyes were watery and innocent like a newborn

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fawn. Feng Ming’s distress was pulling at the King’s heart strings. He
planted a soft kiss on Feng Ming’s ear.

“As long as I am here, no one will hurt you.” he affirmed.

Feng Ming was caught up in their moment of tenderness before his

thoughts wavered to remind him of Mei Ji. The sour sentiments returned,
he grunted and wiggled out of the King’s hold.

He dabbed at his eyes before reporting in detail the conversation he had

with Official Xia.

Once he reached the tale of a young man who won over the world’s
most beautiful woman just by his gaze Rong Tian understood why the
young man was grumpy.

The King was embarrassed as he awkwardly explained, “I was a hot

blooded youth, I heard about this incomparable beauty…”

Feng Ming interrupted him and gave him an accusing glare that had the
intensity of a thousand suns. “Here I was assuming it was just a
ridiculous story Official Xia spun to coax me.”

The Prince was reminded of the King’s flirtatious nature, perhaps

monogamy wasn’t his game. Maybe in each country Rong Tian had a
beauty hiding in seclusion waiting for the day he became a King. Then
they would come forth and all, ‘willing serve as a concubine’.

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Feng Ming thought about the eleven countries that were in

disagreement. That was a large sum. He couldn’t help but to vent his
frustration. He snatched up the bedside curtains, squeezed it between
his clenched fists and gnawed the material.

The King found Feng Ming’s reaction amusing he reached to gently yank
veil from the Prince’s mouth.

A large hand delicately caressed the boy’s cheek, “If you hate me, you
should bite me instead.” He eagerly replaced the curtains with his hand
for Feng Ming to punish.

Feng Ming wasn’t willing to carry out his anger on the King, his face
darkened and he turned his head away from the offer.

“Your plan to ‘feign an injury to boost an enemy’s confidence’ won’t

work this time. Our time should be used to focus on how to deal with
Official Xia.”

Rong Tian repeated Feng Ming’s interesting use of words ‘feign an injury
to boost an enemy’s confidence’ several times before returning on to the
critical situation.

“As matters have reached this point, I have no choice but to reveal
myself. Right now Official Xia is awaiting your arrival in the courtyard. I
will order Rong Hu to capture him from the shadows and keep him
confined. Then I shall summon General Tong and have him lead our

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three thousand troops to surround and scour the valley. If they discover
Li’s soldiers staging an ambush then we will have our evidence against
Xia. In case there is no ambush, I shall order Rong Hu to release Xia.
Rong Hu has always on the low and his identity is always masked. We
can pass Xia’s abduction off to an unknown assailant from an enemy
country.”

Feng Ming could see that Rong Tian had given their problem a
considerate assessment before organizing his tactic. He even calculated
room for error and how to deal with the aftermath. He admired the
King’s thinking and he muttered to himself before warning the King,
“You better order General Tong’s troops to be careful, if Mei Ji truly lives
in seclusion in that valley we don’t want to accidentally bring her any
harm.”

The King’s face blanked from surprise before it transited into an

appreciative smile. He ridiculed Feng Ming, “Why are you being so
attentive towards Mei Ji? I just saw someone chew out their anger on an
inanimate object.”

Feng Ming was not amused nor did he yield. He coldly replied, “This is
the world’s greatest beauty that was won over by a four hour staring
contest. She is in line to be a concubine. Naturally, we have to protect
her so she can fulfill her wishes.”

Rong Tian clicked his tongue and shook his head. He motioned to hold
Feng Ming’s hands in his own and stared deeply into his lover’s eyes.

His deep voice masked with sultry seduction, “The land is vast under the

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heavens but there will only be one Feng Ming.”

The King’s words triggered something within the Prince, as if a hammer

was trying to engrave the message on his heart. Feng Ming studied the
man’s eyes his pupils were dilated and only had him in frame and focus.
The connection he felt with Rong Tian sent an indescribable entity of
warmth surging through every vein and artery.

Feng Ming bit his lip. Succumbing to the King’s sycophancy he finally
issued the King a sweet smile.

“Stupid, I will teach you a saying: ‘water flows three thousand Li’s but I
dare to only drink from one ladle.’ **

The King eagerly copied.

“Oh, the water flows three thousand Li’s but I dare to only drink from
one ladle.”

Rong Wang looked at the Prince with awe, he ushered the young man
into position as he gave him a bow of respect. “I am grateful for the
Prince’s guidance.”

Feng Ming sighed and shook his head.

Looks like no one can ever compete with Rong Tian’s talent with

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honeyed words.

The King abruptly called out to his servant in the shadows. When Rong
Hu appeared he was given the order to capture Official Xia.

Hand in hand the King lead Feng Ming out of the bedchamber and
together they made their way to the banquet hall.

The pair made a dramatic entrance, when everyone realized their

presence, their sudden appearance left the room in astonishment,
completely stumped and frozen in place like statues.

Li Er had been drinking but was sober enough to understand the King’s
presence meant a change in plans. He immediately made his way to his
rightful post beside the Prince.

“General Tong, approach to receive my command.”

The General had been sitting aside and he too had mentally blanked
when the King made an unexpected appearance. He had taken his
charge very seriously, not a drop of alcohol touched his lips as he was on
duty to protect Feng Ming. The King’s authoritative voice had woken him
from being stunned. He bellowed a response, “Tong is present.” He
immediately jumped to his feet and dashed to his Master.

“Our Intelligence has reported a challenging situation. Soldiers from Li

are hiding in ‘Endless Red Valley’ three Li’s away from this city preparing

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an ambush for the Prince’s envoy. Lead your men to disperse and
scatter their campaign. Remember not to exterminate every last one
until you have thoroughly interrogated them about the actual situation.
Then you can lead our men back.”

“As you bid.” He gratefully received his orders. General Tong has always
been a military buff. In comparison with cavorting with women or
drinking senselessly he had a taste for battle. He was excited to be
facing another enemy. He grabbed his treasured sword and jumped
straight into action.

Watching Tong take is leave Rong Tian finally pivoted his attention to
the people at the welcoming party. With a smile he encouraged, “My
apologies for troubling everyone, Rong Tian was afraid for our Crowned
Prince’s safety and had rushed through the starlit nights. If the
musicians and dancers can resume song and dance, we will continue
enjoying this evening with an endless flow of liquor.”

A low ranked official from the borders of Zhang Qian had heard of the Xi
Rei’s legendary Regent King, Rong Tian. Upon the King’s unexpected
visit, he did not know how to proceed in terms of entertaining or
addressing the King in an appropriate manner. Taking the King’s cue he
echoed.

“Yes, that’s right, we should enjoy ourselves.” He turned around and

signaled the entertainers to pick up from their last note.

The celebrations were revitalized. Once again the atmosphere was

teeming with chatter and laughs. The only difference was that now no

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one dared to approach the Prince for a toast as an important figure head
was beside him.

Feng Ming’s hand rested beneath the table Rong Wang refused to
release his hold.

The Prince was worried about General Tong’s condition and how their
decisions would pan out.

After a while he decided it was meaningless to be concerned with the

matter now that it was out of his hands.

Taking from Rong Tian’s example, he made a conscious effort to relax

with the company before them. He lifted his chin up and smiled and
inwardly rambled.

In truth only a powerful figure with tenacity could survive through

conspiracies and battles.

Feeling how weak he was compared to Rong Tian, he couldn’t help but
feel a tinge of frustration.

Rong Tian had been monitoring the young man, sensing discomfort he
prompted, “What’s the matter?”

Feng Ming shook his head, “Nothing’s wrong,

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The King laughed.

“That’s what I like about you.” His lover’s laughter eased his tension..

“For counter measures against such complicated ploys, I am your best

shield.”

Under the table, the King’s tightened his grip.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 21

In the forty fourth year of the Yuan dynasty, Rong Tian ascended the
throne and claimed the title of the official ruler of Xi Rei. The newly
appointed King optioned to retain the name bestowed upon him by the
late King Rong. As a sign of respect and gratitude for the man who
raised him. Rong Tian’s rightful title from then onwards was the King of
Xi Rei.

Feng Ming was also promoted to a new title, King Ming.

In the past, countless countries placed Rong Tian under observation as a

man of interest. He was certainly a formidable force to be reckoned with、
more so now with his rightful rise in rank as the leader of Xi Rei.

The brave and tactful new master of Xi Rei was undoubtedly causing
ripples amongst the eleven warring countries across the lands. Naturally
he posed a threat to them all.

For political gain and favor, presents and treasures flowed in steadily
from numerous countries after they caught word of Rong Tian’s
ascension.

Even the tiny country of Yong Yin that bordered north of Xi Rei sent their
oldest Prince, Yong Yi to personally congratulate the new King..

Even the enigmatic country of Li sent an envoy to pay their respects.

The chosen messenger was Ruo Yan’s sister, Miao Guang.

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-------------------
The soldiers were out and about in force and the streets in the capital
were immaculate. The fresh spring atmosphere that accompanies the
month of March was quickly settling into Xi Rei.

The envoy from Li finally arrived to their foreign destination after an

arduous and long journey. When they arrived in the capital they were
escorted to the palace where Rong Tian gave them a warm reception. .

Feng Ming remained a resident of the Crowned Prince’s quarters.

“Tell me, what did Ruo Yan’s sister bring as a gift?” his eyes lit with
excitement.

“There wasn’t anything special, just a box.”

“That simple?” Feng Ming slumped back in disappointment.

“The two of you hold the titles of legendary heroes, shouldn’t he at least
send something more interesting....” he muttered unsatisfied.

Rong Tian chuckled softly and delivered a piece of peeled fruit to his
lover’s mouth.

“He and I would never be able to co-exist. Would he be capable of

sending me anything of use?”

“Was there anything inside the box?” the young man’s curious nature
was not completely quenched.

“A black pill, dark as the eyes of death was inside.” Rong Tian’s face
changed slightly for a moment with the thought. Shaking off the image
he coaxed his lover, “if it was something worthy of your attention I

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would have brought it to you already.”

Feng Ming nodded his head feeling that it no longer mattered.

Chiu Lan served her master a cup of hot tea. As she handed the
steaming up carefully to the young man she giggled lightly and
whispered.

“King Ming why not ask King Rong if Princess Miao Guang is beautiful or
not?”

“That’s right!” he exclaimed in a hushed voice before bolting over to tug

at Rong Tian’s sleeves.

“Is the Princess beautiful?” he prompted.

“No. ” Rong Tian replied bluntly.

His large eyes blinked, “Why did Ruo Yan send his own sister to Xi Rei?”

“I’m not Ruo Yan so I don’t have a clue to what his intentions are.
Perhaps there was no one else available to leave the country.”

The King reached over and gave Feng Ming’s cheek a couple of pats.

“The weather is fine today, we can go for a ride.” He offered.

“Yes!” he replied with no delay. .

In the shadows a conspiracy was brewing and closing in silently on its

target.

------------

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White cloud galloped like the wind brushing over the fresh green grass
of the field that surrounded the palace. Feng Ming cheered the animal
on, and the young man’s riding skills had improved tremendously. Rong
Tian felt assured enough to permit his lover to ride his favorite steed
alone.

The King’s eyes followed the young man before him riding wildly in laps.
Although the King’s face sported a smile, it was a hardened mask. Under
his carefree expression there was an eerie dark cloud. The arrival of Li’s
envoy was ominous.

Rong Tian had summoned the party earlier that day, and now his
thoughts trailed over to his meeting with the Princess.

“Li’s Miao Guang is here as a substitute her dearest King, whom wishes
you prosperity and fortune.”

In the main hall, Miao Guang was adorning the costumes from her
country. She gave her salutations to the King with no sense of rush.

“The Princess has traveled from afar, thank you for your troubles.” He
spoke with a standard formality.

“It is my pleasure to be able to see the renowned King of Xi Rei with my

own eyes.”

The Princess was about sixteen years old and her appearance had
nothing on the Third Princess. However her status was much more
important – she was the only sister of the King of Li, Ruo Yan.

Rong Tian issued her a cold smile, “Lately how has your King faired?”

“My royal brother is well, thanks King Rong for the concern.”

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The thought of the mysterious poison that dwelled inside Feng Ming
infuriated Rong Tian. There was nothing else he wanted to do than to
destroy Ruo Yan. However, seeing that the man had sent his only sister
to pass on his greetings the King knew better than to lose his grace.

Instead he forced a grin through his gritted teeth and asked, “Princess
has traveled countless days to represent King Ruo, what extravagant gift
is in store for me?”

The girl smiled slyly, “My brother informed me that King Rong would be
able to easily guess what the gift is.”

“Oh?” Rong Tian’s smile diminished and his heart constricted.

“King Ruo must forgive me as I can’t speculate what grand gift he has in
store for me, so if the Princess will do me the honor.”

Miao Guang lifted her head and analyzed the King’s expression, her own
face revealing dimples.

“Why the rush, perhaps King Rong has taken a guess.” She reached into
the folds of her clothing and produced a small copper trinket box. She
handed the container to an attendant who then passed it to the King.

He didn’t hesitate to open it, surprisingly a lone lack pill sat nestled
inside.

Without furthering the formal exchange, he invited the Princess to enter

a private room so that he could get straight to the point.

“What is the purpose of the King’s gift?”

The young lady smiled, “My brother’s intention eludes me, who is to
know how my brother thinks?”

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She was amused by Rong Tian’s cold and serious expression and she
laughed like a naive girl.

“However, this time I can take a guess or two at my brother’s notions.”

“Princess if you may.”

“King Ming’s intelligence and resourcefulness is unparalleled in our

world, however, I heard that he recently became infected with a
mysterious disease.”

“A mysterious illness? It appears whom ever your brother comes in

contact with contracts an illness.” He snorted.

“My brother appreciates people with abilities and potential, of course he

could not bear to let young King Ming slip away from the human realm.
He must have ordered me to present King Rong with a lifesaving cure.”

Rong Tian demonstrated his suspicion, “Why is King Ruo offering such a
gesture of kind-heartedness?”

“My brother’s intentions are always good.” Miao Guang’s eyes lit up with
pride.

“However, the medicine would only be a temporary measure to alleviate

symptoms. If you want King Ming to fully recover, I am afraid he will
have to journey to Li. My brother would personally oversee and tailor
medicine to help King Ming..”

Ruo Yan’s scheme was finally revealed.

Rong Tian gritted his teeth, his eyes flashed furiously, “Hand over Feng
Ming, don’t even dream about it!”

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The Princess clicked her tongue.

“I have long heard about King Rong’s extraordinary insight and

experience. Who would have thought King Rong would show Miao Guang
such a scary expression?”

She didn’t even bat her eyelids and it was obvious that Ruo Yan had
meticulously walked her through his plans. Without a sense of fear, she
shook her head, “If King Rong is unwilling to part with King Ming there
are other ways to circumvent the problem. King Rong please lend me an
ear.”

With no reservations she gracefully approached the King and

whispered...

“Rong Tian! Rong Tian!!” The sound of Feng Ming’s energetic voice
interrupted the King’s train of thought. He looked up and found Feng
Ming and White Cloud hurtling towards him. In no time the two were
directly in his path. Feng Ming did not slow down and suddenly decided
to pull off an acrobatic stunt. He laughed as he dismounted by flipping
off White cloud and promptly landed on top of Rong Tian. The King
caught the young man but the momentum of his impact sent the pair
rolling a few times.

“Be careful!” the King scolded.

Feng Ming’s contagious laughter rang in the field.

They finally collected themselves and sat up.

“How many times have I warned you not to mess about, or else I will
forbid you to ride again!” Rong Tian growled looking at his lover with
concern.

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“Are you hurt?”

“No! Not even a scratch!” Feng Ming grinned.

“I really want to hit you...” Rong Tian glared at him, his hand reached to
dislodge the weeds that were caught in Feng Ming’s hair.

White Cloud also calmed down, and slowly paced back to idle next to the
pair. His silky tail swinging side to side as he obediently grazed.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 22

Was there ever any country that didn’t have to detain chaos within their
nation and fend off trouble from abroad?

Rong Tian spent an unhealthy portion of the day deep in discussion with
the officials which assisted his efforts to run Xi Rei. The moment
business concluded the King hurried towards the direction of the
Crowned Prince’s quarters.

In mid-step a courteous voice interrupted him.

“Your Highness please wait, the Empress has requested to see you.”

Rong Tian halted and turned around to find Xiang Fen, the Empress’s
most trusted maid.

“Was there anything in particular the Empress wanted to discuss?”

Xiang Fen bowed, “This lowly servant doesn’t know what the Empress
has in mind. I was only instructed to bring King Rong to the Empress’s
palace once the morning proceedings were over.”

Rong Tian gave the sky a quick evaluation for time before deciding his
move.

He nodded, “I will meet with her now.”

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Before leaving he motioned for a guard to approach, “Go and inform

King Ming I have an audience with the Empress. I will return soon and
our trip outside of the palace will take place later.”

After his order he followed the lead of Xiang Fen towards the Empress’s
residence.

The servant guided him outside of the room where the Empress was
resting.

The Empress had not changed much apart from her clothing. Her attire
was upgraded from a Queen to a more extravagant Empress Dowager.

Inside the room she was reclined on a lounging daybed where she
peacefully read.

“Empress, I have arrived.” The King announced.

Hearing her son’s voice just beyond the door the Empress’s face eased
into a smile. She placed her book down and greeted her son.

“The King is here? Come in, sit beside me.” She opened the door and
took the King’s hand in her own to guide him to his seat.

The Empress never had the opportunity to be so intimate with her own
child. Although her son was now a fledging adult she was eager to use
all the chances she had to become closer.

Rong Tian has always behaved in an elegant and collected manner in

front of his mother. For the woman to lead him by hand, he couldn’t help
but to feel a bit embarrassed. The hesitation was short lived as he
quickly threw away any reservations.

“Empress, what is the matter?” he asked genuinely concerned.

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“What could bother me now? You have safely ascended the throne and
your head is in the right mindset to guide this kingdom. I feel nothing
but ease.” Then she let out a sigh.

“I’m just waiting for the day Xi Rei will have a sturdy foundation for the
future.”

“Empress needs not to worry. I will oversee the growth of our army and
the wealth of our nation to enrich the lives of every citizen.”

“Your Highness,” the Empress paused before explaining herself, “I speak

not of such issues. Rather the King’s heir. You will soon be eighteen,
taking a wife is the natural step of a King.”

Rong Tian’s face froze momentarily with her announcement.

“Taking a wife?” his face was dumbfounded.

The issue of marriage had previously been mentioned by the court

officials. Rong Tian would have none of their badgering. In fact he lashed
out and demanded his peers to never mention the topic again.

For years Lou Lan had carefully watched over Rong Tian from the
shadows. She restrained her emotions when her own flesh and blood
was placed into a foster family. She silently stood beside him to see the
day he could rise to his rightful place. Her journey to this point of their
lives had been uneasy. Fill with self sacrifices and lifelong commitments.
Rong Tian knew his mother had devoted her life to him and the
kingdom, although they were not familiar he still held her in high
esteem.

Instead of bluntly refuting his mother, Rong Tian replied, “Empress, I am

still young, it is not the time now. Besides…”

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His mother stopped him midway.

“There is no need for the King to evade the subject. What the King’s
heart desires how can I not understand?” The woman’s eyes held a
bright glimmer, she could see right through her son.

“After all, isn’t everything for the sake of King Ming?”

“Empress…” he stammered.

“I understand the importance of King Ming’s stake on your heart.

However, I would like to give you a word of caution. Regardless of his
worth and standing in your life, he is unable to bear an heir. King Ming is
a man of logic, he will understand the situation. After your marriage and
the new Queen is with child. There are no longer any problems that can
divide you from King Ming.”

The Empress studied her son’s expression.

She continued to persuade him in a soft and slow voice, “I have heard
that the King of Li’s sister’s appearance is nothing special, however the
young maiden is tactful and intelligent. These virtues may be beneficial
to Xi Rei. Given she is posted at our city for sometime, does the King feel
that she is suitable?”

Rong Tian’s eyebrows knitted in a frown and with a deep voice he

demonstrated his distaste.

“Ruo Yan has wild ambitions, why would I ever consider marrying his
sister and give her the title of Xi Rei’s Queen?”

The Empress laughed.

“Oh, when it comes to a woman’s inclinations, I am more experienced

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than the King.”

The Empress motioned to her servants to leave the room.

She leaned in and whispered in Rong Tian’s ear, “I have surmised that
the Princess is here with bad intentions. Once a woman marries, her
heart naturally grows fond of her husband. With Miao Guang’s
knowledge we can easily overtake King Ruo. Surely subduing the
Princess will pose no challenge for the King?”

The Empress had a good point.

Moreover, Ruo Yan was the only real obstacle standing before his own
dreams to unify the lands under the heavens.

Without further thought, Rong Tian shook his head, “Empress, there is
no need to further discuss Princess Miao Guang. I will deal with her. As
for my wedding we can deliberate at a future date.”

The words had left his lips in a harsh manner and he stood up.

His eyes met with hers, he wanted to make things clear. “I once said
something to you, and it seems like you have forgotten. I will say it
again.” His eyes pierced through her. “If you treasure Rong Tian you
should treat Feng Ming as your own child.”

His impassioned words took her by surprise. Her eyes looked blankly
back at her son.

Rong Tian dismissed himself giving her some parting words, “For
countless years the Empress has fretted over Xi Rei’s future. It is time
for you to live and enjoy a happy and prosperous life. As for the
wedding, I will be my own judge. King Ming is awaiting my company and
I shall not keep him waiting. Empress must take care, when I am able to,

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I will come more often to pay you a visit.”

Rong Tian has always respected his mother for her efforts over the
years. However, listening to her mention his marriage drove him to a
breaking point. His short and uncharacteristic outburst was to defend
Feng Ming. At this point, he felt like his supporters were targeting his
lover. After he placed his foot down on the matter he disappeared
quickly.

----- ----------- -

Originally Feng Ming was excited and anticipating his trip with the King.
He didn’t expect their plans to be halted. When the servant arrived to
inform him about the delay Feng Ming was disappointed. Additionally,
Lie Er had disappeared somewhere with his own agenda, leaving Feng
Ming bored and agitated. Chiu Yue noticed her master’s need for
companions so she quickly gathered the other usual suspects to cure
him.

Chiu Lan, Chiu Xing and Chiu Yue attended Feng Ming and the little party
gossiped about recent news.

“Drastic changes have been occurring in Xi Rei since King Rong’s rise.
They say that the King will host a competition to recruit the best heroes
among the ordinary people in our Kingdom. People who rise up to the
challenges and portray strength, intelligence and talent will be selected
to become officials in the court.”

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“In that way, people who aren’t nobility can also become an official?”

Chiu Xing wriggled with excitement and blurted, “Had I known earlier I
would have sent word to my hometown! My fellow brothers are all
strong and fit. Maybe the King would come to appreciate them.”

Chiu Lan laughed at the maiden’s positive reaction, “Chiu Xing you are
really quick with your hopes.” She clapped her hands.

Feng Ming was secretly please. Rong Tian had adopted his principle of
meritocracy.

Chiu Lan continued, “Another strange thing is happening in Xi Rei. I’ve

been seeing many people digging on the hillsides. It looks like a messy
number of channels and they seem to be plowing the ground in
preparations to plant. There are also strange pipes around. Is the King
using the mountains to farm?”

“How could that be? Hillsides are too steep and where would the water
come from?” Chiu Yue looked skeptical.

Feng Ming laughed.

“You guys are silly, have you never seen terraces before? But then again
when I told Rong Tian about it he was surprised.”

“A terrace?” Chiu Xing asked. The three young maids looked at each
other.

Having the opportunity to flaunt the essence of Chinese culture, Feng

Ming asked the maids to fetch several flower pots. Once gathered he
tipped the dirt on top of the ground and went into lecturer mode.

The girls were no way near the perceptive level of King Rong, they were

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left a bit confused.

Chiu Lan prompted, “I still don’t understand, how would there be any
water uphill?”

“I’ve explained this for so long, how can you not understand?” Feng
Ming let out a big sigh and helplessly looked at his three confused
students.

“Being a teacher is not an easy task…” he sighed again.

“What ever it is and where the water comes from, shouldn’t we just go
and see it?”

This proposal was quickly swallowed by Feng Ming’s appetite. His eyes
lit up like a child with candy he gently tapped Chiu Yue’s cheek and
exclaimed, “Not bad, you are my brightest student! Given Rong Tian
isn’t around I’m going to die of boredom. So we should go on a field trip
and see terraces so I can teach you how the system works. It’s called
seeing something in practice.”

Chiu Lan has always been the more mature and responsible voice of
reason in the group, “If the King finds out we left the palace without his
consent he won’t be happy.”

“What should we be afraid of? I am King Ming! We can freely move

about the palace right? Anyhow, it’s not like I’m going alone, I have
three beautiful maidens to accompany me.”

Chiu Xin jumped up and agreed, “We should take a look! We’ve been
cooped up in the Prince’s quarters ever since King Ming returned from
Fan Jia.”

Chiu Yue pouted and grumbled, “Well, it has been fine for King Ming.

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King Rong often takes you out to accompany him. You’ve had no need
for us to attend to you outside of the palace.”

“Yes, yes. I understand this time I will take you all with me!” Feng Ming
generously promised the girls.

Chiu Lan finally came around and nodded, “Going out is possible but we
shouldn’t stray too far from the palace. Otherwise…”

“Chiu Lan, don’t be a worry wart!”

Feng Ming was never strict on ranking and how the maids should act
around him. The three girls were completely spoiled under his rule. They
knew King Rong doted on Feng Ming and seeing their master would have
their backs covered they immediately reached for the opportunity to
have a scene change.

The girls giggle as they assisted their master into his riding gear. They
ordered the stables to prepare four good steeds. They flashed the
guards Feng Ming’s royal seal and were out of the palace in a jiffy.

In an unhurried manner, they made their way towards the busy slopes
within the capital and near the palace. The terracing and irrigation works
were well underway. With a better visual aid Feng Ming could properly
lecture his students. Pointing out the start of the construction and
answering any questions the girls had.

“Oh, I see now!” Chiu Xin nodded her head as she was getting around
the idea.

Chiu Lan laughed gently, “This is indeed the thinking of our powerful
King Ming!”

“Well, of course! Ming Wang is beautiful and talented but…”

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“Chiu Yue you can stop now! We all know Ming Wang is handsome and
talented!”

After guiding the girls about the terraces and completing their objective
they should have returned to the palace. But the beautiful scenery and
freedom was enticing. The sky was still bright and the day was still
young. Feng Ming felt like a pet monkey that was released out of a
cramp cage. He wasn’t willing to go back to it immediately.

Chiu Xing egged him on, “Ming Wang, Fan Jia’s third Princess lives in the
outskirts of the capital. Shall we pay her a visit?”

After the Third Princess arrived she made a request to live on the
outskirts of town. Rong Tian kept his promise and treated her as the
ranking of a Queen. He bestowed land with breathtaking scenery and
ordered Xi Rei’s best craftsman to construct a mansion fitting to her
tastes and requirements.

She didn’t ever have to worry about her meals or clothing. Compared to
living a lonely and impoverished life in Fan Jia this was the better
alternative. It was a great suggestion to pay the Princess a visit. This
would provide an opportunity for Feng Ming to practice some of the
mathematical theories he had learnt recently.

In truth, Feng Ming was reluctant to cut their road trip short. He wasn’t
that eager to return to the dull residence inside the palace.

Their master issued a nod.

Chiu Lan mothered them again, “The Princess’s residence is in the

outskirts of the capital, King Rong is not here. Perhaps King Ming should
not leave the capital.”

Chiu Yue was the most playful of the girls, “What is there to be afraid of,

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we have King Ming’s seal! We can leave the capital easily!”

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 23

Chiu Yue was the most playful of the girls, “What is there to be afraid of,
we have King Ming’s seal! We can leave the capital easily!”

Chiu Lan shook her head, “It is out of the question, the capital is
rampant with foreigners who have come to congratulate the King. There
are countless envoys and their footmen stationed at the border of the
capital. What would we do if they kidnap King Ming? Among other things,
if we run into Princess Miao Guang’s party…”

The maid often listened to Rong Tian’s exchanges with Feng Ming.
Topics ranged in political and national struggles. For the young lady to
try to analyze the consequences in a rationalizing methodology, it was
rather cute.

Hearing his servant’s words struck fear in him, nothing scared him more
than Ruo Yan. And to hear that his troops may be prowling the capital
sent a chill down his spine.

Shaking his head he finally submitted, “If that is the case, then we shall
not leave the capital.” With his declaration, the other two maids
naturally didn’t pursue the matter further.

Chiu Lan beamed him a smile, “Ming Wang is the smartest.”

“Well, the smartest one is you!” Chiu Xin tugged gently at Chiu Lan’s
ear.

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Chiu Yue looked around and an idea hit her, she moved to tug at her
master’s sleeve.

“Ming Wang, I heard that Princess Miao Guang is very pretty, shall we go
visit her instead?”

“The King of Li’s sister?” Chiu Xing interrupted, “can she even be
compared to our Third Princess?”

Chiu Yue pushed her nosy friend aside, “The other attendants have been
saying…” she grinned and moved closer to whisper into Feng Ming’s ear.

“The King sought a private audience with the Princess. Their discussion
was long and intense.”

“King Ming, seeing that we won’t leave the capital we should pay the
Princess a visit.”

Anyhow, Feng Ming wasn’t in a rush to return to the palace. His interest
was perked and he wanted to see the Princess for himself.

He nodded, “Very well, I’d like to see that the King’s sister bear no
resemblance to her dreadful sibling. But…where is she staying?
Someone should go inquire about her whereabouts.”

Chiu Lan covered her mouth and laughed. Chiu Xing caught her and
shouted, “Chiu Lan must know! King Ming you should ask her!”

Feng Ming took the cue, “Chiu Lan, if you know where Princess Miao
Guang is staying then you should speak up.”

Chiu Lan had taken up one of Feng Ming’s bad habits, teasing people.
Chiu Xing and Chiu Yue pestered her continuously for the answer.

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Chiu Lan finally gave up and lazily replied, “I overheard the people who
oversee the foreign envoys that she is living in an annexed royal
mansion not far from the palace.”

“Then we shall head over there!” Feng Ming chanted. “Let’s go and take
a look at the King’s sister!”

On his command the small party galloped towards the northern side of
the palace.

As for Miao Guang, to be paid a visit by the man who her brother was
enamored with was a godsend.

Xi Rei’s King Rong really lived up to his reputation, meeting the man in
flesh, Miao Guang could already tell he was a tricky one to deal with.
Moreover, King Rong would never take up her offer for marriage. There
was also a potential threat he would keep her as a hostage.

However, her own brother was not a simple man. He had long
anticipated the possibility of this outcome, the fact King Rong would
delay his response to her proposal. Everything was going precisely as
planned, she needed this time. As long as Rong Tian doesn’t declare war
with the country of Li, she would be treated as royalty and her access
would not be restricted.

She had to exploit the time she had left in Xi Rei to make a move on
Feng Ming.

What does the man who won the hearts of the two legendary heroes
look like?

Upon receiving the announcement from an attendant, Miao Guang

hurried to fix her make up, and then quickly sat down in the middle of

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the room to wait for the arrival of her guest.

“You’re Princess Miao Guang?” Feng Ming blurted out with surprise. On
his only mission out of Xi Rei territory he visited Fan Jia, a country
famous for its beautiful women, with the Third Princess being one of the
finest gems. He had a strange notion that the women of this era were all
ethereal and goddess like.

Miao Guang’s mundane appearance came as a complete shock. In

earnest he was rather disappointed. After the initial moments he
realized his outburst was very rude. He felt guilty and immediately
apologized, “I’m sorry, I’m…really…I….” he stuttered.

The princess gave him a faint smile, and gently asked, “Are you King
Ming?”

”Yes, I am. But you can call me Feng Ming.” He was more comfortable
with people addressing him by his name and hated the nonsense of
people his age having to call him by his official title.

The two exchanged looks.

“Are you Ruo Yan’s sister? You don’t look alike. I mean you are better
than him by far.”

“Really?”

Feng Ming didn’t know but beneath Miao Guang’s calm exterior she was
trying to control the shockwaves of meeting him.

She knew the men of Xi Rei were collectively the most handsome men
under the heavens. Her brother was also quite a handsome man himself.
But to meet Feng Ming in person she could understand why her brother
was enwrapped by the man’s charms.

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Water.

Upon laying eyes on Feng Ming, that was the word that came to mind.
The man’s eyes were glistening, playful and mysterious. The lighting
reflected off his doe eyes and made one feel the power of the seas, deep
and magnificent, wild and full of vitality.

Miao Guang knew her brother the best and could instantaneously
understand how he must have felt. For such a rare specimen to be born
into royalty, why would her brother let him slip away? This person was
pure and refreshing as water, surely countless maidens would swoon
and gravitate towards him.

They remained in silence studying each other before Miao Guang flashed
him a sweetened smile.

“King Ming is well known for his advance knowledge in mathematics. My

brother has told me much about your abilities. He even spoke of the
battle he had with you at the Fan Jia palace. He told me how he was
defeated and was left completely red faced. I laughed so hard my
stomach was about to burst.”

Then in a whisper she continued, “My brother has never been so

disgraced in his life!”

Feng Ming was really fooled by his own misconceptions. In no way would
he have ever guessed that Ruo Yan’s sister was so outspoken and
candid. She was better than her treacherous sibling by a hundred fold.
This occasion made it obvious that just because people are related it
can’t determine their personality, rather he suspected that Ruo Yan
must have inherited all the bad genes!

He chuckled.

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“A young Princess is more fun! Each time the Fan Jia’s Third Princess
speaks with me, she always keeps the formalities. The Empress too,
referring to herself in third person. It irritates me to no ends.”

Feng Ming didn’t hesitate to bombard her with more personal questions.
He moved closer to her.

“Princess, how old are you?”

Miao Guang secretly cast a glance at Feng Ming’s temple, beneath his
translucent skin there was a hint of purple. Inwardly she thought: It
appears a more obvious symptom is beginning to surface after one
month. I wonder how distressed King Rong will become.

She grinned, “I’m two eights.”

“Twenty eight? Are you really that old?” Feng Ming stared at her with
bewilderment. He shook his head. “You surely defy your age.”

“King Ming you are an interesting person too, I am not twenty eight, I am
sixteen years old.”

“Ah! Then you are younger than me!” Feng Ming dragged a chair up
beside the Princess and sat casually sat down.

”At such a young age, how could Ruo Yan have the heart to send you
here as an ambassador?”

Miao Guang had never experienced such informalities with a dignitary.

She momentarily froze on the spot.

“Sixteen is the standard age of marriage for women, how can I be

young?” She answered.

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“Marriage?” Feng Ming repeated dumbfounded, he looked her up and

down. One could easily forget she was Ruo Yan’s sister.

“It’s young and you are thinking about marriage?” he laughed

lightheartedly until it dawned on him.

His laughter died.

Marriage was a normal milestone in life. Rong Tian was at the edge of
seventeen and Miao Guang was sixteen. When young adults hit the age
of requirement they marry, if Ruo Yan sent his only sister to Xi Rei, is the
purpose to…

The trouble brewing inside his mind wasn’t hidden well on his face, the
happy go lucky smile quickly melted from his face.

Miao Guang had a hunch what the King was thinking.

“King Ming what is on your mind?”

“I…I…” He frowned, shook his head and dismissed her concern. “It’s
nothing.”

Does Rong Tian intend to get married? From Feng Ming’s knowledge
marriage was one of the most popular themes he’d see in dramas set in
ancient China. The thought of Rong Tian desiring to wed and it left him
with a distasteful bitterness. His stomach knotted.

“I won’t conceal the truth from King Ming,” Miao Guang lent in and
whispered into his ear, “I am here to seek marriage.”

“Seek marriage?” Feng Ming murmured.

“Yes, when we caught word of King Rong’s claim to the throne, my

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brother ordered me to seek marriage with King Rong in order to fortify

Li’s stability. As soon as King Rong takes the offer, Miao Guang shall
remain here. I will not return to Li.”

That’s right, Rong Tian is a King, he will have to get married to ensure
his lineage will continue to reign and that means he will…

Feng Ming felt like he was cut in half by a bolt of lightning for a moment
he couldn’t move, his body felt cold and his face waned.

“Congratulations Princess.” He managed but his mood to chat with her

disappeared he stood up and gave the Princess a respectful gesture. “I
have to head back now, Princess please take a rest.”

“King Ming please stay a bit longer, Miao Guang has something she
would like to say to you privately.”

She motioned to the attendants in the room to step down and once they
were gone she secured the door and looked silently at the King.

She suddenly dropped down to her knees and knelt at his feet her lips
were pursed and her eyes watered.

“Miao Guang is to be bold as to wish King Ming to do something for her.”

Feng Ming was startled he took a step back, “Princess, what is the
meaning of this!” he blabbered.

“Do you want me to leave Rong Tian’s side? Do you want me to never
see him again?” he continued frantically.

This was the sort of pitiful love triangle one would read in romance
novels based in the warring states period of China. Unfortunately his
own plot was turning for the worst, even for a modern person like him he

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was finding it hard to swallow.

The answer from the Princess knocked him out of the water, “Please
help me escape from Xi Rei’s capital King Ming!”

“What?” Feng Ming stared at her like a confused madman. “You want to
escape? Don’t you want to be Xi Rei’s Queen?”

”King Rong would never wholeheartedly marry me but in order to keep

peace between our two nations he may consider the marriage.” Miao
Guang broke into sobs and wallowed, “I can’t…I just…”

Hearing the Princess’s strange request allowed Feng Ming to calm his
own emotions and shake of the disbelief.

“ You want to escape?”

“Yes, the only purpose of bring a Princess is to be a political marriage

tool. I was forced to come to Xi Rei by the orders of my brother.”

”Please rise up, you don’t have to kneel before me.” Knowing that she
was no longer his rival in love Feng Ming’s mood immediately did a one
eighty. He assisted her by propping her up.

He frowned, “But if you defy your brother’s command you will never be
able to set foot back in your homeland. What will be of you then?”

Of course Miao Guang’s rejecting the position of Queen was great news
for Feng Ming. With that said he was now on her team.

The young lady’s face reddened and with her head bowed she
whispered, “As long as King Ming can escort Miao Guang fifty Li away
from the capital of Xi Rei, Miao Guang has a destination in mind.”

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“Where are you going to go?”

“This…” she hesitated.

“If you don’t tell me, how can I help you?”

“Is King Ming really willing to help me?” Her eyes shone with hope and
disbelief. She looked at him shyly, biting her lips before her face turned
scarlet.

“King Ming have you heard of Yong Yin’s oldest Prince, Yong Yi?”

“The country of Yong Yin’s Prince?”

Miao Guang nodded, bashfully biting her lip. “He also came to Xi Rei to
congratulate King Rong. As long as I can breakaway from my attendants,
he will be waiting for me fifty Li outside the capital of Xi Rei.”

“Oh!” It clicked. He clasped his hands in delight, “The two of you are
courting, then…”

“Ming Wang!” Miao Guang was embarrassed to have her love life
discussed so openly. She urged him, “Please don’t tell anyone about
this, if this leaks out it would lead to many troubles. Not only will Xi Rei,
Li and Yong Yin be involved other countries will become hostile. So…”

“So I will keep my lips sealed.”

“Yes,” she reaffirmed.

“I know,” Feng Ming nodded. “You can escape and then we can fabricate
a story that the Princess died of an illness whilst she was in Xi Rei. Then
our country won’t be accountable and they will not be able to trace the
whereabouts of the Princess. I have an attendant called Lie Er who

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specializes in this kind of stuff…”

Miao Guang shook her head and looked at the King sternly. “King Ming,
did you forget that we can’t let anyone find out? Otherwise the
consequences could become serious.”

“Okay, I won’t whisper a word to anyone.” He stuck out his tongue

cheekily.

For him to chance upon such an amazing eternal love story Feng Ming
couldn’t help but to feel geared up. Excitement was bouncing inside his
stomach. Inwardly he cursed Ruo Yan for being a scum of the earth,
exploiting his own sister in such a manner.

The pair continued their heated discussion for an hour before Feng Ming
left.

All his maids had waited for him outside in the gardens, when they saw
him appear they flew over to bombard him.

“King Ming you were in there so long! We were so scared you were in
trouble, we were about to send someone to inform the King!”

“What did the Princess say? The door was suddenly shut, what ever she
said she is Ruo Yan’s sister, King Ming you must not let her fool you!”

Feng Ming shook his head and said, “She’s actually quite pitiful.”

“What? Pitiful?” gasps the girls.

“Pretend I said nothing,” his hand shot to cover his mouth. He turned to
Chiu Lan, “About our little sneaky adventure today, no one is to speak a
word of it to Rong Tian.”

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“But Ming Wang, you are out of the palace already and the King would
definitely have found out by now, how can we deny it?”

“That’s fine but at least no one is to speak of our visit to Princess Miao
Guang, otherwise he will worry. Perhaps he will become so furious he
would transfer you all to attend another master!” Feng Ming threw in a
bit of intimidation to seal the deal.

Chiu Xing patted her chest bravely, “That wouldn’t be the case would it?
We met the Princess alone and she doesn’t even pose a threat. Then
again, I caught a glimpse of the Princess and she is definitely not a
person the King would become jealous about if you wanted to meet with
her.” In the end the arguments all lead to appearance. The girls loved to
gossip and it wasn’t long until all three girls compared Miao Guang with
the Third Princess.

Feng Ming has long been accustomed to the noisy bunch, he mounted
his horse. Inside he couldn’t help but feel full of energy and a strong
sense of responsibility. He was hiding a big secret.

Once they returned to the Crowned Prince’s quarters they noticed the
eerie atmosphere. All his guards were knelt down outside his residence,
their bodies trembling in silence.

Seeing their master’s return they were somewhat relieved. One of the
servants quickly greeted him, “King Ming please enter immediately, the
King Rong declared if he didn’t see you soon he will behead us all.”

Chiu Lan and the other girls dared not to go in, instead they betrayed
their loyalty and pushed Feng Ming closer to the door before quickly
slipping out of sight.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 24

Feng Ming apprehensively made his way into the room and his eyes
were downcast in fear of what was to come. Before he a second to lift
his face, he ran into a sturdy chest.

He was quickly engulfed into a familiar embrace.

Rong Tian’s infuriated face rested on top of his head.

‘Where did you go?’ his lover demanded in an authoritative voice.

‘Just outside the palace’, Feng Ming played innocent as he blinked his
large doe eyes.

‘Who gave you permission to leave the palace grounds?’ He chided.

Feng Ming reprised feigning a wrongfully accused voice, ‘Didn’t you say,
as long as I am in Xi Rei no harm will come to me?’

The King vented his frustration on his lover, his mouth bit down on the
nape of Feng Ming’s slight shoulder.

‘Enough with bickering, when I returned I was informed by the servants

you had taken your personal servants with you. Did you know how much
I worried? Chiu Lan and the girls are increasingly out of line. It is time to
teach them a lesson!’

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‘I was the one who wanted to go out, you can’t punish them!’ defended
Feng Ming.

‘Yes, you’ll be the first on the list.’

Seeing his beloved had returned safe and sound, the raging anger within
was quickly extinguished.

His stern face relaxed into a sly smile.

‘The next time you dare sneak out again, I will thoroughly discipline
you.’ He chuckled,

‘So, where did you go?’

Feng Ming darted his gaze to think of a believable answer, ‘I was

monitoring the new terraces you’ve ordered that are under
construction.’

‘What do you think about the progress?’ the King beckoned in a husky
tone. A hand slipped under the folds of Feng Ming’s collar.

Rong Tian’s hand was like a hungry wolf savoring the young warm skin.

Under Rong Tian’s extremely skillful touch, Feng Ming had long forgotten
about his lame terrace excuse. Instead, his legs faltered and he couldn’t
help but rest his weight into the nook of the King’s arms.

Feng Ming released a provocative moan.

‘I want to eat you whole.’ The young man in his arms was aroused. Rong
Tian looked at his lover with a look of appraisal.

Feng Ming had long lost any will to put up a fight. He surrendered

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straightforwardly, ‘Then go ahead and eat up.’

On this rare occasion, Rong Tian showed restraint like a noble

gentlemen.

He smiled and shook his head. ‘I don’t have time to dine now.’

‘Why?’ Feng Ming’s bedroom eyes were half-cast. His cheeks were
flustered.

Such an alluring face made the King’s heart itch and unbearable itch. He
sealed the young man’s lips and started to purse his own to gently nip
them.

Layers upon layers of Feng Ming’s extravagant outfit were peeled off

and discarded onto the floor.

‘Rong Tian…’ Feng Ming moaned suggestively.

Rong Tian’s raised an eyebrow, without notice he swept Feng Ming into
his arms and carried him to their bed.

‘Ah!’ A small whelp came from Feng Ming.

Feng Ming was about to reach his peak, his shaft begged for release. He
yanked desperately at the King’s collar.

‘I want to…’ he gasped.

‘What do you want?’ The King grinned at the young man’s predicament.

The King’s heart was burning with desire for Feng Ming. He had to
exercise self control and not act too rashly.

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Rong Tian’s eyes studied the slender body pinned beneath him. His
skillful danced along Feng Ming’s skin like a seasoned pianist, hitting all
the right notes.

Feng Ming painstakingly tried to suppress his voice. He sounded like a

small kitten meowing for more milk. His body ached and begged to be
released. Rong Tian coaxed his manhood into submission. Feng Ming’s
craving was consoled by the King’s delicate touch. Soon enough, creamy
liquid oozed from the tip.

‘Feng Ming, was that comfortable?’

The younger man nodded but with dissatisfaction on his face. He

propped himself up and bit down on Rong Tian’s neck with no mercy.

‘Ouch!’ the King was taken by surprise.

Without warning Rong Tian flipped the man around and bent him over
his knees and gave his bare cheeks two playful smacks.

‘You dare to bite the King of Xi Rei, how audacious!’ he mocked.

‘I wouldn’t dare to but I am always the one who is left in a shameful

position!’ Feng Ming exclaimed.

His doe eyes glared at the King with the tenacity of a mob boss putting
his foot down. ‘You don’t have any physical deficiencies in that
department so why don’t you just be more direct?’ **

‘Direct?’ Rong Tian’s throat made a strange sound.

This kid is acting reckless, even giving me an invitation. If it wasn’t for

my concern over your health condition I would have eaten you alive,
bones and all by now!

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However, the King was in the dark behind the true reason why Feng
Ming was so receptive and needy for physical contact.

Since Princess Miao Guang raised the topic of marriage, Feng Ming
pondered over an inevitable milestone in a King’s life. He knew Rong
Tian would eventually take in a wife, in fact he feared it. If that was to
ever happen Feng Ming’s heart would know nothing but pain. He worried
about their unknown future. He couldn’t restrain his emotions and
wanted to be held by the King.

‘That’s right, even though I’m scared of it hurting. I feel like I am ready
to go through…go through to…’Feng Ming spoke bashfully.

His eyes avoided the King’s as he reached out to take the initiative. His
delicate hand gently wrapped over the King’s murder weapon that had
long been standing at attention.

Heat from the King’s penis seeped out from the cloth that bound it back.
Rong Tian’s patience was at the breaking point. Feng Ming was really
testing him.

‘Are you positive you want to go all the way?’ The King’s ability to fight
his primal needs was commendable as he tried to speak with the last of
his reason. He studied Feng Ming’s face.

Feng Ming gave him a muffled sound of approval.

‘You aren’t afraid of the pain?’ He gave him one last chance to back out.

Feng Ming closed his eyes, bit his lower lip and nodded silently.

The younger man was a delicacy that had dangle before him, now there
was nothing to restrain the King from monopolizing him. Inwardly, Rong
Tian gave out a wild howl.

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Even though he was bursting with hunger the King’s movements were
still very gentle and considerate. He softly pushed Feng Ming down flat
against their pallet.

‘Don’t be scared,’ His voice was overflowing with lust.

‘I…I’m not scared at all…’ the younger man’s voice was betraying him.

A pair of large hands ghost over his waist, slowly tracing over the supple
skin.

Instead of his partner relaxing under his touch, Feng Ming’s muscles
locked and his entire body grew stiffer than a piece of wood.

Feng Ming’s face was alarmingly pale.

Rong Tian tried several times to penetrate Feng Ming’s entrance. Each
time he was met with full resistance, after a few more attempts he
stopped.

‘Feng Ming, you need to relax.’

‘I’m! I..I’m ready to be with you.’ Feng Ming chewed his lower lip
suppressing a cry of distress.

Rong Tian sighed and reached for Feng Ming’s lips. ‘Don’t move, relax
your jaw. Look, you’ve wounded your lips.

The King frowned.

‘Before I have a chance to enter you, you’d probably die of anxiety.’

Rong Tian calmly took over the situation. He used his own hand to
relieve his throbbing member. Thick milky fluid shot onto his hand and

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he grabbed a cotton cloth to clean himself.

‘Rong Tian….’ Feng Ming caught his hand and pleaded, ‘Won’t we
continue?’

‘How would it be possible with you in this state?’ Rong Tian wrapped the
man in his arms to pacify him.

‘It doesn’t matter, there’s plenty of time. We will do it when you are truly
ready.’

It would be more appropriate when we cure your poison.

Feng Ming shook his head, his eyes glistened.

‘I want to be with you, just like how a man and woman can be combined
in flesh.’

‘Don’t cry. There isn’t a need to be frustrated or disheartened.’

Rong Tian was surprised by his lover’s sudden down pour of tears.

‘Why should I stop?’

‘Well, firstly you were completely out of character. Weren’t you about to
give me a free meal ticket?’

Feng Ming paused and gave the King a miserable look. His lips
trembling, ‘I just wanted to prove that I can also give you pleasure.’

‘Of course you are able to give me pleasure.’

There was a brief silence between the two.

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Feng Ming’s turned his teary eyes to confront the King.

Rong Tian couldn’t help but to surrender.

‘Alright, if we didn’t go all the way today you’d cry your eyes out.’ The
King pondered a solution.

On a whim he proclaimed, ‘There is a custom in Xi Rei, where a young

male youth would go under the guidance of a mature man. They share a
close relationship sometimes they would share a bed. As a trade off, the
youth will be able to improve their knowledge and gain power. I also had
such an experience.’

‘You don’t mean…’ Feng Ming’s voice was quivering with anticipation.

Rong Tian let out a long sigh. There wasn’t any better alternative.

‘There is so much time before us, giving you one turn isn’t bad.’

‘You’ll really let me be on top?’ Feng Ming’s eyes were wide with
excitement.

‘Do you have any better suggestions?’

‘Ah! This is awesome!’ hollered Feng Ming who could barely contain his
happiness. He grabbed the King’s shoulders and bounced with joy.

‘You are too good to me! You are the best! You are the best person in
the whole entire world!’

This was certainly a good outcome for Feng Ming.

If I had known this would happen, I would have offered myself to be

devoured earlier!

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Without any seconds to lose, Feng Ming pounced onto his target like a
tiger.

Rong Tian jeered, ‘Feng Ming, being on top doesn’t necessarily mean
you need to shred my clothing.’

‘I’m sorry. I just can’t control my excitement!’

‘Go easy there!’ The King snorted. ‘Do I do this to you?’

‘I’m sorry!’ Feng Ming couldn’t hold back his desperation.

Outside the Prince’s chamber, Chiu Lan and the rest were secretly
eavesdropping at the door.

There was not a sound from Rong Tian, all they could hear was Feng
Ming’s frantic shrieks of pleasure.

‘My little Tian Tian, you are sooooo greaaaaaaaat!’

‘I loveeeee you so muchhhhh!’

‘How about we keep this arrangement next time?’

Feng Ming’s random shouts gradually became heavy breathing and

grunts.

For the audience outside, the sounds set their faces glowing red.

Chiu Lan and the sisters looked at each other.

They were left stunned like fish out of water.

After an hour, the moaning ceased. As if the two men had expired out of

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exhaustion.

The girls were just about to sneak a peek to see if their masters had
fallen asleep when the doors suddenly opened. The girls swallowed their
startled yelps.

Filling up much of the doorway was a very indifferent Rong Tian who
carried a completely wiped out Feng Ming in his arms. The younger man
was in a different world.

Rong Tian wore an outer garment to cover his modesty. His muscular
chest was in full view. Scattered about his skin were love bites of
differing severity from Feng Ming. The head maid caught sight and her
face seared like embers. She knelt before her masters.

‘Your highness…’

‘King…’

Rong Tian wasn’t affected, he softly ordered, ‘Prepare a bath.’

His lover stirred in his arms, he frowned and peered down at his cargo.
The spoiled youngster remained asleep but would sporadically giggle to
himself. Rong Tian couldn’t help but grin at the idiot in his arms. With a
bit of a change in his normal gait, Rong Tian made his way towards the
bathing area to clean them both up.

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Vol. 2:

Chapter 25

It was well past noon by the time Feng Ming woke up. As he opened his
eyes, Rong Tian came into view. The King returned to his side after
dealing with the morning proceedings in the royal hall.

A grin stretched across the King’s face as he watched Feng Ming stretch.

‘Are you tired?’

‘Isn’t that something you should have asked me last night?’ A spark lit,
Feng Ming thought for a moment and shook his head. ‘No, shouldn’t I be
the one to ask. So my little Tian, are you worn out?’ he whispered
unnaturally.

Rong Tian coiled back, ‘Feng Ming, don’t use such a strange tone with
me and don’t call me little Tian.’

The King grabbed Feng Ming and hoisted him over his shoulder, deciding
that he would personally dress the scoundrel today.

‘Don’t you have to attend court?’ prompted Feng Ming.

‘I have and I’m back already,’ He planted a kiss on Feng Ming’s neck,
‘You’ve slept a lot today.’

‘Who would have thought finishing the deed could be so exhausting,’

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Feng Ming frowned, ‘I feel like every bone in my body has been
shattered. But you seem perfectly fine. Perhaps people who practice
martial arts since childhood are suitable for that kind of exercise?’

Rong Tian turned rigid.

‘You should have focused harder when I ordered you to learn martial
arts. Instead, you slacked off.’ He scolded.

Rong Tian remained calm and collected. He did well to make if Feng
Ming’s exhaustion was nothing out of the ordinary.

The toxins are sinking in and he is showing signs he is losing his physical
strength…

Recently, even though Feng Ming’s mentality was lively a sprite, his
physical stamina would quickly deplete from a little bit of physical
exertion.

Meanwhile, a figure had slipped into the perimeters of the Prince’s

bedchamber. He kept himself well hidden and crouched under an open
window.

Rong Tian’s gaze darted towards the same direction, a timely hand
signaled to him. It was his spy, Li Er.

Rong Tian glanced down at the man resting in his arms, ‘Feng Ming, you
should continue to rest, I have business to handle.’

‘That’s fine, you should go. See you later.’

What immaculate timing! I also have an important matter to deal with.

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Just because Feng Ming had the best night of his life, it didn’t mean he
had erased his responsibility to the Princess.

Rong Tian was reluctant to leave. The King lingered a bit longer before
departing.

After his exit, Chiu Xing brought her master a light breakfast. She
studied Feng Ming, curiously, and tried to force down her giggles.

‘What are you laughing at?’ he asked with a hint of irritation.

‘Congratulations, King Ming!’ She cheered.

Feng Ming’s face turned beet, he treated her with a nasty glare. ‘Don’t
you dare go spreading gossip!’

Chiu Lan entered the chamber and chimed in with her laughter. She
whispered, ‘There’s no need to gossip, everybody knows!’

‘Everybody!?’ Feng Ming froze and jumped up before demanding, ‘Who

is everybody?’

‘Chiu Lan, why go and frighten poor King Ming like that?’ Chiu Yue also
joined the gathering.

‘In total, it is just the three of us.’ She continued.

Feng Ming soothed his racing heart with a few quick pats on his chest.

He looked at Chiu Lan with a serious expressuib, ‘What happened

between me and Rong Tian should not travel to another’s ears. After all,
Rong Tian is the King of Xi Rei.’

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Chiu Lan laughed hysterically before gasping, ‘For Xi Rei’s King to show
display such deep affection for you, King Ming is truly fortunate!’

Feng Ming dreaded hearing anymore of his impudent servants teasing

him so he quickly scoffed down his meal.

‘I need to go out, alert the stables to prepare a horse.’ He ordered with

haste.

’Where will King Ming go?’

‘That’s right, King Rong was furious about yesterday’s venture.’

‘I need to see the terraces again, I will return soon.’

‘Didn’t we go yesterday?’ the girls pleaded.

‘There are slight adjustments I want Rong Tian to make. But I need to
check before talking to him about them.’ What an elaborate lie he could
weave.

Chiu Yue looked at him with expectation, ‘Will you take us along?’

Feng Ming shook his head, ‘Next time!’ and bolted out of the Prince’s
residence before the girls could hold him back any further.

The attendant who led out his horse asked for Feng Ming’s permission to
allow him to follow. Feng Ming bluntly refused. His servant dared not to
push the matter again but pleaded, ‘King Ming, please come back early!
Yesterday we came very close to losing our heads!’

‘Got it! Hya!’ He shouted as he flicked the harness to send his ride into
full speed.

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Once out of the palace grounds, his true intentions were never the
construction work.

He had a promise to keep.

He was going to be the string of fate to ensure that Princess Miao Guang
and the Prince Yong Yi’s happiness would come to fruit. In case he was
followed, he exercised a skill he learnt from watching crime flicks. He
deliberately strolled around the city before ducking into a secret
location. There he changed into simple commoner’s clothing that he had
prepared earlier. He slipped back into the crowd as an anonymous man
and got back onto his horse. Wasting no more time as he raced towards
the scheduled meeting location, an embassy located north of the palace.

Princess Miao Guang had long awaited Feng Ming’s arrival. Once she
saw him, she quickly had him dismount and follow her into a private
room. She closed the door firmly behind them.

‘King Ming is finally here! I couldn’t sleep a wink last night. I was worried
King Ming would forget about me.’

‘How would I have?’ Feng Ming planted himself down on a chair before
sculling down a big mouthful of hot tea. ‘I left the palace as soon as I
was able to. We didn’t have much time to talk over things yesterday, so
how about sharing your big escape plan with me now.’

’I was waiting for King Ming’s suggestion! You thought I had a master
plan ready to go?’ She laughed before chewing on her bottom lip in
thought.

‘’Actually this I am facing several big challenges. Firstly, I would have to

leave the capital secretly. Secondly, I will need to escape any pursuers
and lastly, no one can know about my final destination. If my brother
caught word, he would send a raging army to Yong Yin to demand for

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my return!’

’You have highlighted important points.’ Feng Ming thought for a while
before looking at the Princess, ‘To leave the capital without a trace…’

‘Don’t stress about this part King Ming, Miao Guang has it sorted!’ She
grinned.

‘That’s good, now about escaping your pursuers. We will need to find
someone as a diversion.’ Reading marital art novels weren’t entirely
wasted on Feng Ming.

’Yes, this is where I hit a barricade.’ Her facial expression dimmed. She
laughed bitterly, ‘The person who acts as my escape goat needs to be
wise and brave. They need to know every detail of my plan.’ She averted
her gaze.

‘Several of my close confidants wanted to be the person to ward off my

pursuers. However, in case they are caught by Xi Rei’s soldiers they will
face nothing but peril. They will be tortured to reveal my location.’

She sighed.

‘Alas, how can Miao Guang allow the closest people to her to die for her
the sake? Miao Guang’s happiness is not worth anyone sacrificing their
lives.’

She sat down beside the King with her head downcast.

Feng Ming never expected Li’s Princess to be so kind hearted. Although

her appearance was not anything amazing, her heart was radiating with
beauty.

Seeing the young girl pained with her burden, Feng Ming couldn’t hold

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back from playing a hero by helping the weak. He felt a strong sense of
protection towards her.

‘I will act as your diversion’ he proclaimed.

‘Ah! King Ming, you…’ Miao Guang looked wide eyed with surprise. She
shook her head, ‘No, King Ming you are too important, you must not do
something like this!’

‘Of course I can! If I act as a distraction, in the event I was caught Rong
Tian would likely only give me a severe reprimanding. He would never
torture me. As for your destination, my lips will remain sealed. Is the
Princess reluctant because I may not be brave and quick-witted
enough?’

Miao Guang looked at him with a tender and grateful expression, ‘The
relationship between Li and Xi Rei is not the friendliest. There is a
grudge between King Ming and my brother. Why would you be so kind to
Miao Guang? Doesn’t King Ming fear this could be a scheme between
Miao Guang and King Li against you?’

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