He smiled, lifted his cup, and saluted Feng Zhiwei.

  Feng Zhiwei raised an eyebrow as she bowed to the Emperor before returning to her seat, smiling wordlessly to herself.

  The surprised and admiring eyes of the gathered guests followed her — who would have imagined the strange Feng Family girl was a bright pearl covered buried in dust, but now the chaff had been blown away and the brilliance emerged. Compared to the noble daughters who frequently participated in all manner of poetry competition, she was more talented and well read by many factors!

  As people pondered her background, they thought back to what they knew of her mother, the famous firebrand Qiu Mingying. Many years ago, she had also been a famous and talented young lady in Dijing, excellent at both literature and Kung Fu, good at composition, calligraphy, Guqin, and chess. It was only because she later joined the war and won too many glories as a female general that her later fame overcame her early reputation and everyone forgot that she also once wore beautiful dresses and composed poetry under pavilions.

  The people began to understand — the Young Lady Feng had been with her mother all these years, and of course her outstanding talent was nurtured by her mother’s attention, day and night.

  “Truly a worthy daughter of the Fire Phoenix General,” the Tian Sheng Emperor began slowly, examining Feng Zhiwei, “Erudite through paternal education and care; these words were no sham.”


  Of course, once the saying passed the Emperor’s mouth it was no longer a mocking slight meant to attack both Feng Zhiwei and her mother; now, it was praise.

  The astute guests quickly understood his deeper meaning.

  “The Fire Phoenix General is talented in both pen and sword. That year, her name rang through Dijing, and Young Lady Feng is truly her mother’s daughter……”


  “When I think back to the Female General’s heroic bearing, I still feel deeply enchanted……”


  “It’s been many years since I’ve seen the general. Surely she is even more graceful now……”


  Feng Zhiwei’s hands rested lightly on her table and a modest smile crossed her lips as she quietly listened to the chatter; half her face was shadowed by the red lanterns and no one could quite make out her expression.

  No one could see her eyes glittering with unshed tears.

  Mother.

  On Spring Feasts many years ago, you too composed poems in the palace and astonished the people with your words.

  You too wore beautiful dresses and crossed from palace to palace, your gorgeous smile the subject of ten thousand admiring sighs.

  You too faced a challenge in the golden palace, and after finishing off a cup of wine, called out your words.

  Today, I revive your yesteryear grace and fame, composing hundreds of lines while tasting wine, proudly laughing before the Emperor’s eyes.

  And finally, I have won the Emperor’s reminiscing sigh for past deeds.

  With these words, no one will dare abuse you anymore; no one will dare humiliate you.

  Her eyes glittered brightly, and suddenly she thirsted for another glass of wine, thirsted for that gentle spice to wash away the surging excitement in her heart, but she could not find her cup — she had tossed it aside for the flair.

  But then, a full cup of liquor was pass over to her and Helian Zheng chuckled in her ear, “Hey, it’s just a cup of wine, don’t be moved to tears.”


  Feng Zhiwei turned, the crystalline droplets in her eyes gone, her gaze warm and smiling as she looked up at Helian Zheng, “Thank you.”


  Helian Zheng was struck dumb by her smile, but then he recovered his normal, unrestrained temperament and struck his chest: “Young Aunt, you are my heart, my live, and my lifeblood. Let alone this cup of wine, even if you ask me not to worry nine more wives, I will agree!”


  What nine wives? Feng Zhiwei paused, unable to react for a moment as she processed his words. As she thought back to their old conversation, Feng Zhiwei rolled her eyes and smiled, replying: “Relax, since this Small Aunt is your heart and your liver, I will definitely take care of my precious nephew’s ten wives, not forgetting any one of them.

  Helian Zheng smiled in reply, pouring a cup of liquor for himself and placing the wine at his lips for a long while without drinking.

  Since no one had been selected as a wife candidate, the young ladies were all quite disappointed. The Noble Imperial Consort noticed this and whispered into the Tian Sheng Emperor’s ear, causing the Emperor’s eyes to light up brightly as he smiled and murmured, “You are the most considerate.”


  “Your Majesty praises this consort, but this consort does not dare accept.” Imperial Consort Chang smiled as she replied, “This is Prince Wei’s filial piety, and this consort also has not seen this before.”


  With these words, she clapped her hands, and a melodious voice suddenly filled the square.

  Music rang out suddenly in a elegant but foreign tune, calling lightly as if from afar, with unexpected turns here and there mixed with the strange beats of a drum. The tune stirred the heart and seemed to slip past one’s guard, and every pulse began to beat faster.

  No musicians could be seen, and yet all the guests felt as if the rhythm flowed around them, sometimes nearby, sometimes farther away, at all times free. The counterpoint and pauses seemed to call for a pause in the audience’s beating heart, and emotions were already rising, with a few of the weaker young ladies already red in the face.

  The music had already stolen into the mind, and even the Tian Sheng Emperor could no longer keep up his casual demeanor, straightening his spine as he placed down his cup.

  The lantern light dimmed, and a red flash filled the square.

  The evening breeze followed the red flash, and suddenly a dancing figure emerged from a huge lotus blossom in the pond.

  Cloaked in red and gold silk, ribbons twirling in the wind, her hair tied back in a spirit snake bun* over her lotus makeup and the golden utpala flower drawn between her brows, she was like a fire to the eyes and heart.

  She held a small Pipa instrument that sang with crisp, clear notes as she danced, calling out here and answering there among the lotus blossoms. As she danced, the pond trembled and the lotus leaves tremored along with the flight of her silk sleeves and hem, an accompaniment to the tune called by her supple waist and gentle fingers. The woman had a gentleness to her vigorous moves that could not fail to enchant, and though her dance was a clearly recognizable Flying Apsaras Dance, the woman could still dance it with seduction.

  The woman flushed red as they watched, and the men began breathing heavily.

  The Tian Sheng Emperor tried to control himself, but even his breath grew hurried. Even though the woman was so far away and her featured blurred by the distance, he felt as if her frown and her smile were gorgeous, and that she danced as if utterly alone.

  The Second Prince climbed the stairs as his present danced, and he smiled as he spoke: “Father Emperor, this dancing girl is from Xi Liang. Since her youth, she has bathed in a special herb found only in the wild forests, and she has only ever eaten food found in the wild without ever touching smoke or fire. Her physique is gentle and her breath clear, and she’s also gifted at dancing on flowers, her style very different from our Central Plain’s. What are your thoughts?”


  “Good!” The Tian Sheng Emperor called out in praise, but he also felt as if his reaction was inappropriate. Calming himself, he continued: “We are at war and should be reducing our expenses, not wasting money on song and dance. If the soldiers on the front lines heard of this, it would not be appropriate.”


  “Father Emperor, today is mother consort’s fiftieth birthday, how could we celebrate her without song and dance?” The Second Prince replied, “And this woman is also dancing our Dynasty’s Yang Guan Lie[1].”


  “This is Yang Guan Lie?” The Tian Sheng Emperor echoed in surprise, leaning forward to examine the dance once more. “A war dance can be danced like this? How strange……”