Demon Wang's Golden Favorite Fei

by La Mi Tu

“After crown princess wears this dress, crown princess would certainly shine and would shine above everyone in appearance!”

  These words made Yu Shi Shi happy. She pretended to walk to Murong Qi Qi and turned over the dress Murong Qi Qi was looking at, “How beautiful! Princess, do you want to buy it?”

  “No!” Murong Qi Qi shook her head. “I don’t have money!”

  That Murong Qi Qi didn’t have money made Yu Shi Shi very happy. Alright, compared to being a man, her Wanyan Hong couldn’t be compared to Feng Cang. But comparing money, she at least had a small treasury and was richer than Murong Qi Qi.

  “However, what I take a fancy on, wangye1 will buy for me. Wangye said that men spend money to buy a woman’s happiness is a matter of course!”

  Waiting till the smile on Yu Shi Shi was the biggest, did Murong Qi Qi threw out such a sentence, making Yu Shi Shi’s smile stiffen. And Feng Cang also very cooperatively let Fang Tong pack the dress in Murong Qi Qi’s hand. He paid ten thousand teals on spot.

  Undoubtedly, Feng Cang’s attitude was a slap on Yu Shi Shi’s face. She didn’t know if she should laugh or cry on her stiff face. Did this woman do it on purpose?

  Wanyan Bao Zhu seemed to have seen how favored Murong Qi Qi is. All kinds of envy, jealous and hate came into her heart. It was just, she also knew clearly, she couldn’t win over Murong Qi Qi. She could only take her time to plan. The thing she needed to do now was to ruin Murong Qing Lian. Then she should paste herself on Longze Jing Tian, the big tree.

  When Murong Qi Qi returned to the wangfu2, Su Yue reported to her what Fang Tong found out.

  “Oh? So, it’s her! That’s why I said, why couldn’t everyone in Moyu find her?! So, it was because she turned into Wanyan Bao Zhu…,” Murong Qi Qi slowly blew the smoke floating above the tea. “Find someone clever to follow her. Leave her life for now.”

  “Yes!” Su Yue nodded. Murong Qi Qi called her (SY) to her (MQQ) side. She whispered something in her ears. Su Yue retreated while smiling.

  The next day, a man in ragged clothes appeared outside the prime minister’s mansion. In his hand, he held Mu Yu Die’s jade pendant. He shouted he wanted to see Mu household’s eldest miss and wanted to marry her. The shouting of the man attracted many onlookers. Seeing that there were so many people, the man put more effort. He showed the onlookers the jade with the three words ‘Mu Yu Die’ engraved on it. He also vividly described how he and Mu household’s eldest miss got to know and fell in love with each other and how they privately already made a pledge to be married.

  When prime minister Mu Hua came back from the morning court meeting, the matter of the prime minister’s eldest miss and a man had an affair had long caused an uproar. The whole capital knew about this matter by then.

  “Disgraceful!” Mu Hua called Mu Yu Die over. He didn’t listen to her explanation. A slap went straight at her face. “You actually lose your jade pendant and it also fell into a man’s hands! All of Mu family’s face was lost because of you!”

  Mu Yu Die cried while explaining, but Mu Hua didn’t listen. A girl’s personal token, a symbol of identity fell onto a man’s hands; even if they explain that Mu Yu Die was innocent, but those commoners won’t think like that. Not to mention that he is a country’s prime minister. How many pair of eyes are watching him and waiting for him to make a mistake? He had always been so cautious. He didn’t expect that his granddaughter would let Mu household lose such a big face.

  The moment, he thought about the man with Mu Yu Die’s jade, Mu Hua wished he could kill him. However, that man was smart. He let everyone know about this. If something happened to him and his opponents get this piece of information to use against him, he would be in trouble. So, now, not only couldn’t Mu Hua kill him, instead, he should protect him, lest to let him be killed and Mu household be framed.

  “Usually, you’re so clever, how come you’re of no good now? A girl’s reputation is ruined. See, how you’ll face people in the future!”

  “Grandfather, I don’t want to marry that beggar! I don’t want to marry him! I like Feng Cang. I want to marry Feng Cang…”

  ‘Pa!’ Hearing Mu Yu Die mention ‘Feng Cang’, Mu Hua got angry. He raised his hand. Another slap went to Mu Yu Die’s face. “How come this old one has such a disappointing granddaughter? What’s not good about second prince? When you marry, you’ll be an imperial consort. In the future, you’ll be empress. You happen to fancy a sickly person. Are you blind or have you gone mad? Now, such a thing happened and you still want to marry Feng Cang? Forget it!”

  The thing that happened at the prime minister’s mansion became the joke of the high society. And Mu Yu Die also became the talk and laughter at the dining table. There were people who rumored the story very brilliantly. They described the story of Mu Yu Die and the beggar very vividly and colorful like they witnessed it themselves.

  For a time, this profane love had been coated with a layer of legendary light. It even spread to Wanyan Lie’s ears.

  “Oh? There’s actually such a thing?” Wanyan Lie heard about this incomparable love at empress Li Bing’s. He was very interested. “In this world there’s very small number of love where the families didn’t match. Since it’s like that, then zhen3 will grant them marriage!”

  With a decree, Mu Yu Die became the bride of a beggar. Mu Hua was so angry that he fainted. It was just, no matter how much Mu Hua loved his granddaughter or how unwilling Mu Yu Die was, they couldn’t defy the emperor’s decree. When he got to know it was empress Li Bing who told the emperor this, Mu Hua hated the empress so much.

  The empress was like this was for nothing more but because Mu Hua stood at the second prince’s side. That was why she humiliated Mu Yu Die and also humiliated prime minister Mu Hua. With tears, he let Mu Yu Die get married. Hearing his granddaughter’s hysterical cries, Mu Hua cried. He would remember this! No matter what, he won’t let Wanyan Hong become the emperor!

  When Su Mei told Murong Qi Qi Mu Yu Die’s ending, she only smiled. Mu Yu Die asked for it herself. This punishment could be considered light. Time would wash away everything. Mu Yu Die’s matter very quickly became history.

  These days, Murong Qi Qi was very idle. So idle, she almost became mold.

  The wangfu was decorated with lanterns and colored banners in preparation of Feng Cang’s wedding. These past few days, Feng Cang appeared like gods and disappeared like devils. Wanyan Kang came by a few times. These two mixed and whispered together. They seemed to be keeping something from Murong Qi Qi. It was just, they were very secretive. Wanyan Kang even kept it from Su Mei. There was definitely something fishy going on.

  Appeared like gods and disappeared like devils: appear and disappear unpredictably.

  There was three days left before the wedding. This day, the wangfei4 was very quiet. When Murong Qi Qi woke up and opened her eyes, it was already noon. She discovered that Su Mei and Su Yue was not at her side. She called twice, but no one appeared. Murong Qi Qi could only get up and wash by herself. Because she didn’t know how to do her hair, she let her long hair loose. It reached her heel. She dressed up and walked out of Tingsong Building.

  It was still the first month of the lunar calendar. The weather was still cold. Murong Qi Qi stepped on the snow while wandering in the wangfu. After walking for a while, she felt that something wasn’t right. The whole wangfu was very quiet. No sound could be heard and also no people could be seen.

  “Wangye? Su Mei! Su Yue!”

  It was so quiet and no one responded. Only occasionally, she could hear a sound or two from the birds. There were no other sounds.

  So strange…Murong Qi Qi was very surprised. Where did all the people go? could it be that all went to prepare for the wedding? However, it still shouldn’t be like this with not even one person around, ah!

  She walked around the whole wangfu but didn’t see even one person. When Murong Qi Qi returned to Tingsong Building, it was already evening.

  In the winter, it would become dark earlier. Loo
king at the vast dusk, Murong Qi Qi felt a bit uneasy. What the matter? Why isn’t anyone here? Could it be something happened? Or is it that someone invaded wangfu?

  Just as Murong Qi Qi was thinking, a sound of the zither came over. The sound was melodious like gurgling spring water. It was like you could become drunk from the sound. There’s someone! Murong Qi Qi was happy. She immediately followed the sound of the zither to find the source. She didn’t expect to go around the whole plum garden.

  It was in the winter. The plum blossoms bloomed alluringly. The moment Murong Qi Qi looked, she saw Feng Cang inside the pavilion in the plum garden.

  It seemed that today’s Feng Cang was particularly handsome. He was still wearing snow white clothes. His long hair was in a bundle on the top of his head. At this time, Feng Cang was dedicated at playing the zither. His slender and long fingers fiddled the strings of the qin. A wonderful music came from those fingertips. The whole plum garden was surrounded by the touching zither’s music.

  “Qing Qing, you came!” After the final sound, Feng Cang stood up. Smilingly he led Murong Qi Qi into the pavilion. Don’t know when, but two beautiful red candles on the table had been lit. What’s more surprising was the jade bottle on the table where a bouquet of red plum was stuck inside.

  The orange candlelight rendered the whole atmosphere exceptionally warm. In the air floated a faint fragrance of plum. At this time, Feng Cang’s eyes were particularly gentle, making Murong Qi Qi be suck into them.

  Could it be he wanted…

  Murong Qi Qi didn’t get the situation yet, when Feng Cang knelt in front of her. In his hand was a beautiful box. When opened, inside the box lay a fine ruby ring.

  “Murong Qi Qi, are you willing to marry me and become my wife, accompany me in day and night, stand with me while holding hands, have children for me and after death…be buried in our family’s ancestral grave?”

  “Puchi!” Behind the rockery, don’t know who laughed after hearing the last sentence.

  Murong Qi Qi didn’t felt it was funny. At this time, her heart was filled with sweetness. After death, be buried in the ancestral grave of Feng clan? Leaving a tablet next to Feng Cang’s in the ancestral hall of Feng clan? How wonderful was such a thing, ah?!

  “Qing Qing, are you willing? Are you willing to become my bride?” Seeing that Murong Qi Qi didn’t say a word for half a day, Feng Cang was anxious. In his handsome phoenix eyes appeared something called anxiety. “Are you willing?”

  Feng Cang was somewhat worried that Murong Qi Qi wasn’t willing.

  He prepared for so long was to give Murong Qi Qi the proposal of her dreams. However, he had never seen such a proposal and also had never heard about it. He had pondered these past two days for very long before choosing this place and appeared in such a way in front of Murong Qi Qi.

  Now, Murong Qi Qi didn’t nod for such a long time, made all those small sensitive and dejected feelings come out. If Murong Qi Qi doesn’t agree or if she refuses, what should he do? He had never thought to force Murong Qi Qi to marry him. These past two days, the rumors were flying in the capital. Presumably, she also heard them. If she became timid before the marriage or if she wanted to retreat, what should he do?

  Only a dozen seconds, Feng Cang thought about many ‘too horrible to contemplate’ consequences. Aside from anxiousness in his eyes was also a trace of anticipation.

  When she saw the sincerity and melancholy in Feng Cang’s eyes , Murong Qi Qi’s heart turned soft. This man, ah! He’s obviously very manly, but now, he was so cautious making people feel pity!

  “Wangye, I’m willing!” Murong Qi Qi raised her left hand in front of Feng Cang. “I’m willing to marry you to become your wife. From now till forever, whether it’s during good or bad, rich or poor, healthy or sick, happiness or sadness, I will love you forever, cherish you and be faithful to you until forever after!”

  They were surrounded by silence. Murong Qi Qi’s gentle voice healed the fear in Feng Cang’s heart.

  The moment he heard she was willing to marry him and would never leave him no matter when, where or what for situations, Feng Cang’s excited lips slightly trembled. He stood up and tightly hugged Murong Qi Qi. He wished he could rub her into his bone marrow.

  “I also love you! I’m also willing to accompany for a very long time. No matter if it’s during favorable circumstances or predicament, rich or poor, healthy or sick, happiness or sadness, I will love you forever, cherish you, respect you and be faithful to you for all eternity!”

  Feng Cang remembered Murong Qi Qi’s promise. He tightly hugged Murong Qi Qi while his heart beat fast. So many years, so many days, Feng Cang had never been happy like today!

  There’s no doubt that Murong Qi Qi is his bride, but this marriage was set by the two countries. It was not her own will.

  All along, Feng Cang had a trace of worry. He was worried that Murong Qi Qi was forced to marry him. Now, hearing Murong Qi Qi say ‘I’m willing’, ‘I’ll love you forever’, Feng Can’s heart completely opened. His heart also completely relaxed.

  “Oh!” Next to them, someone clapped and someone cheered. When Murong Qi Qi left Feng Cang’s arms, she discovered that the people who disappeared during the day were now surrounding them. Everyone was cheering this couple. Wanyan Kang shouted the loudest!

  “You…,” Murong Qi Qi suddenly realized. Everything which happened today was the ‘collusion’ of these people.

  “Congratulations, miss! Congratulations, guye5!” Su Mei and Su Yue smilingly went forward and bowed at Murong Qi Qi and Feng Cang. The ‘guye’ from the two made Feng Cang’s mood soar. He rewarded everyone with a salary of a year.

  “Wangye, the ring isn’t put on yet!” Murong Qi Qi waved her left hand. “You need to put it on the ring finger!”

  “Good, good!” Feng Cang was too happy. He actually had forgotten the most critical thing. When he put the ring on Murong Qi Qi’s ring finger, the two’s fingers intertwined as if they would never separate.

  “Kiss her!” Wanyan Kang shouted. With this fifth prince taking the lead, the others also shouted.

  Normally, these servants were a bit afraid of Feng Cang. However, today was Feng Cang’s happiest day. He smiled a lot more. He seemed a lot easier to get close to. So, under the lead of Wanyan Kang, everyone also shouted.

  “Cousin brother, kiss her! Come, kiss as a pledge to your love! What do you guys say?”

  “Great!”

  The voices of the masses were loud and clear. Their eyes bright as snow. Under the eyes of so many, Feng Cang slowly lowered his head.

  * * *

  Wangye: the prince of first rank

  Wangfu residence of the prince of first rank

  Zhen: I used by the emperor

  Wangfei: main conosrt of the prince of first rank

  Guye: son in law, also used by the servants of the mistress’s family

  Chapter 111: The Truth (1)

  * * *

  Not waiting for Feng Cang’s kiss to land, Murong Qi Qi tiptoed and took the initiative to kiss Feng Cang’s lips.

  “Cousin-in-law is formidable!” Wanyan Kang roared and whistled. The people beside him were also very happy. It seemed that wangye1 and wangfei’s2 relationship was very good. This was the thing that made people the happiest.

  The two kissed as if there was no one else around; as if in this world, there were only the two of them.

  ‘Pa!’ ‘Boom!’ Nine hundred ninety-nine fireworks were lit. The sky above the whole wangfu3 was bright like it was in the day. Gorgeous flowers bloomed in the blue sky. It attracted the attention of the whole capital and also alerted Wanyan Lie in the palace.

  Chinese people like 9 very much as 9 has the same pronunciation with 久 (Jiu, meaning everlasting). On the Valentine’s Day, a man usually presents his lover with 99 or 999 roses to symbolize eternal love.

  “What’s going on? Jing De, let someone go take a look!”

  Wanyan Lie put down the memorials he was looking at. He wa
lked to the window and looked at the colorful piece of sky not far away. He frowned, “It seems to be in the direction of Nan Lin wangfu. Quickly, let people go check what happened!”

  Not only the palace, the embassy where Xi Qi’s people were staying at had also been alarmed.

  Looking at the sky full of fireworks above Nan Lin wangfu, Shangguan Wu Ji’s lips were in a tight line. Since he escorted Murong Qi Qi to Bei Zhou till now, his task had been to wait for the wedding of Murong Qi Qi. After seeing her happily become Feng Cang’s wife, his mission would be completed.

  It was just, now, Murong Qi Qi’s wedding was getting closer, so close that he didn’t dare to go to Nan Lin wangfu. He was afraid that after seeing Murong Qi Qi, he wouldn’t be able to withstand that kind of heart-tearing pain. Although in his heart, he wanted to see her, but now seeing her had also became a luxurious thing in his life. Since it was like that, it would be better to not see her or meet her. She would always stay in his heart as a young girl; she won’t change, won’t get old and would just stay there…

  “What happened at Nan Lin wangfu?” Longze Jing Tian had let someone go inquire. After a while, the person came back.

  “Answering wangye, Nan Lin wang proposed to princess Zhao Yang! It’s said, he prepared nine hundred and ninety-nine fireworks…As for what this proposing thing is, this subordinate didn’t found out.”

  “Propose?” Looking at the sky of the night blooming with beautiful fireworks, Longze Jing Tian went silent. In his mind, he fantasied about how gorgeous Murong Qi Qi would smile under this piece of colorful sky.

  Did he really miss it? Although Longze Jing Tian had let people find crown princess Yu Shi Shi before he came to Bei Zhou and wanted her to make trouble between those two, but it seemed that that woman wasn’t of any use.

  Moreover, the most critical thing was that Murong Qi Qi’s heart had moved for Feng Cang. She seemed to have fallen in love with him. Even if he got her back; a woman who had another man living in her heart, would she still try to give him love?