Demon Wang's Golden Favorite Fei

by La Mi Tu

At this moment, Gu Yun Wan was looking at Feng Qi Qi in a different light. Besides astonishment and admiration, there was also a kind of regret not having met earlier!

  “Qi Qi, you’re really perfect! Now I know why everyone loves you so much!” She said and sighed from the bottom of her heart. Unexpectedly, these words were heard by Feng Cang, who had lifted the curtain to come in. “Who loves my family’s Qing Qing?”

  Hearing the jealousy in Feng Cang’s words, Gu Yun Wan stuck out her tongue and ran away from the scene. Su Mei also smiled and went out, leaving the couple alone.

  “Qing Qing, what were you girls talking about earlier? Who loves you?”

  “Nothing special… Little Wan was just saying that I’m loved by all, running into me makes the flowers bloom and encountering me makes the cars boom!” Feng Qi Qi shook her head helplessly upon seeing Feng Cang filled with jealousy. He was usually calm and rational, but when it came to matters related to Feng Qi Qi, he would become impulsive. Right then, he pulled her into his embrace and praised her incessantly when he saw those designs on the table.

  “This set of jewelry is beautiful! Did Qing Qing give it a name yet?”

  “Peacock Flying to the Southeast…” Originally, Feng Qi Qi hasn’t thought of a good name yet. However, for some reason, now that she looked at this set of jewelry again, this name came to mind and was blurted out by her.

  “ Peacock Flying to the Southeast? That’s not bad.”

  While Feng Cang was talking, his lip moved to Feng Qi Qi’s ear and he breathed softly. “Qing Qing, Ming Yue Cheng’s going to select consorts and choose an empress.”

  “Yes,” hummed Feng Qi Qi softly twice. Her cheeks flushed slightly when she felt the heat coming from her ears, making her heart tickle and her body numb.

  “After Ming Yue Cheng takes a wife, I can finally be at ease.”

  Feng Qi Qi didn’t expect Feng Cang to say something like that in the end. It looked like he still remembers those words that Ming Yue Cheng had said before ah! This guy… he’s really petty! “It’s all a thing of the past, isn’t it?”

  “No. That guy won’t give up so easily. So, I’m feeling a lot of pressure ah!”

  Feng Cang didn’t tell her the words in his heart directly. In his opinion, regardless of whether it was an attack out in the open or a hidden attack, he could counter a move when he sees one and shoots the people harboring evil designs towards Qing Qing down. But this Ming Yue Cheng, he was just watching from a distance and was the ‘if you are happy, then I am happy’ kind of person. In fact, this type was the most difficult to ‘deal with’.

  * * *

  Zhen: I, used by the emperor

  Chapter 191: Selecting Consorts (1)

  * * *

  However, Feng Cang admired this ‘special’ rival from the bottom of his heart. In any case, Ming Yue Cheng was an opponent worthy to be respected. He would never plot scheme or play trickery. Moreover, he had never play dirty tricks behind the back. As Ming Yue Cheng said before, “I love you, this has nothing to do with you.” Feng Cang thought that if it was him, he wouldn’t be able to do that on the matter of love.

  The news of Nan Feng’s new emperor selecting consorts soon spread like wildfire throughout the entire Nan Feng.

  These days during the court, Ming Yue Cheng could feel that the expressions of these ministers were weird. They looked at him as if they were looking at a delicious cake. Some people had even put portraits of their own daughter in the memorial to the emperor, hoping that Ming Yue Cheng could see them when he read the memorial and get a good impression of their daughter. Everyone thought highly of Ming Yue Cheng and all wanted to be connected to the imperial family.

  So, a spectacular project about selecting consorts began in the capital. All the beautiful girls were arranged to enter the palace to begin the primary and secondary selections. Everyone strived to show the best of themselves and hoped to be selected by Ming Yue Cheng.

  “Fu Er, how are things going?” Ming Yue Cheng wasn’t affected by the noise of the outside world at all. He still read the memorials conscientiously and occasionally asked one or two things about the matters of selecting consorts.

  “Answering the emperor, the primary selection hasn’t yet begun! The quality of the beautiful girls this time is very high. Those young mistresses are all outstanding. It seems that this time sir Gu De is going to have a headache!”

  “Ha….” Couldn’t decipher whether the laughter of Ming Yue Cheng was happy or sad. After reviewing the last memorial, Ming Yue Cheng stood up and stretched his muscles. Suddenly he said, “Fu Er, today’s weather is just right. Accompany me out of the palace!”

  “Yes….” Fu Er had always complied with Ming Yue Cheng’s request. He immediately changed Ming Yue Cheng into the ordinary clothes. Afterwards, Fu Er followed behind Ming Yue Cheng and the two got out of the palace.

  It was already early in the spring. The spring in Nan Feng arrived particularly early. Women selling flowers could be seen everywhere on the street. Those beautiful purples and brilliant red flowers were placed in the flower vase. Only by giving a few coppers, a small bouquet could be taken. It was really a good deal.

  Beautiful purples and brilliant red: beautiful flowers

  Ming Yue Cheng looked at the spray of flowers in front for a long time. He finally picked a bouquet of peach blossoms. Early spring, it was the perfect time when peach blossom bloomed most gorgeously. Peach blossoms were simple and small, with simple colors and small petal. They strived to flourish under the warm sun of spring as if they would use their whole life to embrace spring.

  “Is it beautiful, Fu Er?”

  “Beautiful! The peach tree is young and elegant, brilliant are its flower!”

  The peach tree is young and elegant, brilliant are its flower: This sentence is from a Chinese poetry (桃之夭夭，灼灼其华). It means that the peach tree is in full blossom with its flower blooming very beautiful.

  “Hm, well said!” Ming Yue Cheng took the peach blossoms and walked aimlessly in the capital. People brushed past him from time to time. Those smiling faces affected Ming Yue Cheng‘s mood more or less.

  Just when Ming Yue Cheng was immersed in the beauty of spring, the sound of pipa came over.

  Pipa (琵琶): a Chinese musical string instrument/ a Chinese lute

  He followed the sound and found a girl in white clothes kneeling at the street corner not far from him. She had a slender yellow straw on her head and a body was lying in front of her. On the ground next to her, there was a piece of paper on which the words ‘selling body to bury father’ were clearly written.

  The mournful sound of the girl’s pipa with this harmonious spring was somewhat not matched. Her head was lowered, her clothes were wet at the chest, and tears continued to slide down her cheeks. The girl’s voice was also very choked with sobs, so the sound came out particularly sad.

  “Let’s go over to take a look!” Ming Yue Cheng came to the front of the girl. The girl drooped her head and a pair of slender white hands were plucking on the pipa. With her kneeling down like this at the street corner and occupying a small area, her eyes couldn’t see the liveliness of the endless stream of horse and carriages at all. She simply lowered her head to play the pipa and her softly singing became the alternative of the busy corner.

  An endless stream of horse and carriages: heavy traffic on the street

  “How much money?” Ming Yue Cheng looked at her for a long time and slowly opened his mouth.

  “Two taels.” After seeing that somebody had pay attention to her, the white dressed girl raised her head. When Ming Yue Cheng looked at those teary eyes of her, his heart skipped a beat. This pair of eyes, this face, were actually somewhat similar to Feng Qi Qi.

  “Death contract?”

  “Yes.” The white dressed girl didn’t expect that the person who asked her would be a handsome gentleman. She was a bit nervous after looking at Ming Yue Cheng’s clothes, which clearly was of a nobleman. According to hea
rsay, the sons of those aristocrats didn’t regard women as human beings. A girl from her village was exactly tortured to death after being a slave to them. Is this misfortune coming to her now?

  “Fu Er, give her two hundred taels and help her buried the body. Afterwards, bring her back.”

  After leaving these words, Ming Yue Cheng turned away and left the white dressed girl in astonishment.

  “Girl, let’s go!” Fu er sighed. It seemed that His Majesty was stuck in the magic of Feng Qi Qi. Was this calamity or fate?

  After Fu Er was done with everything in the evening, he brought the white dressed girl into the palace.

  Before, the girl had imagined for quite a while what kind of person Ming Yue Cheng was. Even when she saw the majestic standing and the gold and jade in glorious splendor of the imperial palace, she didn’t link Ming Yue Cheng to the emperor. Just after following Fu Er into the study and seeing a yellow dragon robe on Ming Yue Cheng, did she then know his identity.

  Gold and jade in glorious splendor: a dazzling sight

  “You, you are the emperor?” The girl looked at Ming Yue Cheng in astonishment. Fu Er’s brow furrowed as soon as he heard these words, “Audacious….”

  That long and stern voice made the girl startled and she quickly knelt down. The girl was more affirmative of her inner thoughts after hearing the tone of Fu Er like this. Ming Yue Cheng was the emperor? What did the emperor buy her for?

  Now, anxiety took up most of the girl’s heart. She was already a lonely person as she didn’t have parents. Now that she had met Ming Yue Cheng; she really didn’t know what would happen in the future.

  “How old are you? What’s your name?” Ming Yue Cheng didn’t let the girl stood up and just stared at her. A moment ago, Fu Er had already let the girl change her white clothes and put on blue clothes. It actually washed away some of her grief.

  “I…no, no, this subject’s daughter is called Lan Cai Yun and is fifteen years old this year.” Lan Cai Yun knelt down and didn’t dare to speak anymore.

  “Can you read?”

  “Answering His Majesty, this subject’s daughter was privately tutored by her father for several years, so had learned a few words.”

  “Hm. Stand up and calmly take two steps.”

  Lan Cai Yun was surprised at this request of Ming Yue Cheng. However, she couldn’t refute anything. She could only stand up and walked around the study according to Ming Yue Cheng’s request.

  “Will you be loyal to zhen1?”

  After Ming Yue Cheng asked the question, Lan Cai Yun immediately knelt down on the ground. “Your Majesty helped this subject’s daughter bury her father, so this subject’s daughter is a slave of Your Majesty and will be loyal to Your Majesty all her life.”

  Ming Yue Cheng didn’t have any expression after listening to Lan Cai Yun’s words. He single-handedly supported his chin; after his fingers tipped the face twice, he nodded. “Zhen will trust you for the moment! Fu Er, take Cai Yun to rest! From tomorrow on, arrange an elder maid to teach her the etiquette of the palace. Zhen wants you to learn it in three days, or else…you don’t have any value of existence. Do you understand?”

  “This slave understands. This slave will certainly do her best….”

  “Retreat then….”

  After Fu Er helped Lan Cai Yun settle down properly, he returned to the study.

  “Your Majesty, this slave doesn’t understand what you mean?” He was saying he didn’t understand, but Fu Er’s heart could more or less guess what Ming Yue Cheng’s intentions were. He just wasn’t sure. After all, if Ming Yue Cheng really thought so, then it was really too rashly.

  “Fu Er, what do you think of Lan Cai Yun?” Ming Yue Cheng didn’t directly answer Fu Er’s question. Instead, this question made Fu Er even more convinced of his inner thoughts.

  “Your Majesty, Lan Cai Yun is a bit small-minded. I’m afraid she’s unable to suppress the harem.

  Fu Er saying so, Ming Yue Cheng understood. This old man who had followed him for many years had guessed his real inner thoughts.

  Indeed, Ming Yue Cheng was planning to let Lan Cai Yun participate in the selection of consorts. Since those people ‘forced’ him to accept woman because of continuing the royal bloodline and because a country couldn’t lack an empress, then he would pick a person who would surprise everyone.

  It wasn’t that he didn’t understand those schemes of the court. It was just his heart was given to a woman named Feng Qi Qi and he didn’t have time to deal with other women. However, the matters about selecting consorts had already been announced to the whole country. He was afraid that if he backed out, he would be unable to comply with the people’s heart. Since this was the case, he just had to find a woman who he could control, such as Lan Cai Yun.

  By afternoon, An Ying (a secret spy) had already found out about Lan Cai Yun’s past. She was an orphan girl without parents and didn’t have any status nor background. As long as they gave her a new identity and adjust her head and turn her face, she could have a new beginning.

  Adjust her head and turn her face: cosmetic changes

  The seat of empress? He had already promised to give it to Feng Qi Qi. Even if she wouldn’t become his empress, this seat was tailor-made for that woman. Others weren’t qualified to sit on it!

  “Fu Er, did you think that I’m going to marry a lot of women? If she isn’t to zhen’s likeness, then zhen will rather not have her.”

  The obstinate loneliness was revealed in the words of Ming Yue Cheng. Fu Er looked at this master’s resolute expression under the light and didn’t know how to persuade Ming Yue Cheng. He (FE) had served him (MYC) so many years, so he clearly knew how stubborn this emperor was. It was a pity that fate played tricks on people, otherwise Feng Qi Qi would really have been a perfect match for his master.

  “Your Majesty, you really need to think clearly about this matter. The selection of consorts has already started. Miss Lan doesn’t have any backing to support her. How do you plan to put her among the lady-in-waiting candidates?”

  “This is easy….” The corners of Ming Yue Cheng’s mouth lifted, “The prime minister had tricked zhen. Since zhen has demands, so he shall naturally help.”

  * * *

  Zhen:, I, used by the emperor

  Chapter 191: Selecting Consorts (2)

  * * *

  Three days later, Ming Yue Cheng suddenly called Gu De to the palace, leaving Gu De puzzled. It was almost the primary selection, and the emperor suddenly summoned him. Could it be that there was something to be alerted or was it…the emperor had changed his mind?

  Gu De entered the study with a nervous heart. After carefully observing Ming Yue Cheng twice, Gu De didn’t sense any strangeness. He hadn’t spoken yet, Ming Yue Cheng already looked up. “Uncle Gu De, sit!”

  Fu Er sent people to get a chair and then sent everyone away. There were only Ming Yue Cheng and Gu De left in the room, while Fu Er guarded far away.

  After waiting for a long time, Ming Yue Cheng was still talking about meaningless topics, which made Gu De’s heart in a mess. As far as he knew, Ming Yue Cheng wasn’t an emperor who would spend time chatting with people. The memorials on his desk were stacked up like hills. It was just too strange for Ming Yue Cheng to put down the memorials and chat with him.

  After waiting for ages, Ming Yue Cheng still didn’t get to the main topic. Gu De couldn’t stand it anymore, so he took the initiative to talk. “Don’t know why Your Majesty has called this subject to the palace today? What is the matter? Is it because of tomorrow selection of consorts? Your Majesty can rest assured. This old subject knows what to do.”

  “Prime minister really knows what to do?” The voice of Ming Yue Cheng rose and his address to Gu De changed from ‘uncle’ to ‘prime minister’. Such a change and the dignified words of Ming Yue Cheng made Gu De stunned.

  “What do you mean, Your Majesty?” Gu De didn’t understand and couldn’t guess this young emperor’s thoughts. He (MYC) was such a �
�be a gentleman first and a soldier second’ and the pitch of his voice fluctuated. It made Gu De’s heart really uncertain. He didn’t know what kind of medicine Ming Yue Cheng was selling from the bottle gourd.

  Be a gentleman first and a soldier second: try peaceful measures first before resorting to force

  What kind of medicine one was selling from the bottle gourd: what has he got up his sleeve

  “Fu Er, let her come in!”

  When Lan Cai Yun followed after Fu Er, Gu De seemed to understand the thoughts of Ming Yue Cheng.

  “Daughter Gu Yun Yao pays respect to adoptive father!”

  “Lan Cai Yun went to Gu De and did the curtsy according to the noble etiquettes.

  “Your Majesty, you.…”

  “Congratulations prime minister!” Ming Yue Cheng interrupted Gu De. “Prime minister’s adopted daughter is really extraordinary. She must be able to stand out in the selection of consorts. Prime minister, what do you think?”

  “Haha….” Besides giving a dry laugh, Gu De couldn’t find any words to say. It seemed that Ming Yue Cheng had already prepared these at an earlier time and was just waiting here for him to fall into the trap!

  Gu De carefully looked Lan Cai Yun up and down and then nodded. She’s a pretty girl, and her appearance revealed virtuousness and gentleness. If His Majesty really liked this girl, as a matter of fact, there was no harm in it! He only gave this girl a noble identity.

  “Yao er1, still not thanking the prime minister?”

  “Yao er thanks adoptive father!”

  After Lan Cai Yun withdrew, Gu De opened his mouth. “Your Majesty, what do you mean in the end? Could it be that you want Gu Yun Yao to participate in the selection of consorts?”

  “That is exactly what zhen2 means. Didn’t uncle Gu De say that the palace needs a woman and zhen also needs a woman to justify myself to the whole world? Since that is the case, then this woman will be chosen by zhen personally. Is this not possible?”