“Someone like me…a woman who is…unclean and disloyal…” Madam Feng tenderly rests her hand in the Emperor’s as she sorrowfully looks into his eyes, “If I keep on living…it will eventually bring trouble for Your Majesty…the princes are like eagles and wolves…Your Majesty’s every step is fraught with danger…I have watched from afar all these years…and I worry for you…I can’t…just because of my worthless life… bring danger to Your Majesty…”
Shaken to the core, the Emperor thought about his ambitious sons including the Fifth Prince who had just killed himself after his failed rebellion and promptly realizes that Madam Feng’s worry is correct. His voice choked up, the Emperor replied, “You are worrying so much for me…but it will cost you…”
“Twenty years ago…Ming Ying could die for Your Majesty…” Madam Feng smiles tenderly, “Even though…I have strayed a bit…but Ming Ying can finally be allowed the chance…to die for Your Majesty…I am so happy…really…happy…”
The Emperor embraces her tightly and could sense her life is draining bit by bit as the blood continuously flows from her. His heart breaking at the thought that she is truly dying for him, she is still so thoughtful and fearless…just like she was twenty years ago.
“Twenty years ago…” Madam Feng mutters, her smile suddenly brightens.
“Twenty years ago…” The Emperor mutters as he repeats her words, his eyes blurred by the tears.
Time seems to have faded away and he could see the young woman twenty years ago who had with one wack, chopped off the hand that was about to pierce a sword through his chest. “Your Majesty! I am here to save you!” He had opened his eyes to the sight of her bright smiling face, wearing a blood stained armor with one frightful arrow buried in her shoulder. Her expression giving no sign of her wound, with one arm around him, she had fought off the enemy surrounding them. That was such a fierce battle…He was wounded too severely to fight so it was completely on her, a young woman, to use the cloth belt to tie him on her back as she bravely charges against their foes. He weakly watched as each rise and fall of her sword sent other people’s blood mixed with her own flying. He watched as she finally ran out of strength to carry him and had to scrape her knees on the ground as she shuffled bit by bit. The rough ground tore her knees until they were bloodied. The blood had sprayed into his eyes, it was hotter than tears. With his heart burning he had sworn to himself that if he could get out of this alive…he will…he must treat her well. That vow, at that time felt like it had seared into his heart, never to be forgotten. Yet, vows are destined to fade with time and an Emperor’s vows have always been like the wind that blows past your ears to eventually be forgotten….until today when that woman sorrowfully lies in his arms, with a smile reminiscing of the past.
His hand tightening around hers, the burning heat from the blood seems to be searing his heart as well. Leaning down by her ears, he whispers, “I have always remembered how you threw the goblet and composed a poem on that feast all those years ago…in my heart…”
This was something he has been unable to get over, even when she is at death’s door, he still wants to get an answer from her. All those years ago, he had fallen for her on that feast and was ready to make her his royal concubine. However, who would’ve known that not long after she would elope with someone else. It was the first time and only time that he was rejected. That rejection had come from her.
“….Ming Ying has never dared to love Your Majesty…” Madam Feng reaches out her hand to gently caress the emperor’s beard, a melancholy smile on her lips, “…three palaces six courtyards…72 royal concubines….Ming Ying foolishly dreams to be with Your Majesty…to be Your Majesty’s one and only…but that’s an impossible dream…unable to get my heart’s desire…it only added to my pain to stay in the Capital…Ming Ying didn’t elope with someone…I left on my own. It was only the second year…when I was having too difficult of a time…that I ended up marrying…” (“Three palaces six courtyards 72 royal concubines” is a saying to describe the emperor’s concubines’ dwelling and their numbers. The number 72 just means a lot, since most emperors have a lot more concubines than that, in fact, some have upwards to a thousand.”
Shocked by her words, the Emperor cries bitterly “Ming Ying! I was mistaken about you for so many years!”
“Is…me…my fault…for being…too greedy…” Her voice weak, the sword of death ready to pierce her through at any moment.
“Don’t say anymore…” Choked with emotion, the Emperor asks, “tell me…do you still have any unfulfilled wishes?”
“I just wish…for Your Majesty’s happiness and safety…” Madam Feng’s expression turned to one of longing, “That year…throwing the goblet and composing the poem on that feast…it felt so great…”
“You can go peacefully.” Through the tears, the Emperor remembers her daughter, Feng Zhi Wei, and says in a tender voice, “You want me to be happy and safe. I too want you to be able to leave without any worry. Your daughter, I will treat her well. She is a lot like you, I will make her…make her a princess…and let her marry…Helian!”
“Zhi Wei…is a lot like me…” Finally perking up with a hint of a smile at the mention of Feng Zhi Wei, Madam Feng grabs the Emperor’s hand tightly, “Princess whatnot…that doesn’t matter…I just beg you that you would think of Ming Ying…if she does anything wrong…to forgive her…as for her marriage…I will leave to your wise decision…the wild grassland is so far…I feel bad..”
“Prince Helian will treat her well but I will listen to you and reconsider it again.” Holding the feather-light woman in his arms, the Emperor knows she is struggling to hold on, waiting to see her last remaining family. Wiping the tears away from his face then gently laying her down on the bed, the Emperor tells the just arrived palace physician in a cold voice, “Keep her alive no matter what, don’t let her go until after she has seen Feng Zhi Wei!”
“Yes! Your Majesty!”
==========
Inside the palace, a woman laid in a pool of blood and finished her life long mission.
Outside of the city gate, Feng Zhi Wei leans against a tree and finishes listening to all that has transpired in the last seven days. Her face that is caked with dust has long been drained of all color, yet there are no tears. It was as if the moment she had heard “Too late”, all of the tears had evaporated. Pressing herself tightly against the tree, it was the only way she could hold herself upright.
Zong Chen told her everything that has transpired in very few words. One reason was that he was afraid it would be too hard on Zhi Wei and the other reason was that there were things even he is still kind of fuzzy on. But of course, simple or not, Zhi Wei’s heart has already been plunged into the depth of despair. Mother and brother were implicated in a big case regarding the last empire, they were taken to the Heavenly Dungeon, then her brother died and mother was taken into the palace. Soon after that, someone saw palace physicians rushing towards where she was.
Zong Chen tries to comfort her, “Perhaps your mother was just wounded…”
Zhi Wei shakes her head and Zong Chen immediately stops talking. He doesn’t even believe his own words– Going by Madam Feng’s fierce temper and after suppressing herself for over ten years, it is impossible that she would hold herself back anymore. From the moment she took that ax to prison, this woman had already thrown everything in and had never planned to leave a way out for herself.
“I am going in to the palace.” Zhi Wei says after being silent for a long moment.
“Miss.” Zhong Chen tries to dissuade her, “That is too dangerous…”
“She is waiting for me.” Zhi Wei’s voice is firm with determination as she takes off her face mask of Wei Zhi.
Not saying anything more, Zong Chen claps his hands and immediately someone shows up from behind the trees holding a basin of clean water and all the other necessary stuff for freshening up.
“You can’t go see her like this. The Emperor gets suspicious very easily.” Zong Chen explains, “Go wash off all the dust and dirt. I will help you after that.”
Once Zhi Wei washed her face, changed her clothes and applied some makeup, Zong Chen used some oil to carefully get rid of the dry skin on her lips then proceeded to add some slight acne marks on Zhi Wei’s face that are typical signs of smallpox. Taking a look in the mirror, Zhi Wei was thoroughly impressed by Zong Chen’s skills and wondered if perhaps her own mask was made by him. With no time to waste, Zhi Wei doesn’t say anything more and promptly jumps back onto a horse to head straight for the Capital. Mother, wait for me!
Skipping over long descriptions of how our heroine has to fight her way through the six different palace gates guarded by the palace guards. There are two reasons why our heroine was able to do this: 1. She is a skilled fighter who often uses her wits to trick her way through the gates. 2. Some of the guards still remember Madam Feng as the legendary general and having heard of the situation inside the palace, knew that the Emperor will be summoning Zhi Wei anyway so they didn’t block too hard.
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Loved the translation and cant wait for next week.
Hello ninja I have a question,
So how did ning yi find out about zhi wei, wei zhi mask thing since it was not a simple costume?
P.s I am in LOVE with your translations and currently looking at all of ur posts, I would love to read a post about you (to get to know you) that is of course if you feel comfortable sharing.
At her uncle house NY watch ZW kill her uncle’s concubine.. Water from the pool wash away her mask..
Just to add a bit to the great answer Regina had already provided: The “mask” Zhi Wei wore in this scene (when our two leads first met) is not an actual mask but more of makeup to hide her features so that’s why it washed off with water. For Wei Zhi though, our heroine wore a mask.
I am honored that you would be curious about me! However, the reason I like blogging is precisely for the fact that it’s a place for me to take a step away from real life and share my drama addictions with others so that’s why I usually don’t share too much personal info.
So how did ning yi connect the dots? (That zhi wei is wei zhi) when did it exactly happen, at which encounter?
Remember the whole reason why our heroine became Wei Zhi was to escape from being killed by Ning Yi? Go back and re-read translation posts 6 and 7, that’s where he makes the connection.
Hi, Ninja.. Just finished all of your translation from #1 in less than 5 days! Thank you so much.. Really appreciate it! Even it’s not a complete translation of the book but it really picture the story very well..
It shocked me Xin Zi Yan & Ning Cheng in the novel will do the opposite from the drama.. Even ZY in the drama doesn’t support ZW with NY, at least he doesn’t do anything like in the novel 😔
And now, I really can’t be patient for the next chapter! Too curious..
Estou sem folego……. Esperando a próxima semana.
Ok, that caught me unprepared. I definitely wasn’t expecting Madame Feng to say that she was in love with the emperor… is that pure strategy or there is some truth there? Regardless of the answer, this was another excellent translation (and thanks for sparing us the description of Zhiwei crossing the palace gates, it’s perfectly enough with your summary of the situation) and as usual, thank you for your hard work! <3
Wonderful!
Thank you
Hey Ninja reflection,
I just found all of your translations this weekend and am caught up. Looking forward to Monday to see more of them!
Is the long song of Tiansheng written in Mandarin? (I think that was what you said this novels name was?)
Thank you for all of your hard work!
The novel’s name is 凰权 which could be translated to Phoenix’s Power (the power in this sense is more like political power)
Dear Ninja Reflection,
I read all of your the Rise of Phoenixes translations in 2 days.
Thank you so much for your hard work!