Joyfully watching the couple’s (Hua Qiong & Yan Huaishi ) walking away together, Feng Zhi Wei said softly “I am so happy for Hua Qiong.” 

Her smile was full of warmth but there was something very sad in her eyes. 

Master Gu suddenly thrust a bowl of hot corn soup in front of her and said, “You like this.” 

Feng Zhi Wei took the bowl but suddenly paused, wondering how Master Gu who never paid attention to anything around him would remember that she liked this soup? 

Gu Zhi Xiao immediately rushed over and said loudly, “I want!”

Master Gu perfunctorily stuffed a drumstick into her hand. 

Gu Zhi Xiao hit her father’s head with the drumstick, “Want corn soup!” 

Master Gu grabbed his daughter, and threw her out, landing her firmly into a face-washing basin. 

Sitting in the large basin, Gu Zhi Xiao beat on the basin fiercely with the drumstick, banging around seemingly as if she is putting on a show, “Corn!”

This little girl of the Gu family is thoroughly used to being carried and thrown around by her dad. Sometimes her dad would carry her on his back while he is fighting. He would just casually throw her on his shoulder as he would a sack of bags and completely ignore her presence whenever he is jumping around. Before Gu Zhi Xiao even knew how to speak, she knew that she had to hold onto her dad’s neck at all times, otherwise, she would get tossed out when her dad is jumping around. 

This is also why this child is getting more ferocious the bigger she gets. Other little girls might cry for three days straight if they were bumped slightly but she would just lay down for a nap if she gets thrown onto the beam of the house. 

The drumstick banging on the side of the basin, meat juice splashing all over, combined with Gu Zhi Xiao’s ear-piercing voice, Zong Chen immediately ran away. A resigned Feng Zhi Wei handed over her corn soup. 

Gu Zhi Wei motioned with her chin for Feng Zhi Wei to put down the corn soup. Sitting in the basin, waving her hand like a queen, she calls to her dad “Feed me!” 

Feng Zhi Wei looked on with amazement, wondering where in heaven this kid learned all this? 

Master Gu walked over, calmly took the corn soup, and stuffed it back into Feng Zhi Wei’s hand, then…

He suddenly turned the basin upside down. 

*plop* Miss Gu ended up underneath the basin…

Daddy Gu breezily plopped a heavy book on top of the basin, leaving a small gap, and dragged the still stunned Feng Zhi Wei to go drink her soup. 

Underneath the basin, Little Miss Gu banged for a while before finally realizing no one is paying any attention to her. Bored, she laid down, finished eating the drumstick, pouted for a while, unable to figure out a reason for the differential treatment, and finally closed her eyes. 

Finally fell asleep in boredom. 

————————————————–

Feng Zhi Wei was dragged up to get herself ready before sunlight even hit the window. 

Putting on Wei Zhi’s face– she hid the mask in a cave under Baitou cliff, and as she had hoped, it wasn’t discovered so on her way back from Pucheng she got it back. 

She changed into a black silk long robe, green soft armor, and a dark green heavy brocade cloak. The cloak is embroidered with bright blue Kui patterns (Kui is a mythical creature that looks a bit like a dragon). Her black hair was tied up high with a white jade hair crown, secured by a long elegant hairpin. The long hair draped behind her shoulder was as smooth as running water. 

Hua Qiong was also dressed in military uniform as she personally helped Feng Zhi Wei adjust her clothes and laughed “There are going to be lots of fainting young women today.” 

The corner of Feng Zhi Wei’s mouth twitched, letting out a wry smile, thinking silently that she just hope to not make the first young woman (meaning the princess) of the Capital faint. 

As she came out of the inn, the three hundred most elite guards of the wild grassland Helian gave her all clicked their heels together and saluted. 

“I am hereby ordered to welcome the Marquis of Zhongyi, General Wuwei, Minister of Rites, Education Official of Qingming Academy, Lord Wei– “ 

The long announcement was accompanied by the solemn music of the royal musicians as Feng Zhi Wei steered her horse forward to greet the procession. 

Sunlight shot down from the sky, in the golden light the young man in green armor came riding through on his horse, the dark green cloak flapped in the March spring breeze. 

The young man on the horse had the confidence that was engraved by the blood and frost of the battlefield. His aura might not seem as piercing as before but his presence is even more commanding, like a cliff that has been polished by the relentless pounding of the sea. 

The court officials who were dazzled by the peerless young man in the golden sunlight finally sent out Official Hu to go greet him. 

Feng Zhi Wei pulled her horse to a stop in the March spring breeze. 

Her eyes moved past the powerful officials, past the cheering crowds on both sides, past the high gates of the imperial capital, past the four-way thoroughfares. 

Her eyes settled on the carriages of the princes, settled on the small courtyard of the Qiu manor she used to live with her family, settled on Imperial Hall that was covered in deep snow that year (where her family’s coffin spent one night at), settled even further, on the little grove of forest with the two silent lonely graves. 

A year of time, everything changed. 

The fifteenth year of Tiansheng.

Imperial Capital.

I am finally back.  

———————————–

The fifteenth year of Tiansheng, after leaving the imperial capital for a year, Feng Zhi Wei made a glorious return as Wei Zhi. 

A year, yet everything is different. 

On the fifteenth year, after going through much trial and danger, Wei Zhi returned to Tiansheng after his disappearance in the battle of Baitou. Wei Zhi was received by the Tiansheng emperor with great joy. The title of marquis that was awarded to him posthumously or so they thought, would not be taken away. Wei Zhi is going back to the Ministry of Rituals as the minister. It is said that the emperor had originally intended to just have Wei Zhi enter the cabinet but Wei Zhi firmly rejected the idea. This is why Wei Zhi ended up going the tried and true path to the cabinet by getting experience in the six departments. However, even with all that said, this 18-year-old Minister of Rites is already an anomaly in the empire. With his age, he will certainly enter the cabinet at a young age. In the eyes of all, the future prime minister of Tian Sheng will be none other than Wei Zhi. 

The emperor had originally wanted to move Wei Zhi departments and make him the Minister of Justice. The previous Minister of Justice belonged to Prince Chu’s faction but was exiled earlier in the year due to bribery. Ning Yi was still at the battlefront when the Minister of Justice was accused of bribery. Those belonging to Ning Yi’s faction had wanted to unite together to do what they can to save the Minister, but Ning Yi sent an urgent message stopping them. After the bribery case was done, Ning Yi’s men belatedly realized while the whole thing looked to be the handiwork of the Second Prince but there vaguely was the will of the Tiansheng Emperor behind it. It was then that Ning Yi’s men finally understood how wise Prince Chu is. It doesn’t matter if one person falls but if the bribery case brought out all of them, then that would truly be falling into the Second Prince’s trap. (All that means the Emperor was using the Second Prince to try to fish out who among his officials belong to Ning Yi’s faction so he can pick them off one by one later.)

When the Emperor asked Feng Zhi Wei which department she would like to go to, she politely expressed that she is still young and a department like the Ministry of Justice that is vital to the empire would perhaps be beyond her capability. In the end, Wei Zhi was promoted within her old department and became the Minister of Rites. Some people had speculated that perhaps Official Wei’s choice is an indication of his intention to not become involved in any faction (of the princes). 

Feng Zhi Wei still holds her position at the academy as the education officer. Qingming Academy belongs to Xin Ziyan but to a certain extent, it is also hers. The academy is where her and Ning Yi’s forces intersect. The most elite students who followed them to South Sea are now spread through various departments of the imperial courts. They can all be counted as her devoted friends. The other remaining students also love and respect her. Feng Zhi Wei knows very clearly, even if Ning Yi wants to hinder her progress, he can’t hinder the seeping influences of the academy students…because that would be hindering himself as well. 

It will all depend on who in the future will have greater control over the future pillars of the imperial court.

All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com

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