Volume 1 Chapter 19 (1/2)
Chapter 19
--------------
-insert witty re to post this has left h everyone's comments in my e-mail and its been painful because I want to reply and cocktease all Sadly, LJ is being har better to do - ça me fait chier! I haven't been able to click into my own posts after they are upped or reply to any comments Thank you to the LJers who have tried endlessly to leavethis chapter pretty o as s at the predictionsbut happy to see that no one foresaw the following!
<3 Sooky
PS: Thank you for the song recommends! I have a playlist made with your love
---------------
Notes:
Fruits and seedlings: In ancient Chinese culture, people tend to talk about babies and children in context of seedlings and fruit So the Prince is frequently called a fruit in this chapter…lol
Second Spring: In Chinese, the youth and love are considered one’s Spring-ti means to enjoy a second round of love
Clarification of An Xun's status: Please note that An Xun is h he is entitled ”King”, it's just a na for the throne So thisof Fan Jia and is third in line for accession The Chinese word for King (wang) is also the same word for Imperial/Royal
---------------
At the entrance of the torch illuure adorned with si stretch of corridor in front of the silence even with the uninvited guests
The rows of torches lighting the path crackled, the flames danced and flickered Those ere familiar with the face could barely identify the person by her profile, and one could immediately notice that she was beautiful
The unexpected road block was the woman who rarely ventured out of her charownout alarht of her, and now after catching their breaths they exchanged looks
King Rong approached quietly, kneeling behind the Queen and whispered: “Your Highness, the son in law of Fan Jia’s King has arrived An Xun has personally returned to Xi Rei offering a gift to give our King, a rare medicine”
Where the party had paused was narrow although Rong wang’s voice was soft, there was a slight echo that returned fro down this passage, it felt as if the other end was going to s you with darkness
The Queen provided no ihtly tilted doards as if she was occupied in her own little world After a while she finally responded however there was no change in her expression
“I know”
After providing a short sentence she returned to her taciturn behavior Not a sound as she continued to kneel in the corridor, her presence was sealing off the path She lifted her head up focusing her eyes at a pinpoint towards the end of the dark tunnel
Everyone was growing unco their visit, andit i and no one wanted to overstep their authority As long as the Queen re the path to see the King of Xi Rei
At this point, Feng Ming did play with the idea that this sudden road block could possibly be part of Rong Tian’s ency to stall for ets ih? Doesn’t that mean this plan was flawed? The scenario that ended badly in his mind made him shudder, he flashed his eyes across to see how An Xun was reacting to the barricade
Surprisingly, An Xun appeared to be calh the Queen’s vigil On the contrary, his face had paled like a ghost, and his hands were balling up If you looked closely, beneath the thick layers of clothing you could see that he was treht of the Queen had a very big impact on him
How peculiar, don’t tell me that there’s hostility between the Queen and An Xun…
No one kne to react to the Queen’s antics and suddenly she finally spoke breaking the tension with a forlorn voice “Since long ago the King has been ill and I am his Queen, thus by status it is my duty to oversee the prayer rituals I’ve persistently recited prayers to the heavens at a boundary a hundred paces fro’s life and death, if there is any Intruders the spiritual poould weaken At thisuntil I am completed with my prayers and receive aback she ordered her son, “An He, you are the King’s flesh and blood, kneel besideto the heavens for your father’s recovery”
Feng Ming didn’t believe in such things, but he had no alternative This was the Queen’s personal order, there was no way out It was best he assume the exterior of a filial son, answer to hisand kneel obediently beside her without a word
He thought inside, ‘how long are we supposed to pray? Until we receive a divine answer? What was this mandate from the heavens? What if they had to be on their knees for another three to five days just to get a response, would it be a bad sign?
The Queen gently reasoned, “An Xun, you are also of Royal blood quickly kneel and pray for your Royal brother’s health”
Feng Ming lowered his face fro to hide the shock horror when he heard the Queen’s second co An Xun as if he was her subordinate True enough, his uncle was lesser of rank but none the less he had return to Xi Rei carrying another Royal title to his name He was certainly no ordinary , ould there be a need for Rong Tian to intervene? Wouldn’t it be better if she’d directly tell him to beat it!
“An Xun will follow your wish” To everyone’s surprise An Xun submitted to the Queen and i sed the knot that had developed in his throat The two ned behind the wo, nothing was turning out like he had anticipated and he didn’t like the situation which was growing o about his current predicament Nervously he flashed his eyes sideways in an atteht was short lived he was abruptly shaken by the Queen’s calm voice She had not once turned to face the men, “Only the people of Royal blood are able to pray, others withdraw”
“Yes, your Highness” King Rong replied pro with her co knew that noas in for it, this was an e he was even ht hold of the older erwas An Xun’s personal guard, aiting his“Leave us and wait outside forTian and the guard disappeared froht
Once thekept his head lowered slightly and he was nearly motionless His eyes darted around, from the Queen’s back and then sideways to the ht inside, given the scenario it couldn’t be that the three of us would talk? But at this very e, and he didn’t dare to take the initiative to ask questions to get the ball rolling They weren’t exactly best friends he could casually talk to Feng Ming sighed inwardly, cursing his string of bad luck and decided it was best to keep hisup fros
The three unlikely candidates reood hour, and the Prince cursed even ave up on him to the powers of paralysis Inside he had conjured neords and nasty na He had practice them numerous times inside his head With his squinted eyes he checked on the other two but they re to the pains of the body
Breaking the silence, the Queen suddenly inserted “An Xun is your purpose here to clai nearly reeled backwards as he had never expected that the Queen was capable of speaking so directly, her tone was serious and she meant business, he was a the nail on the head
His Uncle hesitated for ahis words, “There is the throne, yet there are other things”
Feng Ming’s eyes widened coob sht forwards, with no sense of need to cover up his intensions to steal the throne
Hmph! Clearly he doesn’t treat the Prince as a threat He is tra looked down on, Feng Ming shot a piercing look at An Xun
“You still want soive up?” The Queen pro
An Xun was stifled, his body language was agitated, with his hands clenched he replied, “…during that time…that time he stole you, if it wasn’t for hi uncontrollably, he started to lean forwards towards the Queen He stopped halfway, barely able to contain himself, as his body wanted to throw his ar watched the scene unroll in front of his wide eyes, he was a co the red abort button!
Calm down heart! I can’t believe the Queen and my Royal Uncle were an old flame, this is insane!</e so roather, it see Ming couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy
Then his thoughts trailed to other aspects of the story, parts where he had to deal with The Queen was his iven the likelihood that An Xun would force hi her? If he intercepted their atte away their opportunity to enjoy a second Spring? Even if he was to defend her, An Xun ell schooled in martial arts and he’d be immediately exposed as a counterfeit Prince If he didn’t protect her from his uncle’s assault then wouldn’t he be…
All these possibilities weremess in his mind, then the Queen continued “Do youthat was taken from you?”