Rebirth of the Phoenix Princess novel Chapter 217

Prince Jing nodded and said with a smile, "Qingsu came here with hopes of marrying a Princess of Ning as it would certainly increase his chances of being appointed as the Crown Prince of Yelang. If the Emperor of Yelang falls seriously ill and is said to be dying, Qingsu will probably return to Yelang lest his brothers kill the Emperor and crown themselves by taking advantage of his absence. That situation would be to Qingsu's disadvantage if he is far away from Yelang. Qingsu has many supporters in Yelang. With their help, the situation in Yelang could be reversed. If he leaves as soon as possible, he may have a chance to turn the tables."

"That's a good scheme. But the Emperor of Yelang stays in the Yelang Imperial Palace, which is strictly guarded. What can we do to make him fall ill enough to seem like he is dying?" Yun Shang said with a frown.

Yun Shang raised her head to look at Prince Jing. To her surprise, the Prince seemed very calm. Suddenly, a thought struck Yun Shang. She stared at the Prince and asked in disbelief, "Is it possible that you already have agents in the Yelang Imperial Palace?"

No sooner had the Princess finished speaking than Qian Yin raised the door curtain and stepped inside. She carried two teacups in her hands. After putting the teacups on the table, she bowed and left the room.

Prince Jing picked up a teacup lid and then put it back on the teacup again. "As Yelang territory is mostly grasslands, it is short of many natural resources. The Yelang people also face difficulty cultivating certain crops and plants that are unsuitable to grasslands. Tea, for example, does not grow in the State of Yelang. As a result, Yelang has to purchase it from the State of Ning. The frying and baking process for tea is done in the State of Ning. At this time, I can do certain things to tamper with the tea. Of course, I would not dare to directly poison the tea. But I know secret ways of poisoning. Some nontoxic objects, if used together, will be poisonous. Li Yiran knows it and so do I."

Yun Shang's hands trembled when she heard this explanation. "So, the Emperor of Yelang is indeed dying from some illness?"

Prince Jing picked up the teacup and took a long sip. "The fate of the Emperor of Yelang is in my hands. Whether he stays seriously sick or not, is my decision."

Yun Shang sank into silence. This must be the Prince's true nature. He was farsighted, crafty, and decisive. Although the Princess had heard from Ning Qian about the Prince's cunning nature before, she could not but feel shocked when she heard the Prince talk about his plots. She could never be so farsighted and prudent when devising schemes, even if she were given another chance to be reborn.

No wonder her father, the Emperor of Ning, had sent Prince Jing on errands to the border for many

consecutive years. Had the Prince stayed in the

Imperial City all this while, the Empress would by no means be a match for him. That was an

understatement! Even ten Empresses would be incapable of plotting against him. It was quite impressive that in spite of his absence from the

Imperial City over the past ten years, the Prince had still been able to employ his forces. The commoners considered the Prince as the God of War in the State of Ning. Lady Shu, one of the Emperor's concubines, worked for him. And many officials in the court had close relations with him.

The Prince was so formidable and smart. What if one day he became an enemy of Ning...

Yun Shang was terrified at this thought. "Qingsu is a troublemaker for Ning. You can do with him as you like. But there is one thing that I want you to do for me as a favor, My Lord. Please leave Hua Jing to me. I want to kill her with my own hands." Yun Shang smiled and looked into Prince Jing's eyes.

Prince Jing nodded at the Princess as he considered her request. "It puzzles me why you bear such a deep grudge against the Empress and Hua Jing. I know that the Empress has tried everything she can to eliminate you. Yet, each time you have prevailed. But that is not enough, is it? She and Hua Jing are by no means foes that we can afford to underestimate. It is better that such vile enemies be vanished quickly. Since you are so eager to terminate Hua Jing's life, I have no reason to turn you down."

"Thank you, My Lord." Yun Shang said gently.

At Hua Jing's Palace, many servants knelt in the courtyard. It was already midsummer. The afternoon sun was radiating its fiercest heat. The servants were sprawled on the ground, which was scorching hot from hours of being baked in the sun. They perspired under the merciless heat, and their faces had turned scarlet red. But they dared not to move a single finger. They held their breath and focused their energy on deciphering sounds coming from the chamber.

"Pang!" Everybody trembled at the sudden noise. Princess Hua Jing seemed to be infuriated about something. Terror quickly spread through all the servants. They all wondered what was wrong with the Princess. Since her return from the Imperial Palace several days ago, she had been moody and short-tempered. She would fly into a rage for even the most trivial thing and then, she would vent her fury on the servants.

"The cicadas are so noisy and annoying. Are you deaf? Can't you drive them away?" Hua Jing rebuked impatiently. Her anger and demand sent shivers along the servants' spines. Soon, Hua Jing's closest maid, Ling Hua, stepped out from the Princess's chamber. Her eyes were red and filled with tears. A handprint could be clearly seen on her face. Hua Jing had punished several maids for their mistakes. Ling Hua was terrified, but she dared not to show her anxiety. Although she had tried her best to stay as calm as possible, she could not help but be bewildered and nervous.

Ling Hua nodded at the servant kneeling in the front. The servant looked at others around him. Then he left with the other servants to fetch bamboo poles to disperse the cicadas.

Ling Hua stared at the other servants kneeling on the ground with a trace of hatred. Then she turned to look at the Princess's chamber. How she wished that Prince Qingsu would come and see the Princess tonight. Princess Hua Jing's wrath would not ease unless Prince Qingsu paid her a visit.

It was late in the night. The Princess's chamber was silent, but the lamp was still on. In the dead of night, a harsh noise sounded all of a sudden. Something was smashed at first, and then Hua Jing's furious scolding could be heard. At last, a dull thud ended the commotion. It sounded like something heavy had fallen on the ground.

A short moment later, Hua Jing's voice was heard from inside. "Servant, take this bitch away. Do not let her stain my chamber."

The servants could not help tremble at the Princess's order. They exchanged a look of horror. Though extremely terrified, they had to compose themselves to face the furious Princess. They scurried into the chamber without delay. The interior was a total mess. Fragments of vases and teacups were littered all over the ground. On the debris lay a maid in pink. Her face, which used to be beautiful, looked hideous and terrifying. It seemed she had been hit by a vase on the head. The wound was so deep that her blood was pouring out. Her face was drenched scarlet red. While Hua Jing was known to be temperamental and the servants expected to be cursed and beaten, none had expected the Princess to go so far. The maid must have feared for her life. She was so scared that her eyes were still open. The servants could see the terror reflecting in the maid's eyes. The maid was Ling Hua.

"What a wicked girl! How dare you serve me tea that is so hot! You want to scald me to death on such a hot day?" Hua Jing wore a purple dress with a long train and delicate make-up. She must have freshened up for her meeting with Prince Qingsu. Despite her beauty, her face looked somewhat deformed because of her anger.

The servants didn't dare dawdle. They lifted Ling Hua from the ground and carried her away hurriedly.

After the servants had withdrawn, two maids were left in the chamber. Having seen Ling Hua's misfortune, they both shivered with fear. To avoid enraging the Princess, they were forced to smile pleasantly.

"Well, it is late. I am annoyed with your incompetence. I need some time to myself. I will walk in the garden. None of you shall follow me." Hua Jing stepped outside the chamber. Due to the hot weather, Hua Jing fanned herself with her sleeve. But her agitation grew from the futility of her efforts. She lowered her hand and said angrily, "Why is it so hot?" Then she gritted her teeth, "It seems Qingsu will not come tonight. He must be fooling around with some wanton woman now!" Suddenly, Hua Jing stopped. "Qingsu came to Ning to request marriage between him and Yun Shang. Is he screwing around with that bitch? No, it cannot be. That slut has married Prince Jing."

Hua Jing grew more furious when she thought of Yun Shang's marriage. "That bitch is so lucky. She is Prince Jing's wife now. Prince Jing is a perfect man. But Qingsu, what a savage beast! He only has brutal strength. And an ugly face." Hua Jing became more agitated at her thoughts. She decided to walk toward the lake in the garden. It was quite cool by the lakeside. Hua Jing let out a sigh of relief. However, she still felt hot. Without hesitation, Hua Jing took off her clothes. In just her underclothes, she jumped into the water. This was her Palace and it was quite late at night. Nobody would come here at this hour. This lake had been dug as per her order. It was not too deep. When the day was hot, she would take a bath in it.

As the cold water enveloped her, Hua Jing let out a sigh of relief. She waded through the water and pondered over her dilemma. She clenched her teeth to suppress her anger. Her mother and grandfather were not consenting to her marriage with Qingsu. But how could she spend the rest of her life in the Imperial City? Even her friends were afraid to meet with her as they thought that she was a horrible monster. She would never forget that it was Yun Shang who had set her up. What a woeful circumstance to be in! She would take revenge for all the suffering she had endured one day.

Hua Jing sneered. She was lucky that the Emperor didn't recall the personal guards he had awarded to her. As her uncle, her mother's brother, had trained many secret guards, Hua Jing had entrusted him with the task of training her personal guards. With her uncle's help, these guards would become killing machines. Then, she would have Yun Shang experience pain much worse than death. Didn't Prince Jing use shadow guards to protect Yun Shang? Hua Jing wondered what the Prince's reaction would be if thousands of men fucked his wife. Would he still be willing to keep her as his wife?

Hua Jing burst into a fit of laughter while thinking of Yun Shang's miserable life. Her laughter was cold and ruthless. "Yun Shang, you can never dream of a life better than mine. Never!"

Although deep in thought, Hua Jing suddenly noticed the reflection of a white figure in the lake. Hua Jing turned abruptly. There was a man by the lakeside. He cocked his head as he studied her attentively.

Hua Jing was shocked. The man looked charming... What a stunning face! The man wore a snow white robe. His hair was free of constraints and fell well past his shoulders. Beneath his dark slanting brows were a pair of sparkling eyes. His complexion was fair and unmarred. Hua Jing was enchanted. His complexion reminded her of a white lustrous jade. Hua Jing had always been proud of her beauty. But she had to admit that this man was indeed the most good-looking man that she had ever seen. He was beautiful, but not in a feminine way. The man tilted his head as he returned the Princess's gaze. It seemed that the Princess had caught his eye and he could not look away.

Regaining her composure, Hua Jing lowered her body further into the water. She scolded coldly, "Who are you? How dare you sneak into my Palace?"

The man seemed puzzled when he heard Hua Jing's scolding. He cocked his head some more. His thin lips trembled before he spoke. His voice was silvery smooth. "I don't know. I have no idea why I'm here. I'm an entertainer from the Suiyu House in the east part of the Imperial City. I was playing the Guqin at the Suiyu House. Then I saw two men fighting. They must have been annoyed by my interruption. One of them snatched me and threw me into the air. I was so terrified that I passed out. When I woke, I found myself here."

Suiyu House?