Reign of the Phoenix

Chapter 24 – The Outcome Everyone Desires
Qiao Bin carefully felt Murong Zhining pulse for a long time, his head started sweating. “Miss Murong, is your period still normal?”

Murong Zhining flushed beet red. “Not recently. It hadn’t come according to my usual schedule, and I haven’t seen it at all in the last two, three months.”

Qiao Bin nodded repeatedly. “It’s a happy pulse . Congratulations, Miss Murong.”

Cai Sang instantly grabbed the doctor’s sleeves tightly. “Doctor Qiao, please recheck. It can’t really be a happy pulse?!”

Qiao Bin said with a stern face. “I had served in the palace for more than ten years and treated many concubines. What I understand most are women diseases, how can I mis-diagnose it? Miss Murong indeed has a happy pulse.”

Qiao Bin hastily took his leave as he was in a hurry to report this to Chiyun Yuexuan. He only knew that Murong Zhining was Chiyun Yuexuan’s beloved concubine from the others’ discussions, so he didn’t know of the inside details.

After Qiao Bin left, Cai Sang and Murong Zhining hugged each other tight, their eyes glistened with tears. Cai Sang stroke Murong Zhining’s hair, unable to find any word to comfort her. Luo Siyao also knew of the complications, so she remained silent. Heaven had given the three of them a difficult problem.

Chiyun Yuexuan was leisurely sitting at the short table leafing through a poem book when Qiao Bin walked into his tent and bowed. “Congratulations, Grand General Chiyun. Madam isn’t sick, she is expecting!”

Chiyun Yuexuan’s face was gloomy, he didn’t say a word. Seeing his expression, Qian Bin was confused. Shouldn’t General Chiyun be happy about this?

That night, Chiyun Yuexuan personally came to Murong Zhining’s tent and dismissed everyone else. This was the first time he had seen her during the march, and the first time he truly saw her clearly.

Murong Zhining lay on her side on the floor mattress with a pillow under her waist, thin and pale beyond a human being. She confronted him with unrelenting eyes bereft of emotions. From those eyes, he couldn’t see panic nor hatred, and not even submission, as if she didn’t even know who he was at all.

Chiyun Yuexuan slightly waved his hand. A guard quickly handed him a bowl of thick medicinal juice.

Chiyun Yuexuan squatted down and wordlessly brought the bowl to Murong Zhining, his face expressionless. His natural pitilessness made him look extremely cold-blooded.

Murong Zhining was calm all along as she faced Chiyun Yuexuan. She didn’t once hesitate or retreat, as if she was looking at a complete stranger. She stretched her hands and took the bowl, and then drained it in one go.

Murong Zhining was well aware what kind of medicine this was. And to her delight, this was the outcome that she also hoped for. After finishing the medicine, Murong Zhining quietly faced Chiyun Yuexuan and revealed an extremely alluring smile.

Her provocation instantly angered Chiyun Yuexuan. His eyes flashed with a terrifying cold. “Lowly slave, you actually have some self-awareness and know that you aren’t worthy, don’t you?”

Murong Zhining gave tit for tat, “You and me both, General.”

Then, Murong Zhining no longer bothered with the angry Chiyun Yuexuan. She turned around and lay down. On her back, the blood stains seeping from the brand wound could be seen clearly.

Chiyun Yuexuan’s fury was like surging mountain flood. He could not stand the fact that a lowly slave had repeatedly confronted him with arrogance and refusal to submit. He reached out his hand and viciously pressed on the blood mark at her back. Murong Zhining’s face grew deathly pale, her body involuntarily trembling from the pain. Stubbornly, she clenched her jaw and showed no hint of yielding. Her clothes were soaked with sweat, but up to the moment she fainted, she didn’t let out a sound.

In the next several days, Murong Zhining’s lower body started to bleed profusely. Cai Sang and Luo Siyao seemed to have vaguely figured what had happened, so they were even more dedicated when they took care of her.

During the march, Chiyun Yuexuan passed through Yuliang County. The people warmly welcomed him with endless cheering on both sides of the road. Chiyun Yuexuan ordered the troops to camp outside, then brought with him only a few vice generals and Murong Zhining’s carriage into the city.

With an air of might, Chiyun Yuexuan rode his horse and led at the very front. The local officials all bowed their heads as they welcomed the party into the courier hostel.

In the hostel, Murong Zhining lay weakly on the bed. Several days of traveling and bleeding from abortion nearly took her life. Luo Siyao came in and said, “General Chiyun gave an order to rest here for a few days, just in time Zhining needs some quiet time to recuperate.”

Qiao Bin came in to take Murong Zhining’s pulse, then prescribed her medicine. Cai Sang softly asked Qiao Bin, “Doctor Qiao, is her body alright?”

Qiao Bin shook his head with a glum expression. “Hard to say. Even a normal person can’t withstand such a tiring trip, not to mention that her body is already so weak. I really don’t know what General Chiyun was thinking to make me prepare her such a strong abortion medicine. I’m afraid it will be difficult for Miss Murong to have a baby in the future.”

Cai Sang was both angry and pained. “I’ve never seen such a cold-blooded and heartless man. Grand general, what grand general? How can he be a good person when he treats a weak woman so cruelly? Why do people even respect him? Are they all blind?!”

Murong Zhining, on the other hand, was extremely calm as she said, “It’s okay. I don’t intend to marry for the rest of my life, so you don’t have to feel sad for me, Cai Sang. Don’t you think this is a good thing?”

Cai Sang wept. “I curse him to never have a good end.”

Luo Siyao was frightened by Cai Sang’s audacious words. She tugged on her clothes. “Keep your voice down, Cai Sang. Are you tired of living?”

Qiao Bin awkwardly coughed, “This is the affair between the couple, we shouldn’t meddle. The general’s character is approved by everyone.”

Cai Sang angrily spat on the ground. “What couple? If it hadn’t been for him creating troubles in the middle, our Zhining should be His Majesty’s favorite consort right now.”

Luo Siyao hurriedly rushed over and covered her mouth.

A furious roar resounded from outside, “As expected, like master like servant. What? You’re very dissatisfied with my method?” Chiyun Yuexuan was standing at the door with his hands behind his back, the domineering aura he gave off imposed great pressure on everyone present. His room was right at the end of the corridor. When he passed by, he happened to overhear their conversation.

Cai Sang didn’t back down. Her resentful eyes stared fixedly at Chiyun Yuexuan. “Zhining has never treated me as a servant. And, I am not a slave of your Chiyun Estate, I was sent from the palace to serve her. As for your method, everyone can see it clearly with their very own eyes without me having to comment on it.”

Chiyun Yuexuan didn’t get angry again. He let out a laugh, glanced gloatingly at Murong Zhining, and raised his voice, “I am very happy with this result. Didn’t she ask for it herself? She should have thought of this when she curried favor with His Majesty for power.”

Cai Sang shouted towards Chiyun Yuexuan’s departing figure, “She’s only an innocent and weak girl, and you’re ruining her life this way. You’ll get your retribution!”

Leaning on the bed, Murong Zhining shook her head with a pained smile. However, she was surprised and gratified to see that Cai Sang had grown up as there was no trace of her previous weakness anymore.

A server of the courier hostel cordially delivered a table of food. After Cai Sang helped Murong Zhining to the table and Luo Siyao also sat down, the three ate their meal together. The server was particularly fervent. A short while later, he brought a pot of chicken soup, saying it was especially prepared for Murong Zhining.

Cai Sang gratefully looked at him. “Brother Server, you are so nice.”

The server grinned happily. “Thanks to General Chiyun, us commoners of Yuliang can live such a good life. As General Chiyun’s family, of course you should be treated preferentially.”

Cai Sang angrily pushed her bowl. “Are your eyes still alright? Who is his family?! He’ll never deserve such a family. And would you starve without him or something? Humph!”

The server dubiously stroke his head. “Have I offended you somehow?”

Murong Zhining gave a wry smile. “Don’t worry about it, Brother Server. It has nothing to do with you, she’s just one temperamental kitty.”

When seeing that someone was giving him a smiling face, the server started to talk proudly again, “You young misses must really don’t know about this. Before General Chiyun was stationed at Fuling Pass, the armies of the bordering khanates often ran to Yuliang to kill and pillage. They are all ferocious barbarians, our people were suffering miserably. But after General Chiyun came with his army, he’s driven them thieves very far away and even claimed back two cities, allowing us to proudly hold our heads high. From then on, Yuliang has enjoyed several years of stability already.”

Cai Sang angrily knocked her chopsticks on the bowl. The server only glanced at her and completely ignored her discontent. “You mustn’t have known about the event several months ago either. Yuliang and the nearby counties were met with floods. Because those corrupt officials embezzled all of the relief silver from the court, many people died of starvation for not getting the support they needed. General Chiyun not only brought food to relieve Yuliang people, he even killed the corrupt officials and took tax grain and money from the wealthy gentry to help the refugees. This is not me boasting, Mister Storyteller in the teahouse has compiled this into a story.”

Infuriated, Cai Sang shouted at the server, “Get out get out! We don’t want to hear your nonsense.”

The server was confused, but still left and even closed the door as he did so. A little later, he returned and popped his head in, saying, “Everything I’ve just said is true. Maybe I was too clumsy with my narration. General Chiyun’s story is a hundred times more awe-inspiring than what I’ve told you.”

Bang! Cai Sang threw a mantou at the door frame. The server retracted his head and dared not enter this room again.

After Murong Zhining rested for three days in the hostel, a vice general came to inform the girls, “General Chiyun has received a battle report and needs to rush back to Fuling Pass. I’m here on his order to inform you, pack up and prepare to leave.”

Cai Sang anxiously shouted, “Miss Murong hasn’t recovered yet, she cannot move. Let your general know that we still need to stay a few more days.”

The vice general swept her a glance. “In this place, the general’s words are the decree. Quickly pack up. You won’t be able to afford the responsibility for delaying military affairs.”