Chapter 325 Have You Ever Heard of Phoenix Nirvana?

"Who are you? Why did you grab me?"

Yun Jian was shocked and panicked. ’This woman looks so wicked and cruel,’ he thought. ’She’s definitely not a good person.’

Xiao Li smiled gently. "Relax, I mean you no harm. I just wanted to ask you something about Feng Yin."

Yun Jian immediately grew wary. "I don’t know anything. I just came to visit my aunt."

His cautious demeanor amused Xiao Li. "Are you very afraid of me?"

Yun Jian didn’t speak. ’Isn’t it obvious?’ he thought. ’I’ve been kidnapped, the person in charge looks like a villain, there’s a huge, towering guy standing next to her, and a whole group of people at the door. How could I not be scared?’

A smile touched Xiao Li’s lips. She slowly sat up straight, placing her hands on the armrests. "I forgot to introduce myself. I am the Empress Long Sheng."

-----------

「Today was the day Prince Pei was marrying off his daughter, and all of Yizhou was abuzz with excitement.」

The scholars who relied on the Prince Manor to throw their weight around couldn’t pass up the chance to make a grand gesture. However, the most defining characteristic of scholars was... being poor!

It wasn’t that they had no money, but that what little they had was all spent on books, ink, brushes, and paper. The few copper coins left in their pockets weren’t even enough to support themselves, let alone scrape together a decent wedding gift.

So, a bunch of poor souls put their heads together and ultimately decided to write couplets.

Auspicious couplets written on red paper hung all along the street, even more vibrant than red silk ribbons.

Xiao Li peered down from the inn, looking at the street awash in red. She didn’t know whether to be amazed or speechless.

’The thing about scholarship,’ she mused, ’is that it has a very high ceiling, but also a very low floor.’

Therefore, not every couplet was a work of breathtaking genius, nor was everyone’s calligraphy as fluid as a soaring dragon, a fleeting marvel to behold.

Staring at the scrawled handwriting, Xiao Li was full of "admiration." ’Are these supposed to be blessings, not chicken scratch?’

’It’s even more abstract than a Taoist’s talisman drawings.’

And a closer look at the content was even more "stunning."

"One horse, one sedan, one wedding hall; two people, two surnames, two hearts as one."

"Today the Pei Mansion marries off a daughter; may it be smooth sailing and successful."

"The Feng Family’s son is newly grown; the Pei Family’s Chan Juan comes to pluck him."

...

’What a bunch of geniuses.’

The wedding procession appeared on the main street. All eyes were naturally on the groom, eager to see what kind of "daredevil" would actually marry that promiscuous flower of the Pei Family.

A tall horse ambled over, carrying the groom. He cut a fine figure, dressed in crimson with a red flower pinned to his chest, but his face was hidden behind a golden mask.

Unable to glimpse his true face, the crowd was very disappointed. But news quickly spread that the groom was exceptionally handsome, and that Pei Chanjuan, unwilling to let others see him, was the one who made him wear the mask.

Hearing this, the crowd grew even more curious. Just how good-looking was he that she wouldn’t even let people have a single glance?

But the more they stared at the groom, the more they felt he probably was truly handsome. With that bearing, that figure, that complexion—as long as his face wasn’t disfigured, there was no way he could be ugly.

"To make Miss Pei settle down and get married, he must be a once-in-a-lifetime beauty."

"Of course. If he weren’t gorgeous, would the Feng Family dare present him to the Commandery Prince?"

"A perfectly fine man could do anything, but he chose to serve others with his looks."

"I really want to see what kind of otherworldly beauty he is. He can’t wear a mask for the rest of his life, can he?"

...

The surrounding chatter was incessant, but Feng Yin acted as if he heard nothing. He stared straight ahead, his expression numb.

Suddenly, he felt a familiar, intense gaze fall upon him. He couldn’t help but look up, but he saw nothing—only unfamiliar faces. The gaze had vanished as well.

He couldn’t help but laugh mockingly at himself. ’Yun Jian must have unsettled me so much that I’m starting to imagine things.’

A ripple disturbed the deathly still lake of his heart.

In the teahouse, Yun Jian looked at Xiao Li in disbelief. "Your Majesty, why don’t you let him know you’re here?"

Yun Jian had knelt. He had knelt before the Empress.

But he was still half-convinced and half-doubtful. Wasn’t the Empress in Beicang? How could she suddenly appear here?

The Empress ruled the world, her Silver Armor Guards were majestic and imposing. Wherever she went, she could command the wind and rain. Why would she be cooped up in this tiny little inn?

Hiding was one thing, but why wasn’t she rescuing him? Why didn’t she even dare to see Feng Yin?

Was she afraid Feng Yin would discover something?

Or... was this Empress actually a fake?

Yun Jian had a bit of cunning, but in front of Xiao Li, his thoughts might as well have been written on his face.

"What’s the rush?"

Yun Jian was so anxious he was about to burst. "What do you mean, ’what’s the rush?’ They’re about to perform the wedding bows! Does Your Majesty not care about my cousin at all?"

Xiao Li leisurely wiped the blade in her hand. "Have you ever heard of a phoenix’s nirvana?"

Yun Jian didn’t even want to talk to her anymore. ’She’s just dawdling and won’t save my cousin,’ he fumed. ’Liar!’

Xiao Li didn’t hold it against him. "During its nirvana, a phoenix must burn itself, reducing itself to ash before it can be reborn from the flames."

"The phoenix is certainly in great pain at this time, but the process cannot be disturbed."

With that, she sheathed her blade and stood up. "Let’s go."

Yun Jian asked instinctively, "Go where?"

Xiao Li chuckled lightly. "To welcome the newborn little phoenix."

Yun Jian: "???"

Although it was said that the Pei Family was marrying off their daughter, the wedding procession involved the groom leading the bride on horseback for a tour, only to end up back on Pei Family territory. Seated in the hall of honor were Princess Huairou and Prince Pei.

The Feng Family’s honor was being utterly trampled into the dust.

"The auspicious time has arrived! Groom and bride, bow to Heaven and Earth!"

The master of ceremonies shouted, and the newlyweds entered the hall.

They were in position, and just as the master of ceremonies was about to continue, Feng Yin suddenly spoke. "Wait."

His clear, smooth voice was like pearls falling onto a jade plate—pleasant to the ear, but it made Pei Chanjuan’s heart clench.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

Feng Yin ignored her. Instead, he clasped his hands and bowed to Princess Huairou and Prince Pei, and then to all the assembled guests.

"I have one more matter to attend to. It will not be too late to complete the ceremony after I have resolved this issue."

Prince Pei’s face darkened. "The auspicious time is now. Whatever it is, finish the ceremony first."

From under her bridal veil, Pei Chanjuan suppressed her anger and tried to coax him, "Once we’ve finished the ceremony, I’ll agree to anything you want. If you make a scene now and Father gets angry, I won’t be able to help you."

Feng Yin paid no mind to the father and daughter’s threats. Instead, he turned to look at his birth mother, Madam Feng, who sat to the side, weak and haggard.

Madam Feng looked at him, her eyes filled with heartache. Her gaze was anxious yet hateful—hating her own powerlessness, and that she had now become a burden to her child.

Meeting his mother’s gaze, Feng Yin actually smiled. The next moment, he suddenly lifted the hem of his robes and knelt, kowtowing three times respectfully to Madam Feng.

Madam Feng quickly tried to go and help him up, but she was held back firmly by the person behind her.

Someone tried to smooth things over. "Mr. Feng is showing his filial piety, first paying respects to his birth mother for the grace of raising him."

’Hmm?’ he thought. ’Now that I’ve said it, that sounds a bit strange.’

It was like a daughter kneeling to her parents before marrying out. But Mr. Feng was marrying into the family, which was no different from a daughter marrying out, so perhaps it wasn’t so strange after all.

Seeing that Feng Yin only wanted to kowtow to his birth mother, the people from the Prince Manor all breathed a sigh of relief.

The master of ceremonies immediately urged, "Alright, the bows are finished. It’s time to bow to Heaven and Earth."

Feng Yin rose to his feet. "No rush."