Chapter 2: Rebirth
In the height of summer, even the air felt scorching. High officials and nobles had all retreated to their mountain villas to escape the heat, while the common people avoided going out. The hour of Wei during this season was the most unbearable.
[Translator’s Notes: Hour of Wei: An ancient Chinese time measurement corresponding to 1 PM – 3 PM, typically the hottest part of the day.]
It was the hour of Wei now. Wen Ning’an and the soldiers behind him sat atop their horses, lined up silently outside the South Gate.
The heavy armor they wore intensified the sweltering discomfort for these soldiers standing under the blazing sun. Sweat soaked their inner clothes and blurred their vision, but not a single one of them uttered a complaint. This was because the general they were loyal to, Wen Ning’an, was enduring the same venomous sun as them, without a single word of grievance. It was hard to say if it was due to his magnanimity, or if he had simply grown used to it.
It was the same every year.
Every year at this time, Wen Ning’an was required by court regulations to return to the capital and report his military achievements and border defense intelligence to the Emperor. And every year, the palace herald who took his token to announce his arrival would make them wait for at least an hour before they were allowed to enter.
Arriving late would earn them a reprimand for dereliction of duty, but arriving on time meant suffering a punishment like this.
The young adjutant, Ren Feiyang, asked in a low voice, “General, are we just going to keep waiting like this?”
Wen Ning’an didn’t answer, his gaze fixed on the tightly shut palace gates.
“General…” Ren Feiyang was about to say more but was pinched by the old adjutant beside him.
Ren Feiyang lowered his voice and turned to the old adjutant, grumbling indignantly, “Our general has countless military merits! He drove Hong Xi back to their homeland in a single battle, and the kings on the frontier drop their helmets and armor at the mere mention of his name. Is this the treatment he receives when he returns to the capital?”
The old adjutant glared at Ren Feiyang. “You yellow-haired brat, hold your tongue! Isn’t this vexing enough already?”
Ren Feiyang pouted, but a moment later he couldn’t hold back and asked Wen Ning’an again, “General, what do you think the Emperor is doing right now, leaving us unacknowledged?”
Wen Ning’an seemed dazed for a moment before replying, “I don’t know.”
They didn’t know, but the palace had already descended into chaos…
Inside the bedchamber, the unconscious Feng Qi lay motionless on the Dragon Bed. A group of imperial physicians bustled around, staunching the bleeding from the wound on his chest, applying medicine, and bandaging it. The Empress Dowager and Feng Qi’s three consorts kept watch by the bed, while maids hurried in and out with basins of water and towels.
Watching a maid carry out a blood-soaked towel to be replaced, the Empress Dowager frowned and asked the Commander of the Imperial Guard in a harsh tone, “What is the meaning of this?”
Although the Empress Dowager was already of an age where her “ear was obedient,” her judgment was as sharp as ever. Regal and dignified, her authority remained, and her words carried great weight in the palace.
[Translator’s Notes: “Ear was obedient”: A classical Chinese expression for turning 60, derived from the Analects of Confucius (“At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth”). It implies wisdom and experience.]
The Commander of the Imperial Guard knelt on one knee. “This subordinate has failed in his duty! I did not detect the assassins…”
“Have you identified who sent them?”
“Based on the assassins’ martial arts style and build, this subordinate dares to speculate that they came from Hong Xi…”
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly. “As expected.”
Just as she spoke, Feng Qi slowly opened his eyes.
“His Majesty is awake!”
When Feng Qi regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was Imperial Physician Zhang’s shiny, oily face. Turning his head, he saw his Empress Mother and his consorts. He seemed to be lying on a soft bed…
What was going on?
Hadn’t he… died?
Feng Qi blinked, unable to make sense of the situation.
Wen Ning’an… Wen Ning’an!
“Where is Wen Ning’an?”
Feng Qi’s voice was hoarse, but everyone in the room understood him.
His Majesty is looking for General Wen?
Empress Li Luoyan said, “General Wen is still at the South Gate. Ah, this one saw that Your Majesty was injured and, in my panic, I forgot to have him summoned for an audience.”
Feng Qi frowned, lost in thought.
After a long while, Feng Qi finally spoke. “What year is it now?”
Suspicion arose in the Empress Dowager’s heart. Why would Feng Qi suddenly ask such a thing?
But after hearing the year reported by a servant, what filled Feng Qi’s heart was no longer confusion, but utter shock.
The year the servant reported was from three years ago. These scenes were also vivid in his memory. Could it be… that he had returned to three years in the past?
Three years ago, the third year of his reign!
Seeing the myriad of expressions on Feng Qi’s face—from initial bewilderment to subsequent relief and wild joy—one of his concubines asked with concern, “Your Majesty, are you alright?”
“Alright! I, the Emperor, have never been better! Hahaha!”
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
Finally, it was Li Luoyan who spoke. “Your Majesty, does this one need to have General Wen enter the palace?”
Feng Qi thought for a moment, then waved his hand. “Send him back for now.”
Li Luoyan raised an eyebrow. Back?
In truth, Feng Qi desperately wanted to see Wen Ning’an at once, to confirm that he was truly whole and unharmed.
It couldn’t be called love. “Liking” him felt too nebulous. But the thought of losing him left a hollow feeling. In his past life, even though he had loathed him, deep down he had been terrified that Wen Ning’an would truly abandon him or die somewhere without his knowledge. And now, as Feng Qi looked at the people by his bed, especially the Empress’s exquisite and bewitching face, he only felt increasingly anxious and irritated.
But Feng Qi didn’t want to see Wen Ning’an under these circumstances. He was currently weak and lying in bed from his injuries, while Wen Ning’an had been wronged at the South Gate because of his own foolish spite. He was surely feeling resentful.
The Empress Dowager noticed that Feng Qi’s mood was somewhat off and said, “His Majesty must be tired. Let us take our leave.”
Feng Qi smiled. “The Empress will stay.”
Li Luoyan’s eyebrow twitched slightly. Although they had never been a real husband and wife, Li Luoyan was still Feng Qi’s legitimate wife in name. From Crown Princess to Empress, the two had always disliked the sight of each other, finding even an extra word to be a torment. Why would he suddenly ask her to stay now?
“Empress, the reason the assassins were able to slip into the Imperial Study undetected seems to be because they had help from the inside,” Feng Qi said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Li Luoyan’s expression didn’t change. “Is that so? Then this one must thoroughly investigate the inner court.”
Feng Qi sneered inwardly. The Li family thought they had hidden their claws and wolfish ambitions extremely well. And indeed they had; in his past life, the realization had only dawned on him after he was dead. But the him of today was no longer the him of the past…
One day, he would have the Li family and all those who tried to harm him sliced into a thousand pieces.
“It must be investigated thoroughly. If we find out who the traitor is, I want them to wish for death. If it’s a man, castrate him, peel off his skin layer by layer, shatter his bones one by one, and pour boiling water into his ears, eyes, nostrils, and mouth until all his internal organs have rotted and he dies in agony. If it’s a woman, strip her naked, tie her to a pillar in the marketplace, and let every man have his way with her until she dies. When you find the culprit, will the Empress help me carry this out? Hmm?”
Looking at Feng Qi’s ruthless gaze, an involuntary chill ran down Li Luoyan’s spine. She lowered her head submissively. “Of course. This one will investigate to the very end and strictly screen everyone entering and leaving the inner palace.”
Feng Qi stared at Li Luoyan for a long while before saying, “You may leave as well.”
“Yes. This one takes her leave.”
Li Luoyan’s steps seemed a little rushed. A flash of killing intent crossed Feng Qi’s eyes, but he quickly concealed it.
Once he was alone in the bedchamber, Feng Qi stared at the dragon and phoenix bed canopy above him, his head feeling as if it would split open.
There were so many things to think about, so much to do. His feelings for Wen Ning’an were still a blur, but one thing was very clear: he had to get along well with Wen Ning’an. Perhaps their relationship could get closer, and closer still… However, it seemed he had already done quite a few “good deeds” in the past…
He was doomed.
Damn it all! If only he had been reborn two years earlier, on the day of his coronation, how wonderful that would have been!
Outside the palace gates, when the Left Army received the message, their expressions changed.
After waiting for so long, they couldn’t even enter the palace?
Because of this, Wen Ning’an’s expression was grim when he returned to the Wen Residence. To his surprise, however, although his mother and sister who came to greet him were as excited as ever, hugging him and speaking words of comfort, their eyes were red and swollen. Their faces looked wan, as if they were forcing a smile.
When he entered the main hall, he saw his father sitting in the master’s seat with a heavy expression.
After paying his respects to his father, Wen Ning’an asked, “Did something happen?”
At his words, Wen Ning’an saw his mother lower her head and begin to sob.
Master Wen sighed. “Something has happened to your elder brother. He’s in the great prison right now. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be beheaded in the middle of next month.”
Madam Wen added through her tears, “We went to see your brother yesterday. Those damn jailors have already beaten him until he’s barely recognizable…”
Wen Ning’an was aghast. Beheaded?
Master Wen shook his head. “It’s all Ningyuan’s fault for being a busybody. He was just a minor scribe in the Censorate, but he acted as if he were the Censor-in-Chief, a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Now he’s offended a powerful figure. Ningyuan found the account books of Xu Ren, the nephew of Second Master Xu of the Xu family, detailing his corruption. He wanted to follow the thread, but the matter grew larger and larger, until he was framed by the Xu family and thrown into prison.”
Wen Ning’an frowned. “Why didn’t you send a fast horse to inform me of such a major event?”
Madam Wen said, “Ningyuan was only imprisoned the day before yesterday! If we had sent a fast horse, it would have surely crossed paths with you on the road.”
The day before yesterday? What a coincidence.
Years of fighting on the battlefield had made Wen Ning’an highly alert to his surroundings and to sudden developments. Such a coincidence felt wrong to him, especially since he held command of the Left Army.
Bei Miao’s main military forces were divided among the Imperial Guard, which reported directly to the Emperor; Wen Ning’an’s Left Army; the Xu family’s Land Army; and the Li family’s Naval Army. The Xu and Li families had been rivals for years, so Wen Ning’an’s Left Army was a succulent piece of meat in their eyes, something they were desperate to swallow and use to weaken the other.
“I will find a way,” Wen Ning’an said, taking his mother’s hand to comfort her.
Madam Wen sniffled. “Although I am just a woman, I know that the power in the court is now split in two. Half belongs to the Empress’s Li family, and the other half to the Empress Dowager’s Xu family. It’s no exaggeration to say their power is overwhelming. We cannot fight the Xu family.”
“Mother, don’t worry. No matter how powerful the Xu family is, they cannot defy the laws of the kingdom. They are not the Emperor. And I have the Left Army, which even His Majesty is wary of. There may still be a chance to turn this around.”
Hearing her younger son say this, Madam Wen felt much better. She held his hand and said, “This matter rests entirely on you. You are the most promising one in our family, having become such a high-ranking official…”
Wen Ning’an’s younger sister pulled him over with a smile. “Let’s have Second Brother eat something first. His face is so red, he must be suffering from the heat.”
Their son, who had toiled on distant campaigns, had finally returned home, only to be hit with such terrible news as soon as he walked through the door. In truth, the entire Wen family felt awful.
Madam Wen gave some instructions to the servants, then turned back to Wen Ning’an. “I specially brewed some rock sugar water for you. Go have a bowl to whet your appetite first.”
“Alright,” Wen Ning’an nodded, following his mother and sister to the rear hall.
