Chu Wang Fei

by Ning er

  "Qu Zhang Qing! He is indeed not a bad choice. But I'm afraid with his position, he wouldn't be able to withstand the situation." Emperor Yu Qian evidently knew Qu Zhang Qing's abilities, but Qu Zhang Qing was only a third rank assistant of the Minister of War, compared to Chu Fei Yang's first rank Minister of the left, the discrepancy was much too far.

  Yet Chu Fei Yang only glanced at Chen wang who remained silent before he smiled and said, "Emperor, if you fear that Qu Zhang Qing will not be able to handle the situation, why don't you also invite Chen wang to assume the position of the examiner of the military examination? This way, not only will they be able to sort out the hard working students, but also quiet the crowd's mouths. What do you think, Your Majesty?

  Emperor Yu Qian staring at his smiling eyes and suddenly understood Chu Fei Yang's intentions.

  The imperial examinations take a few months time to complete due to the autumn test, assembly test, and palace test. If Chen wang and Qu Zhang Qing were to assume the position of the military exam major examiners at the same time, they would need to be together for a while. And since Qu Zhang Qing would be staying by Chen wang's side, Chen wang was less likely to act rashly.

  Chu Fei Yang and Chu wang only needed a short amount of time to suppress the plague, so that matter would be solved quite soon.

  Emperor Yu Qian could not help admire Chu Fei Yang's meticulousness, since he had actually thought of such a great idea.

  "But…" Nothing in the world was permanent, though Emperor Yu Qian trusted Chu Fei Yang's ability, the plague was still quite scary, and he was deeply worried that Chu Fei Yang might get infected.

  "Emperor, I will certainly practice caution." Chu Fei Yang knew Emperor Yu Qian's worries, so he was quick to reassure him.

  Since there was really no way to convince Chu Fei Yang and Chu wang otherwise, Emperor Yu Qian took a deep breath, immediately turned around and sat back down the dragon throne. In a deep voice, he ordered, "I hereby order Chu wang and Chu xiang to rush to Luo City tomorrow. The two of you shall choose the physicians that will accompany you on the way."

  "As Your Majesty commands." Chu Fei Yang and Chu wang cupped their hands into their fists and responded.

  Chen wang only stared at Chu Fei Yang coldly, seemingly trying to see through his thoughts.

  Being idle, Yun Qian Meng itched to do something with her hands, so she had Mu Chun prepare some brocade so she could learn some embroidery from Mi mama, yet the embroidery needle did not want to obey her hands. For the whole day, everyone else had already embroidered a peony, but the brocade in her hands only had four leaves embroidered onto it. The appearance was crooked and the needlework was dense in some places, while sparse in others, making it quite unsightly.

  She lifted her head after feeling the soreness in her neck, only to discover that the sky was already dark. Yun Qian Meng then sent Mu Chun and the others away to rests, as she continued the challenge the small embroidery needle in her hands.

  "What is this? Why does it look so strange?" A black figure suddenly covered the candlelight from Yun Qian Meng's eyes.

  Yun Qian Meng lifted up her head and saw Chu Fei Yang, wearing the black suit and standing next to hers, waist bent and looking down at the embroidery in her hands.

  Chapter 113: Part 1: Farewell Gift and a Kiss | Chu Wang Fei

  Feeling embarrassed, Yun Qian Meng immediately covered the four-leafed grass without thinking about what she was doing. She refused to let Chu Fei Yang see her terrible stitching.

  "Ouch!" She forgot that the thin and sharp needle was still stuck in the cloth and accidentally pricked her right index finger. The sudden pain made Yun Qian Meng lightly exclaim, and her delicate eyebrows knitted tightly.

  "How careless." Chu Fei Yang slightly scolded Yun Qian Meng's rare carelessness. He then took a hold of her right hand and examined it. Seeing that a drop of red blood appeared on the light-pink finger, he placed the finger in his mouth immediately.

  Suddenly, the whole room was completely quiet. Yun Qian Meng blushed seeing that her finger was in Chu Fei Yang's mouth. Meanwhile, Chu Fei Yang was looking down and giving her hand his undivided attention, as if nothing else in the world was more important than her hand. This caused Yun Qian Meng to have a peculiar sensation. She hurriedly pulled back her finger without notice, hiding her right fist under her sleeve. She then looked at the window in embarrassment. Though the night was already cloudy, a sliver of moonlight could still be seen. Her restless heart slowly calmed down, yet her face was still hot and red. She still felt rather embarrassed and blamed herself for being so careless a moment ago.

  "Hay!" Chu Fei Yang sighed softly. His dark but lustrous eyes stared closely at Yun Qian Meng with an unusual amount of concentration, as if he wanted to imprint Yun Qian Meng's face into his mind.

  Pretending not to notice him, Yun Qian Meng smoothly stored away her embroidery with the other pieces of cloths and yarn. She even checked again to make sure that Chu Fei Yang would not see her terrible handywork. Afterwards, she collected herself and looked at Chu Fei Yang, then sneered at him, "So it's possible for xiangye to sigh."

  For someone who did not even fear the Empress Dowager, Yun Qian Meng could not think of anything that could give Chu Fei Yang such a hard time. Or could it be...

  A mysterious/startled light flashed through Yun Qian Meng's eyes as she unconsciously stole another look at the safely hidden embroidery. Ultimately, she comforted herself with the thought that he would not sigh for something as trivial as that.

  "There's a plague in Luo City. You've already heard about it, right?" Chu Fei Yang softly asked. His tone contained a sense of helplessness.

  Yun Qian Meng nodded. The news about the plague had already spread throughout the capital. Born into a political family, how would she not know about it?

  Aside from the fact that the citizens were all terrified by the disease, she did not know what exactly the disease was. Even the number of guards in xiangfu had increased significantly. Presumably, Yun Xuan Zhi was afraid that the plague might infect individuals within xiangfu. Thus, he had increased the security to prevent outsiders from infiltrating xiangfu.

  "Why are you discussing this with me? Is there a solution to it already?" Yun Qian Meng slightly frowned and gazed directly into Chu Fei Yang's eyes. The bright black pupils only contained her reflection. The concentrated look only made Yun Qian Meng uneasy. She had an inkling that something was going to happen, but forced the thought to the back of her mind as soon as it came.

  Chu Fei Yang smiled, shook his head, and then reached for Yun Qian Meng's hands and rubbed her smooth and delicate hands with his fingers. He softly said, "When I'm not around, you need to be extra careful. If anything happens, have Xi Lin inform me."

  Yun Qian Meng immediately frowned. Her heartbeat quickened and she questioned, "You are going to Luo City?"

  Witnessing how fast Yun Qian Meng's mind worked as she understood his meaning, Chu Fei Yang laughed with gratification. He knew that he could not hide anything from her meticulousness. He merely revealed some information and she had immediately guessed it. In front of this yatou, he really did not have any secrets.

  Seeing him laugh, Yun Qian Meng suddenly pulled her hand away. Her brows creased even tighter and she reproached Chu Fei Yang, "Currently, even the type of the disease is still unknown, and yet you're going to go so abruptly? If something bad were to happen, have you thought of the consequences? Moreover, you're not a taiyi, you do not have any knowledge in medicine. If you go there, you would not only be of no help, but you might even sacrifice your life. What's your reason for doing this? What's the reason for you to put your life at risk?"

  Yun Qian Meng did not notice that her eyes were actually showing deep concern for Chu Fei Yang. Her reproach had contained a rare agitation, which made Chu Fei Yang ecstatic. His right hand quickly grabbed her wrist and, with a little force, pulled Yun Qian Meng into his chest. He held Yun Qian Meng's thin waist with his other hand and his thin lips lightly to
uched her ear. Then he slowly said, "I will be extremely careful. A taiyi will also be going with me. I assure you nothing bad will happen. Every three days, I will send you a letter to inform you of the situation. Don't worry."

  "Who said I was worried?" her cheeks were so close to the warm chest, but Yun Qian Meng still did not want to admit to worrying. Her mind was quick in processing the information. She raised her head to look at Chu Fei Yang and suggested, "If you really want to go to Luo City, you can invite Xiao Nie daifu from Rong Shan Tang to accompany you. Although he didn't enter the palace to become a taiyi, he is an expert in medicine and has admirable medical ethics. With his help, if he goes to Luo City with you, you could surely do things with half the effort."

  Toward Yun Qian Meng's suggestion, Chu Fei Yang laughed and relaxed. He answered, "I came over to borrow him from you. Although Rong Shan Tang isn't very acknowledged by the upper class of the capital, the name of Xiao Nie daifu is very widespread among the citizens. If he were to go to Luo City, he would be able to help more than those taiyi who had long forgotten what it means to be a doctor after the extravagant lifestyle they had in the Palace. But, does Meng'er have any other intentions for suggesting this person to me?"

  Chu Fei Yang's cunning eyes stared at Yun Qian Meng as if he had already guessed Yun Qian Meng's true intentions.

  Yun Qian Meng also looked right back at Chu Fei Yang without evading or hiding anything. The honesty and sincerity in her eyes were what Chu Fei Yang valued most. Yun Qian Meng seldom expressed this kind of emotion in front of others, which made Chu Fei Yang treasure this moment even more. He could only use the opportunity of this last moment tonight to quietly cuddle with her and tell her all his plans, "I will go with yeye this time. With regards to the wedding, Shang Guan mama will be in charge of everything. Recently, the capital has been quite chaotic. If you don't have any urgent matters, it's better to just stay in xiangfu for your safety. Meng'er, I know that you're worried about Qu Fei Qing, but the situation now is quite crucial. The handling of Qu Fei Qing's matter would have to be delayed. The only thing you need to do is to protect yourself and not let me worry. Do you understand?"

  Quietly listening to Chu Fei Yang's plans, Yun Qian Meng only nodded from time to time. Chu Fei Yang was only thinking of her safety and comforting her while not considering that it was a hundred times more dangerous for him to go to the infected area. Thus, she reminded him, "Isn't there any information about the plague in the court? Like the symptoms and reactions?"

  If she knew the symptoms, she might be able to help out a little.

  Chu Fei Yang shook his head and said with some regret, "There's none. The plague happened too suddenly and its transmission is expeditious. Even the doctors in Luo City died because of the plague. Currently, the citizens around the area are all trying to stay away. There are no doctors willing to enter Luo City to help cure the illness."

  Though Yun Qian Meng's expression became more grave, her eyes betrayed a certain seriousness as she said, "When you arrive at Luo City, make sure to send me as much information about the symptoms of the patients as you can."

  Seeing her expression, Chu Fei Yang knew that she was undoubtedly concerned about him. He was touched by her reaction and excitement bubbled up in his eyes. He lowered his head to get closer to Yun Qian Meng's face, and they looked at each other seriously. When he lowered his head, Chu Fei Yang also slowly opened his mouth, "Don't worry, I will not let you down. But receiving so much concern from Meng'er really overwhelms me with joy. If possible—Ah!"

  As Chu Fei Yang blabbed, Yun Qian Meng harshly stepped on him. Her unexpected action made Chu Fei Yang exclaim, but he only received a glare from Yun Qian Meng in return.

  Staring at Yun Qian Meng, who had already guessed his intentions, Chu Fei Yang did not look embarrassed at all. Instead, he lifted the corner of his mouth and coaxed Yun Qian Meng's body closer to his. He only quietly hugged her and neither of them said anything more.

  Savouring the light natural fragrance from her hair, Chu Fei Yang relaxingly closed his eyes, enjoying their quiet and peaceful moment together.

  Yun Qian Meng even extended her arms and hugged Chu Fei Yang's waist. She was somewhat worried, but knew that he would definitely take good care of himself. Thus, she also closed her eyes and kept her face nestled into the warm chest, cherishing the remaining moments they had together.

  "Meng'er, I might need to stay in Luo City for quite some time. Do you have any gifts for me?" Slightly opening his eyes, Chu Fei Yang looked at the table and then at the corner of the cloth Yun Qian Meng had hurriedly hidden a while ago.

  Hearing the teasing tone in Chu Fei Yang's voice, Yun Qian Meng looked embarrassed. She raised her head and, as expected, caught the laughter on Chu Fei Yang's face. She let her hands fall from around Chu Fei Yang's waist from embarrassment and said, "This goodbye hug is already the best gift."

  Afterwards, Yun Qian Meng laughed like a little fox. Her eyes were as bright and glittering as the stars in the sky, with a dimple adorning her right cheek from her smile. The craftiness in her eyes and rose tinted cheeks enticed Chu Fei Yang. Abruptly, he lower his head and captured Yun Qian Meng's red lips. Startling her, he softly kissed her with the purpose of lightly punishing her.

  Unlike the quick pecks from before, this kiss was impassioned. Chu Fei Yang enclosed his arms around Yun Qian Meng, tightly pulling her closer to his chest. Gradually, unsatisfied with just the simple touching of lips, the pressure from his lips increased. Yearning for Yun Qian Meng's approval, his chilled lips caressed Yun Qian Meng's lips and took advantage of the moment when Yun Qian Meng opened her mouth to breath to insert his tongue, successfully occupying his city. Not giving Yun Qian Meng a chance to calm her mind, he pressed his advantage and enjoyed the moment.

  Yun Qian Meng glared at Chu Fei Yang because of the sudden action. Seeing that he was becoming more and more audacious, she readied her hand, planning to pinch Chu Fei Yang's waist. But seeing his eyes closed and brows knitted slightly, a serious and sincere expression on his face, Yun Qian Meng's heart ached. Instead, she used her arms to hug Chu Fei Yang's waist, slowly closed her eyes, and accepted the love from Chu Fei Yang through his lips.

  After a while, Chu Fei Yang reluctantly left Yun Qian Meng's lips, then lightly caressed her hair with one hand and pressed her head to his chest. His strong heartbeat made Yun Qian Meng regain her senses. She decided not to scold him but instead listened carefully to Chu Fei Yang's rare moments of losing control of his emotions.

  "I'll leave Xi Lin with you. If anything happens, have Xi Lin send me a letter by pigeon. No need to try solving the problem by yourself only to end up in danger again." Chu Fei Yang felt that he should exhort her again after recalling Yun Qian Meng's previous daring actions.

  Yun Qian Meng suddenly raised her head. Her consciousness had already returned and she totally was not in agreement with the suggestion. She declined somewhat adamantly, "I don't lack people by my side. Instead, you need more people with you. I will also be more relieved if Xi Lin accompanied you."

  Although a guard could not be of much help against a disease, having more people by Chu Fei Yang's side was still safer.

  Yun Qian Meng's eyes were full of concern, so Chu Fei Yang chose not to say anything further. He merely reached for the jade pendant from his waist and placed it in her hand. He quietly looked at her before disentangling her from his embrace. His nimble body moved silently in the night as he disappeared from Yun Qian Meng's line of sight.

  Yun Qian Meng could not maintain her calmness anymore. Her eyes showed worry, but she knew that it was impossible for Chu Fei Yang not to go. She could only close her eyes and, when she opened them again, there was nothing but calmness left in them.

  Upon inspection, the quality of jade pendant in her hand looked well worth several cities. She was fully aware that Chu Fei Yang leaving it in her hands was a way for him to give her another layer of protection.

  After she kept the jade pendant, Yun Qian Men
g retrieved the box containing silk but discovered that her embroidery had disappeared. Yun Qian Meng could not help the light blush that bloomed on her cheeks. She was certain that Chu Fei Yang had secretly taken it with him. But her work was really too embarrassing to present to other people. He really had no worry of being laughed at.

  The night was still dark and the autumn breeze blowed softly. Having returned from Yun xiangfu, Chu Fei Yang was a bit surprised to see all of Chu xiangfu brightly lit. He immediately knew who had come to his fu. Hiding all his emotions, Chu Fei Yang followed the corridor that would quickly return him to his study.

  Chapter 113: Part 2: Farewell Gift and a Kiss | Chu Wang Fei

  "Yo! The busy man has finally come back." Someone had not wanted to let him escape and stopped him halfway.

  Chu wang stood to one side of the corridor with a pot of hot tea in his hand and stared at Chu Fei Yang with laughter in his eyes.

  "Randomly entering other people's houses is really impolite." Chu Fei Yang maintained a frosty expression as he replied.

  "What do you mean other people's house? You're my grandson! Do I still need to send a letter in order to visit my own grandson? Moreover, I am a wangye; you're just a prime minister. My position is naturally higher than yours. Do you expect me to send you a letter to pay a visit?" Chu wang stamped with rage after hearing Chu Fei Yang's words, but still held the zisha teapot steadily, not spilling a single drop of tea.

  "Since wangye is aware of your own status, wangye should be more meticulous of your words and actions. Entering someone's fu in the dead of night would tarnish wangye's reputation. Others would laugh if they knew about it." Calmly, Chu Fei Yang crossed his arms over his chest and sneered at the still upset Chu wang. Since Chu wang was purposefully blocking the path, Chu Fei Yang would not be in a hurry to leave.