Imperial Weight Chapter 12
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 12
Feng had seen him a few times, and then he left again. Little Phoenix continued waiting at the brothel for half a month, but the man didn't come. Every day he looked out the window at the people below, writing one stroke of a "正" character each day.
Just past the middle of the month, the third "正" character that Little Phoenix had secretly carved into the bedpost was complete. On this day, as he had just begun writing the first stroke of the fourth "正" character, the servant boy outside called to him. "Young master, prepare yourself to go out and meet the guest!"
Little Phoenix rolled over on the bed, burying himself in the brocade quilt, his voice sounding somewhat listless. "I'm not feeling well, tell them to find someone else."
The servant boy was shocked. "Young master, what's wrong? Did you catch a cold from opening the window yesterday?"
Little Phoenix pinched his throat, putting on a sickly tone as he sighed. "Perhaps."
In truth, his health was excellent. That fortune teller had been completely right—from childhood to adulthood his life had been smooth sailing; he'd never even had a fever or illness. Yesterday when he opened the window, he was only idly staring at the flow of people below the brothel. People came and went, but not one of them looked as good as the person in his heart.
Outside came the sound of the servant boy speaking in lowered voices with someone, buzzing into an indistinct murmur. Little Phoenix squeezed further into the bed. Before long, another deep, magnetic voice spoke up. "Then I won't go in. Have them relay this matter to him on my behalf and ask his opinion. I still have business to attend to and will leave shortly."
Little Phoenix jolted like a carp leaping up, flipping himself out of bed.
The servant boy heard the commotion inside and quickly turned back to ask, "Young master, young master? Don't move, I'll call a physician for you in a moment."
Little Phoenix called out, "I'm better!"
He quickly changed his clothes, then quickly went to the mirror to dress himself up, before rushing out the door. This series of actions created quite a commotion—storming out in a whirlwind, then falling quiet the moment he saw Xingyi.
Wind-like grace and moon-like countenance, bright eyes and white teeth—the young man stood properly before him, unable to hide the pride and captivating spirit in his brows and eyes, though his posture was now lowered, appearing somewhat restrained and expectant.
Truly still just a child.
This time Xingyi took him out, going to a place far from the brothel. He brought him to play at a military encampment. Before their eyes were green mountains and clear waters, boundless mountain winds, echoes carrying through empty valleys.
Little Phoenix began to worry he couldn't return on time and would be beaten. "Have we gone too far?"
Xingyi didn't say much along the way, only saying, "Just stay by my side, don't worry about other things."
Little Phoenix hadn't expected that this outing would last fifteen days, as if making up for the half month he hadn't seen Xingyi. However, midway through there was an accident—Little Phoenix sprained his ankle while climbing a mountain. Unable to walk for the time being, he could only stay with Xingyi in the camp to recover. It was only then that he learned Xingyi wasn't actually a profligate prince, but an important minister of the current emperor, here in Jiangling to command troops.
With his injured foot, Little Phoenix sat around all day, grinding ink for Xingyi by his side, watching from afar. When Xingyi reviewed military documents and received officials, he would hide behind the screen, head lowered, drawing on paper. When food was brought in, the two would sit facing each other, chewing slowly and carefully, also in silence. Little Phoenix had always been one who loved liveliness, often chattering away at Xingyi. Xingyi would occasionally hum once or twice in response, or reveal a shallow smile, and Little Phoenix would feel very happy. Along with the happiness came some subtle sadness.
On the last day of his stay, Little Phoenix knew he had to return. Xingyi went out on patrol, telling him to wait in the camp, and would send him back to the brothel that evening.
During the waiting time, servants brought him cherries chilled with crushed ice to eat. Little Phoenix did as he always had, using a thin silver phoenix pick to remove the pits from the cherries. He removed one pit and ate one cherry, thinking deeply—what should he do?
He felt that if he went back, he definitely wouldn't be willing to see other people, and feigning illness wasn't a long-term solution.
He wasn't yet seventeen, and the matron wouldn't allow him to neglect earning money for the brothel because of his own personal feelings. For anyone else, if they were unwilling to see guests, they would be beaten to death.
"Either way it's death, even if the sky falls it's just a bowl-sized scar." Little Phoenix muttered to himself, looking at the cherry in his hand, making his decision.
He counted as he ate—odd numbers meant life, even numbers meant death. He couldn't go on like this anymore. If the last one was even, he would go back and throw himself in the river, treating it as his one-sided devotion ending in martyrdom for love. If it was odd, he would never see Xingyi again, ending their connection here and returning to his original life.
He continued muttering, "Like a moth to flame, seeking its own destruction. Even if the sky falls, the earth will catch it." Picking up one cherry at a time, reciting a number, one "odd," one "even," repeating without much inflection. Moisture condensed on the silver plate, cherry juice flowing thinly, dyeing even the translucent crushed ice a peach color.
Then came the last one.
Little Phoenix reached out his hand—this time it was odd, so it seemed the will of heaven. However, before he could touch it, another person's hand reached from behind him, taking that cherry and putting it in his mouth.
Xingyi looked down and asked him. "What are you counting this for?"
Little Phoenix froze, then avoided his gaze, laughing somewhat guiltily. "I was just counting for fun..."
Xingyi didn't ask further. The two of them proceeded according to the previous plan, eating dinner before boarding a carriage to return to the city.
Only Little Phoenix kept wondering—the last cherry had been eaten by Xingyi, so should it count as odd or even?
****
"I was wrong."
"I really was wrong. I shouldn't have pretended I couldn't speak, but I was afraid you'd think I had ulterior motives—I had no choice. Everyone says you have a terrible temper and don't like keeping pets."
"But it's also true that I can't transform into human form. If you don't believe me, you can ask the Queen Mother or Ming Wang Daren. I work for them. I'm very pitiful—I originally came here on vacation with my wages, but my money was stolen, so I could only come seek refuge with you. I heard you're very wealthy."
Little Phoenix crouched before Xingyi, his little head hanging low as he conducted a deep self-criticism. This snow-white, round little fluffball looked utterly dejected. Between his words, he would occasionally whimper a few times, tears about to fall, as if the next moment Xingyi would sweep him out the door.
Little Phoenix wiped at his tears with his soft, plump little wings, asking pitifully, "Could you please not drive me away... I can't transform into human form, and if I go back to work now, probably no one would want me. I was abandoned by my father and mother when I was still an egg. I just want to have a home..."
This little fat bird trembled, trying to bury his head in his fluffy-feathered little wings, his voice choking. "Could you please not drive me away... Even though I'm very fat, I've been seriously trying to lose weight. I can even do aerobics for you to watch. If you don't want to watch me do aerobics, I can also go out and find fruit for you to eat. You don't eat much every day, and that's not good..."
Xingyi rubbed his temples. Facing this dejected little fat bird, he pressed his lips together, wanting to laugh but suppressing it, still only lowering his indifferent eyes, speaking leisurely. "I need to cultivate."
Little Phoenix asked in a small voice, "Then can I... can I still stand there and watch you?"
Xingyi neither confirmed nor denied. Little Phoenix quickly hopped to the doorframe, crouching there as before, curled up round, motionless as he watched him, looking deeply sorrowful.
He first waited hopefully for a while, expecting that Xingyi might occasionally have free time to come over and pet him, or say a few words, but Xingyi didn't. He waited with his neck craned, then gradually lowered his little head a bit. When the moon rose, Xingyi put down what he was doing and brought over a paper lantern, preparing to go out. Little Phoenix, before he could use a spell to light the candle, went "poof" and breathed out fire, rushing to help him light the candle.
However, unfortunately he used too much force, and even the lantern paper caught fire. The mountain wind blew from outside—whoosh!—it burned several feet high, nearly singeing Little Phoenix's feathers.
Xingyi glanced at Little Phoenix and used a spell to press the fire down.
Little Phoenix waddled to the side, silently hanging his head even lower, his little bean eyes very gloomy. He followed behind Xingyi—Xingyi would walk a few steps, and he would waddle and quickly catch up, stop for a moment, then whoosh forward again. From a distance, this little round ball seemed not to be walking but rolling.
After returning, Xingyi bathed and washed, undressed and went to bed. Just as he lay down, a fluffy little round ball flew over, little claws sinking into the soft pillow, then padding in. The little bird's fluffy belly pressed against his cheek.
Xingyi turned his head to look at him, then closed his eyes, preparing to sleep.
The little fat bird extended his wing tip and poked at him.
Xingyi didn't move.
In the darkness of night, Xingyi heard the little bird beside him gasp, then tremble as he took a few steps and plopped down on his pillow.
He opened his eyes to see Little Phoenix struggling to get up, a snow-white tail feather held in his beak.
"This is for you. I'm sorry, I don't know if you want it, but if you don't, I'll be very sad. This feather is my most beautiful one—please don't reject it." Crystalline tears sparkled in Little Phoenix's little bean eyes. "It hurts a bit. Please don't ignore me, okay?"
This little fat bird looked even more wilted, shrinking pitifully, as if it truly hurt very much.
Xingyi sat up and grabbed Little Phoenix in one motion.
Little Phoenix was startled, but after a moment, quickly stopped moving, lying obediently in his palm, even scratching at his fingers with his little claws.
Xingyi turned Little Phoenix over to examine his tail. Not knowing what spell he used, Little Phoenix felt a cool sensation on his bird bottom. He twisted in alarm, but was stopped by Xingyi's low command. "Don't move. Didn't you say it hurt?"
Only then did Little Phoenix obediently let Xingyi hold his bottom. The whole round bird was flipped over, spread-eagled in Xingyi's palm.
Xingyi extended his index finger and scratched his fluffy belly. "Go to sleep. Don't do this kind of thing anymore."
Little Phoenix froze, then climbed up from his hand in delight, waddling onto his shoulder.
He asked carefully, "Can I still use your hair to make a nest?"
Xingyi lay back down. "As you wish."
Little Phoenix observed for a while, then boldly flew to the top of Xingyi's head to nest. He retracted his claws, very carefully making sure not to pull painfully, then curled into a ball and prepared to sleep at an angle.
He extended his little wing and patted Xingyi's head. "Good night."
Xingyi made no movement. Little Phoenix waited, thinking he had already fallen asleep. A moment later, just as Little Phoenix was about to fall asleep, Xingyi also said in a low voice, "Good night, Little Phoenix."
—-
Little Phoenix thought the matter had ended satisfactorily, but unexpectedly the next day, he was caught again.
Taking advantage of Xingyi not being awake, Little Phoenix slipped out for a stroll and happened to encounter the Golden-Winged Bird who had come looking for him.
The Golden-Winged Bird asked him nervously, "How was it? You weren't discovered, were you?"
Little Phoenix pulled him into the purple bamboo forest. "Don't worry, although I was discovered, I have a way to handle it. From now on let's just meet in the mornings—the Emperor always has trouble getting up anyway, so we can continue drinking and chatting."
The Golden-Winged Bird said oddly, "You still dare come to the purple bamboo forest? Yesterday I felt something was off—the Emperor probably heard us talking."
Little Phoenix patted his chest. "What's there to be afraid of! It's all old tricks—act pitiful, use some self-sacrificing tactics, and whoever you're trying to fool will take the bait. I'm telling you, I gave him a tail feather and he forgave me. Actually, plucking tail feathers doesn't hurt at all, and besides I'm a phoenix with natural regeneration and healing abilities. After one night they grow back. I once gave Wuxin Ming Wang a basket decorated with tail feathers, hehehehe—"
As he was speaking, he noticed the Golden-Winged Bird's expression looked somewhat off, so he asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
The Golden-Winged Bird raised his wing and pointed behind him.
Little Phoenix turned around to look.
Xingyi stood expressionlessly behind him, reaching up to rub his temples.
