Little Phoenix Is Not An Immortal Chapter 5
Translated by Luen Translations
Edited by Siren and Birdie
Chapter 5: Bird God King Zhao Hua (5)
Sure enough, the empress was waiting within the hall. Zhao Huajun had just entered inside and had yet to give his greetings when she sprang up at lightning speed and approached first to welcome him and pay her respects. “I heard His Majesty say that biǎogē had arrived and I would have been lacking in manners if I didn't come to greet you.”
(T/N: biǎogē: older male cousin via female line).
Zhao Huajun put down Tian Zhen and returned the greeting, “It was my fault just now. May the empress please forgive me.”
“Oh, such an ugly little phoenix!” The empress was surprised.
Tian Zhen silently walked to the corner of the hall in tears.
‘God, wasn’t it said that having a beautiful heart was the most important thing…….?’
Zhao Huajun gave a rough explanation of how an accident occurred during her fire bath at the time of rebirth. He invited the empress to sit down, but the empress told him over and over again to sit down before she was willing to sit down again. She smilingly looked at Heng Yue, “Heng Yue-meimei wanted to go out for a stroll just now. What a coincidence, to have actually come back with biaoge.”
Heng Yue smiled unnaturally and answered that they had coincidentally met in the bamboo forest.
Seeing that Zhao Huajun’s complexion was the same as ever without the slightest change, the empress knew that a mishap had occurred. Hence, she moved away from this topic and said with deep concern, “Biaoge, has there been any kind of news over there about Dragon Girl De Yin?”
Zhao Huajun shook his head.
Clearly seeing the wry look within those phoenix eyes, Tian Zhen was puzzled. ‘Who’s Dragon Girl De Yin?’
“The people that His Majesty had dispatched have been continuously looking all over the place at You Po Mountain.” The empress sighed and then softly advised, “From the time De Yin-meizi disappeared, twenty years have already passed. Biaoge can’t go on like this forever.”
Zhao Huajun was obviously unwilling to continue with this subject. “I’ve heard that Imperial Concubine Ni is pregnant with a child?”
Hearing the words Imperial Concubine Ni, Tian Zhen immediately diverted her mind from the previous topic.
“I had come precisely to tell biaoge of this happy occasion.” The empress’s eyes flickered and drifted around while her face still wore that perfect smile. She raised her hand and ordered all the maids, “All of you withdraw.”
Once Heng Yue and all the maids had withdrawn outside, the empress’s smiling expression rapidly became cold and she gave a soft snort. “Imperial Concubine Ni can’t serve since she is pregnant and that Imperial Concubine He has become restless again. Recently, His Majesty has been frequently going over to Concubine He’s place and I'm worried that she’s planning something yet again……”
Zhao Huajun interrupted her conversation with another topic, his tone still as warm as before. “The crown prince is hardworking and shows promise. The Bird God race will naturally assist him with all our strength. His Majesty understands this. The Empress is too anxious.”
“What Zhao Huajun says is correct. Indeed, it was me thinking too much.”
The empress had put up this wretched act for the sake of these words. Playing as a matchmaker between him and Heng Yue was also because she wanted to deepen their relationship. When her son, the crown prince, was mentioned, her tone was somewhat prideful, “How could that lowly He be able to compare with the bloodline of our phoenix race. Nowadays, His Majesty regards the crown prince with utmost importance and often comes to my place.”
(T/N: the ‘He’ mentioned here is the imperial concubine)
After a pause she continued hurriedly, “The crown prince had originally wanted to come and meet Zhao Huajun, but was ordered by His Majesty to go somewhere.”
Zhao Huajun reservedly said, “Empress was born a member of the Bird God race and originally shouldn’t be secretly going back and forth. On the other hand, the crown prince has to avoid arousing suspicion even more so as to prevent giving people a pretext for gossip as well as give His Majesty a piece of mind.”
“I understand.” The empress nodded her head and said, “Only, Imperial Concubine Ni getting pregnant, every race has heard of this news and are all striving to send people over. I came here to ask whether you have made preparations so as to prevent mishaps, lest Imperial Concubine Ni be plotted against.”
Zhao Huajun didn’t answer. He stood up and paced several steps with his hands held behind his back thoughtfully. Suddenly, he said, “Imperial Concubine Ni being pregnant will certainly attract jealousy and fear since she is a member of my phoenix race as well as General Ni’s daughter. When the time comes, I have decided to send her to the imperial court. If something bad were to happen, I’m afraid that our people will be bitterly disappointed.”
“Don’t worry Zhao Huajun. I can't be affected by their jealousy. I only have the crown prince, only this single hope.” The empress helplessly smiled, “If not her, then we will have to consider someone else. Those on our side can at least be considered as our arms. In these years, she can be considered to have been loyal to me and the crown prince. She has spoken well of the crown prince in the presence of His Majesty many times. So long as she quietly stays within her boundaries, I will certainly and thoroughly protect both mother and child. Otherwise, who else will handle matters on our behalf? Were it not for me secretly paying attention to her, those cheap people would have placed a hand on her a long time ago.”
Zhao Huajun nodded his head in satisfaction. “It’s good as long as the Empress gives thought to the general situation.”
Regarding the matter of Imperial Concubine Ni possibly being harmed, Tian Zhen was originally apprehensive as she wondered whether or not she should tell him. Who would have thought that while listening to this dialogue, she would receive a huge blow—— ‘The hell. To have actually thought that she had heard some exclusive news from the corners. In the end, the others had long since anticipated this. The leader seemed cultured and refined, but was in fact a two-faced character to the highest degree! Each and every one of these deities are all more proficient than monkeys! Causing me, a tiny bird, to pointlessly worry!’
“The new candidate……”
“I’ll personally arrange it.”
Having received his word, the empress was relieved. She stood up and let the maids come inside. “It’s late. I shall return now.”
Zhao Huajun paid his respects, “I will respectfully assist Empress back.”
The empress said, “Biaoge is too courteous. You don’t have to, alright?”
Heng Yue sweetly said, “I heard that Zhao Huajun has to rush to Dong Yuan Yin Mountain tomorrow morning to supervise the battle. I hope that you will take good care of yourself.”
Zhao Huajun expressed his thanks.
In the evening, the fist-sized luminous pearls embedded in the corners of the eaves began to emit light. The cheerful sounds faded away, the imperial court became cold and gloomy during the night. The maids arranged the meal, a table abundant with food of every color under the sun.
Zhao Huajun stood alone in front of the window. His gentle appearance was nowhere to be seen as his face hid behind the shadow cast from the pearl light, and a sliver of desolate melancholy shrouded his back.
It was a long time before he turned around and walked over.
There was a black figure on the table. It was Tian Zhen silently standing there,blinking her eyes.
“Little phoenix understands people’s thoughts. Are you also heartbroken?” Zhao Huajun softly asked, the smile at the edge of his lips a bit pained, “After going missing at You Po Mountain, I’ve already searched for so many years. Yet, there hasn’t been the least bit of news. In the end, she……what happened to her?”
That kind of gaze, compared to the usually astute and calm appearance, was too different. Tian Zhen couldn’t help being startled.
‘I’m not heartbroken. In truth, I’m just waiting to eat dinner.’
‘So that’s why he said those words that night at the foot of You Po Mountain. So it turns out that the many people he claimed to have met mishaps included his girlfriend, Dragon Girl De Yin.’
Actually, according to Tian Zhen’s logic, being heartbroken and eating were two completely different things. Being heartbroken was originally painful. But if you were to hurt your stomach as well, then it would be even more painful. It's not worth it. ‘The leader is heartbroken and I’m willing to accompany you in being heartbroken. However, you have to hurry up and finish being heartbroken and eat dinner. So, how about we eat first and then continue being heartbroken?’
“I should have thought of her stubborn personality sooner. Leaving in a fit of anger, of course something would happen to her.” Zhao Huajun lifted her up to his embrace, “20 years, it’s been 20 years. Should I give up? Maybe she’s already……”
Those ink black eyes were just like the color of the night sky. Tian Zhen’s heart stirred.
TV dramas and magazines have informed women that they shouldn’t try to comfort a heartbroken man. Otherwise, the you whose motherly instincts had shown out on a whim will eventually fall in love with him.
Tian Zhen promptly lowered her head.
To be able to look for one woman for over 20 years, compared to His Majesty the God Emperor, he was already regarded as a very sentimental person.
She felt the hand on her back softly stroking her feathers. Gradually, the entire space within the hug and even the air itself became filled with grief.
In the end, Tian Zhen still extended her wing and softly patted his arm.
Seeing her comforting intent, Zhao Huajun was half amazed and half delighted, “ Little Phoenix, you understand what I’m saying?”
‘I understand more than you think.’ Tian Zhen nodded her head.
The greater portion of the anxiety stuffed in his heart dispelled. Zhao Huajun fetched a bamboo seed to feed her.
‘Leader, can’t you do something different? You’re eating normal food while giving me this thing to eat?’ Tian Zhen turned her head and jumped out from his arms. She then circled around the food on the table.
The God Realm’s food wasn’t like the Human Realm’s food. There wasn’t any impurity and its sweet scent assailed her nose.
‘Could it be that it wanted to eat food?’ Zhao Huajun was startled for a moment. With the intent to test things out, he simply took his own food and pushed it in front of Tian Zhen.
Receiving permission, Tian Zhen opened her beak wide and pecked.
The phoenix race had always fed on bamboo seeds. Suddenly encountering an exception, Zhao Huajun secretly marveled at its strangeness. “So it turns out that little phoenix eats food.”
Receiving influence about the common bird's diet in her appetite, Tian Zhen felt very apologetic. She used her claw to take a plate of food and push it in front of him. After that, she turned to the other side with her back to him and continued to eat.
Thinking of how many years it has been without anyone having a meal with him, today, the one sitting in front of him was unexpectedly a little phoenix who had yet to cultivate into a human form. Zhao Huajun couldn’t help smiling and said, “Since you’re so clever, in the future, if you diligently cultivate you’ll definitely be able to cultivate into your human form.”
Tian Zhen ignored these words.
‘Having been a person for so long, it was very tiring. Being a bird, I have a beautiful man to hug me and there’s gossip to hear. Where is this bad?’
