Eternally Ambitious Wangfei

Chapter 12: Growing Rivalry

Princess Xiao closely follows behind Mingxia Jie and asks if she wants a room to rest in. Mingxia Jie accepts kindly and is taken to the room by Princess Xiao's maid. The men had finished court and were discussing other policies outside and around the palace. Kangxi Di Guo had finished speaking to one of the other ministers when he saw white and red fabric out of the corner of his eye.

He then swiftly moved to where he saw the fabric to see a maid walking away holding the dress. Kangxi Di Gou asked the maid whose dress it was; to be informed that it was Kangxi wangfei's dress. She explained how the wangfei had fallen into the lake and had been pulled out by the General, and was now currently resting in a room prepared by Princess Xiao.

Kangxi Di Guo had been worried by the maid's story. The flames that Mingxia Jie had sparked into his heart were slowly becoming more and more chaotic as he looked down at the dress in front of him. He asked if she could lead him towards the wangfei, she complied and lead Kangxi Di Guo towards the room. Upon entering the room, he learned that Mingxia Jie wasn't in the room. He was later informed by the maid that she had gone back to the lake even though they had tried to stop her. Even her personal maids were left behind in the room.

He left the room feeling frustrated and worried. As he rushed past the multiple courtyards he saw multiple ministers try to talk to him, but was soon talking to themselves because he had walked past them treating them as though they were air. They were all quite flabbergasted at Kangxi Di Guo's actions and were left shellshocked. At the sight of the lake, he saw a familiar figure in the distance.

Mingxia Jie had pushed out a small boat into the lake and rowed into the center only to drift peacefully. She sat peacefully in the boat as she looked at her surroundings. Kangxi Di Guo watched as she sits in her boat under the fully bloomed white magnolia trees. As she touches the water and watches as the breeze embraces the petals and lays them down in her hair and on the water at her fingertips. Kangxi Di Guo stares at the scene only to be able to feel his chest flutter at the sight.

As though his wife will slip through his fingers if he doesn't love her soon enough. But that moment was short-lived at the sight of another man staring at his wife. That man was none other than his rival in court, and to see that man staring at his wife with lustful eyes made his chest tighten. His eyes could only see red as he charged towards the General. He huffed at the General:

-"What are you doing here?"

-"What do you think?"

-"I think you are staring at something that isn't yours."

-"Is that so? Then why don't you accompany me in staring?"

Kangxi Di Guo wanted to speak more but the words wouldn't come out as he looked back onto the lake to see his beautiful wife smiling. He thought that she was a fairy that could not be tainted by this world. But he knew better; that fairy was a demoness in disguise. She was sly and stingy, using a sharp tongue to get her way. The more he saw, the more he was drawn into her black eyes. Like an abyss that swallowed you once you started to fall.

But his smile started to fade as he saw her smile fade. Her eyes became cold and distant as though she was no longer part of their world.

-"Damn. Why did I rely on him? I have to become stronger so I don't have to rely on my home. And be able to take my revenge. I've barely made myself a platform to stand on, and I still have so much more to do."

Hearing those words, both men paled. What did she mean? And who had a death wish to want to be on Mingxia Jie's blacklist? These thoughts ran through both their heads but no answer was reached. The only thing that they wanted to do was help her to make her smile again. In their hearts, they both knew that what they must do is to walk with her the whole way.

Shortly after Mingxia Jie came back to the shore to see the General's low-ranked soldier standing idle. Kangxi Di Guo and the General could not hear the conversation completely, but could only hear bits and pieces.

-"Do---know where I---the armoury?"

-"Follow me."

Both men looked at each other questioning 'the armoury?' They both secretly followed as the soldier led Mingxia Jie to the armoury. She thanked the soldier who quickly returned to his post. She entered and the door was slightly left ajar. Both men peeked into the see a sight they would never once regret. They saw Mingxia Jie wearing a long-sleeved white and blue dress that had red camellias embroidered on the hem and sleeves. But seeing Mingxia Jie wield a sword was something both couldn't believe. Her moves were elegant and flawless. With no way to break her defensive stance and had such a beautiful offensive stance the enemy would surely be in awe of this woman's skills.

They both returned to a bench farther away only to put away their differences and talk about what they saw. Both could not believe it and only sat there quietly while staring back and forth at each other. Thinking 'was that real or a dream?'. They begin to question how this woman had learned to fight so elegantly and where she truly came from. As they remembered her fighting is was as though the wind itself loved her and the magnolia petals danced around her reverently with no end. It was a dance that would never come to light and would always remain a beautiful flower covered in mud.