Second Wife

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Three horses raced down the highway. No one other than Da Fan and Steward Xin knew that he'd left the capital. Whoever it was that was involved with the breach had been watching him ever since he had gotten the assignment. Feng Huang played the role of a high born noble that was ignorant of life outside the capital. He'd sent several of his men out as a cover to show that he had no intention of leaving the capital.

Feng Huang took the back roads of the capital, travelling day and night to avoid being seen. Under the moonlight, Feng Huang and his two guards stopped by a rundown, wooden hunting shack.

"Master, the coast is clear," the guard confirmed.

Feng Huang nodded and got off his horse. The shack wasn't anything special, just a wooden structure with a thatched roof. The gravel beneath his feet crunched as he made his way to the shack. Fen Huang knocked three times to a rhythmic beat, and only then did the door open.

As the door opened, the moon served as the only source of light to the inhabitant in the shack. It had been a while since Feng Huang had last seen this person. His previously delicate, white skin was working its way into becoming a more tan complexion. He sat sideways on the chair, one foot over the chair arm, and a cocky grin on his face. If the world could see these two people now, standing side by side, they would have a difficult time telling them apart.

"You've grown, brother." Feng Huang laughed softly. His little brother was no longer shaped like a bean sprout. These past couple of months had shaped him well. At first, he wasn't sure if this person was really his brother.

Prince Jing Long laughed and jumped out of the chair, embracing Feng Huang. "Uncanny, isn't it?"

Feng Huang nodded. "Very much so."

Now that Jing Long had grown into his figure, it was harder to dismiss the resemblance between the two.

"I was just as speechless as you. No doubt that some have already begun to suspect."

"General Wang?" Feng Huang questioned. As a close aide to the Emperor, perhaps a report on the likeness between the two had already been sent to him.

Jing Long nodded. "Yes."

Feng Hung tried to calm the abnormal beating of his heart. Did the Emperor already know? This might be able to explain his sudden favouritism toward him.

"Forget about that. Have you brought what I asked for?"

Jing Long chuckled at his brother. Sooner or later, they would have to face this matter. Jing Long lit a candle and pulled out a scroll from his robe.

"This is all the information we've got. Like you, we have tried to investigate, but with the battle with Chawania, we're spread thin. That's why we asked the court for assistance."

Feng Huang took the scroll from his brother and immediately began to read it. The information wasn't that useful but the time, date, and area where the soldiers were spotted did help him.

"Do you have a map?"

Jing Long turned to his saddle bag on the floor; as a soldier, he was always prepared. Feng Huang spread the map over the table and used the scroll as a guide as he marked where the Chawanian soldiers were spotted. After that, he drew a circle around the marked areas.

"Have you realized that the soldiers have all been spotted in this area?" Feng Huang pointed to the circle he drew. "If you can invade a country without being discovered, why limit yourself to this one area? Unless there's something you're looking for over there, of course."

"Why show yourself to the villagers?" Jing Long commented.

"To prevent access to the area," Feng Huang answered. "But why Chawanian soldiers?"

Jing Long pondered over it and tried to piece all the information together. "I don't think Chawania is behind all this."

                                                          ___________________________

As the two brothers held their meeting, there was another one that was just as mysterious and sensitive and was being held by two men.

One man was dressed in gold and red with a red mask covering the top half of his face. The other man was just the same, the only exception being that his mask was black rather than red. Though the two knew each other and had no need for such frivolities, the building they were in required this of them. The said building provided an area to talk and conduct black market deals without the fear of exposure.

"Minister Feng is close to solving the border issue." The one in the red mask spoke.

"Without leaving the city, he can't. I've had my men watching the entire time. A city noble like himself wouldn't step foot in such a place."

The man in the red was swirling the liquid in his glass around as the black-masked man spoke.

"I'm afraid that Minister Feng has already left the city to investigate."

"What? Impossible!" Black Mask jumped up. "We should stop him."

"It's already too late. It's better to cut our losses. The other party isn't aware of our identities."

Red-masked man was a practical man. He knew when to cut his losses, when to invade, and when to retreat.

"So much gold." Black-masked man shook his head. "Such a pity."