The Ugly Empress by Yun Guo Shi Fei / 丑娘娘 by 云过是非

Chapter 9 - "Kill"

T/N: Translating this chapter is sooo much fun! Ha! I was being sarcastic.

It has so many difficult sentences I think I've fried my brain.

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A palace maid stood facing the standing bronze mirror, carefully brushing the black hair of the person in front of her.

The person was wearing a yellow wide-skirt; the flowing yellow silk was tightened around the person's slender waist, the figure was lithe and graceful.

"Rui Xue, do you think I already have white hair?" The person asked, fingers gently picked a few strands of hair.

Despite wearing a skirt, the person's voice didn't sound as tender as women's; it sounded heavier. It was clear that the person, was in fact, a man.

"Da Wang," Rui Xue smiled, "What white hair? This servant can't even see a shadow of it."

The man chuckled, the smile on the man's powdered face made him looked more alluring, "You're just indulging me."

"This servant doesn't dare, I only say the truth! Also, if Master were to know I lie to you, he will definitely break my legs."

Hearing Rui Xue saying 'master', the man's smile abruptly dimmed. He said, "How is your master these days? He doesn't come to the palace but sends you here everyday, aren't you tired of me?"

"How could I be tired of you?" Rui Xue said, "Master is working hard every day to handle all the political affairs for Da Wang, he's been very exhausted lately. I heard it's because Minister Zuo has always been opposing Master. He doesn't want you to be worried, so he instructs me not to tell you."

The man sneered coldly, "Minister Zuo actually dares opposing Marquis Zhulu? Who gave him the courage?"

"Da Wang don't be angry, this slave has spoken out of turn. Master said he didn't want you taxing yourself by worrying, he said it'd break his heart."

"You're just saying that to appease me."

The man knew Rui Xue's words were only half-truth, yet he couldn't resist smiling over hearing them. The frown on his face melted away instantly, his drawn eyebrows loosened with a smile.

While the two of them continued talking, a servant came in, "Report to Feng Wang, Marquis Zhulu and Minister Zuo ask for an audience."

"Let them come in."

The man wearing wide-skirt stood up. Between his delicate and pretty eyebrows, his forehead had a sharp and sturdy quality. This combination of tough personality and feminine beauty didn't look awkward on him.

This man was the ruling king of Feng Country, named Feng Ming.

If you asked about Feng Ming, everyone would immediately curse him, saying he was an incapable ruler.

But the truth was, through many generations of Feng Country kings, there was no one who could compare to this person. Feng Ming was vicious and merciless; tyrannical even.

If another king was not vicious enough, or not ruthless enough, people would not curse that king, they would only write those faults as insignificant.

Feng Ming, on the other hand, had one grave fault that doomed him in people's eyes. The fault was that he played favorite; he only favored one person.

Feng Ming's favoritism to this particular person was uncannily deep, people could no longer measure it.

In Feng Country, there was a Marquis Zhulu, by the name of Zhao Lu. It was said that young Zhao Lu originally was a refugee; a homeless and a loner. Later, he joined the army just to have food and a place to live. One time, Feng Wang happened to personally lead the troops to battle and instantly set eyes on this one young soldier.