Phoenix: Rules Of The Harem
Chapter 3: The Destiny Painted By Heaven

The scorching sun shone in the middle of the clear sky with thin clouds, someone opened his eyes. His blood red netra opened little by little, looking empty but alive. His blurry eyes blinked a few times, ensuring that he could see more clearly. He was Wei Yun Rui, the Second Prince of Wei Kingdom and the eldest son of Empress Wei. It was the young master who helped Shao Ling Mei from the assassins who wanted to kill her. His eyes were round with surprise realizing he was in an unfamiliar room. Turning his head around, he found no one but himself in that place.

Recalling the events of last night, Wei Yun Rui rose up in panic. He looks worried about the condition of the fourth daughter who is hunted by assassins. Is she okay? Or hurt because he failed to protect her? Rubbing his face rough, Yun Rui moved his painful body just to be sure of it. A few steps running from the bed, suddenly the door opened violently, a girl whom he would have known walking towards him with a young man behind him who kept nagging.

"Your Majesty, shouldn't we take a look at it later? It would be good if we let him rest longer."

Wu Jin sighed, he had tried many times to stop Ling Mei who insisted on seeing Wei Yun Rui's state.

"I don't want to! I want to see it! Wu Jin you are evil! I just want to give her this pretty flower." Ling Mei looked at Wu Jin with a frown, with both hands holding a bunch of white plum blossoms.

Wu Jin shook his head, as if Ling Mei was the most stubborn person in the entire empire. "But, Your Majesty...."

"I don't care! I'll give her this flower .. oh!" with her stupid smile, Ling Mei walked towards Yun Rui who was staring at the bewildered both of them.

"Gege, this is for you!"

(Gege: older brother).

Yun Rui accepted it, a beautiful bunch of white plum blossoms. She smiled, politely thanking the girl she knew was the Fourth Princess of Shao Empire.

"Gege, you're so beautiful. Your eyes are like jewels, so beautiful." Ling Mei smiled shyly, her eyes shining at how charming a prince of the Kingdom of Wei was.

Yun Rui looked at Ling Mei bitterly, it's okay, maybe she doesn't remember it. "Your eyes are also beautiful, clear and calm like water."

"You're good. I like you! Come play with me next time, Gege!" Ling Mei looked happy, she was happy to have got a playmate other than Wu Jin.

"Sure, once this wound heals I'll play with you."

"Because I gave it, I'm leaving now. Uh, Gege ..thank you for helping me, I'll repay you in the future." without waiting for anything, Ling Mei ran away with a embarrassed face leaving Yun Rui with Wu Jin following her from behind.

Yun Rui stared at the closed door, she muttered softly, "Even if you don't expect it though, I will still do it Your Majesty."

Ling Mei had been in her room with Wu Jin who was still loyal nearby. She grabbed the teapot and poured the contents into the cup, gently Ling Mei sipped the tea already poured into the cup, looking very graceful and beautiful.

"Sit Wu Jin! Why are you being so polite to me? Have we not been together for several years?"

Wu Jin sat himself in front of Ling Mei, "That's right, Your Majesty. But, I am a personal bodyguard and you are my master. It's not something worth."

"You've taken too much care of Wu Jin's attitude, sometimes I feel worried for you."

Wu Jin smiled slightly, he looked at Ling Mei with warm eyes. He was happy, his master paid close attention to him, he wanted nothing more than this. Wu Jin shook his head slowly, not the time for this! There were things he had to say to Ling Mei.

"Your Majesty, regarding this matter, rumors will definitely appear and spread throughout the entire palace."

Ling Mei had expected it, though, sooner or later strange rumors would soon spread widely about the disappearance of the second prince of Wei Kingdom from his pavilion and suddenly awakened in one of the rooms in the pavilion belonging to the fourth princess of the Shao Empire stupid with a body full of wounds. Wei Yun Rui oh Wei Yun Rui! He had given a great headache to Ling Mei in the future, just like her mother.

"Then, just as it happened spread the truth, Second Prince Wei Yun Rui had helped me from the hired assassin who had intended to attack me that night. I don't want to get carried away too far, don't you already know that Empress Mother and Empress Wei have something."

Wu Jin nodded obediently, "I understand, Your Majesty."

Unlike the pavilion that belonged to Ling Mei, now in the Phoenix Palace which was the residence of the Grand Empress there were two people discussing something. Both Empress Wei and Grand Empress were talking about what happened to both their sons and daughters. For these two this was an opportunity, Grand Empress and Empress Wei knew they should not let go of this. This is a good thing and this is destiny! The perfect fate that the sky painted for them.

"Hua'er, isn't this a good thing? I can't believe God made our plans easier."

Shao Fang Hua nodded in agreement, "It's bad luck that brings good luck, I think it will make things easier."

Fang Hua was silent for a while, then continued his words. "The matter of rumors I'm sure Ling Mei will take care of herself, she's not a person who likes complicated things."

"Of course, your fourth daughter is an attractive girl. That's what made me love it .. ah! I want it more." Wei Su Yin grinned, her blue eyes gleaming with pleasure.

"Shijie, you look so obsessed. That's pretty awful."

"Hahaha .. is that so?"

"But Shijie, I heard my first daughter has moved her wheels. Shouldn't we also move a little faster?" the owner of the imperial throne was tracing his Guzheng threads* carefully, it looked mysterious with a flat face and illegible eyes.

(Guzheng: Traditional Chinese musical instruments, in the form of lutes, were originally 5-stringed Guzheng then became 12, 14-16, and last 21 strings).

"My power is not as great as yours, Shimei. Even so, it doesn't mean that I don't have the same power to decide who my sons marry."

Su Yin sighed, then continued her words. "Your daughter may have prepared everything, but I'm the one who will decide. Don't worry too much, he's still no match for me."

Su Yin smiled with a wide, dangerous and suspicious smile. "For that, I have other plans. You just have to look at it and you'll be happy, Hua'er."

.

.

After Ling Mei's sudden handling, Wei Yun Rui decided to return to her temporary pavilion. Wei Yun Rui chose to return to the Orchid Pavilion that he occupied with his two younger siblings. His loyal servant, Shu Lian, stared in surprise at his master who was walking limped from the wound.

"Caiy! Your Majesty, how could you be hurt?"

Yun Rui smiled, Shu Lian is always worried about him. "It doesn't need to be like that, I'm fine Shu Lian."

"Your Majesty, what exactly is going on?" Shu Lian rubbed Yun Rui carefully, she had to immediately heal the wound of her master because a man let alone a noble should not have any injuries or he was not accepted into marriage.

"The Fourth Princess has been attacked by a group of hitmen, just then I walked near her pavilion and found Her Majesty surrounded by them. I decided to help him, but after I almost killed them all I was unconscious because of the fog of paralysis."

"Your Majesty, it's very dangerous. It would be best if you just call the bodyguards." Shu Lian looked at Yun Rui who had now been sitting on her bed.

Yun Rui shook her head slowly, disagreeing with what Shu Lian said. "No, the fourth princess is a precious person. I don't want to be late."

Shu Lian carefully removed her master's robe, trying not to hit her master's wound. Yun Rui was speechless, her red eyes flashed sadly. The prince with a charming face was disappointed, he knew he was better than anyone else in waiting, but the person he was waiting for did not even remember him.

Yun Rui stroked the bunch of white plum blossoms she had in her hands, looking still fresh even though she had kept it for half a day. "Where are Tian Zhi and Ming Hao?"

"The Fourth Prince is in his room, Your Majesty. I think the Fourth Prince is painting. Then the Eighth Prince was asleep in his room, Your Majesty."

Yun Rui nodded at Shu Lian's reply, he understood, his sister is indeed quiet and paints more often than playing around like him. "ah! Apparently so. All right, let him take longer. My fourth sister loved beauty."

.................

Thinking about the rumors, as expected, a few days later strange rumors began to spread like wildfire throughout the imperial palace which of course would continue to spread to the imperial population. The most famous among the rumors was that Wei's second prince Yun Rui was rumored to be Shao Ling Mei's concubine, the disabled fourth princess. The women and girls throughout the empire were disappointed.

Wei Yun Rui, one of the most charming men in the whole country with alluring yet deadly beauty like a manjusaka flower* under the dim night sky, his blood-colored eyes looked seductive like the devil. That beautiful man would be made as a concubine or more terrifying Yun Rui might be made the official companion of a disabled princess! Shao Ling Mei is really a lucky idiot!

(Manjusaka Flower: red death flower originating from China and often referred to as the Higanbana flower in Japan; another name in English: Red Spider Lily).

Ling Mei who used to walk around the Dragon Palace to meet her father chose to remain silent in her pavilion. Not worried about the rumors, he was busy reading the books in his room. Ling Mei knew this would happen, she understood, maybe her mother would also take this matter to her plan. He had to be prepared, silence and waiting was a good thing for now. Ling Mei could not touch her mother's territory, it was too risky, it was impossible to have Wu Jin watch over her or Wu Jin would get into trouble.

Ling Mei smirked, she had found the perpetrator who intended to kill her for the umpteenth time. Suddenly Ling Mei wanted to play around, it seemed like that person had yet to realize it, how Ling Mei could escape the god of death many times without getting hurt.

"It feels good...." Ling Mei smiled faintly and muttered, her eyes gleaming. Ling Mei was seen propping up her pointed chin on top of her right hand that was on the table.

Ling Mei started thinking about her business, this was the perfect time to start. His three older sisters had their respective support. The strongest candidate right now was Shao Mu Lan, his eldest brother who already had almost half the support of the official, resident, and imperial family parties. Ling Mei knew Empress Shao, her mother did not lend her support to Mu Lan. Ling Mei had to hide her claws, she had to pick them up slowly, Ling Mei had to spin around and lock onto her prey before actually attacking her.

"How laughable! You fought each other in silence, but you worked together to bring me down as if there was no competition between you." Ling Mei raised her chin haughtily, inside her blue eyes implied such a huge cunning.

Ling Mei stared at the round window of her room sharply, the white-colored curtain fluttering softly. Revenge was clearly visible on his face that was as smooth as jade. "My dear brother, don't be so loud. This fox will destroy you in a moment, everything will be in vain."

.

.

"SHIT, THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!"

"Sir, please calm yourself. This was not a good thing for others to hear." someone said in a trembling voice, fear was clearly heard in his voice and his agitated tears could not be hidden.

He stared with anger, he felt like he had been deceived by the sky, "Quiet? I thought this was the right time to finish, then the thing I had planned failed just because of a man! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

"I see, you don't have to be this angry sir. It was just luck that the heavens had given him." the one frightened person took a deep breath, controlling his expression to remain calm even though his master looked pias and terrible with anger.

"What luck?! It was not the first time .. No! It was many times even if it wasn't me who sent it! How could it not hurt him even though?!" the figure that the master called out snarled, his face flushed red trying to contain the anger.

He doesn't understand, how can he? She was just an idiot girl with child-like behavior who would even fall if pushed to the ground slowly. Rubbing his face rough, he felt being played with.

The other person smiled, "I got it, Sir. His guard is one of the best in martial arts and swordsmanship."

"What's that all? There is something .. We don't know it. It's great! I'm so curious! What does he have for this?"