After Feng Cang, Feng Qi Qi, Wanyan Kang, Su Mei and Jin Mo came to the capital of Nan Feng, they stayed at the prime minister’s residence. This wasn’t the idea of Gu De, but it was the decision of Gu Yun Wan. In this regard, Gu De didn’t express any unwillingness. It was fine as long his daughter liked it.

  “Dad, go help Feng Qi Qi!”


  He had three days off because of Ming Yue Cheng’s marriage, so he didn’t have to get up early to go to the court. Just after he got up in the morning, he was pestered by Gu Yun Wan. She wanted him to cure the gu of Feng Xiao.

  “Brat, you’re giving me a headache!” Gu De only had this daughter and she had gone out for so long. When she came back, it wasn’t to deepen their father-daughter relationship, instead, she tried to protect the outsiders, making Gu De somewhat jealous.

  “Dad, do you have a headache? I’ll massage it for you!”


  Gu Yun Wan quickly supported Gu De to sit down. She then put her small hand on Gu De’s temple and gently massaged it, “Dad, how is it? Is it comfortable?”


  “Hm, not bad!” Gu De smilingly touched his chin while enjoying, “It’s good to have a daughter! The daughter is caring!”


  “It’s good that dad likes it! Oh, by the way, dad, what is with Gu Yun Yao? When did you got an adopted daughter? Why didn’t I know?” Gu Yun Wan massaged while poured out all the questions that kept her confused these days.

  After hearing this, Gu De sighed. How could he talk to others about Ming Yue Cheng’s thoughts? But looking at his daughter, Gu De had some regrets. He once wanted to play matchmaker for Gu Yun Wan and Ming Yue Cheng. However, these two people didn’t feel attracted to each other. Without feelings even if he worried helplessly, it wouldn’t do.

  “Dad, say something!”


  “I just recently adopted her. I feel that she’s a smart child, so I accepted her as my adopted daughter.”


  “Oh……” Gu Yun Wan lengthened her voice. Gu De thought that his daughter regretted this moment, that she began to understand about the matters of love and was a little jealous because of Ming Yue Cheng’s marriage. Gu De was secretly delighted and wanted to continue to make Gu Yun Wan and Ming Yue Cheng a pair but he didn’t expect that Gu Yun Wan said another thing.

  “Dad, since you can accept a stranger as adopted daughter, why don’t you accept Feng Qi Qi as adopted daughter? In that case, if you think of Feng Qi Qi as our Qiang tribe’s people, then you can help Feng Xiao cure the gu!”


  After listening to these words, Gu De’s inflated heart of just a moment ago was now like a deflated ball: “Brat, is Feng Qi Qi so great? Why do you always help an outsider?”


  “Qi Qi isn’t an outsider! She’s my little sister! I have already recognized princess Ming Yue as adopted mother. Now, Feng Qi Qi is my, Gu Yun Wan’s, little sister. Since she has difficulties, of course, I have to help!”


  Gu Yun Wan said these clearly and logically, made Gu De have a headache: “Friendship is one thing, the tribe’s rules can’t be changed! Your father is the chief of the Qiang’s tribe. If I make exceptions, what will the tribe’s people say? How will I manage the Qiang’s tribe in the future?”


  “Dad……” Gu Yun Wan knew that Gu De was telling the truth, but she just wanted to help Feng Cang and the others as much as possible.

  “Master, miss, His Majesty has come.”


  At this moment, the housekeeper came hurriedly. As soon as Gu De heard that Ming Yue Cheng came over, he was somewhat puzzled. On the first day of marriage, Ming Yue Cheng didn’t keep Gu Yun Yao company in the Qingluan Palace, instead he (MYC) came here? In spite of his confusion, Gu De still immediately got up and went to the door to welcome Ming Yue Cheng. Gu Yun Wan hadn’t seen Ming Yue Cheng for a long time, so she also followed.

  “Your Majesty……”


  “Uncle Gu De, today there’s no majesty but only me.”


  The words of Ming Yue Cheng made Gu De smile, “Please……” Gu De led the way while Ming Yue Cheng walked behind.

  “Ming Yue Cheng, congratulations!” When Gu Yun Wan saw Ming Yue Cheng, she slapped on his shoulder, “Why did you run away on your newlywed days? Wouldn’t that consort Jin get angry?”


  “Wan er1! Don’t be so impolite!” Gu De quickly scolded Gu Yun Wan, when she spoke to Ming Yue Cheng like this. But there was no reprimand in his words, instead there was strong pampering.

  “Dad, he said that today there’s no emperor or majesty but only you and me! Right, Ming Yue Cheng?!”


  “Right! It was indeed what I said.”


  “Emperor, she is spoiled by this subject and doesn’t follow the rules. You must not blame her.” Seeing the ‘interaction’ between Gu Yun Wan and Ming Yue Cheng, Gu De was happy but also worried.

  In Gu De’s point of view, Ming Yue Cheng treated Gu Yun Wan different. However, this difference was limited to the friendship between buddies and not the love between men and women. In addition, Gu Yun Wan’s personality was carefree. She wasn’t yet enlightened on the matter of love. This made him, the father, very frustrated.

  Furthermore, the identity of Gu Yun Wan was a very awkward matter. She is the empress dowager of Nan Feng and could be regarded as Ming Yue Cheng’s empress mother. It was impossible to erase that past.

  Even if Gu Yun Wan was still a pure and clean woman, but the title ‘empress dowager’ had already broken Gu Yun Wan’s luck in love. Whether it was following Ming Yue Cheng or marrying someone else, it wasn’t quite right. Regarding his only daughter’s happiness, Gu De was very worried. However, there was nothing to be done. He could only let nature take its course.

  To let nature take its course: go with the flow

  “Dad, can’t you relax a little? You two had been a ruler and a minister for so long at the court. Now you’re here, why do you still want to be like that? How awkward is it!”


  “Uncle Gu De, Wan er is right! At the court, I’m the emperor, you’re the minister. But at the prime minister’s residence still being emperor and minister, isn’t it too tired? Could it be that uncle Gu De wants to deprive me of my only place to relax?”


  The tone of Ming Yue Cheng made Gu De laugh. Since Ming Yue Cheng regarded the prime minister’s residence as a place that would make him relaxed, this should be his honor (GD). “Cheng er, let’s go this way!”


  A ‘Cheng er’ reminded Ming Yue Cheng of his childhood. Gu De used to call him like that too. It seemed that after he became the emperor, he hadn’t heard that ever since. Having an elder who could call himself in such a way and his words revealed concerns was really a thing worth cherishing for anyone.

  Since Ming Yue Cheng came over, Feng Cang and Feng Qi Qi and the others were also invited over.

  “Feng Cang, long time no see! Ah Kang, I heard you got married, congratulations!” Seeing these friends from Bei Zhou, Ming Yue Cheng was in a good mood. Wanyan Kang smilingly came over and punched Ming Yue Cheng lightly. “You’re not bad too! You’ve also got a beautiful woman! Today is your first day of marriage, why did you leave your beauty and came here? Is it because you want to see us?”


  The thoughtless words of Wanyan Kang made Ming Yue Cheng didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry, “There are friends coming from afar, that’s a joy! You guys have come all the way to my wedding. Of course, I have to act as the host!”


  “Great!” Wanyan Kang pulled Su Mei to the front of Ming Yue Cheng and gave him an introduction. “This is my wifey!”


  ‘Wifey’ was the folk’s way of addressing the wife. Didn’t expect that Wanyan Kang, a wangye2 actually used this word to describe Su Mei. Seeing this lovey-dovey couple, Ming Yue Cheng was truly happy for Wanyan Kang. Beside happy, he was a bit sad too. Everyone was paired up and only he was alone. Was fate playing against him?

  “Woo……” The child in Feng Qi Qi’s arms was ‘babbling’ now. He seemed to be particularly happy when he saw Ming Yue Cheng. The small hands waved and the chubby little fingers were like mature beans.

  “Feng Xiao is still the smartest, knowing that adopted father is coming! Let adopted father hold you!”


  Ming Yue Cheng went to Feng Qi Qi and reached out his hands, but his eyes kept looking at Feng Qi Qi’s face. There wasn’t much difference. She was still beautiful like morning dew, pure and clean. Childbearing didn’t change her. Instead, it gave Feng Qi Qi a more maternal brilliance, making people indulge in her more.

  “Yaya……” As soon as Feng Xiao started ‘talking’ in Ming Yue Cheng’s arms, Ming Yue Cheng lowered his head. Feng Xiao’s beautiful big eyes had been wandering around this adopted father’s face and his eyes were full of curiosity. Ming Yue Cheng originally had no special feelings for children, but Feng Xiao was different from ordinary children.

  First, Feng Xiao was really cute and lovely. He looked beautiful, didn’t cry, and was always cheerful. Watching him was a joy; the second and the most important reason was that Feng Xiao was the son of his beloved woman. Ming Yue Cheng could see Feng Qi Qi’s shadow from Feng Xiao.

  “Is Xiao er talking to adopted father? Does Xiao er like adopted father?

  “Wo……keke……” Feng Xiao grabbed the dangled hair of Ming Yue Cheng and twisted the hair in his white finger. He let Ming Yue Cheng directly know with his actions that he (MYC) looked very pleasing to his (FX) eyes.

  Feng Xiao’s performance made Feng Cang, the father, eat a full jar of vinegar. Usually, he didn’t see this brat like him or anything, but how could Feng Xiao smile so happy when he sees Ming Yue Cheng? He was really someone eating inside while wanting to go outside!

  Eating inside while wanting to go outside: live on somebody while helping others secretly/ to bite the hands that feed you

  Gu De had been standing at the side. Only when he saw how Ming Yue Cheng looked at Feng Qi Qi, did Gu De suddenly realized. It turned out he (MYC) did it for her?!

  This judgement made Gu De distracted for a full ten seconds before recovering. He was really too surprised! It turned out that the woman Ming Yue Cheng admired was Feng Qi Qi?! A married woman, the wangfei3 of Bei Zhou’s Regent? How was this news not shocking?!

  No wonder that Ming Yue Cheng would create a Gu Yun Yao to let him recognize her as daughter and announced there would be no harem. Could it be that these were diversionary tactics? He did all that because of Feng Qi Qi?

  For a moment, Gu De had some difficulty accepting this result.

  Tracing back the source of this ill-fated relationship, it should be at the time in Xi Qi before Feng Qi Qi got married. No wonder that soon after the ascension to the throne Ming Yue Cheng went to Bei Zhou. No wonder he would send troops to Xi Qi when Bei Zhou was attacked from three sides. He must know that Nan Feng wasn’t stable at that time and sending troops took great risks. In case of defeat, it would be the danger of destroying the country. Even though the final result was that they won.

  Gu De didn’t know how to describe his feelings at the moment. He simply dragged Gu Yun Wan to a remote area and grabbed her for questioning.

  “Did you know?”


  “Dad, know what?”


  “The matter about His Majesty liking Feng Qi Qi.”


  “I know!” Gu Yun Wan looked at Gu De in a puzzled way, “Is there anything wrong? Feng Qi Qi is so beautiful and so nice. If I were a man, I would also like her!”


  “Foolish!”


  Gu De pointed to Gu Yun Wan and his fingers trembled. He sighed at last and dropped his hands. “What happened, dad?” Gu Yun Wan didn’t understand why Gu De was so excited.

  “Ay, you don’t understand! The people of Miao are famous for their faithfulness. The Miao family is a big family in the Qiang tribe, but the population isn’t so prosperous. The reason is that the Miao family has produced devoted people for generations. All Miao people have only one partner and are loyal to their partners for the rest of their lives.”


  “His Majesty’s mother, Miao Chu Yun, it was exactly because she fell in love with the emperor that she came to the imperial palace. In the end, what she got was deceit and betrayal. Ming Yue Cheng inherited his infatuation from his mother. He will stick to loving only one person. If Ming Yue Cheng is an ordinary man, it’s alright. However, he’s the emperor of the country. This won’t do!”


  Gu De said so. Gu Yun Wan gradually understood her father’s worries. “Dad, it’s not such a wicked thing as you say! Ming Yue Cheng is also the descendant of the previous emperor. The previous emperor was really a promiscuous person……”


  “He won’t. Ming Yue Cheng is not such a person.”


  The thought of Ming Yue Cheng’s marriage with Gu Yun Yao was merely a ‘cover-up’ that deceived the people of the whole country, made Gu De repent. If he had known this earlier, he wouldn’t be so eager to force Ming Yue Cheng to select consorts. Now, it was really turning cleverness into stupidity. Ming Yue Cheng’s stubborn temper was very similar to Miao Chu Yun’s. It seemed that this matter had to be considered at length.

  Turn cleverness into stupidity: shoot oneself in the foot/ to overreach oneself

  When Gu De and Gu Yun Wan came back, Ming Yue Cheng was still holding Feng Xiao. From the perspective of Gu De, Ming Yue Cheng was like a loving father holding a child. As if the child wasn’t of Feng Qi Qi and Feng Cang, but his and Feng Qi Qi’s child.

  Seeing such a scene, Gu De sighed. It seemed that Ming Yue Cheng was already deep in love. But continuing like this, wouldn’t Nan Feng have no successor?

  “Uncle Gu De, come see my adopted son, Feng Xiao!” Ming Yue Cheng let Gu De come over and carefully placed Feng Xiao in Gu De’s arms. “Isn’t my adopted son very cute?”


  “Keke……yiya……”


  Seeing the person who held him changed, Feng Xiao rolled his big eyes. He stared at Gu De’s face and waved his small hands as if he was greeting Gu De.

  This child was so cute that Gu De’s face finally showed a smile: “He’s indeed very cute!”


  “It’s just that such a lovely child has a child gu in his body and will be tortured by the gu poison in the future. Uncle Gu De, don’t you think this is a very cruel thing?” Ming Yue Cheng put his finger into Feng’s Xiao’s little hand. Feng Xiao then grabbed his (MYC) finger and put it into his mouth.

  “Dirty, you can’t eat!” Ming Yue Cheng took out his finger and held Feng Xiao’s little hand. “Xiao er, this is grandpa Gu! Let’s say hello to grandpa Gu!”


  Feng Xiao looked at Ming Yue Cheng and turned to Gu De again, then a ‘woeh……’ came from his mouth. After hearing that, Ming Yue Cheng laughed hard. “Look, Xiao er is calling you!”


  “Hehe……” Gu De laughing at this moment wasn’t right but not laughing was also not right.

  After confirming that Ming Yue Cheng’s beloved was Feng Qi Qi, Gu De was able to see all this clearly. Ming Yue Cheng was trying so hard now, was nothing more than hoping that he would cure Feng Xiao’s gu. This man was really infatuated to the extreme! Obviously, that woman was married to other. He actually still tried to help her child with all his heart and soul. Ay, he really didn’t know if Ming Yue Cheng doing so was worth it.

  “Prime minister Gu, I’m Feng Cang!”


  Feng Cang, who was quiet for a while, came with Feng Qi Qi to the front of Gu De. “If you can help our child to get rid of its gu poison, as long as this I can do, even if it’s the stars in the sky, I will pick it for you!”


  Gu De had previously learned about Feng Cang. He knew that this man was a dragon among the people, and was equally matched as Ming Yue Cheng. After seeing the real person, although Gu De favored Ming Yue Cheng in his heart, but he had to admit that Feng Cang was even better.

  This man’s spirit was very strong and you could feel that aura just by standing beside him.

  “The regent has come all the way to get rid of little shizi’s4 gu. This old man had already heard from Wan er. However, Qiang tribe had its own rules. I can’t ignore the tribe’s rules because of personal feelings. Regent, please don’t make things difficult for this old man.”


  Gu De said it very clear that no matter who Feng Cang was, regardless of how the feelings between Feng Qi Qi and Gu Yun Wan was, or even how much Ming Yue Cheng wanted to help, rules were rules and shouldn’t be changed because of the ways of people.

  Feng Cang and Feng Qi Qi could understand this point very well: “Prime minister, I’m not letting you break the tribe’s rules. I just want to find a solution. Miss little Wan mentioned to us the conditions of Qiang tribe to cure the gu. We must go through three tests: mount the mountains of daggers, go through the sea of flames and enter the dragon pool. As long as you can cure Xiao er, let alone three tests, even if it was ten tests, I, Feng Cang, will never frown!”


  Feng Cang’s words were loud and very manly. Gu De had to admire this devilish beautiful man. Even if Feng Cang looked very young, Gu De believed that he was that kind of person who kept his promise. How could a man who was all-powerful and famous in the world be a cowardly rat?!

  “Good! The regent is so straightforward that this old man also won’t conceal anything from you. The world knows that we, the Qiang people are good at using gu. Since the beginning of history, the Qiang tribe’s people began to raise gu. As long as it’s gu poison, you can find solutions in the Qiang tribe. However, we also have our own rules.”


  “Because raising gu is never divulged to outsiders, so the world’s gu poisons are done by our Qiang people. Out of respect for the people of the tribe, we won’t easily help outsiders cure the poison. To cure the poison, you must go through three tests. That is, as you just said mount the mountains of daggers, go through the sea of flames and enter the dragon pool.

  “Only passing the three tests and find the millennium sturgeon in the dragon pool will we help people cure the gu. For hundreds of years, only a handful of people have passed the three tests. A lot of people are buried in the dragon pool in the end. If the regent wants to cure the gu for little shizi, then please think clearly. Life isn’t child’s play!”


  1. Er: term of endearment

  2. Wangye/wang: the first-rank prince

  3. Wangfei: main consort of the first-rank prince

  4. Shizi: heir of the first-rank prince/crown prince