FENG YU JIU TIAN [VOLUME ONE]

Chapter Eighteen

At the entrance of the torch illuminated corridor, a sole figure adorned with simple silk robes was kneeling. Facing the eerie lit long stretch of corridor in front of them, the person had their head lowered keeping silence even with the uninvited guests.

The rows of torches lighting the path crackled, the flames danced and flickered. Those who were familiar with the face could barely identify the person by her profile, and one could immediately notice that she was beautiful.

The unexpected road block was the woman who rarely ventured out of her chambers, the Queen of Xi Rei.

These four grown men had been startled, each crying out alarm when they had first caught sight of her, and now after catching their breaths they exchanged looks.

King Rong approached quietly, kneeling behind the Queen and whispered: "Your Highness, the son in law of Fan Jia's King has arrived. An Xun has personally returned to Xi Rei offering a gift to give our King, a rare medicine."

Where the party had paused was narrow although Rong Wang's voice was soft, there was a slight echo that returned from the distance. Even with the flames flickering down this passage, it felt as if the other end was going to swallow you with darkness.

The Queen provided no immediate answer, her head still slightly tilted downwards as if she was occupied in her own little world. After a while she finally responded however there was no change in her expression.

"I know."

After providing a short sentence she returned to her taciturn behavior. Not a sound as she continued to kneel in the corridor, her presence was sealing off the path. She lifted her head up focusing her eyes at a pinpoint towards the end of the dark tunnel.

Everyone was growing uncomfortable and as the Queen was stalling their visit, and making it impossible to bypass her. The awkward silence was piercing and no one wanted to overstep their authority. As long as the Queen remained in her position, she was cordoning the path to see the King of Xi Rei.

At this point, Feng Ming did play with the idea that this sudden road block could possibly be part of Rong Tian's master plan by employing the Queen in this emergency to stall for more time. What would happen if An Xun gets impatient and charges through? Doesn't that mean this plan was flawed? The scenario that ended badly in his mind made him shudder, he flashed his eyes across to see how An Xun was reacting to the barricade.

Surprisingly, An Xun appeared to be calm and without any intention of marching his way through the Queen's vigil. On the contrary, his face had paled like a ghost, and his hands were balling up. If you looked closely, beneath the thick layers of clothing you could see that he was trembling slightly. It was obvious that the sight of the Queen had a very big impact on him.

How peculiar, don't tell me that there's hostility between the Queen and An Xun...

No one knew how to react to the Queen's antics and suddenly she finally spoke breaking the tension with a forlorn voice. "Since long ago the King has been ill and I am his Queen, thus by status it is my duty to oversee the prayer rituals. I've persistently recited prayers to the heavens at a boundary a hundred paces from where he is now resting. This is a matter of the King's life and death, if there is any Intruders the spiritual powers would weaken. At this moment no one is permitted to disturb the King until I am completed with my prayers and receive a mandate from the heavens."

Without turning back she ordered her son, "An He, you are the King's flesh and blood, kneel beside me and start praying to the heavens for your father's recovery."

Feng Ming didn't believe in such things, but he had no alternative. This was the Queen's personal order, there was no way out. It was best he assume the exterior of a filial son, answer to his mother's beckoning and kneel obediently beside her without a word.