The Next Of Phoenix
Chapter 61. 'Incompanion' Temporary

Xiao Mingyui walked out of the prayer room, then suddenly from the side appeared Fang Laowang who appeared about to enter into the prayer room.

"Young Master Fang?"

"Eh? Princess Mingyui?" Fang Laowang immediately bowed towards Xiao Mingyui.

"Do you want to pray in this temple too?" xiao Mingyui asked, he spoke as if there had not been any awkward incident last night.

Fang Laowang's facial complexion looked a little tired, as if the man had not slept all night. Fang Laowang forced a thin smile, his heart silently squeezed when he saw Xiao Mingyui acting as usual.

"No, I'm here to take my mother's incense order. It just so happens that my mother really liked the incense personally produced by this Temple," Fang Laowang replied.

Xiao Mingyui nodded in understanding, then said, "Ah. Excuse me, see you and-"

"Wait a minute, your majesty." Fang Laowang cut, his tired face looking like he wanted to convey something.

Xiao Mingyui frowned, her eyes turning extremely cold. "If you want to bring up the conversation last night then-"

"No. It's not that."

"Then? You want to threaten me using the incident last night?" xiao Mingyui asked, directly firing the worst possibility in his head.

Fang Laowang shook his head. "No, it's not that. Please give me one chance to talk to you."

"Then mention the point now," Xiao Mingyui replied firmly, both of her eyes still staring intently at Fang Laowang.

"It's about you, me, Xiao Wangye, the Crown Prince, and the entire plains of this Empire," Fang Laowang said, then fell silent for a few seconds and continued, "I'm willing to be on your side."

Xiao Mingyui widened her eyes, her body now moving towards Fang Laowang perfectly. Xiao Mingyui then glanced coldly at the pavilion not far from the Temple, then said, "We can talk there."

Fang Laowang nodded in agreement, and they finally walked together towards the Temple pavilion. There, they began to discuss. Fang Laowang explained his reason for being willing to join the stronghold of Xiao Mingyui and Xiao Xiangqing. He expressed his disapproval of the planned rebellion of his father, Fang Jichang.

Hearing Fang Laowang's story, Xiao Mingyui was immediately able to verify the truth of the Fang family's alleged rebellion with Southeast Huan.

"What is the guarantee that I will believe your whole sentence?" xiao Mingyui asked after listening to Fang Laowang's story for quite a while.

Fang Laowang became even more serious, then said, "My mother. Recently my mom and dad had a pretty serious problem, my dad almost killed my mom. Therefore in order to protect my mother, I intend to hide my mother somewhere. That place is in the southern corner of the Capital, you can tell my father that location if at any time I look suspicious."

"What did Fang Furen bring so much that Minister Fang was eager to kill him?" asked Xiao Mingyui again.

"My mother had a sizable dowry from her family in the basement of the Fang family. The room was specifically for storing my late mother's dowry, until it was tightly closed and never opened. Only my mother held the key to the room. My father was a man of great ambition, he threw away what he thought was useless like my old mother. Only the room full of the treasure my mother had, and my father wanted to have it. But because my mother was alive and refused to give it to my father, they were often at odds and last night my father almost killed my mother." Fang Laowang recounted his family's problems that Xiao Mingyui could use to attack him. He wanted Xiao Mingyui to trust him fully.

Xiao Mingyui smiled faintly, then said, "Alright, I will discuss this with Xiao Wangye and the Crown Prince first. I'll help you to hide from Minister Fang. Can I see him?" xiao Mingyui asked, he had to make sure what Fang Laowang said was not nonsense.

Fang Laowang looked doubtful. "But .. I'm afraid you'll feel uncomfortable because the place isn't so-"

"No problem. I won't mind," Xiao Mingyui cut up, then stood up and walked towards his carriage.

"Come, young master Fang. Wait what else?" xiao Mingyui asked as he turned his head as he was about to board his carriage.

Fang Laowang regained his senses, then he rushed to run towards his horse and guided Xiao Mingyui's carriage towards his mother's hideout which was in the Southern corner of the Capital City.

Arriving there, Xiao Mingyui got off the horse carriage and looked at the simple building, but the wood looked very sturdy and quite expensive.

"Come, your honor." Fang Laowang resuscitated Xiao Mingyui who was a little dreamy paying attention to the simple shape of the building before him.

Around here there are only big trees and green grass, rarely anyone who passes through this road. Right behind this house there is a vast forest.

"Please sit down, I'll call my mother first. Looks like my mom's still stooped-up"

"There's no need if he's still asleep, young Master Fang. I don't want-" When Xiao Mingyui cut Fang Laowang's sentence, suddenly the figure of a thin woman yet still able to be seen his servant as an honorable noble lady appeared while wearing a staff.

"Who are you bringing here, Wang'er?" han Silue asked as she slightly limped closer towards her son.

As soon as he saw Xiao Mingyui, Han Silue immediately frowned deeply. He did not know Xiao Mingyui because it had indeed been a long time since he had never come out and mingled with the other nobles, that woman had been locked up in Fang Fu for too long.

"Daughter Xiao Mingyui?!" Han Silue was startled, then she looked at Xiao Mingyui more closely and deeply. When the woman was about to stand up to give her greetings, Xiao Mingyui quickly prevented her.

"Furen, you don't have to bow to me. No matter how old you are, it should be me who bowed," Xiao Mingyui said, then stood up and bowed briefly towards Han Silue.

Fang Laowang who saw this involuntarily smiled, he was happy to see the gentle Xiao Mingyui as well as the concern for his mother.

Han Silue smiled, then tried to bring her seat closer to Xiao Mingyui and clasped Xiao Mingyui's hand.

"I'm sorry that I forgot about your figure, the older my memory and vision became worse." Han Silue smiled sincerely, she was very happy to meet Xiao Mingyui.

"Because this house is still very new, so there is no food or drink. Therefore I let out for a while to buy food and drinks at the market," Fang Laowang said, intending to head out for a while.

Han Silue nodded in agreement. "Yes, please hurry, son. We can't give honored guests a plate that's empty for too long."

Xiao Mingyui smiled again. "Fang Furen, you don't have to bother. I'm just-"

"It's okay, your honor." Then Han Silue turned her head again towards her son. "Come, hurry, Wang'er."

"Accept ...." Fang Laowang chuckled, then bowed towards Xiao Mingyui and his mother before finally leaving.

After Fang Laowang's departure, Xiao Mingyui and Han Silue conversed together. The old woman looked extremely fragile, yet she was still able to speak warmly and vigorously at this moment.

"It seems Wang'er likes you." Han Silue suddenly said so, making Xiao Mingyui smile awkwardly.

"Why do you think so?" xiao Mingyui asked.

"Both look in the man's eyes. I am the woman who gave birth as well as nurtured her, I memorized every movement and the gaze of the child's eyes implied what. And when I saw him staring at you, his gaze softened even more. She, it seems, found a new happiness in Princess Mingyui." Han Silue smiled warmly.

Xiao Mingyui's eyes slightly lowered her head, then she looked at Han Silue again and said, "I've had an engagement with the Crown Prince."

Han Silue was stunned, she looked a little surprised. But then he said calmly. "Ah .. Now I know what makes it difficult to make a choice." Han Silue paused for a moment, then smiled deeper and warmly at Xiao Mingyui. "Because in the two choices it's not just about the right and wrong path, but love or myself, his family."

Xiao Mingyui lowered her head slightly, she did not mind bowing before the elder. What's more, Han Silue and her late mother were of the same age. Xiao Mingyui could feel the warmth of a mother once she saw Han Silue.

"I'm sorry."

Han Silue's right hand moved gently to stroke Xiao Mingyui's cheek. "Your majesty need not apologize, this is not something that can be forced. But, I have one request of you."

"Regard what?" xiao Mingyui asked.

"Please stay on good terms with my son. Although you will never be lovers, at least you are good friends. Laowang is a good son, even though he can only be friends with you he will definitely feel enough. Since childhood his happiness has always been limited by Minister Fang, hence the current ...., before I die, I want to see him happy. At least, accompany him until I die and then his majesty can change everything back from the beginning. Just friends." Han Silue said that while shedding tears.

Xiao Mingyui was silent. Han Silue's request was very difficult to grant, because in other words Han Silue asked Xiao Mingyui to 'accompanse' Fang Laowang for a while until the woman died. How could it possibly be? No matter it was temporary or not, he was the Crown Prince's fiancee, Xiao Jiwang!

"Princess Mingyui, this old and lowly me begs ...." Han Silue cried pleading, even she was about to kneel deeply if Xiao Mingyui did not hold back her movements.

"My only treasure is my son, Fang Laowang," Han Silue said.

The deg!

Xiao Mingyui frowned even deeper, as Han Silue's sentence just reminded her of her late mother, Huang Mingxiang. In the past, his mother had also spoken such a sentence in public for Xiao Mingyui and Xiao Xiangqing.

Seeing the old woman who was the same age as her mother pleading and crying like this, moreover she said a sentence that instantly touched the heart as well as the memory of Xiao Mingyui, Xiao Mingyui's heart became uneasy.

"Fang Furen, calm down. I-i"

"You agree, don't you?" fang Furen asked, her tears still flowing, her hands tightly clasping Xiao Mingyui's hands.

Xiao Mingyui was silent, she did not say anything, yet Fang Furen suddenly smiled brightly and hugged Xiao Mingyui.

"Thank you very much, Princess Mingyui."

Xiao Mingyui gritted her teeth. Damn, he couldn't resist. Han Silue actually reminded him of his late mother, touching Xiao Mingyui's weak point involuntarily.