Reborn: The legend of the Phoenix

While the Crown prince was leaving and Meilan was cursing, Fusheng was happily celebrating her spoils. Feilong could still not believe that Fusheng successfully "swindled" money out of the Crown prince.

"Hey little girl, what did you do to the Crown prince? "

Fusheng smiled victoriously and said "I was simply just honest. You're lucky we did not get on the Crown prince, I would have taken money from you as well."

Feilong could not admit defeat "I still think the Crown prince was too soft just now. Did he remember you from one of your play dates?"

Fusheng frowned and said "What play date? Is your venerable mind at it again? Refusing to admit defeat?"

Feilong sighed and said "I still think he was too soft. I find it weird that he is the Crown prince, how did he withstand the Palace politics and plots."

Fusheng rolled her eyes and said "Why don't you go ask him? It's not as if I know much about what is happening right now in the capital."

Feilong could only ask "So what now?"

As Fusheng was about to answer, she saw a carriage, looking around she saw not just one carriage in the courtyard leading to the ancestral hall Fusheng remembered that another place that was close to the ancestral hall was the room for receiving visitors. She smiled, having a little idea of what might be going on. Feilong felt a chill from looking at her smile, he knew that trouble was going to befall someone else in the mansion.

Fusheng said "I can't leave without seeing the current Furen of the Meng Family, can I?"

She boldly walked in the direction of those carriages, she saw so many servants around the Main house, probably the servants of the owners of carriage. As Fusheng passed they all looked at her in confusion. On getting to the main hall, she saw that there were guards in front of the door, preventing anyone from entering in to the house, by now Fusheng already confirmed the doubt in her heart.

(Ok so I just want to clarify something, In most of these Ancient Chinese houses, there is normally an ancestral hall where the people pay respects to their ancestors, then if I am not wrong there is also a Main hall, although I have forgotten the real name. But this where they receive guests and other things. I don't know if my description is right, but if it's wrong please do not be offended and kindly correct me )

When the guards saw Meng Fusheng, they were startled because this young Miss had never ever stepped out of her courtyard. Despite the shock they felt, they still bowed to her, Fusheng nodded and asked them "What is going on here today? What are all these carriages doing outside."

The guards looked confused, because they knew that the madam did not like this girl, but they also knew that she was the Young Miss of the mansion. The leader of the guards bowed to Fusheng and said "Greetings to the Young Miss, The Furen is hosting the noble ladies in the capital in the main hall. She also said that nobody should interrupt their gathering."

Fusheng nodded and said "Interesting! The Furen of this house I remember is dead, so I do not know who you are referring to."

The guards were surprised at the words she said.

Fusheng did not care for their surprise and said righteously "But I still need to know who is taking over my mother's place and hosting these noble women in her place, don't you think?" She turned and asked the guards.

Feilong laughed clutching his small dragon belly and said "You this girl, how did I not know you were like this? You are purposely putting him in a tight spot." Fusheng tried so hard to keep her nonchalant face all thanks to Feilong's laughter.

Truly the guard was put in a tight spot, he could only say "Young Miss"

Fusheng did not give him anymore face and directly walked into the hall, despite the shouts from the guards. The guards made to enter in to the hall, but the oldest guard there stopped them saying "It's best we do not interfere much. The little girl is just taking back what originally belonged to her." When his fellow guards did not understand what he meant, he just said "It seems like the wind blowing in the Meng Family is about to change it's direction."

***

Meanwhile inside the hall, the women were happily talking when they heard the commotion outside done by the guards. Meixin smiled thinking that it was Meilan coming back after having received the favor of the Crown prince. She had personally informed the guards outside not to let anyone inside the hall, because she wanted Meilan to draw the attention of the noble women to herself, so that she could brag about her daughter having received the Crown prince's favor. 

As the women were confused about what was happening outside, Meixin let out a helpless smile and said "It must be Meilan my daughter, that girl is very naughty is probably here to trouble me"

The other noble women smiled and continued drinking. They all knew about Meilan, the fast growing child prodigy in the capital and most of them liked her. As the commotion at the door stopped, the curtains were raised and in came a pair of black boots and no matter how you looked at it, it does not look like what Meilan would wear even if she wanted to be naughty.

Meixin was confused and asked "Who is that?"

A cold chuckle sounded from outside the curtain and an equally cold mocking voice followed "When the Phoenix leaves for a while, even the Pheasant thinks itself to be a Phoenix"

As the voice faded the owner of the voice came to light. The noble women let out gasps because they recognized the clothes that the person wore. The only other person that dressed like that was already dead, so who exactly was this person in front of them. 

Meixin on the other hand was so scared that the tea cup in her hands fell down and shattered. She was even trembling, she felt as if her worst nightmares had come to a reality. It took her a long time before she noticed that the person in front of her was Fusheng and not Meng Xiwu's ghost. She could not believe what Fusheng was doing in the main hall, today of all days and what the hell was she wearing.

Fusheng smiled mischievously "What are you so terrified about? Don't worry, the time for the dead to settle their scores has not yet come."

That statement brought chills to Meixin, she stuttered "You, you what are you doing here?"

Fusheng chuckled again and said "Can you believe that? The concubine is asking the daughter of the Wangfei (main wife) what she is doing in the Main hall. I should be asking you that, what do you think you are doing sitting on my mother's chair?"

This statement was like a stone thrown in a puddle, it caused a lot of ripple and whispers throughout the hall. The noble women originally melon eaters pieced two and two together and remembered that the only person that could call Meixin a concubine and also Meng Xiwu her mother was only Meng Fusheng. But they had entirely forgotten about her existence and also from the stories circulating in the capital, it is said that Fusheng is hideous and very ugly, but looking at the girl in front of them, she can not be called a peerless beauty, but she was not hideous, in fact if one was to overlook the fact that she was a girl, she looks like a handsome soldier. The noble women surprised as they were, were already itching to watch the drama.

Meixin on the hand was shocked, she never believed that Fusheng would ever talk back to her, much less call her a concubine in front of so many people. She sent out her personal Nanny to go and discipline Fusheng, she knew that Fusheng was very scared of the woman ever since the woman whipped her.

Truly as the Nanny approached Fusheng, Fusheng took half a step back in fear, she still remembered how the woman mercilessly whipped her that day they told her that the Royal Academy had revoked her admission. Feilong noticed her fears and whispered to her "Don't take a step back or show your fear. If you do, they will immediately realize that you are scared and they will exploit your fear. Just look her dead in the eye and slap her, in due time we will exact our revenge. Remember all your grandfather taught you." 

As the Nanny approached Fusheng, she expected Fusheng to tremble or even step back because that is how it normally goes, but to her astonishment Fusheng did not even move. She did not have time to dwell on it because she knew that first thing to do was to take Fusheng out of the hall. She turned to the Noble women bowed and said "Forgive me for this disturbance, I will take her away." She turned to grab Fusheng. Some noble women wanted to tell her to leave Fusheng.

But before anyone said a word, Fusheng shook off the Nanny's hands and then everyone heard the sound of a tight slap. This caused gasps to echo throughout the hall, at that point nobody knew exactly who got slapped. Meixin was even feeling calm because it was Fusheng who got slapped.

As she was about to diffuse the situation, she heard "How dare you?" Followed by another slap, Meixin and some other women stood up.

Fusheng said "I must have been too calm for the past few years that you have forgotten who exactly I am. Let me remind you and everyone here that I am Meng Fusheng, the daughter of General Meng Xiwu and also the granddaughter of General Meng Wanning. Do not forget that you are just a concubine's servant." 

Fusheng did not even spare her another glance before walking to the main seat where Meixin was standing, but on getting there she discovered another woman there, she looked more composed than all of the women in the hall and she looked very familiar. Fusheng gave her a glance before focusing again on Meixin.

She said to Meixin "Just enjoy the few days you have on this chair, because I promise you that you will not even be allowed in to the servant's quarters even if you want to." 

As she turned to leave, she suddenly remembered something and bowed to the other woman sitting above Meixin, she said "Greetings Royal Aunt"

The woman smiled broadly and said "I thought you forgot about me"

Fusheng smiled and said "No it just took me a while to recognize you."

The woman nodded and said "I understand, I almost didn't recognize you, come on over let aunty take a good look at you."

Fusheng declined saying "No aunty I have something I need to do, but I will come over to see you. I just came here to take permission before leaving, I did not think it would turn out like this." she added pitifully.

The woman nodded and said "Ok do not forget. It's been so long"

While Fusheng and the woman were conversing like the only people in the room, like the underlying tension in the room was a joke, like Fusheng did not just give Meixin's personal maid two tight slaps. Fusheng bowed to the woman and left the hall boldly, not sparing Meixin and her servant another glance.

Despite the bold action Fusheng just took, she was trembling and scared as she left the Main hall, she went to the Ancestral hall and knelt before her grandfather and mother's table stone. She finally cried silently to them. She said "I have just completed my first step, I gave them just a taste of their medicine. I was so scared back there grandfather, I almost ran away in fear but I stood my ground because you always thought me that to be afraid was normal, but not confronting one's fear was cowardice. I promise to bring back the honor of the Meng Family. Today I humiliated her in front of the noble women just so that people will not forget that Meixin and her family are foreigners in the Meng Family and I also did this so that people will know that I am still alive. Please help me because the journey is going to be hard and far."

She stayed for a while before leaving the ancestral hall. She had to go to the Academy to register, so she looked for a relatively lower wall and jumped over it, heading out of the mansion.