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“Lord Ji?” The Emperor frowned. “Why did you buy this chicken for him?”
Not only was he wasting time on himself, but now he was also thinking of wasting time on the young talents I just selected?
After thinking for a moment, the King of Chu spoke smoothly: “Lord Ji’s handwriting is very good, and I admire him. I wanted to learn from my father’s manners and send a chicken to Lord Ji to cheer him up.”
To honor a virtuous and humble person, people usually give gifts like gold, jade, or food, but giving a live rooster was a first.
The Emperor guessed what was going on but didn’t want to expose it.
It’s not a big deal if young nobles like to play with chickens, dogs, and crickets, as long as they don’t lose their ambition.
But judging by the situation, the King of Chu seemed to have no ambition left.
The Emperor waved his hand and said, “In that case, you can send the chicken to Lord Ji.”
Tao Sheng returned from the farm after witnessing the famous meeting scene of the hero and heroine. As soon as she entered the gate of Su’s residence, she saw a big rooster with shiny feathers staring at her, which made her a bit uneasy.
Mother Tang was behind the chicken, feeding it grains with great care, much more attentively than she had seen parents raising their children in Qin County before.
Tao Sheng instinctively took a step back, keeping a safe distance from the chicken. “Where did it come from?”
Mother Tang replied, “It was sent by His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu to entertain the young master and young lady.”
When Tao Sheng was in Qin County, her adoptive parents never restricted her, so she had watched the famous cockfighting arena there.
She recognized immediately that this was not an ordinary chicken, but likely a fighting cock.
She had seen many types and breeds of fighting cocks, but she had never seen one with such colorful feathers and beauty.
The rooster walked a few steps and strolled leisurely in the garden, appearing calm and relaxed.
Tao Sheng asked Mother Tang, “When did the King of Chu send this chicken?”
Mother Tang said, “Just yesterday.”
Tao Sheng became even more curious: “Why did His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu suddenly send a chicken?”
Did he want them to care for the animal for him? Did he come to look at the animal when he had time?
“They said it was to show respect for the wise,” Mother Tang tried to remember. “Since this chicken has always won in battles, it’s special and was sent here for you and the young master to enjoy.”
Tao Sheng: …
Wow, this is the first time I see someone so polite.
“What’s the name of this chicken?” Tao Sheng asked. Since it was now part of the family, she couldn’t keep calling it “that chicken.”
“There is a name as well,” Mother Tang said quickly. “The King of Chu named it Feng Xiao.”
“Feng Xiao?” Tao Sheng frowned. Isn’t that Guo Jia’s[1]was a smart military adviser during the late Eastern Han dynasty, working for the warlord Cao Cao. Tao Sheng is surprised because “Feng Xiao” was Guo Jia’s other name, and she … Continue reading name?
“What did Your Highness say?”
Mother Tang tried to remember but felt overwhelmed by the chicken situation.
“It was said that it’s called that because the phoenix roars for nine days or eight days, so that’s where the name comes from.”
Oh, so “Feng Xiao” makes sense, Tao Sheng nodded.
At that moment, the big rooster saw Tao Sheng and lifted its right paw, almost as if to greet her, before wandering off again.
In just one day, it had taken charge of the household.
After all, this chicken was sent by the King of Chu. Although Tao Sheng often forgot about his royal status, he was still a prince, and this gift could be seen as a noble honor.
Tao Sheng shook her head helplessly at Mother Tang: “Since it was sent by the King of Chu, you’ll have to take good care of it.”
“It’s not hard, it’s not hard,” Mother Tang replied quickly. “Feng Xiao is very good and obedient. It’s easy to raise him.”
It seemed Mother Tang had already developed feelings for the chicken.
Tao Sheng smiled. With few people at home, it was relatively quiet, so having a chicken around was nice.
This chicken was quite friendly. After spending the whole day with it, by evening, they felt familiar with each other.
Ji Yanming was on night duty at the Hanlin Academy the night before. When he returned and saw the chicken, he was stunned for a long time. But upon hearing it was sent by the King of Chu, Ji Yanming just raised his eyebrows and didn’t say much.
That evening, Su Jia returned from the store and admired the chicken, saying it looked majestic, beautiful, and seemed very blessed.
No one objected to the chicken staying, so it smoothly became part of the Su family.
Half a month later, while Tao Sheng was having breakfast, she heard a commotion outside.
Liu Mian rushed in, breathless. Tao Sheng set down her spoon and motioned for Qing Xing to help calm her down: “What happened outside?”
Liu Mian took a few deep breaths and said, “Lord Wenyuan is here.”
Even when Shen Yu visited, he wouldn’t make such a fuss. Tao Sheng nodded for Liu Mian to continue.
Liu Mian went on, “Your Majesty, your clothes are a bit bright today. I wonder if you offended the one sent by the King of Chu. He came up and started pecking at you with his wings, forcing you out the door.”
Tao Sheng perked up: “I’ll go take a look.”
In the yard, the rooster with its colorful tail was strutting around in a confident manner, seemingly patrolling its territory.
A few days ago, Mother Tang had made a big nest for the chicken and asked Tao Sheng to help write a name for it.
After hearing Mother Tang’s suggestion, Tao Sheng felt that naming the chicken coop was a bit showy and couldn’t think of a suitable name.
But seeing the chicken’s behavior today, she thought it had great potential and would be a good guard for the house. No wonder the King of Chu called it the Fighting and Victorious Chicken.
Since the King of Chu named the chicken “Feng Xiao,” Tao Sheng found the name hard to say, so she gave it a new nickname: “Xiao Feng.”
The Book of History states: “When the Shao music reaches the ninth level, the phoenix will come to the city.” [2]is a historical reference indicating the arrival of good fortune.
After deciding to write on the chicken coop, Tao Sheng asked Qing Xing to bring her paper and pen. She quickly wrote four big characters:
The Phoenix is Coming.
After reading these words, Xiao Feng gave Tao Sheng an approving look, shook its feathers happily, and returned to the chicken coop.
***
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References
| ↑1 | was a smart military adviser during the late Eastern Han dynasty, working for the warlord Cao Cao. Tao Sheng is surprised because “Feng Xiao” was Guo Jia’s other name, and she thinks it’s strange that the chicken has the same name. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | is a historical reference indicating the arrival of good fortune. |
Vyl[Translator]
~Thank you soo much for the support! Love yaa~ ⋆.❤︎
Thank you for translating.Can’t wait for more
Hey there! Thank you for enjoying the novel I’ve translated. 𖹭
I’m thinking of releasing new chapters three times a week instead of just once, so you can enjoy it a bit faster. Stay tuned! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝
Really???? Thank you! The best news I’ve heard today. As always, looking forward to your releases. =)