Fire Phoenix Chapter 6

Huan'er cried out in a panic running through Lin Wan'er's yard in a flurry, "Oh God! Your Ladyship, young master is missing!"

Lin Wan'er reached for her cloak and draped it over her shoulders as she left her room. Even though it was almost noon, Lin Wan'er found herself spending more time indoors because of poor health.

The color left her face, "Huan'er, slow down. I told you to guard Canglan, so what happened?" she asked.

Huan'er choked with sobs and began to blame herself: "I'm sorry, Your Ladyship. Young master said he had a stomach ache a little while ago and he was clutching his tummy in pain. I thought maybe the breakfast wasn't fresh, so I went to call the doctor to come and examine him. When I returned to his room, young master was gone."

Lin Wan'er sighed. She knew Canglan was unable to bear being cooped up indoors and had a hunch that Canglan tricked Huan'er feigning illness to slip away.

Lin Wan'er questioned Huan'er: "Did you ask the guards? Have they seen Canglan leaving the house?" Lin Wan'er had a gentle way about her that made Huan'er feel better about the situation.

"I asked the guards, but they didn't see young master." she answered.

"Since His Majesty grounded Canglan for a month, the guards dare not let her out. Canglan must have slipped past them some other way." Lin Wan'er was stunning. Even when she frowned, Huan'er admired her.

In the farthest corner of the General's House, Yun Canglan stood in a robe. Although she was only five, her little face was lovely and everyone wanted to pat her head affectionately.

Yun Canglan stared at a small hole in the wall, deep in meditation. If anyone had chanced on her, they would have guessed she was up to no good.

Yun Canglan pulled a long wooden stick seemingly from nowhere. The rod was so long that people might wonder how a small child of five could have smuggled it away.

Yun Canglan slowly grinned revealing a glimmer of knowledge that was far beyond her age. She shoved the stick into the hole violently. As she repeated the actions, the small hole became larger enabling her to fit.

She tossed the stick, and without hesitating, Yun Canglan wriggled into the hole.

After she disappeared through the hole, many people could be heard off in the distance noisily and headed to where she made her escape.

Yun Hu strode into the hall of the General's House where the serious-faced Yun Yajun was drinking tea.

"Good Morning, General. When I arrived at the West Courtyard, His Royal Highness was not there. I saw a small hole leading under the wall, and there was evidence a little child has crawled in it." reported Yun Hu.

Yun Yajun slammed his tea on the table heavily, which frightened Lin Wan'er. "He is such a willful son! How dare he sneak off this way. Yun Hu, take the Yun's Troops with you and get him back. I'll teach him a lesson." yelled Yun Yajun.

"Yes, General!" replied Yun Hu and left the hall with several guards of Yun Yajun following.

The guards and Yun Hu made up Yun's Troops and had a unique origin. The 36 guards of the Yun Family, were indebted to Yun Yajun when he had saved them from certain death on the battlefield. After that, they, even the ones from other kingdoms, had sworn allegiance to Yun Yajun. By doing so many had to change their surname to Yun and abandon they own kingdoms.

The capital of Can Kingdom was known as Can City.

Can City was the most developed in agriculture, thus Can Kingdom was the most prosperous one among all of the seven kingdoms and most well known throughout the known world.

There was an air of prosperity in the city, and though it was not yet noon, it was alive with bustling retailers busily calling out in the streets with wares they had to offer. People were out and about with partners and children, taking advantage of the pleasant weather to shop.

Someone shouted, "His Royal Highness is here!". And the already busy streets became a clogged mess. Young girls forgot themselves and began to flee in disorder. Retailers packed up shop, while others shut windows and doors of houses, and even beggars in corners began to devour wares left, and shoving buns in their mouths. They moved along in haste.

"Hahaha. I'm free, finally!" The child's voice echoed through the streets, stunning the panicked crowd. They dared not move now and the terrified look on their faces revealed their thoughts as they remained motionless.

"Why did you finish working so early? If you don't work hard, how will you support your wives and children. Come on! Unpack your things and let me have a look." said Yun Canglan.

Yun Canglan, looked a sight with his hands on his hips and wearing crumpled clothes. He burst into laughter as he walked through the street as bold as brass and pointed at the retailers who were too slow to escape.

"How dare the 'ErYi Pavilion* close their doors in daytime! Are you afraid that I'll settle accounts with you? I'm not that mean. Even though the clothes I took last time weren't fit for my nobility, I didn't mind. After all, I know it's not easy to run a business." said Yun Canglan in a loud voice.

The clothes last time? They had been made of brocade! There were few clothes made of brocade in Can Country other than in the imperial palace. The problem was that Yun Canglan didn't pay for it, he just robbed the store. Besides, the shop was called 'NiChang Pavilion' not 'ErYi Pavilion'.

(TN: In Chinese, ErYi and NiChang are similarly written and may be easily misunderstood.)

"Hey! You!" Yun Canglan called out, "Is this Tanghulu real?" "It tastes sweet and sour. I have never found Tanghulu that is both before." Yun Canglan was irate at silence from the shopkeepers red angry face, "Hey, you! Don't look so angry! Can't I get Tanghulu from you?" inquired Yun Canglan.

(TN: Tanghulu, is candied fruit on a stick, and a Chinese traditional snack.)

'Oh my god! He wants to know whether the tanghulu is sweet or sour?' thought the retailer who sold Tanghulu.

"You! I won't rob you of your buns. Why do you shove them into your mouth like that, when I can give you meat in exchange." Yun Canglan spoke to a beggar.

'You said that last time and then took my buns without giving me a single meat!' the beggar was thinking.

"This girl is pretty!" announced the young royal to no one in particular, to the girl he asked, "You are what, fourteen or fifteen? Would you like to come home with me?" "What?" Yun Canglan continued, "No, you say? Would you prefer to be my concubine then? I'm a strong man!"

The girl looked YunCanglan over, and thought, 'You are only five, and besides which, you look weak!'

"Hey, you! It's been a long time since I have seen you." Yun Canglan said in the direction of the organ grinder and his monkey, "Your monkey has grown fatter, why do you look thinner?"

"Your Royal Highness, I'm fatter, and the monkey is thinner." thought the man.

Yun Canglan's attention was already on his next conquest though and calling out, "Beautiful girl, you there! You look about thirteen or fourteen, " Yun Canglan assessed, "Oh, but you are flat-chested. Is your family poor? Come home with me, and I'll feed you peanuts every day." he smiled smugly as he finished, "What is this? You're a boy? That is fine! I like boys too and they can also have big boobs."

'Boys can have big boobs? Where are your big boobs then?' thought the boy.

"Hey, there. What poor scripts and paintings are you selling?" Yun Canglan spoke to a man who had scripts and paintings for sale. "Let me show you how to paint! My scripts and paintings are popular all over the world!"

'Your works are neither scripts nor paintings, but rather known as scrawly handwriting!' thought the man.

Yun Canglan looked at the turmoil in the street and burst into laughter, seemingly pleased with the chaotic scene left in the aftermath. Yun continued, humming song she wrote as she went: "I am wearing a machete and riding a little donkey; I only mastered the first palm of the Eighteen Dragon Conquering Palms; I fight people if I can beat them, and I run away if I can't beat them..."

After a while, Yun Canglan felt bored and hungry. Looking down the empty street, she decided to try another street.

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Chapter end