A strand of her black hair slipped down, obscuring the sorrow on her face.
Xiao Jingzhao was a master of music. From the melodious and graceful zither music, he heard the helplessness and loneliness of a couple separated by a full moon, as well as the longing that had nowhere to be expressed.
He longed to open her heart and see who was it that haunted her dreams, and what was it that she couldn't let go of.
From an angle unseen by Xiao Jingzhao, Jiang Shuyue was quietly suppressing the tears welling up in her eyes.
After the piece ended, Jiang Shuyue sat in front of the zither for a moment before sitting back down at the tea table.
Xiao Jingzhao could not detect a trace of sadness on her ethereal face.
He coughed lightly and said, "Moon Lady, is there something on your mind that you can't tell me?"
"Your Majesty, since it cannot be spoken of, then do not ask."
Xiao Jingzhao was already used to Jiang Shuyue's quick wit and the two of them didn't observe any formalities between ruler and subject when they spoke.
They weren't quite like family, and they weren't quite like friends either.
That casualness was something others didn't have.
"Are you worried about that person? If so, I will immediately rescind the decree."
"who?"
Jiang Shuyue had barely uttered the question when she realized who Xiao Jingzhao was referring to.
She shook her head vigorously, "Your Majesty is mistaken. I severed all ties with that man long ago. How could I possibly be troubled by him?"
"Then what do you think of my decision?" Xiao Jingzhao's probing gaze fell on her beautiful face.
"Does Your Majesty want to hear the truth?"
Xiao Jingzhao nodded slightly, "Your relationship with me is different from others. You can speak freely in front of me."
Jiang Shuyue smiled gently.
"I like the way the emperor doesn't put on airs."
Her casual praise stirred something within Xiao Jingzhao.
She then said, "Your Majesty has done well, and I am deeply grateful. Some people are not worthy of their positions, so it is good for them to leave the capital and experience the hardships of the common people."
“Moon Maiden, if there’s anything you need me to do, just say the word. You and Sui Sui, we’re family.”
Xiao Jingzhao's words were so sincere that Jiang Shuyue was startled.
She coughed lightly and said, "Your Majesty, please don't let others hear these words. The Bixia Courtyard is inhabited by young girls full of dreams."
Jiang Shuyue almost said, "Your Majesty, please don't let one tree break the hearts of a whole forest."
"They were invited by Yonghe, and have nothing to do with me."
"You haven't heard me play the zither yet. It's been a long time since I've touched one, so I don't know if I can still express the mood."
A moment later, the song "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate" echoed in the attic.
...
Downstairs, Xiang Song and Gao Mu were chatting about interesting things in Beijing, while Qiu Ju was dozing off to the side.
Upon hearing the music, Qiuju jolted awake and looked up.
The music was clearly not played by the young lady.
Xiang Song nudged Gao Mu with his elbow, "Your wife is sleepy, why don't you take her back to rest? Grandpa Ma and I can manage here."
Gao Mu looked at Qiu Ju, who rubbed her eyes and said, "No, I still have to accompany Miss back to Bixia Courtyard."
Xiang Song didn't dare to persuade him any further, so he picked up his teacup and listened to the melodious piano music coming from upstairs.
As the clear, melodious sound of the zither filled the air, plum blossoms drifted down from the window in the breeze.
The rich, deep sound of the zither poured down like moonlight, captivating the listener with its beauty, its sound both enchanting and poignant.
Just as the group was engrossed in listening, a palace maid rushed over.
"Steward, something terrible has happened! Someone is injured."
When Eunuch Ma, who was sitting in the warm pavilion with his eyes closed, heard that someone was injured, his eyes widened suddenly.
"Who is it? Where is the injury? Has the imperial physician been summoned?"
“Shilin, a young lady, no, a young master.”
"Someone has gone to summon the imperial physician." The palace maid was so anxious that she could barely speak.
Eunuch Ma quickly stood up and followed the palace maid out.
Qiuju looked at Gao Mu with concern, "Why don't you go over and see which young lady is injured?"
Xiang Song seemed to see through her worries and said confidently, "It's definitely not Miss Du."
Xiang Song then stood up again, "You two wait here, I'll be right back."
Xiang Song paused as he stepped out of the pavilion, then vanished in a flash.
He arrived at the Stone Forest in just a few leaps.
The moment my feet touched the ground, I heard a scream like a pig being slaughtered.
Xiang Song cursed the idiot under his breath and strode over.
The scene was chaotic.
The palace maids and eunuchs hurriedly helped a man onto a chair.
The imperial physician instructed from the side, "Everyone, lift him gently and carefully, so as not to cause him a second injury."
Under the imperial physician's direction, the group carried the chair and the person to a nearby palace.
The man suddenly stopped howling, stretched his neck, and shouted to a group of women, "Sister Xian'er, you should go back. I shouldn't die."
“Miss You, he is your own cousin. If you go back like this, I'm afraid you won't feel at ease.”
"Yes, if Young Master Liu hadn't been trying to shield you from that falling rock, he wouldn't have been injured. You can't abandon him, both morally and logically."
A group of girls surrounded Miss You, offering their advice in a noisy and disruptive manner, giving Miss You a headache.
"Enough!"
"How can you blame me for him getting hit? I was walking perfectly fine. Even if the stone had landed behind me, it might not have hurt me. He walked forward and that's when he got hit."
You Xian'er immediately shirked responsibility.
If it is confirmed that her cousin was injured while saving her, what will Her Highness the Princess think, and what will the Emperor think?
If her father and mother found out, they would definitely blame her for still having ties with her cousin, giving people something to gossip about.
However, things didn't go as planned, and someone quickly summoned Princess Yonghe.
Before You Xian'er could explain, someone recounted what had happened.
Princess Yonghe sent her maid to check on Liu Baokun's injuries.
He turned back to You Xian'er and said, "Whether or not Young Master Liu is related to you, he was injured while saving you. Miss You should go and check on him."
You Xian'er: "..."
The princess has spoken; how could she easily shirk her responsibility?
If she refuses, she will be branded as heartless and ungrateful, a reputation the emperor would certainly not appreciate.
If she goes with him, the news will surely reach the Emperor's ears soon.
How could an emperor, who was so noble and precious, possibly marry a woman with an ambiguous relationship with another man as his empress?
Yu Xian'er was caught in a dilemma. Finally, she bit her lip and bowed, saying, "This humble woman will follow the princess's advice and go to take a look on behalf of my stepmother."
You Xian'er led her two maids away.
Princess Yonghe said to the young ladies, "It's quite cold on the mountain at night, so please don't go too far while you're taking a walk to digest your food."
The girls exchanged glances, then bowed and left one after another.
Yonghe Jianxiangsong stood beside the stone forest, examining the spot where the rocks had fallen.
She said, "Please tell the commander not to tell my brother what happened here, so as not to disturb him."
"It's getting late, Your Highness, please go back quickly. I see that the stones at the scene are not large and they didn't fall from a high point. Young Master Liu should be fine."
As Xiang Song spoke, he glanced away from the footprints in the stone forest, bowed to Princess Yonghe, and followed the direction the imperial physicians had gone.
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