Chapter 104: The morning dew touches the strings and conveys warmth, while the shadows on the green steps speak of the past
At first light, the Fang Mansion's courtyard was bathed in the refreshing morning light. Dewdrops from the sycamore leaves rolled down their veins, clattering onto the bluestone slabs, startling a few morning sparrows. The door to the west wing creaked open, and Ziwei emerged, draped in a moon-white jacket. A white jasmine flower, newly blossomed the previous night, was pinned to her temples. It was one of the flowers Xiaoyanzi had planted in the courtyard a few days earlier.
As she walked to the corridor, she saw a celadon bowl on the stone table. The soy milk in the bowl was still steaming, and there was a note next to it. The handwriting was flying and lively. It was written by Xiaoyanzi: "Going to practice sword! Soy milk with osmanthus cake, the one you like best!" At the end was a crooked little swallow with a osmanthus flower the size of a rice grain stuck on its wings.
Ziwei picked up the note and chuckled softly. Her fingertips traced the painting, and she suddenly caught sight of the guzheng beside the stone table. Its body was polished to a shine, and a plain velvet cloth draped over the strings, evidently something Xiaoyanzi had tidied up the previous night. She lifted the cloth and discovered a newly copied music sheet in the case. The words "Ziwei's Personal Letter" were inscribed on the cover with a hairpin, the strokes etched with childish earnestness.
"What are you looking at?" Xiaoyanzi's voice came from the Moon Gate. She had just finished sword practice, and beads of sweat were hanging on her forehead. The sleeves of her lilac training clothes were rolled up to her forearms, revealing her strong wrists. In her hand, she was holding an oil-paper bag. "The sweet cakes that Liu Hong sent me this morning are still warm!"
Ziwei turned around and saw a sycamore leaf stuck to her braid, so she reached out and plucked it off for her. "You're running right after sword practice. Be careful not to catch a cold." She shook the music sheet in her hand. "Did you copy this? 'Spring River Moon Night'?"
"Hmm!" Xiaoyanzi placed the oil-paper package on the stone table and untied the string to reveal the candied cake inside. A warm steam mixed with a sweet aroma filled her face. "My brother said this piece of music is very soothing. I'm sure you'll find it beautiful when you play it. Besides..." She suddenly lowered her voice and leaned close to Ziwei's ear. "The zither masters in the palace all love to play this. Practice it well beforehand. If you have the chance to play it for... for a noble in the palace, it will surely amaze you."
Ziwei's cheeks flushed slightly as she gently rubbed the edge of the music sheet with her fingertips. "It's still early to enter the palace." She lowered her head to look at the gongche notation on the music sheet and suddenly remembered her dream from last night. The unfinished piece "Dream Story" in her dream was still lingering in her mind. "Come to think of it, I think I played half a piece last night, but when I woke up I couldn't remember the tune..."
"If you can't remember, then don't remember!" Xiaoyanzi stuffed a piece of cake into her hand, grabbed a piece and put it into her mouth, and said vaguely, "The song in the dream is not as real as the cake in front of me. Eat it quickly, it won't taste good when it gets cold!" She swung her legs as she spoke, her eyes fell on the jade pendant on Ziwei's waist - the jade pendant with the word "Wei" tied with a red rope, sticking to the lapel, and the exposed corners were shining with a warm light.
Ziwei took a bite of the cake, the sweet fragrance melting on her tongue, and her heart warmed: "Come to think of it, were you by my bed last night? I seemed to hear someone playing the piano, the tune was very familiar..."
Xiaoyanzi paused, a flicker of panic in her eyes, then smiled again. "You heard wrong! I practiced swordplay until midnight, then fell asleep straight away. How could I have the energy to play the piano? Maybe it's the wind rustling the window lattices, and you're thinking about Auntie's music again." Afraid Ziwei would ask more, she grabbed the music sheet and stuffed it into her hand. "Hurry and take a look at this. If there's anything you don't understand, I'll teach you. The musician my father hired is much better than the one in Jinan!"
Ziwei, distracted by her, flipped open the music sheet and examined it carefully. The ink still carried a faint scent of pine, evidently copied overnight. When encountering difficult fingerings, Xiaoyanzi even drew small arrows with a red pen, reminiscent of a teacher annotating a student. Her fingertips touched the line "The river and sky are one color, without a speck of dust," and she suddenly began to hum softly, the tune clear and melodious, carrying the air of the Jiangnan region.
Little Swallow sat on a stone bench, chin propped up in her hand, listening to her sing. The morning light fell on Ziwei's face, casting a faint shadow on her eyelashes. When she reached the line "A solitary moon in the bright sky," her voice trembled slightly at the end, reminiscent of Ziwei singing this song to the moon in the imperial gardens in her past life. Back then, when they had just entered the palace, Ziwei would always play the qin at night, her melodies shrouded in longing for her mother. She sat beside her, unaware of her sorrow, only finding the tune beautiful.
"It sounds so beautiful." Xiaoyanzi praised sincerely and patted Ziwei on the shoulder. "It's a hundred times better than the random tune I hummed when I practiced sword fighting!"
Ziwei was amused by her, her cheeks flushed. "How can it be a random tune? The one you hummed during sword practice last time, although it was disorganized, had an indescribable joy, like... like the free wind."
As he spoke, Xiao Jian approached from the other end of the corridor. He wore a navy blue robe and held a rosewood box in his hand. His steps were steady, and the hem of his robe brushed the stone steps, bringing with it a faint scent of ink. "Just got back from the academy," he said, placing the box on the stone table. "Lord Li asked me to bring it. He said it's a newly copied zither sheet music from the palace. I'm giving it to... to Miss Ziwei to see."
Ziwei quickly stood up and thanked him, then took the box and opened it. Inside was a stack of zither music sheets bound in rice paper. The cover was printed with an intricate pattern of twined lotus flowers, and the paper was smooth and delicate, clearly the tribute paper used by the imperial court. She casually flipped open a page, her pupils narrowing slightly—it was the sheet music for "Yu He Ci," the piece her mother often played.
"This..." Ziwei's fingertips trembled slightly, and she looked at Xiao Jian, "How could Lord Li have this?"
Xiao Jian avoided her gaze and looked at Xiao Yanzi, his eyes hinting, "Lord Li said he found it by chance among a pile of old books. He heard that the young lady loved the zither, so he asked me to bring it to you." He paused, then added, "There are also a few new music scores in it. They say they are popular in the palace recently. Perhaps the young lady can use them."
Xiaoyanzi knew in her heart that this paper was not found by Lord Li, but must have been sent by the Emperor. She looked at Ziwei's eyes shining as she held the music sheet, and deliberately put on a stern face and said to Xiao Jian, "Brother, don't lie to Ziwei. This paper is obviously not something that ordinary people can get. Did you ask someone to find it? I told you that you love Ziwei the most!"
Xiao Jian was exposed by her and smiled helplessly: "You." He turned to Ziwei and said gently, "The music sheet is good. If you like it, please keep it. If you have any questions, you can ask the music master in the Fang Mansion at any time."
Ziwei gently stroked the sheet music of "Yuhe Ci," her fingertips touching the wet ink, and a sudden warmth welled up in her heart. She looked up at Xiaoyanzi, who was winking at her, her eyes bright and warm. Suddenly, she felt the fear and anxiety she had felt on her journey to find her relatives quietly dissipate in this morning light and warmth.
"Thank you, Brother Xiao Jian, and thank you, Xiao Yanzi." Ziwei carefully put away the music sheet and placed it in the rosewood box. "With you all here, I feel much more at ease."
Xiaoyanzi jumped up and patted her on the back. "Just be at ease! I'll be here to hold up the sky if it falls!" As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something and pulled out a small brocade bag from her bosom, stuffing it into Ziwei's pocket. "Take this with you. It's the amulet my mother prayed for, and it's more effective than the one you embroidered!"
The brocade pouch was embroidered with two lotus flowers, the stitching a bit crooked. Xiaoyanzi had learned to embroider it from Fang's mother a few days ago. Although it wasn't delicate, it was filled with love. Ziwei took the pouch and felt something hard inside. She opened it and saw that it was the jade pendant with the Chinese character "Wei". It was carefully tied with a red string and wrapped with a circle of dried lavender flowers, which had an elegant fragrance.
"You..." Ziwei looked up at Xiaoyanzi, her eyes slightly warm.
"It's reassuring to wear it." Xiaoyanzi turned her face away, pretending to adjust her sword-practicing belt, and said in a muffled voice, "My brother said jade can ward off evil spirits. I'll use it to protect you on your journey to find your relatives."
The morning light grew brighter, filtering through the gaps between the sycamore leaves and casting dappled shadows upon the three of them. Ziwei refastened the jade pendant and pressed it against her lapel. The gentle jade light shone through the fabric, sending a warm glow. She walked over to the guzheng and sat down. Her fingertips gently plucked the strings, and the tune of "Yu He Ci" slowly flowed out. The clear string music, mingled with the moistness of the morning dew, echoed for a long time in the Fang Mansion courtyard.
Little Swallow leaned against the sycamore tree, watching Ziwei playing the zither, then glancing at Xiao Jian, who stood calmly beside her. Suddenly, she felt a sense of peace. The storms of her past life seemed to have been blocked by the morning light. In this life, she had family, sisters, and a quietly paved path. Those unresolved concerns and regrets would eventually be fulfilled in this warm time.
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