Chapter 105: The sound of the zither conveys a profound meaning, and the secret letter reveals a hidden secret
Morning light streamed over the eaves of the Fang Mansion, painting the courtyard a warm golden hue. Ziwei's fingertips played the lyre of "Yuhe Ci," the melody still lingering on the strings, its final notes trembling as they drifted into the tinkling wind chimes under the porch. Little Swallow leaned against the sycamore tree, turning a freshly picked wild hawthorn in her hand. As she watched Ziwei's focused profile, she suddenly felt that the melody held not only longing but also a slowly spreading warmth.
"Miss, Master Xiao, there's a gentleman named Li in the front yard who wants to see you." The maid Chuntao's voice came from the moon gate. She held a red lacquer tray with a letter on it. The envelope was stamped with a small "Li" seal. "It's an urgent letter for Master Xiao."
Xiao Jian's fingertips paused as he took the letter—the envelope's edge was embossed with a dark gold cloud pattern, a unique palace style. He nodded at Chuntao, "Got it. Take Mr. Li to the living room for tea. I'll be there shortly." After Chuntao walked away, he opened the envelope and quickly scanned it. His brow furrowed slightly, then slowly relaxed. When he looked up at Xiaoyanzi, his eyes held a profound meaning.
Xiaoyanzi understood immediately and patted the hawthorn crumbs off her hands. "I'll go see if Ziwei's music is ready." Then she pulled Ziwei toward the wing room. As she passed Xiao Jian, she blinked rapidly. Ziwei, unsure of the reason, rose to her feet, gently plucking the strings. The music abruptly ceased, leaving only the soft rustle of the wind against the parasol trees in the courtyard.
As soon as she entered the west wing, Xiaoyanzi closed the door behind her and asked in a low voice, "Is this a letter from the palace? Has the emperor made any arrangements?" Her fingertips unconsciously scratched the carvings on the door frame, her eyes flashing with anticipation and nervousness, "Can Ziwei..."
"Don't worry." Xiao Jian followed in and placed the envelope on the table. A corner of the unfolded letter revealed the words "Imperial Study." "Lord Li said that the Emperor will visit Jingxin Academy in the south of the city this week under the pretext of inspecting academies in the capital. The headmaster there was a former classmate of Ms. Yuhe, and the Emperor asked us to arrange for Ziwei to audit classes there." He paused, his fingertips pointing to the words "making friends through literature" on the letter. "This is the most natural opportunity."
Ziwei entered, carrying a cup of freshly brewed Rain-Predawn Longjing tea. She paused, her celadon cup tapping softly against the tray. She glanced at the letter in Xiao Jian's hand, then at Xiaoyanzi, a hint of confusion in her eyes. "Jingxin Academy? I heard from the neighbors a few days ago that they only accept male students..."
"The emperor has his own arrangements." Xiaoyanzi rushed to speak, picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and stuffed it into Ziwei's hand, trying to hide the anxiety in her tone, "The dean is your mother's classmate! It's always a good idea to go and listen, maybe you can find your mother's old things." She secretly winked at Xiao Jian, signaling him not to say more.
Xiao Jian understood and folded the letter, tucking it into his sleeve. "The headmaster is a man of integrity, and he cherishes old friendships. I've had someone prepare a small gift: lotus seed soup, a Jinan specialty. Bring it with you when you visit him. Mention Ms. Yuhe's name, and he'll definitely take care of it." He looked at Ziwei, his tone gentle yet undeniably steady. "On Wednesday at dawn, I'll take you to the back door of the academy. Someone will be there to meet you."
Ziwei gripped the warm teacup, her fingertips trembling slightly. Lotus seed soup was her mother's favorite dessert, and Jingxin Academy was the "study she often visited back then" mentioned in her mother's letters. These coincidences combined to bring an inexplicable throbbing to her heart. She looked at Xiaoyanzi and saw her smiling brightly at her. The warmth in her eyes was like freshly brewed tea, soothing and comforting.
"Okay." Ziwei nodded gently, her fingertips stroking the pattern on the rim of the cup, "I'll go."
After seeing Xiao Jian off, Xiaoyanzi took Ziwei to sit down in front of the dressing table and opened the mirror box, searching for something. Inside the box were a few pearl hairpins and jewelry, most of which were given by Fang's mother. However, in the corner was a plain silver lotus hairpin, which Xiaoyanzi had bought with her own monthly allowance when Ziwei first arrived at the Fang family. "Wear this," Xiaoyanzi said, picking up the silver hairpin and carefully inserting it into Ziwei's bun. "Your mother said in her letter that she loved wearing lotus hairpins when she was young."
Ziwei looked at herself in the mirror. The silver hairpin shone softly in the morning light, and the white jasmine flowers on her temples swayed gently. She suddenly remembered her dream from last night. In her dream, her mother had done the same thing, smiling as she pinned flowers in her hair and softly humming the unfinished song "Dream Story." Her eyes warmed, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Why are you crying?" Xiaoyanzi quickly wiped her tears with a handkerchief. Her fingertips touched her warm tears, and her heart ached. "Are you afraid of strangers? Don't be afraid. The headmaster is a good man. My brother will be waiting nearby. If you need anything, just blow this." She took out a small silver whistle from her purse and put it in Ziwei's palm. "Blow it and I'll be there!"
Ziwei gripped the silver whistle tightly. The cool metal against her palm made her feel more at ease. She shook her head and chuckled, "I'm not scared, it's just... I feel like I'm dreaming." She looked at Xiaoyanzi in the mirror. The sweat on her forehead hadn't dried yet, and her hair was sticking up at her temples. But she was conscientiously straightening her clothes. "With you here, I'm not afraid of anything."
The afternoon sun slanted through the window as they sat on the couch, flipping through the imperial zither music. Ziwei pointed to the sheet music for "Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Coat," and exclaimed softly, "This fingering is so unique! It's more dynamic than what I've learned." Xiaoyanzi leaned over to take a look, then suddenly pointed at a line in the gongche notation and laughed, "That 'shang' note? You played it as 'fan' last time. No wonder it sounded so strange."
Ziwei's cheeks flushed, and she reached out to tickle her: "You are the only one who remembers it clearly! Who was it that broke the guzheng strings during sword practice last time, and then insisted that it was the wind?" The two of them quarreled, and the quilt on the couch was kicked to the ground. Their laughter hit the window paper, startling the sparrows under the eaves.
In the evening, Liu Qing and Liu Hong arrived, carrying a lunch box. As soon as Liu Hong entered, she shouted, "I heard Ziwei is going to Jingxin Academy? I heard on the street this morning that the Emin family's housekeeper is also inquiring about the academy. You'd better be careful!" She placed the braised beef and cold lotus root slices from the lunch box on the table, her brows knitted into a knot. "That old fox is definitely up to no good."
Xiaoyanzi grabbed a piece of beef and stuffed it into her mouth, mumbling, "If he dares to have any evil thoughts, I'll let him taste the power of Feibai Body Secret Letter!" She winked at Xiao Jian, "Brother, don't you agree?"
Xiao Jian was checking the self-defense bag he had prepared for Ziwei. Upon hearing this, he looked up and sneered, "I've already placed secret sentries around the academy. If anyone from the E family dares to approach, don't blame us for being rude." He handed Ziwei the bag, which contained a sleeping pill, an antidote, and a small piece of paper with an escape route drawn on it. "Don't panic if anything happens. Follow the route. We'll meet you in the bamboo forest outside the city."
Ziwei took the brocade pouch and felt the hard object inside with her fingertips. She opened it and saw it was the jade pendant with the Chinese character "Wei" that Xiaoyanzi had given her, securely fastened to the inside with a red string. She looked up at Xiaoyanzi and saw her winking at her, beef scraps stained at the corners of her mouth, like a little fox stealing food. Suddenly, her heart was filled with joy.
As night deepened, the lanterns of the Fang residence lit up one after another, their warm yellow glow filtering through the window paper, illuminating the west wing with a warm warmth. Ziwei sat beneath the lamp, carefully folding her mother's letter into a small square and slipping it into her purse. Xiaoyanzi lay on the table, writing the word "peace" in a flying white script on a piece of paper. When tea was poured on it, the words gradually appeared, like a secret hidden in time.
"This way, we won't have to worry about the letter being stolen." Xiaoyanzi held up the paper and shook it proudly. "If we really run into trouble, we can hide the letter in the zither pillars and use this method to reveal the words." She stuffed the paper into Ziwei's zither case and also stuffed a bag of osmanthus cake inside. "Eat when you're hungry. Don't let yourself get hurt."
Ziwei looked at her busy figure and suddenly reached out to hug her: "Xiaoyanzi, thank you."
Xiaoyanzi's body stiffened, then she patted her on the back and said in a muffled voice: "What are you thanking me for? In the last life... in the last life, you always protected me." She shut up in annoyance as soon as the words came out of her mouth. Fortunately, Ziwei didn't hear anything unusual and just thought she was just saying it casually.
The moonlight outside the window climbed up the windowsill again, shining on the silver whistle and osmanthus cake in the piano case, and also on the two figures cuddling together. The road to Jingxin Academy lay ahead. Carrying with her mother's longing, her sisters' concern, and the protection from the shadows, this journey of searching for her relatives would eventually, in the morning light and the sound of the piano, slowly move towards the moment of revelation.
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