Chapter 60: The sound of the strings has not yet fallen, and the wind has risen again
At daybreak, the intermittent sounds of a zither drifted from the Begonia Courtyard of the Fang Mansion. Little Swallow sat at the zither table by the window, wearing a lilac-colored jacket over her moon-white nightgown. Her fingertips stumbled across the strings, the tunes she produced fragmented, like the chirping of a bird dampened by morning dew, revealing an indescribable panic.
Spread out on the zither table was the "Jiangnan Yuefu" collection, gifted by Emperor Qianlong. The calligraphy on the rice paper was vigorous and powerful, but to her, it felt like countless ants crawling around, densely packed and tickling her heart. She took a deep breath and tried to play the simple "Lotus Picking Song." Her fingertips missed the target by half an inch, and the strings clanged, hitting the wrong note, a sharp sound that stung her eardrums.
"I played it wrong again." She shook her hands irritably, the calluses on her fingertips rubbing red from the strings. Throughout her piano practice, her master always told her, "If your mind isn't still, your music won't be peaceful." She didn't understand that before, but now she understands. With things weighing on her mind, her fingertips can't settle.
"Miss, have a bowl of hot porridge." Chuntao walked in carrying a celadon bowl, steam rising from the rim. "The kitchen has made lotus seed and lily porridge, they say it's soothing." She placed the porridge next to the zither table, looked at the scattered music sheets, and muttered softly, "The things coming from this palace are so precious. Even the paper is thicker than what we have in our house."
Little Swallow didn't respond, but instead wiped the sweat from her fingertips with her handkerchief. It was embroidered by her mother, depicting two cuddling swallows, the stitches intricate. It had been her most precious possession, but now, clutching it in her hand, it felt uncomfortable.
"Ci'er, are you awake?" Xiao Jian's voice came from outside the door. He was wearing a navy blue suit and had obviously just finished practicing martial arts. There was a light sweat on his forehead. "Dad asked you to go to the study after breakfast."
Xiaoyanzi put down her handkerchief and picked up the bowl of porridge. The heat blurred her vision. "Is there someone coming from the palace again?"
Xiao Jian walked over to the zither table, picked up the Jiangnan Yuefu, flipped through two pages, and frowned even tighter. "No, Dad wanted to talk to you." He closed the music sheet and tapped the cover lightly with his fingertips. "Don't be too nervous, I'm here."
Xiaoyanzi sipped her porridge, the sweetness of the lotus seeds overpowering the bitterness in her stomach. She knew her brother wanted to comfort her, but Qianlong's gaze was like a net, silently casting its shadow. No matter how far she hid, she was still caught in it.
After breakfast, she changed into a stone-blue dress and followed Xiao Jian to the study. Fang Zhihang was standing in front of the bookshelf, flipping through a book. Sunlight filtered through the window lattice, falling on his graying temples, adding a touch of age. The inkstone on the desk was ground in ink, but the rice paper was empty, with only a few spots of ink stains.
"Dad." Little Swallow called softly.
Fang Zhihang turned around, holding a yellowed ancient book in his hand: "Sit down. How are you practicing the music that the emperor gave you yesterday?"
"It's... not so bad." Xiaoyanzi sat down, scratching the carved armrests of the chair with her fingers. "It's just that some of the songs are too unfamiliar and difficult to play smoothly."
"If you're unfamiliar with it, practice it slowly." Fang Zhihang placed the ancient book on the table and said in a slow voice, "Dad asked you to come because I wanted to tell you that this morning, Lord Liu from the Ministry of Personnel sent a letter saying that there will be a gathering of scholars in three days at Taoranting in the west of the city, and he invited us father and daughter to go together."
Xiaoyanzi's heart sank suddenly: "Elegant gathering? Dad, can't we go?" She was afraid that this was another trap set by Qianlong, afraid that she would meet people from the palace again at the elegant gathering, and meet the emperor who made her nervous.
"It would be bad not to go." Fang Zhihang shook his head, picked up the wolf-hair brush on the table, and lightly tapped the rice paper, the ink spreading out a small dot. "Lord Liu is well-known for his integrity and has long been on good terms with our Jiangnan literati. If you offend him, you'll offend half of the literati in Beijing. Besides..." He paused, his eyes falling on his daughter's tense face. "Most of the people at the elegant gathering are literati, not palace people. You don't have to be afraid."
"Is there really no one from the palace?" Xiaoyanzi asked, the red silk ribbon at the end of her braid hanging down from her shoulders, swaying gently with her movements.
Xiao Jian chimed in, "I've asked someone to find out, but Lord Liu never invites relatives of the emperor to his gatherings. Instead, he invites scholars who write poetry and paint, as well as a few old gentlemen from Jiangnan." He walked over to his sister and lowered his voice, "I'll go with you, and I won't leave your side for a moment."
Xiaoyanzi looked at her father's solemn eyes, then at her brother's determined expression, and felt a little relieved. Yes, she couldn't hide in the mansion forever. Perhaps the elegant gathering at Taoranting could really give her a break.
Three days later, at dawn, the Fang family's carriage pulled out of the alley and headed west. Little Swallow sat inside, lifting a corner of the curtain and watching the people passing through the streets—peddlers carrying loads, women leading children, scholars fanning themselves. This was the familiar world of life, vibrant and peaceful.
"Brother, look at that sugar painting stall, it's exactly the same as the one in Jiangnan." She pointed to the stall on the corner of the street, her eyes brightened, and the red ribbon at the end of her braid danced with her movements.
Xiao Jian looked in the direction she pointed, a faint smile on his face: "When you come back from Yaji, I'll buy you the biggest phoenix."
The carriage stopped outside Taoran Pavilion. The pavilion, made of blue bricks and gray tiles, was hidden among the green trees. From afar, the sounds of stringed instruments and laughter could be heard. Lord Liu, wearing a dark blue gown, was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing Fang Zhihang, he bowed and smiled, "Brother Zhihang, I've been waiting for you!"
Xiaoyanzi followed her father in paying her respects, and her eyes unconsciously swept around her. She saw that they were all scholars wearing long gowns, and there was no trace of bright yellow or python patterns. She felt relieved.
"This must be your daughter, right?" Lord Liu looked at Xiaoyanzi with a gentle gaze. "I've heard Miss Fang is an outstanding zither player. Would you like to show us your skills today?"
Just as Xiaoyanzi was about to refuse, she heard the sound of horse hooves and the ringing of bells behind her. Her heart tightened for some reason, and she subconsciously turned around.
Three large horses stopped nearby, their riders dismounting. Leading the group was none other than Yongqi, dressed in a bright yellow uniform. Felcon, in a royal blue gown, and Fuertai, in a lake green, flanked him. The three approached, chatting and laughing, their robes fluttering, making them particularly conspicuous in the morning light.
Time seemed to stop again.
Xiaoyanzi's breathing suddenly stopped, and the handkerchief in her hand was wrinkled. How could it be them? Didn't Master Liu say that there were no royal relatives?
"Fifth Prince?" Lord Liu was also stunned and quickly stepped forward to pay his respects. "I didn't know you would come. I apologize for not coming to greet you."
Yong Qi smiled and waved his hand, "Master Liu, there's no need to be so polite. I heard there's an old gentleman from Jiangnan here today, so I brought Erkang and Ertai along to join in the fun. I hope they won't disturb the gathering."
As he spoke, his eyes inadvertently swept across the crowd, and when they fell on Xiaoyanzi, he paused slightly - the girl was wearing a stone-blue dress, standing behind Fang Zhihang, her face a little pale, with panic in her eyes, like a frightened deer, and inexplicably made him feel that she looked familiar.
Xiaoyanzi hurriedly lowered her head, her heart pounding so hard it threatened to burst out of her chest. She could feel that gaze resting on her, gentle yet penetrating, overlapping with the gazes that had fallen on her countless times in her past life.
"Ci'er, don't be afraid." Xiao Jian calmly took a half step forward, blocking Yongqi's sight, and lowered his voice very low, "Let's go over there to see the paintings."
Little Swallow, pulled forward by her brother, stumbled slightly. She didn't dare look back, but she could clearly hear the conversation behind her: Yongqi's hearty laughter, Erkang's steady responses, Ertai's lively interruptions. These voices had been her warmest comfort in her past life, but now they felt like countless needles piercing her heart.
Only when she reached the drawing table did she realize her fingertips were trembling slightly. Spread out on the table was an unfinished painting of a lotus pond, its leaves and blossoms dotted across the landscape, a scene reminiscent of an imperial garden. She stared at the familiar scene, and suddenly felt dizzy—it turned out there were some things she couldn't escape, no matter how hard she tried.
"Miss, you look so pale." Chun Tao held her arm and asked worriedly, "Are you feeling unwell? Why don't we go back home?"
Xiaoyanzi shook her head and took a deep breath. Return home? Would returning home mean she could escape? Qianlong's zither score was still on the table, and Yongqi and the others had reappeared at the gathering. Everything told her that the peace and stability she wanted to protect had long been tugged by invisible threads, inching closer and closer to the red wall.
Yongqi's voice came from a distance, as if asking Master Liu which one was Miss Fang. Xiaoyanzi's heart suddenly jumped, and she held Chuntao's hand even tighter.
"Brother, let's go." She whispered, her voice trembling.
Xiao Jian glanced at Yongqi and the other two who were looking over from a distance, and made a quick decision: "I'll go tell Dad that we're going back home now."
But it was too late. Yongqi and Erkang Ertai had already walked over. Their bright yellow uniforms stood out against the greenery. His eyes fell on Xiaoyanzi, and he smiled politely, "This must be Miss Fang, right? I just heard from Lord Liu that Miss Fang is an excellent zither player. Would you mind listening to her?"
Xiaoyanzi's back tensed instantly, as if pricked by a needle. She lowered her head, her fingertips digging deep into her palms, her nails almost digging into her flesh. This familiar scene, these similar questions, felt like a dream from which she couldn't wake up, forcing her to once again confront the past she had desperately wanted to escape.
The wind blew through the treetops of Taoranting, carrying the fragrance of distant flowers, but Xiaoyanzi felt a chill run down her spine. She knew that from the moment Yongqi appeared at the gathering, her peaceful life would be disrupted once again. And this time, it seemed there was no place to hide.
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