The Phoenix Returns a Thousand Li

Synopsis: This is a story about a beautiful and feisty, outwardly delicate princess of a fallen kingdom and a white-cut-black "crane-like" gentleman from an enemy state. It features a high-profile figure driven mad by love, a teacher-student romance, and textbook-level female teasing male. The original title was "My Sir Insists on Sneaking Around."

Everyone said that Mr. Qu from the Directorate of Music was like a crane on the eaves, naturally cold and aloof, strictly adhering to teaching regulations, with fingers untouched by worldly dust. Chu Qingluo was merely one of his many students, nothing particularly special.

Yet, when he taught the zither, he always liked to place his white jade ruler against her wrist: "Your finger bones are too stiff; how can you play 'Winding Softness'?" After everyone dispersed, she would hook her pinky finger into his palm, her eyes tinged with the red of a begonia: "Sir, would you teach me how to 'wind' my fingers?"

"Rule number ten of the Directorate: One must not... transgress." Chu Qingluo hooked his burning fingertips to her heart, her trembling lashes gazing into his cold, deep-pool-like eyes: "How about... Sir, you first teach me what it means to transgress?" The Sir gripped her misbehaving wrist, his Adam's apple subtly moving.

"So audacious, aren't you afraid I'll expose your identity as a remnant of the former dynasty?" "Sir wants to expose me?" Chu Qingluo's smile was like poisoned honey, her gaze at him full of meaning. "—Do you have the heart to?"

From then on, by day he was the upright and elegant Sir, and she was the gentle and respectful student. But when the class ended, beneath the jade desk, her wide cloud-brocade sleeves, like dark undercurrents of flowing clouds, quietly covered his plain white sleeve, slowly intertwining and caressing.

He gradually came to believe this was mutual affection and sought an imperial marriage decree for her. Before the Lingning Palace, the imperial edict shone brightly. Yet, she knelt gracefully beside the Ninth Prince, her eyes shimmering with tears. "Your Majesty, as you can see, this humble maiden and His Highness the Ninth Prince have long been in love... I hope, Sir, you will grant us your blessing." The entire hall was in an uproar; it was his first time losing his composure.

Later, Qu Hanjin intercepted her on the official road, his long robe reeking of alcohol. His jade crown was askew, with no trace of his former elegance. "Why must you go with him?" He bit her earlobe, every word steeped in blood. "You want to rebel... I told you, I can help you too."

Later, on the day of the grand ceremony, Qu Hanjin personally handed the longsword bestowed by the Emperor to his most cherished disciple. "The Imperial Seal you desire, the nine-layered palace you wish to burn, the old kingdom you want to restore... I will give them all to you." He bit the golden hairpin in her hair, letting the string of pearls brush his brow. "Now, it's time for you to claim me." (#I use the zither as a blade to cut down all those who have wronged her.)

[Mini Theater]"Everyone says Sir Qu is as bright as the moon and clear as the wind..." She traced his brow bone with her blood-stained fingertips, "Why must you insist on being my accomplice?" "I wonder how historians will write about Sir?" Qu Hanjin bit open the ties at the woman's neck. "They will write that Qu cultivated elegant music for half his life, and upon encountering a destined calamity, willingly broke seven strings for a beauty."

Reading Tips: This story features a beautiful and feisty, outwardly delicate princess of a fallen kingdom and a white-cut-black "crane-like" gentleman from an enemy state. It's a female-teasing-male teacher-student romance, but straight (BG). The female lead seeks revenge, and the male lead stands by, handing her the sword, with their tacit understanding at its peak. It has a Happy Ending (HE) and both leads are strictly chaste (SC). In the early stages, the female lead seduces the male lead for utilization, without true feelings. Later, she is relentlessly pursued by the male lead, with many subtle interactions in and out of class. The Directorate of Music in the text is a private institution established to revive the "Land of Propriety." Young ladies entering the Directorate are there to study, not to earn a living; they leave after a few months. The male lead is an official from the Ministry of Rites, a reclusive strategist (historically, zither players held very low status). This novel doesn't have much political intrigue; it mainly focuses on romance, supplemented by revenge. There's no need to delve deeply into the political parts.