Qingci’s voice, like his persona, is as pure and lofty as a pine on a snowy mountain, as ethereal as the moonlit sky.
Before the fame of the double marvels of Si Kingdom spread across the twelve nations, Princess Que of Si Kingdom was already renowned throughout the land. At thirteen, she debated with great scholars from various countries and emerged victorious, earning widespread acclaim. Her literary talent was exceptional and unparalleled. Her poetry and prose were eagerly passed around and recited. Beyond her writings and paintings, her musical skills were even more extraordinary. It was said that her composition “The Ode to Yunling” could make bluebirds weep.
However, Princess Que rarely appeared in public and was very mysterious.
Rumors abounded that Princess Que seldom appeared because she was in frail health. Others said she was a goddess punished and sent to the mortal world, which explained her talents and her delicate constitution…
To the men of the world, Princess Que of Si Kingdom was a goddess to be admired from afar. To the people of Si Kingdom, she was a source of pride, a treasure, and even a faith.
You Yuji never expected to meet Princess Que at the Jinnan Mansion in Chenjing.
After Si Kingdom surrendered, its royal family, like those of other defeated nations, resided in separate palaces. Although the Emperor of Chen did not call it imprisonment, members of the royal families could leave these palaces. However, exiting required numerous records, reports, and military escorts, making it highly inconvenient. Additionally, unfamiliar territories posed inherent dangers. Thus, the royal families of these conquered nations rarely left their designated palaces, living their days in peace.
But now, Princess Que appeared at the Jinnan Mansion, led by the steward and Wangjiang.
You Yuji instinctively wanted to bow but stopped herself in time, realizing how much things had changed. This was not Si Kingdom; there was no Princess Que, and she was no longer a daughter of the You family.
She took a step back, her foot hitting the stone steps behind her.
Suddenly, she recalled Baohe hurriedly telling her that the heir had brought back another concubine. You Yuji glanced at Wangjiang beside the steward, her hand at her side clenching slightly.
Wangjiang looked very awkward but had to muster the courage to speak, “Madam, the heir has ordered for Princess Que to be taken to Yunxiao Courtyard to settle in…”
You Yuji nodded with difficulty.
She stood on the stone steps halfway up the mountain, watching Princess Que’s departing figure.
It was clear that the news of the heir bringing Princess Que back had spread throughout the mansion, as servants came to sneak curious glances from a distance. You Yuji couldn’t help but wonder if Princess Que knew so many people were watching her. She couldn’t guess the princess’s feelings at the moment, but she felt embarrassed.
Was this what it meant for a nation to fall?
The embarrassment from last night suddenly resurfaced in her heart.
Princess Que’s pride permeated all her poetry, prose, and music. You Yuji dared not imagine how a once proud princess now reduced to a concubine must feel.
Having experienced her own humiliation, You Yuji deeply empathized with Princess Que’s predicament. She felt not just empathy but also a stronger sense of injustice for the princess.
A sudden gust of wind howled irrationally, marking the end of autumn.
Standing on this foreign land, for a moment, You Yuji couldn’t tell if she was sad for Princess Que or for herself.
When her father was alive, he used to sigh that chaos was the path to unity. You Yuji also understood that in the long river of history, Emperor Chen, who was unifying all the nations, would be hailed as a great emperor for generations to come. Today’s poverty and chaos were temporary; prosperity after unification was inevitable. But what about the personal sorrows and joys of those like her, insignificant in the grand scheme of things?
The cold wind blew her long skirt, making it billow and rise. She pressed it down with her hand, slowly pulling herself out of her desolation.
That’s not right…
Emperor Chen was not a tyrant; he always treated the conquered nations with respect. How could he demote a dignified princess to the status of a concubine? Something must have happened. You Yuji stopped her idle speculations and quickly walked down the rockery to return home, instructing Lady Jing to investigate the matter.
In fact, Lady Jing had already gone out to inquire about the situation before You Yuji returned. After waiting for a while, Lady Jing came back.
“Our crown prince has escaped!” Lady Jing said urgently. She was usually a calm person, but now there was a trace of panic in her voice.
You Yuji was stunned.
Si Kingdom had surrendered nearly two years ago, and the royal family in the separate palace had always been quiet. How could the crown prince suddenly escape? Moreover, although Emperor Chen treated them with respect, his authority was undeniable. The separate palace was heavily guarded by soldiers, and there were strict patrols and checkpoints outside. How could he escape?
“Are you sure he escaped? He wasn’t captured? How did he escape? When did he escape?” You Yuji had many questions.
“The problem is that no one knows when he escaped, and no one knows how he escaped! He’s just gone now! The emperor is furious and has ordered a thorough search of the entire palace, confirming that he is indeed gone. The records show that the crown prince never left the palace since his arrival!” Lady Jing took a deep breath, “Although the emperor treats them with respect, naturally he must assert his authority after such an incident. All the men in the separate palace have been thrown into death row, never to be released, and all the women have been demoted to slave status and are to be sold off.”
Lady Jing paused for a moment before frowning and saying, “Originally, that should have been the end of it, but the heir requested Princess Que from the emperor… The heir and the Prince of Jinnan returned to the mansion together, and the prince immediately took him to the study for a lecture. It’s said that the prince was furious and even considered using family discipline.”
Lady Jing had already sent someone to keep an eye on the situation and bring back news at any moment.
After a long while, You Yuji slowly nodded. She sat sideways on the soft couch, then shifted her slender waist and pushed the window open a bit to let the cool breeze outside alleviate the stuffiness in the room.
Lady Jing and Zhenxu exchanged a worried glance.
After a while, You Yuji looked at the swaying branches and shadows outside the window and softly said, “Prepare some hometown pastries.”
Fang Qingyi sat in the shadows, her head bowed, remaining motionless for a long time. Ever since hearing that Chen Anzhi had brought a woman back in the evening, she had been sitting there in a daze.
After taking a risky move, she had no choice but to continue taking risks, yet still did not achieve her desired outcome.
—The seductive woman from the grasslands was still living well. Despite her disgrace, she remained the legitimate wife of the heir.
The two lowly women from the brothel, on the other hand, had become the heir’s concubines with justified status. And that wasn’t enough; he had brought back another one…
Cousin had always been filial and obedient, yet he confronted his parents for the sake of that princess from the State of Si.
And what about her? What was she to him? What did their mutual affection mean?
The day before their grand wedding, cousin had held her and wept, complaining about the absurd arranged marriage that forced him to marry a wild woman from the grasslands instead of openly marrying her. He had sworn earnestly that he would not fail her but dared not defy the imperial decree or disobey his parents…
What did it all mean?
Fang Qingyi slowly raised her head, tears silently streaming down her face.
The harmonious and happy moments they shared replayed in her mind. Cousin had said she looked best in white, so she never wore any other color. Cousin loved to hear her play the qin, reciting poems to praise her playing, which mesmerized him. Fang Qingyi knew that a man’s words couldn’t be fully trusted, but she believed him in this. Every time she played the qin, the way he looked at her was so affectionate, even with a reverence that made her feel honored.
So, she diligently studied the qin under a teacher, practicing daily. Her hard work paid off, and her already impressive skills became even more exceptional, earning praise from everyone.
What did all of this mean?
Long-buried resentment and unwillingness surged in her heart once more.
She could no longer wait passively; she couldn’t afford to. She gently placed her hand on her lower abdomen. She had taken her mother’s surname, having grown up without a father, and knew the pain of it. She couldn’t let her child endure the same fate.
The maid Hongzan hurriedly entered and said, “Miss, the heir has been carried back. He took ten strokes. The prince was so angry that the servants didn’t dare hold back, and the injury is severe. It looks like he’ll need several days to recover.”
Fang Qingyi thought for a moment, then stood up and said, “Bring me my clothes. I need to visit Lingyan.”
—
The Prince of Jinnan was usually a very amiable person, but this time he was truly furious. Even after Chen Anzhi was carried back, the prince’s face remained dark.
Gu Momo1 a “momo” (嬷嬷) is a term used to refer to an older female servant or attendant, often one who holds a supervisory position within a household or palace. These women typically have significant experience and authority and are responsible for managing other servants and overseeing domestic affairs. They are often trusted confidantes of the mistress or master of the house. Can be translated as “Nanny” but I’ll stick with the Chinese term. suggested that the princess should try to calm him down, but the princess herself was also angry. This disobedient son had sworn at noon that he would enter the palace to apologize to the emperor with a thorn branch on his back. Instead, he had indeed gone to the palace, only to return with another woman…
One disaster hadn’t even been resolved before another one arose.
“The crown prince of the State of Si has escaped, and His Majesty is furious. Yet he brought back someone from the State of Si…” the princess sighed. “What did His Majesty say?”
The Prince of Jinnan shook his head. “The emperor’s thoughts are hard to read.”
He still felt uneasy recalling Chen Anzhi’s expression when he asked the emperor for Princess Que. The emperor had agreed without further comment, but the less the emperor said, the more unsettling it was.
The Prince of Jinnan sighed helplessly. “Have we spoiled this child too much? He’s nearly of age, yet he acts so recklessly. Is he really our own flesh and blood?”
“What do you mean by that? Are you doubting me?” The princess, already agitated, became even angrier and pounded the table.
The Prince of Jinnan sat up straight and quickly said, “I’m not doubting you! If I were, I’d say he doesn’t look like my child at all. We, we! I’m just saying he’s acting brainless!”
The couple exchanged a silent look, then sighed simultaneously.
Although he didn’t say it, the Prince of Jinnan regretted that they had only this one legitimate son.
As the evening arrived, You Yuji carried a selection of hometown pastries made by Lady Jing to Yunxiao Courtyard. Though Lady Jing rarely cooked, her pastries were exceptional, especially those from their homeland, which had a particularly delightful taste.
You Yuji brought only Zhenxu with her.
“It was clear and sunny this morning, but since dusk, it seems like the weather is about to change,” Zhenxu said, looking up at the starless, moonless sky. “It might even snow in the next few days.”
You Yuji nodded, her brows furrowed with worry, her heart weighed down by various troubling thoughts.
Zhenxu glanced at You Yuji’s face, knowing she was concerned about Princess Que’s situation, and decided to remain silent.
After walking for a long while, You Yuji heard the sound of a qin coming from Yunxiao Courtyard. As she continued towards the pavilion, she listened attentively to the princess’s playing. When she reached the main entrance, she paused, standing in the night wind and listening quietly for a long time.
In the serene and rippling notes of the qin, You Yuji’s chaotic thoughts slowly settled into calmness.
When the piece ended, You Yuji slowly smiled.
It turned out she had worried too much. The words of comfort she had prepared for the princess were now unnecessary.
There was no embarrassment or melancholy in Princess Que’s playing; it was no different from what You Yuji had occasionally heard on the grasslands in the past.
She instructed Zhenxu to deliver the pastries inside and decided not to meet the princess herself. Returning to Tanxiang Yingyue, she expected that Baohe would have already prepared the milk for her bath, allowing her to rest early.
—
Si Que sat behind the qin table, carefully wiping the strings. His long fingers pressed a white cloth as he meticulously cleaned each string, focused and at ease.
Tingyun entered, carrying the food box delivered by Zhenxu, and respectfully placed it to the side. “Your Highness, the heir’s wife sent some pastries from Si Kingdom. She brought them herself with her maid and stood outside for a long time before letting the maid bring the box in.”
“She didn’t say a word to me during the day, but now she sends pastries.” As the white cloth wiped to the end of the string, Si Que lifted his finger, causing the string to produce a sudden buzzing sound.
Si Que glanced down.
An untimely string had no place here.
“Scissors,” he said.
Tingyun quickly handed them over.
Si Que took the scissors and cut the string.
Though Tingyun didn’t understand, she was accustomed to it. She hesitated for a moment before quietly asking, “Your Highness, when do you plan to leave the Jinnan Mansion?”
His Highness had been raised as a man, wearing women’s clothing from a young age, and now he had become Chen Anzhi’s concubine… It was simply absurd…
Si Que looked at the severed string and replied coolly, “No rush. Since this is my first time being a concubine, I might as well experience it properly.”
A slow smile appeared on his otherwise expressionless face.
Another maid, Liufeng, entered from outside. “Your Highness, the milk for your bath is ready.”
Si Que looked up, his face once again as cold and emotionless as frost.
