Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The sunlight outside was strong. Chu Qiao lay on her armchair, drifting in and out of sleep. A majority of the cicadas on the tree had perished, leaving a few who continued to make inaudible sounds. She batted her eyelids, drifting off to sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, the surroundings quietened down.

Chu Qiao was startled, opening her eyes fiercely. She was stunned as she saw a lady, about 50-years-old, standing in front of her. The look in her eyes was calm, but her face was pale, as if she had not been under the sun for a long time. The lady was using her eyes to size her up with a great deal of concentration.

Seeing that Chu Qiao had awoken, the lady nodded her head as a greeting, and asked, “Do you want some water?”

Chu Qiao looked at her, frowning. The person in front of her was dressed in a seemingly plain outfit, but upon closer inspection, the material used to make the outfit was valuable. She looked like a grandma with refined taste. She seemed like a person of high status but did not have the stern aura of someone in power. She wore an old wooden bracelet around her wrist, which did not reflect her status.

Seeing that Chu Qiao remained silent, the lady walked to a tree at the side and retrieved a teapot from one of the servants. She poured a cup of tea and walked back slowly. Handing it to her, she said, “Drink up. It’s easy to get thirsty at the start of autumn. Young people like you must be mindful of your health.”

Chu Qiao took a sip of tea, feeling much more rejuvenated. She looked awkwardly at the lady and cautiously said, “I’m sorry. I just entered the palace and don’t really know much. How do I address you?”

“Me? My surname is Yao.”

Yao was a common surname in Tang. From Empress Dowager to the palace maids, about 20 percent of them had this surname. In the past few days, Chu Qiao had become acquainted with no less than seven or eight elders with this surname.

“Can I sit down?” the lady pointed to a chair at the side and asked courteously.

Chu Qiao nodded hurriedly and replied, “Please sit.”

Seeing Chu Qiao looking around, the lady opened her mouth and said, “The Empress Dowager is here. Your maidservants went out to welcome her.”

Chu Qiao looked at her suspiciously. Her message was evident: who exactly are you? Since the Empress Dowager is here, why aren’t you outside?

The lady laughed. She looked like a person who barely laughed, as she appeared to be old-fashioned. There were no wrinkles on the corners of her eyes. She looked at Chu Qiao and said, “I’m alright. I just wanted to visit you.”

There was no semblance of organization to her speech. Chu Qiao did not know how to reply to her. There were many rules within this palace, coupled with the complex characters who were restrained in their words. As Chu Qiao pondered over this lady’s identity, the lady remarked, “You’re very good.”

Chu Qiao smiled bleakly and replied, “Thank you for the compliment.”

“I’m not complimenting you. You’re good indeed, but I don’t think that you are suitable to live in the palace.”

It dawned on Chu Qiao. Was this lady another character who was jealous of Li Ce’s affection towards her?

“Don’t worry, I won’t be here for long.”

“No, I don’t mean it that way.” The lady shook her head and continued, “Everyone is not suited for this at the start, but will get used to it eventually. This palace functions this way. It will compensate for your shortcomings. I think that you are not bad. If you live here, I think that the palace will change for the better.”

Chu Qiao frowned and looked at the lady in suspicion, unable to decipher the meaning behind her words.

“The prince wants to demolish the worshipping altar in the palace. Are you aware of that?”

The lady jumped between topics. Chu Qiao was stunned and shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“He wants to worship the God of Pleasure. Sigh, I’m really…” The lady frowned, clearly bothered. She looked at Chu Qiao and slowly said, “If you have time, do talk with him. After all, he’s the Crown Prince of Tang. He can’t fool around like this.

“I’ll take my leave first.” The lady stood up and said to Chu Qiao, “You’re injured, don’t send me off.” Subsequently, she walked out of Mihe Residence through the rear door.

This person came uninvited, spoke a load of gibberish, and then departed. Chu Qiao felt perplexed.

After a short while, Qiu Sui and the other palace maids came back. The expressions on their faces were strange and carried a tinge of unease.

“Qiu Sui, what happened? Was the Empress Dowager here? Why didn’t you call me?”

Qiu Sui replied, “Aunt Xi spread the word that the Empress Dowager had arrived at the palace gates. Seeing that you were asleep, I said that you were ill and were unfit to welcome her. We went there after that.”

“What about the Empress Dowager?”

“We waited for a long while, but the Empress Dowager did not get off her carriage. After that, she said that she was unwell, and went back.”

“Oh.” Chu Qiao nodded, seemingly understanding something. “Help me inside.”

The maidservants obliged and raised Chu Qiao’s mat back into the palace doors.

Thinking about it, Chu Qiao had not seen Li Ce for two whole days. She did not feel anything, but Qiu Sui and the rest felt depressed. After all, when Chu Qiao was gravely ill the other day, Li Ce opened the Mihe Residence, which he had lived in when he was young, for her to reside temporarily. Who in the court did not understand his intentions?

However, what happened after that caused the servants in the Mihe Residence to feel depressed. The Crown Prince, who had just revealed some dedication, recklessly invited all his concubines to his palace that same night to party and drink. It was rumored that he had slept with as many as eight women that night. These few days, he did not step into Mihe Residence, choosing to host banquets in his palace instead. Additionally, the news spread that he intended to build a residence for a new palace maid who had gained his affection.

Qiu Sui and the other palace maids sighed all day as if they had been given the cold shoulder. They talked less frequently. All of Mihe Residence was dominated by silence; only the breaths of people could be heard in the surroundings.

As dusk broke, the sky darkened. Chu Qiao stood in front of the window, suddenly hearing a soothing sound of a flute from the lake opposite. In the distance, the sound was barely audible but intriguing.

Chu Qiao listened on and asked, “Do you know who is playing the flute?”

The maidservants shook their heads. Chu Qiao stood up, wanting to go outside to take a look. Qiu Sui and the palace maids were shocked, restraining her for fear of her getting hurt just by moving around.

Chu Qiao had no choice but to oblige. She lay down on the mat quietly until the people in the house departed. She walked over to the window and somersaulted outside. As she landed on the ground, her legs buckled, causing her to nearly fall over.

She was only wearing a pair of indoor shoes. As she stepped on the stone pavement, she felt cold. There were no traces of human beings outside. Her white dress dragged along the pavement, becoming drenched by the puddles of water but remaining free of dust. She slowly walked further away from the Mihe Residence.

She walked to the lake again. The wind blew from all directions onto the surface of the lake. The man wore a white robe and held a purple flute in his hand. The wind caused his sleeve to flutter in the air. The desolate shadow formed under the pale moonlight, adding a tinge of warmth and serenity in the night.

Chu Qiao stepped onto the wooden bridge slowly. The man turned around, the sounds of the flute stopped. He was not panicked when he saw Chu Qiao, giving her a sinister smile instead. He playfully flipped the flute in his hand, saying, “Not asleep at this hour? No wonder. I heard that you slept your fill in the day. I see you like to wander around at night while sleeping in the day.”

Chu Qiao smiled and bantered, “I’m still alright. I’ve heard about your exploits these past few nights. After all that fun, you still have the strength to play the flute?”

“Haha,” Li Ce laughed and replied, “I’m still fit. If you don’t believe it, you can see it for yourself.”

Chu Qiao blushed and chided, “Indecent.”

Li Ce rolled his eyes and said, “Yeah, only Yan Xun is decent with that stoic face. He acts as if the whole world owes him money all day. Qiaoqiao, do you really want to follow him all your life? I assure you that this man’s life is boring. It concerns your life’s happiness. You need to think clearly.”

“How boring.” Chu Qiao looked at him. “Only you are interesting.”

“That’s right.” Li Ce smiled proudly. “I’m handsome and smart. I’m the most coveted bachelor in the entire continent of West Meng. Wherever I’ve been, I’ve swept unmarried women off their feet. Married women fantasize about me all day. From three-year-old girls to 80-year-old women, all of them are crazy over me.”

Chu Qiao covered her mouth and laughed. “Yes, you are more handsome than Song Yu, more godlike than Pan An, and more charming than Long Yang.”

“Who’s Song Yu? Who’s Pan An? Is Long Yang a name?”

Chu Qiao laughed. “They are all handsome men. Haven’t you heard of them before?”

“Handsome men?” Li Ce sneered in disdain. “If I have a chance, I must see for myself.”

The moonlight was pale as it shone on the ground. The wind was heavy. Li Ce stood up and said, “I’ll see you back inside. It’s windy here and you’re injured.”

“Okay,” Chu Qiao responded.

Li Ce saw that she was wearing indoor shoes. The soft material had been drenched by the water. He frowned and commented, “Why did you wear these outside?”

Chu Qiao casually replied, “It’s alright, I won’t die. I walked barefooted before, unlike you, born with a silver spoon.”

“Qiaoqiao, you must remember that you’re a woman, not a warrior.” Li Ce’s face turned stern, his voice turning slightly angry. “What’s up with Yan Xun? Can’t he do some things himself? You’re a woman, but instead of staying at home, you just wander about? Not caring about your health? Not speaking out even when you’re injured? With all these scars, how will you marry someone in future? I want to see who wants to marry you.”

Chu Qiao retorted, “You’re the one who won’t get married. None of your business.”

“Hmph, none of my business? I want to make it my business!”

Chu Qiao frowned. “Hey, Li Ce, you really look down on women!”

“So what if I look down on them? So what?” The man looked at her from the corner of his eye, his posture similar to that of a ruffian.

Chu Qiao walked in front, ignoring him and saying, “I’m not talking to you anymore. I’m going back.” As she finished her sentence, she felt herself spinning around. When she regained her consciousness, she was held tightly in Li Ce’s embrace. “Hey! What are you doing? Put me down!” Chu Qiao shouted in shock.

Li Ce’s eyes were half-squinted. He looked at her and sneered. “No.”

Sparks of fire were burning in Chu Qiao’s eyes. With a crisp voice, she said, “Are you going to put me down? If not, I’m not going to be nice anymore.”

Li Ce stretched his neck nonchalantly and said, “You have a knife hidden under your neck and your leg. I know about it. Stab me here. If you don’t, I’ll look down on you.”

Chu Qiao replied angrily, “Li Ce, why are you so shameless?!”

Li Ce looked at her impatiently in the eye, as if to say: Don’t tell me you realized this only today? The wind blew at their sleeves, causing it to flutter in the air again like butterflies.

The night was cold. The lake surrounded the both of them. Li Ce carried the young lady over his back and walked slowly along the wooden bridge. The willow branches stooped low on both shores. The occasional koi fish leaped out of the water surface, causing it to ripple.

Li Ce walked while he whistled to a fast-tempo tune. The tune was joyous, just like the usual smile on his face.