A palace attendant leaned close to whisper a message into the Crown Prince’s ear. The Crown Prince’s expression changed. First Madam had already been uneasy; seeing anxious anger building in the Crown Prince’s eyes, and with her three daughters still not emerging from the inner chamber, she grew panicked, though as someone from a respectable family herself, she forced herself to remain composed, her hands clenched into fists beneath the table.
The Crown Prince put on a smile: “Fourth brother, please continue enjoying yourselves — elder brother will go see what’s keeping Lei’er and the others so long.”
Just as the Crown Prince rose, Qinglei, Qingfei, and Qingluo walked in, tear-tracks still visible on their faces. One hand was tucked into a long sleeve. The Crown Prince gently took it up and saw it wrapped in white cloth, faint bloodstains showing through, and asked: “What happened?”
Qinglei’s face bore a flustered look with a smile forced through pain: “Your Highness, Lei’er accidentally broke a vase while changing clothes, and wasn’t careful — cut her hand.”
The Crown Prince couldn’t help but chide her: “How could you be so careless? Does it hurt?”
Qinglei forced out a smile, saying gently: “It doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s just that I missed my chance to play the qin, and disappointed the Fourth Prince, sending him away without the pleasure he’d hoped for.” She lowered her head, looking mournfully charming.
Wang Yanhui said softly: “Sister has already forgotten the melody of Autumn Waters. It was such a rare chance, thanks to fourth brother’s presence, to finally hear it — what a pity.”
Qinglei lowered her head in apology: “I’ve spoiled sister’s pleasure — Qinglei is at fault.” Tears rolled down her lovely face like a string of pearls, and the sight made the Crown Prince ache with sympathy. Paying no mind to everyone else in the room, he comforted her gently and tenderly: “It doesn’t matter. There will be other chances for fourth brother to hear you play.”
Qinglei’s tears flowed like a spring, and suddenly she cried out in grief: “This hand is ruined, Your Highness!”
Everyone in the hall who heard this felt their hearts jolt. The Crown Prince couldn’t believe it: “What did you say? Physician!”
The physician approached trembling and knelt on the ground: “Your Highness, the wound is not deep, but it damaged the tendons of her fingers. Movement should be fine, but I’m afraid she won’t have the dexterity to play the qin anymore.” No sooner had he spoken than Qinglei burst into loud sobbing: “How can Qinglei serve Your Highness now? Better that I had died.”
Hearing the physician’s words, the Crown Prince’s face changed at once: “How could simply knocking over a vase by accident cause such a serious injury?”
Qinglei only wept with her head lowered, saying nothing. Everyone in the hall pricked up their ears — clearly there was something being hidden.
Seeing no one answer, the Crown Prince roared at the trembling attendants: “How were you serving her?! Drag them out and flog them until they talk!”
Several attendants collapsed weeping to the ground, crying out: “Mercy, Your Highness! It was the Good Consort herself who told us she didn’t need our attendance — we’ve been wronged!”
Qinglei wept and pleaded for them: “Your Highness, it was Qinglei and my sisters chatting and being careless — it truly has nothing to do with them.”
A’Luo watched coldly, thinking that Qinglei was probably half trying to shift the blame onto her, and half genuinely grieving — the Crown Prince valued her qin skill so highly, and in trying to inflict a minor wound she’d instead damaged the very tendons and ruined years of hard-earned skill.
The Crown Prince felt restless with irritation, torn between tenderness and pity for Qinglei, and thinking that he’d never hear her play again only deepened his simmering anger. Yet he couldn’t vent it at the banquet. He could only hold Qinglei close and comfort her.
A’Luo kept waiting to see exactly how Qinglei intended to frame her. By this point, still nothing had happened, and she was starting to wonder. Suddenly Qingfei, as if unable to hold back any longer, spoke up: “It was A’Luo being mischievous.”
The moment the words left her mouth, Qinglei pulled free from the Crown Prince’s arms and glared furiously at Qingfei: “You be quiet! What nonsense are you spouting!”
A’Luo had remained silent throughout, thinking coldly to herself: let’s see exactly what you two, Li Qinglei and Li Qingfei, are trying to pull!
Just then Zili rose from his seat and said: “Elder brother, today is a joyous banquet — it’s only natural for sisters at play to have an accident. Since the Good Consort herself loves her little sister enough not to blame her, let it be.” Then, seizing the moment, he continued: “The reason sister was injured ultimately traces back to A’Luo — A’Luo truly feels terrible about it in her heart, sister, that you don’t blame me only shows how much you care for your little sister. I’m truly ashamed before you.” She meant for this to smooth things over and let the matter drop.
But then Qingfei spoke up, seemingly blunt and straightforward: “Hmph, weren’t you the one who knocked over the vase just now and deliberately tripped sister — how else would sister have fallen and injured her finger tendons! You’re just jealous of your sister! And she’s still so kind, protecting you like this.”
The moment these words left Qingfei’s mouth, the atmosphere in the hall, which should have dissipated peacefully, instantly turned tense. The Crown Prince glared furiously at Qingluo. He said coldly to First Madam: “So this is the kind of viciousness the Chancellor’s Third Young Lady is capable of!”
Hearing that the Crown Prince was about to erupt in fury, Qinglei quickly grabbed his sleeve and pleaded: “Your Highness, A’Luo is still young — it’s only that Qinglei can no longer play the qin. Does Your Highness’s fondness for Qinglei rest only on her music?” Tears welled up again.
The Crown Prince, his heart heavy, comforted her: “Lei’er, you are virtuous and gentle — what does it matter if you can’t play the qin.” Then his tone turned stern again: “But that at such a young age she should harbor such malice toward her own sister — this truly cannot be forgiven!”
Wang Yanhui added: “Indeed unforgivable. Why not break her finger as well, so she’ll never be able to play the qin for the rest of her life either?”
The Crown Prince nodded: “My consort speaks well. Let’s see how she dares be jealous of Lei’er after this! Just break the ring finger of her right hand, then send her back to the Chancellor’s residence to be properly disciplined!”
Hearing this, A’Luo’s heart leapt in fright, her face going pale. Her pleading gaze involuntarily turned to Zili’s face. A flicker of panic showed in Zili’s eyes, his brow furrowing slightly. But he said nothing. A’Luo thought, Li Qinglei, you really are ruthless, playing the pitiful, innocent, kind-hearted victim so convincingly. And Li Qingfei too — all for the sake of Cheng Shiyue’s future, playing the hatchet man and slandering me like this.
A’Luo swept her gaze across everyone in the hall, one by one, and saw Liu Jue with a grim face, saying nothing either. She thought, well, this suits you just fine — all your grudges settled at once.
Just then, two rough serving maids stepped forward, meaning to grab A’Luo’s left hand and bend it back. Zili raised his hand and called out: “Wait!”
The Crown Prince looked at Zili: “Is fourth brother going to plead for her too? Never mind, then.”
Zili laughed coldly: “I thought it was merely sisters playing around and an accident happened — I never expected her to be so vicious! For ruining the fine banquet I arranged, she truly cannot be let off lightly! Breaking one of her fingers is nothing — this king will do it himself!”
The thought of having her finger snapped filled A’Luo with dread. It would surely hurt terribly! Hearing Zili say he would do it himself, she looked at him in shock, watching him step closer, one step at a time. A sudden fury surged in A’Luo’s heart. She’d only wanted to live a peaceful, quiet life, to find an opportunity to leave the chancellor’s residence and go somewhere safe to live — and even this wasn’t allowed, that wasn’t allowed either! Years of suppressed grievance finally reached its peak; all those years of telling herself to endure had reached their limit, and now she truly could bear no more. She let out a great shout: “Wait!”
Everyone in the hall was startled by her sudden cry. They saw A’Luo standing in the middle of the great hall, her face full of pride. Even the Crown Prince was momentarily stunned. Wang Yanhui said coldly: “What more do you have to say?!”
A’Luo glanced at Wang Yanhui, then turned her gaze to meet Zili’s, asking word by word: “The Fourth Prince intends to do it himself?”
The corner of Zili’s mouth curled into a smile: “You’ve ruined this king’s pleasure — this king shall reclaim it personally, is that not fitting?”
A tear welled up in A’Luo’s eyes: “Fine, then let me make up for your lost pleasure! Don’t you want to hear me play the qin?”
Her gaze passed over Zili to the empty space behind him: “A’Luo’s true love has always been the qin. Since I was young my skill never matched my sisters’, so — hmph — I simply stopped touching it.” A’Luo wore a mocking smile, then added casually: “Since I won’t be able to play the qin after this anyway, might I be permitted to play one final piece now?”
The Crown Princess said coldly: “Not letting you play one more piece — I imagine you wouldn’t be satisfied even with proper discipline back at the chancellor’s residence. Someone, bring a qin for the Third Young Lady!”
Qinglei trembled all over. Seeing no one on the dais raise further objection, she wanted to speak up and stop this, but feared acting too hastily would expose her. She looked anxiously at First Madam.
First Madam quickly knelt and sighed: “The family has long since noticed this girl’s inclinations and expressly forbidden her from touching the qin again. Given what’s happened with Qinglei today, how could we possibly let her hear the qin and grieve further!”
Without waiting for anyone else to speak, A’Luo said with a smile: “I’m about to have my finger broken and never play the qin again — can’t you all take a little pity on me? After all, I’m only thirteen or fourteen.”
The Crown Prince’s face turned ashen: “If word got out that I refused to let you play one piece, people would say the Eastern Palace bullies young girls!”
A’Luo sat down calmly. It was a fine qin — naturally the Eastern Palace wouldn’t produce anything inferior. Her fingers brushed the strings, tuning them. Her gaze slowly swept across every face in the hall. Cold and clear as ice water piercing to the bone, a faint, distant smile touched the corner of her mouth, delicate as the last small flower of autumn about to wither. Between her brows lingered a hint of pride, like a lone pine standing proudly against the wind atop a mountain peak.
Zili’s heart suddenly clenched, and he wanted to take her and leave. Liu Jue watched A’Luo silently, lifting his cup and drinking. He watched her eyelids lower, her fingers turning upon the strings. Slowly she extended both hands — and his eyes never left her again.
After a moment, a single low note rose from the qin, and A’Luo began to play. From a low murmur to a faint sigh, the delicate trembling of the strings was almost inaudible. Then suddenly the music surged upward, passionate and forceful, its heroic sound lingering in the rafters, the strings ringing out sharp and resonant, sweeping across the hall and into every heart present. Everyone was stunned! The whole hall seemed submerged in boundless grief, then transformed into a battlefield, spears and swords clashing on every side! Rising and falling, expanding and contracting, moving from sorrow to pain to righteous fury.
A’Luo played “Guangling San” to its very fullest. The hall fell utterly silent, filled only with the sound of the qin, filled only with A’Luo’s heart and intent. This piece was famous for having been played by Ji Kang just before his execution. A’Luo thought privately — did she herself possess that same composure Ji Kang had shown in facing death? Certainly not. And yet, the power to move everyone’s hearts — that, she did have.
She thought of how she’d inexplicably arrived in this world, of the family she’d left behind in that other world, separated now by time and space, impossible to ever see again. She thought of the years of swallowed grievances at the chancellor’s residence, of Liu Jue refusing to speak up, and of the people in this very hall — called her family in name only — who were now determined to hurt her. The qin’s tone grew mournful and desolate beyond restraint.
Remembering that once the music ended, Zili intended to personally break her finger, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked straight at Zili, and the fury within the music burst forth in an anguished cry, like a storm, like thunder, shattering the vitality of heaven and earth, roaring and sweeping over Zili’s very consciousness. He involuntarily took a step back. Did A’Luo hate him? Was she full of hatred toward him? All he’d wanted, in doing it himself, was simply to control the force so it would hurt less.
A’Luo thought, yes, it would hurt. A finger, broken and later reset — never playing the qin again wasn’t so terrible after all; it was only because you people had no other entertainment. Modern people managed to live perfectly well without needing the qin! With a final flourish she released the last note. A’Luo slowly stood, head held high, and walked to stand before Zili, extending her right hand: “Break it, then!”
Zili pressed his lips tightly shut, staring fixedly at A’Luo. A’Luo’s small face was radiant, her expression utterly nonchalant, extending her hand to him just as casually and playfully as she would when smiling and asking him for spending money on ordinary days.
The hall fell into complete silence. The Crown Prince stood frozen like a statue. Qinglei’s face had gone pale. A flicker of triumph flashed through Wang Yanhui’s eyes.
Zili slowly extended his hand, his fingers trembling faintly — better to do it himself than let someone else break it for her. He steeled his resolve and was about to apply force. A’Luo’s eyes reddened, and she turned her face aside. Suddenly a gust of fist-force swept past — Zili made no move to dodge, allowing Liu Jue to pull A’Luo away in one motion. In the instant her fingers slipped from his grasp, Zili’s heart felt suddenly hollow, as though he might never hold her hand again.
Liu Jue announced clearly: “Such qin mastery should never be lost to the world again — this humble subject sincerely regrets it and begs the Crown Prince to spare her the broken finger!” His expression, though composed, held an unyielding firmness.
The Crown Prince seemed to come back to his senses at last. Wang Yanhui said gently: “The music was truly moving — considering her youth, let it go, then!”
Complicated emotions flickered in the Crown Prince’s eyes. He clasped his hands behind his back and walked over to stand before A’Luo. A’Luo met his gaze levelly, showing no fear. The Crown Prince turned back to look at Qinglei. Qinglei’s tears fell, and the Crown Prince truly couldn’t bear it any longer. Finally he spoke: “Injuring the Good Consort cannot go unpunished…” Before he could finish, Liu Jue had already spoken: “Is A’Luo’s qin skill really inferior to Consort Li’s?”
The Crown Prince froze. Liu Jue continued: “And how exactly did the Li family’s Second Young Lady determine that A’Luo deliberately tripped Consort Li?” His cold gaze fixed on Li Qingfei like a viper coiling around her. The naked fury and killing intent radiating from him left her breathless.
Cheng Shiyue frowned and said: “Her Highness’s fall and injury happened in an instant — it’s entirely possible Qingfei, in her panic, misjudged what she saw.”
The Crown Prince asked: “Is that so?”
Qingfei no longer had the strength to argue further; in her panic, she nearly blurted out the truth. Hearing Cheng Shiyue come to her rescue, she simply nodded repeatedly in agreement.
The Crown Prince snorted: “And you thought this ‘perhaps’ was grounds to publicly accuse someone before the entire court? If you didn’t see clearly, how could you speak so recklessly!”
Wang Yanhui said with a smile: “Well, it’s turned out well after all — instead of Autumn Waters, we got to hear another heavenly sound. Fourth Prince, has today been to your satisfaction?”
Zili sighed: “Tonight’s grand banquet from elder brother — little brother will remember it for the rest of his life.”
A’Luo quietly watched everyone, feeling that they truly belonged to another world entirely. She felt like a spectator at a play. She said softly to the Crown Prince: “A’Luo is tired, Your Highness — might I be permitted to take my leave now?”
The Crown Prince, lost in thought, nodded absently.
Liu Jue stepped forward first: “Allow this subject to take his leave as well, and escort the Third Young Lady back to the chancellor’s residence.” He bowed and, taking A’Luo’s hand directly, walked straight out of the Eastern Palace.