“Use my qin. Though this qin isn’t some legendary masterpiece, the materials and craftsmanship are acceptable.” Seeing Princess Consort Jin command Xiao Chun to fetch a qin, Miao Yin spoke slowly.

“What the young lady uses must be a fine qin.” Suzhen immediately thanked her, but said: “However, I am crude and unrefined, not accustomed to fine things. The Empress’s qin would be just right. Empress Dowager, may I request to borrow the Empress’s qin?”

“You! That—”

She was subtly mocking A Luo as being nothing good. Mei Er was shocked and angry, but Princess Consort Jin seemed determined to see this through to the end, not wanting to create more complications. She waved her hand: “Empress, since that’s the case, lend her your qin.”

It wasn’t a consultative tone. A Luo looked at Suzhen, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted, but knowing she would surely die, why should she argue over this dead object? Letting her drag things out might create variables. Very well, let this qin send her on her way!

“Mei Er, you accompany Aunt Chun to fetch the qin.” She nodded to Princess Consort Jin, then gave the order.

This back and forth took half the time for a cup of tea, but the qin was finally brought. Wei Wu Lei saw people return and spoke again: “The qin has arrived. Miss Feng, please proceed quickly and don’t waste the Empress Dowager’s kind tolerance.”

“I wonder when Lady Wei will also need to borrow Her Majesty the Empress’s qin? Very well, Feng Suzhen will begin now.” Suzhen met her gaze and answered slowly.

Wei Wu Lei trembled slightly. Over there, the other had already sat cross-legged, tried the strings a few times, then began to play.

Not to mention the other palace servants who listened and watched in shock, even A Luo and the others exchanged meaningful glances. They had heard this person handle musical instruments before – the word “crude” wasn’t self-deprecation but truly a disaster. This moment exceeded their expectations.

She played this piece extremely well. Truly extremely well.

Yet though all of them were accomplished in music, none knew who composed this piece that Li Zhaoting so loved.

Facing death, the tone held no trace of intensity or agitation. It wasn’t “High Mountains and Flowing Water,” had no vast rivers and mountains, nor was it archaic and concealed. It was only like wind passing through pines, a quiet stream over stones, water dripping through years.

Not prosperity of brocade times, only the peaceful keeping of plain years.

As if also influenced by this calm, peaceful music, summer insects could somehow be heard chirping softly.

After Suzhen finished once, she wanted to play again, but she wasn’t Cheng Lian or Bo Ya – how could she truly move hearts and change life and death with just one short piece? Princess Consort Jin finally lost patience and coldly commanded: “Enough, don’t delay time. No one here can get out, no one can save you. Go on your way now.”

Suzhen was also straightforward. She withdrew her hands, gathered the qin and stood, then smashed it hard on the ground. A Luo saw the famous qin destroyed and her expression changed dramatically, but she heard her say: “Thank you for the Empress Dowager’s grace. I’ll enter the room now.”

“Miss Miao,” she walked to the room’s entrance, then suddenly turned to Miao Yin: “Please tell His Majesty for me that I wish him joy and peace all his life.”

“He now rules the world and is no longer as lonely as in the past. With companions like you to keep him company, how could he not be happy? I was foolish.”

She spoke with sudden self-mockery and laughed.

Miao Yin was nodding in response when she looked up again, but saw the curtain swaying slightly – the figure was already gone. Her nose couldn’t help but feel sour.

The two guards who followed Xiao Chun into the room quickly hung the white silk from a beam, tied a death knot, then moved a stool in the room under Suzhen’s feet. Suzhen didn’t plead for mercy but directly stepped onto the chair and put her head through the noose. Xiao Chun’s eyes darkened as she immediately kicked the chair away!

The silk rope quickly tightened around her neck. Suzhen closed her eyes in pain.

But this near-death agony didn’t last long.

Suddenly, a white light broke through the window, the white silk snapped, and Suzhen fell. As Xiao Chun and others watched in amazement, someone strode in and caught Suzhen falling from mid-height.

“Com… Commander Si? You cannot be so audaciously reckless!” Xiao Chun managed to say one sentence before the person was carried out. She quickly ran out, and when her eyes swept the courtyard, she immediately understood what was happening.

It wasn’t that Si Lanfeng was audaciously reckless, but that someone had given him this courage.

Outside the gate, palace maids knelt everywhere again. Princess Consort Jin, the Empress and others also showed shocked expressions – clearly this sudden change caught them off guard too. Before Princess Consort Jin stood a man wearing bright yellow imperial robes.

Seeing Suzhen emerge, he turned his head to look, his lips pressed tight, his eyes dark red and terrifyingly deep.

Just moments before, he had led the Imperial Guard commander to break down the door, and at his glance, Si Lanfeng struck like lightning.

“Your Majesty, you should be in morning court at this time. Why have you come? Leave these matters to me – handling state affairs is more important.” Princess Consort Jin advised.

“Mother needn’t concern herself with how I came. I’ve already dismissed court to handle matters here first.” Li Zhaoting replied word by word, everyone detecting the chill emanating from him no less than the Empress Dowager’s.

Princess Consort Jin was momentarily speechless.

After this declaration, he turned to fix his gaze on Suzhen.

“Did you, or didn’t you?” He moved his gaze over her face and body in a way that made one’s scalp tingle.

Suzhen shook her head: “I didn’t. I know you don’t love me, but in my heart… you’ve always been there.”

“I don’t know who whispered poison in the Empress Dowager’s ear, saying that Lian Yu and I… Lian Yu was very good to me, but I didn’t. Do you remember when the three of us were trapped in prison? I would rather lose my life than use my blood to save you – doesn’t that explain everything?”

She spoke while breaking free of Si Lanfeng’s support, touching the strangulation marks on her neck, weakly and slowly leaning against a pillar and sitting on the ground.

“Zhaoting, since I was old enough to understand, I eagerly followed behind you. When you were happy, I was happy. When you weren’t happy, I couldn’t be joyful either. You said you would marry me, and I believed you. For you, I did so many things. But when my parents died, you never asked me once. In prison, you risked your life for A Luo, but I risked my life for you. I know I’m not beautiful and can’t compare to these consorts around you. But even a dog, after so many years, should have some affection. Yet in your heart, I’m not even worth a dog. Your heart is so cruel, throwing me here, letting each of them bully me, even palace maids can climb over my head and run wild.”

She spoke with red eyes in a hoarse, broken voice, pointing at her face and mouth corners, then rolling up her sleeves to display her swollen, festering, rough hands: “Every day I have endless work. To have a full meal, I must fight wits and strength with people. Every night I sleep on bedding they’ve soaked. Lian Yu is dead – shouldn’t I be sad? No one has ever been so good to me. But I don’t even have the right to be sad, because I’m not A Luo. She can be openly grieved, but I cannot. Your comfort is always only for her.”

“All these years, I never learned the musical scales well because I truly don’t love music. But I still practiced your favorite piece over and over. All these years I only know this one piece, which I just played, though you didn’t know. Yes, how would you know? I went into the mountains to gather jade to make you flutes, not only because I had no money but wanted to give you gifts, but also because I hoped that someday I could match your pace and play duets with you. But I later understood I would never have this chance.”

“Zhaoting, have you ever given me even a day’s dignity? Thank you for coming to save me, but you should still kill me. Whether you believe me or not no longer matters. From Huai County to the capital, I’ve walked this road too wearily. I don’t want to live anymore.”

She buried her face in her scarred hands.

Watching her constantly trembling shoulders, Li Zhaoting stood rigid as a clay statue, not moving at all.

Before his eyes flashed her bruised and swollen face, her damaged hands, her dirty, disheveled hair, her thin, wrinkled clothes. His nose stung sharply.

Many years ago, she had worn double buns, molding mud into houses, bowls and chopsticks, and two chubby little figures. Smiling, she pointed to the extremely ugly doll she’d made: “This is you,” then pointed to the prettier doll she’d forced him to make: “This is Zhen Er. Zhaoting, we two must always be together.”

Then, she was truly ugly, far from her current refinement, but her eyes sparkled with spirit – nothing like her appearance now.

These years, he fell in love with others, devoted himself to A Luo, appreciated Miao Yin. Miao Yin undoubtedly loved him. A Luo – he could be certain that sincerity could move even metal and stone. Wei Wu Lei also admired him. He treated them with great favor, and there were so many beauties in the harem. But among all these women, the one he could be certain would unhesitatingly save him and die for him seemed to be only her.

He had arrived in time, having heard almost all of the piece she played outside. After so many years, she still remembered this melody. A piece he had casually composed himself.

But his treatment of her seemed truly terrible, terrible.

He knew clearly that since Lian Yu treated her well, she would naturally like him. Since Lian Yu died for her, she would naturally grieve. But he still waited for her to come begging him, while as she said, A Luo never needed to.

But actually, it wasn’t entirely so. He hated Lian Yu and had his corpse exposed to lure his brothers and catch them. Last night, concerned about A Luo’s feelings, he had spent the night with A Luo, but he had also thought of her.

Because of Lian Yu, because of Wei Wu Yan. He knew she and Wei Wu Yan were extremely close. He thought about it all day. He was also afraid she would be sad. Knowing she had rescued the Lian brothers, he still worried about her. So when evening came, he finally couldn’t restrain himself and wanted to come see her.

But she was the one who had made the mistake – should he be the first to “admit defeat”? Forgetting Lian Yu completely and actively begging him – wasn’t that what she should do? So he finally changed his mind. Though he went to A Luo’s chambers, he wasn’t in the mood for intimacy.

Actually, he didn’t… not love her.

He stood silently, thinking bit by bit, then suddenly shuddered. Finally, step by step, he slowly walked before her, crouched down, supported her head, and embraced this dirty, disheveled her: “There, don’t cry anymore. No one can bully you. I’ll take you back right now. We two will be just like before.”