Wu Peng’s banquet was set for the sixteenth of the third month. That day, Qiu Xinran brazenly hitched a ride in the Zhou family’s carriage to attend as a guest. Also in the carriage was Zhou Xianyi’s wife, Wang Shi.

Today, Fragrant Pond Garden had been reserved and was not receiving outside guests. Qiu Xinran recalled how years ago for Li Hantai’s birthday, Wu Peng had reserved the second floor of Drunken Spring Tower—after all these years, his style remained unchanged.

Outside Fragrant Pond Garden, carriages were parked everywhere. Quite a few people had come to attend the banquet this time. Just then, one man and two women also disembarked from a nearby carriage. Zhou Xianyi led Wang Shi forward to greet them. Qiu Xinran followed behind and, listening to the exchange of pleasantries, learned that before her stood Minister Han’s son with his wife Chen Shi, and accompanying them was Minister Han’s daughter.

The moment the young lady stepped down from the carriage, Qiu Xinran felt the other person looked inexplicably familiar, as if she’d seen her somewhere before. Now learning her identity, she finally remembered that the two had indeed met once. Years ago by the Qujiang River, she had read this Miss Han’s marriage fortune and even received a considerable divination fee from her…

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but guiltily lower her head and clear her throat a few times. Fortunately, she had worn a veil over her face back then. This Miss Han clearly didn’t recognize her. When Zhou Xianyi introduced that she had once served at the Bureau of Astronomy, she even curiously glanced at her a few times. When Li Hanyuan was still alive, Qiu Xinran had heard the Tenth Princess mention this young lady friend from her boudoir circles many times. She also knew that she had harbored some tender feelings for Xia Xiuyan. But now that years had passed in the blink of an eye, she wondered whether those girlish sentiments still remained.

The group entered the garden together. Zhou Xianyi and Young Master Han were arranged at the men’s seating on the west side, while the wives and young ladies went to the women’s seating on the east side. As their husbands served together at court, the wives inevitably encountered each other at various occasions. Wang Shi and Chen Shi walked arm-in-arm at the front in an intimate manner. Han Ling followed beside her sister-in-law, while Qiu Xinran fell back a step.

The four walked along a small path. As they neared the garden, they heard a commotion ahead. Looking from outside the path, they discovered several servants carrying large boxes that seemed to contain musical instruments and dance costumes.

The group met them head-on. Qiu Xinran recognized one of them as the steward she’d encountered at Fragrant Pond Garden last time and couldn’t help asking curiously: “What’s inside these?”

The steward didn’t recognize her, but seeing her standing together with several richly dressed women beside her, he dared not be negligent and quickly said: “Tonight the garden has prepared several small performances for entertainment. Young ladies will play instruments and sing. These boxes contain what will be used tonight.”

“Will Miss Mei Que be coming?”

The steward smiled: “Naturally. Miss Mei Que is tonight’s main attraction.”

Last time at Xia Xiuyan’s official residence, though Qiu Xinran had hurriedly caught a glimpse of Mei Que, she hadn’t spoken with her. Now hearing that she would also be performing tonight, she felt somewhat curious. After chatting a few more sentences with the steward, when she returned to Wang Shi’s side, she saw Chen Shi looking at that group of people with somewhat contemptuous eyes: “For Young Master Wu to host a banquet at this kind of music hall is truly inappropriate.”

To say such things while attending a banquet would be very rude if the host heard. Han Ling quickly said: “Even in my boudoir I’ve heard of Fragrant Pond Garden’s reputation. I’ve heard that inside are mostly highly skilled and respectable musicians. I’ve long wanted to come see. Today, having such a rare opportunity is also Young Master Wu’s kind intention.”

Wang Shi also said: “I’ve heard that many refined gentlemen in the capital also often come here to listen to music. It seems the musicians here have some ability.”

Hearing her say this, Chen Shi’s expression improved somewhat. However, perhaps because she’d seen Qiu Xinran speaking with that steward earlier, her attitude toward her inevitably grew colder.

The banquet was divided into two sides, right outside two adjacent small buildings in the east and west. Female guests in the east, male guests in the west—though not in the same place, they weren’t far apart either. Qiu Xinran followed behind Wang Shi. Upon entering the courtyard, she saw several young matrons already seated in small groups inside, including a few young ladies like Han Ling clustered together chatting intimately. She seemed somewhat out of place among them. Suddenly she heard someone call her name. Looking up, she discovered it was actually Li Hanru.

Today, the Seventh Princess wore a gown of brocade cloud-woven silk. Her face was like a lotus flower, her bearing extraordinary. Between her brows remained that proud expression from the past. She forcefully carved out a path among this crowd of competing beauties, becoming the most eye-catching person in the gathering.

Surrounded by a retinue of maidservants, she walked toward Qiu Xinran. The female guests who had just arrived all paid their respects to her. She only nodded coldly as acknowledgment. When she reached Qiu Xinran, she said with an imperious expression: “We haven’t seen each other in many years. Come have a drink with me.”

Though clearly an invitation, it left no room for refusal. Qiu Xinran smiled bitterly and could only agree, nodding farewell to Wang Shi as she left.

Seeing this, the people around couldn’t help but be curious about her identity. Even Chen Shi was deeply surprised. Han Ling on the side, however, looked thoughtful, vaguely recalling that Li Hanyuan had mentioned such a person to her when she was alive.

Li Hanru invited her to sit together. The two sat down behind a small screen. Qiu Xinran carefully studied the person before her by candlelight. Li Hanru was the same as in her memory, yet inevitably had some differences.

From age fourteen, Noble Consort Chen had worked hard to mold her into a princess, but now she sat cross-legged across from her, one hand propped on her leg, the other gripping a wine cup as she filled it—like a dejected female general.

“I heard that you picked out Wu Peng’s residence for Xia Xiuyan?” Li Hanru asked casually. Qiu Xinran smiled: “That was also acting under orders.”

Li Hanru scoffed: “Those words might fool others.” Gripping her wine cup, she said with a half-smile: “I know best what happened back then. If there truly was nothing between you two, how would you have dared commit the crime of deceiving the sovereign by divining that hexagram in court?”

Hearing this, Qiu Xinran wasn’t alarmed but said unhurriedly: “The Princess assigns too grave a charge. In court that year, I merely spoke according to the hexagram. Where is the deception of the sovereign?”

Li Hanru’s pair of eyes stared tightly at the person across from her as if wanting to see through her thoughts. After a while, she still shook her head: “I don’t believe it. If it wasn’t deliberate on your part, how could it be such a coincidence that it was him?”

Qiu Xinran smiled wryly: “The Princess, seeing today’s Marquis Dingbei, thinks I deliberately told a lie to save him. But seeing the Heir Xia of that time, how could I know that his going wouldn’t be going to his death?”

What she said also had some logic. The Xia Xiuyan of that time was bedridden with illness—who could have imagined he could truly lead troops to war and return safely? Thinking of this, Li Hanru couldn’t help but hesitate. Could it be that Qiu Xinran back then truly had malicious intent as the outside world said?

Seeing her suspicious expression, Qiu Xinran knew what she was thinking and said helplessly: “Is the Princess absolutely unwilling to believe that hexagram was truly one I divined?”

“Divining on the battlefield to select a general was child’s play to begin with. If I didn’t know more than others, I’d probably also think you were instructed by someone to do so.”

When she divined Xia Xiuyan on the spot that year, court and countryside were abuzz with discussion. Privately, quite a few people indeed secretly speculated that she divined this hexagram because someone behind the scenes had instructed her. Either the peace faction had orchestrated it, or it was His Majesty’s intention… Without someone backing her, people truly couldn’t understand why a small Timing Official at the Bureau of Astronomy would wade into such murky waters.

In that situation at the time, probably even Emperor Xuande and Prime Minister Wu had mutually suspected whom she’d been instructed by. Every time Qiu Xinran secretly thought of this, she couldn’t help feeling smug, as if she’d fooled the entire world—though she hadn’t gained anything good from it either… Qiu Xinran pursed her lips, silently mocking herself inwardly. Then she heard Li Hanru say: “However, if you truly intended to harm him back then, with Xia Xiuyan’s character of seeking revenge for the smallest slight, you couldn’t possibly be sitting here safe and sound now.”

This was indeed true… Qiu Xinran smiled wryly. Just as she was about to say something, Li Hanru continued: “Unless—” She drew out the sound, her gaze sweeping over the person across from her from top to bottom.

“Unless what?” Qiu Xinran couldn’t help asking curiously.

“Unless he’s taken a fancy to you and made an exception for you.”

“…”

Qiu Xinran stood with her mouth open, stunned speechless by this speculation. After a long while, she finally laughed: “That joke from the Princess is rather frightening.”

The female Daoist took the wine from the table and lowered her head to drink a sip to calm her nerves. She wore a snow-blue long gown, her hair loosely pinned up with a wooden hairpin. As she raised the wine to her lips, her sleeve slid down slightly, revealing a snow-white wrist like congealed cream. She didn’t seem like a Daoist cultivating in the wilderness but rather brought to mind a Hu maiden selling wine at a tavern—a few touches of natural seductiveness.

Watching her, Li Hanru became increasingly convinced of her own speculation: “Then what do you say is the reason?”

“…I don’t know.” Qiu Xinran smiled bitterly and set down her wine cup. “But the Marquis seems to already have someone in his heart. The Princess has probably guessed wrong this time.”

Li Hanru raised her brows in slight surprise: “How do you know this?”

Qiu Xinran smiled without speaking. Li Hanru didn’t press further, shaking her head: “Fine, I’m not interested in bothering with his affairs anyway.”

Suddenly, the sound of a zither came from outside. The guests in the building all leaned out to look. They saw a pavilion on the lake outside the small building. White gauze hung around the pavilion’s perimeter, candles lit inside. On the nine-curve bridge on both sides of the pavilion stood a row of silk and bamboo instruments. In the night, the musicians on the bridge couldn’t be seen clearly—only a melodious erhu could be heard.

This sound drew guests from both the east and west buildings to rise and come to the lakeside. Qiu Xinran and Li Hanru sat behind the screen on the second-floor balcony, their position directly facing the pavilion. From their elevated vantage point, they had an excellent view. Before seeing anyone emerge from the pavilion, they could already see several male guests emerge from the small building on the east side. At a glance, each had an imposing bearing, but the most outstanding were undoubtedly the two standing in the center. The one on the left wore black robes and was tall with sword-like brows and starry eyes. The one on the right wore white robes, his features refined and his manner exceptionally distinguished. At a glance, they were clearly Zheng Yuan Wu and Xia Xiuyan.

Perhaps because of their military backgrounds, both men stood upright as solitary pines facing the wind. Standing together, they were particularly conspicuous, attracting more than half the gazes present. Even among the female guests across the way, quite a few secretly cast their eyes upon the two. For the moment, even the several Imperial Princes beside them were reduced to mere accompaniment.

“Seven years ago, who could have imagined today?” Li Hanru suddenly sighed lightly.

Qiu Xinran smiled: “Events are unpredictable. If we knew everything in advance, life would lose much of its interest.”

At that moment, singing suddenly came from the pavilion, finally drawing everyone’s attention to the pavilion on the lake. Behind the white gauze, at some unknown time, appeared the graceful silhouette of a woman. She held an umbrella and stood behind the curtain, her figure alluring and inviting imagination. The erhu sound had disappeared at some point. In the utter silence, the woman opened her mouth to sing the first line—it was the “Willow Song” familiar to everyone in the marketplace.

The woman’s singing voice was clear and moving. It seemed that the moment she opened her mouth, one could hear the endless feelings she couldn’t express.

Qiu Xinran’s brows rose slightly as she murmured: “Interesting.”

Hearing this, Li Hanru’s lips curved slightly. The two focused on watching the pavilion. As soon as the music ended, a man dressed as a scholar walked into the curtain. The spectators by the lake gradually realized that the musicians in the garden were performing a shadow play in the pavilion, and they weren’t performing the usual storybooks performed outside—this was rather fresh.

The story wasn’t complex either. It told of a scholar traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations who, caught in heavy rain, took shelter in a Daoist temple where he met a young lady lodging there. The rain continued for ten days, and during those ten days, the two gradually developed feelings and pledged themselves to each other. After the rain stopped, the scholar departed for the capital, promising to return to propose marriage after achieving high rank. Half a year later, the scholar indeed achieved high rank but cast this matter aside and married another. Up to this point, it was just the ordinary drama of a beauty meeting a heartless man—nothing particularly special.

Then another half year passed. The scholar received a letter from the woman at the temple saying that not long after he left, she discovered she was pregnant. Now she had given birth to a baby girl. When her family learned of this, they cast her out. Mother and daughter now lived in the temple, alone and helpless, hoping the scholar would come soon to take them back.

The scholar broke out in a cold sweat, fearing the matter would spread to the capital and ruin his reputation. He secretly went to the temple to meet with that woman. She was overjoyed to see him arrive. After the scholar offered some small words of comfort, he secretly poisoned her tea, killed her, and even strangled the infant girl still in swaddling clothes.

When the woman died from the poison, she collapsed on the ground, unable to speak her grief. The musician playing the female lead had a very moving singing voice. Among the female guests in the courtyard, faint sounds of weeping could be heard. Sitting upstairs, Qiu Xinran finally vaguely sensed something strange.

The woman in the pavilion sang again: “…This concubine’s resentful death brings no rest, disturbing you without peace. In life there were no peaceful days, in death I also descend to the Yellow Springs.” These few lines were written in blood, moving the hearts of those who heard and bringing tears to listeners. Just then, the sound of an overturned wine cup came from not far away. Qiu Xinran focused her gaze and saw a young servant kneeling on the ground, trembling like chaff. The man before him had an ashen face, lips pressed tightly together. His gaze seemed uncertain whether it was looking at the servant kneeling on the ground or falling on the distant pavilion.

In that split second, Qiu Xinran felt as if enlightened, suddenly understanding why this story felt strange everywhere. She instinctively scanned the crowd on the west side and saw Xia Xiuyan sitting behind some flowering trees. Only his back was clearly visible; his expression couldn’t be seen. He seemed completely absorbed in watching the pavilion, seemingly not noticing Li Hantai who had overturned his wine cup not far away.

The cries from the Guanyin Hall at Azure Dragon Temple seven years ago seemed to return to her ears. Looking again at the shadow on the pavilion curtain of the man strangling the infant’s throat, Qiu Xinran’s fingers gripping the wine cup trembled imperceptibly.