Boarding the carriage sent by the Li residence, Yu Zixi and Qin Chang Ge first examined the records of their assumed identities that Li Yuren had passed to them – birth dates, backgrounds, and other details – in preparation for any potential questioning. Qin Chang Ge praised, “This Miss Li is truly meticulous and cautious, thoroughly considerate.”

Yu Zixi frowned, however. “My voice tonight, I’m afraid I won’t be able to speak. I’ll have to rely on you to smooth things over later.”

Qin Chang Ge retrieved a transformation pill from her bosom, smiling. “I didn’t have time to give it to you earlier, but now would be perfect for Your Highness to take it.”

In truth, she hadn’t been unable to give Yu Zixi the transformation pill earlier – it was just that this item was something she had stolen from her eldest senior brother’s prescription in her previous life and developed exclusively herself. Giving it to Yu Zixi would inevitably make him more suspicious of her identity. However, Yu Zixi’s gesture earlier had suddenly made her change her mind, wanting to use this item to bring up a certain topic.

As expected, Yu Zixi cast a sideways glance with smiling eyes, drawling leisurely, “You only met the Empress once, yet she gave you even this exclusive treasure?”

“Thanks to the Empress’s favor, she granted me some prescriptions,” Qin Chang Ge smiled. “Your Highness must also be very familiar with the Empress, naturally knowing that she is open and generous by nature, never clinging to material possessions.”

“Naturally I’m familiar with her,” Yu Zixi suddenly fell silent, only speaking slowly after a long pause. “That person… it would be difficult not to be familiar with her…”

Qin Chang Ge stroked the smooth curves of the pipa, glancing at Yu Zixi teasingly. “Looking at Your Highness’s expression, it seems like you’re longing for a beauty…”

Casting her a glance with subtly strange expression, Yu Zixi said, “Longing? Heh.”

He was unwilling to continue speaking, merely unconsciously stroking his waist area gently.

When he had changed clothes earlier, Qin Chang Ge had already noticed that the red lantern he never parted with had been carefully folded and stored in a hidden pouch at his waist. It was remarkable that the lantern was so exquisitely crafted with simplified materials – every frame could be disassembled. Yu Zixi had truly gone to great lengths to be able to carry this lantern with him at all times.

“I’ve seen that lantern Your Highness never parts with,” Qin Chang Ge smiled seemingly casually. “I’ve always felt it looked familiar. Thinking about it now, I seem to have seen this style long ago.”

“You’ve seen it?” Yu Zixi’s beautiful eyes, which had been lazily half-open behind the face veil, opened slightly. His voice, made much thinner after transformation, sounded quite amusing. “Where?”

“In Chihe…” Qin Chang Ge stopped mid-sentence, glanced at Yu Zixi’s expression, smiled, and reached out to lift the carriage curtain, saying quite wickedly, “Miss, we’ve arrived.”

Rather ungracefully pulling at the corner of his mouth, Yu Zixi stepped down from the carriage in one stride, seeming to take too large a step. Qin Chang Ge dramatically went to support him, calling softly, “Miss, be careful.”

Yu Zixi smiled charmingly while grabbing her hand, but instead of gently placing his hand over hers in the manner of a delicate, willow-waisted woman, he viciously pinched Qin Chang Ge’s hand, whispering in her ear, “I’m dizzy, dizzy from anger. I’m gripping your hand a bit tightly – don’t mind it.”

Qin Chang Ge reached out to embrace his waist, laughing playfully. “Oh my, what’s to be done about dizziness? Here, let me hold your waist… eh, what’s that thing in your sash?”

Yu Zixi immediately released her.

The carriage had traveled directly to the moon gate of the inner courtyard. The servants who had led them here had already withdrawn at the second gate, and two matrons came to receive them. Though their faces showed undisguised disdain, upon seeing Yu Zixi’s appearance, they couldn’t help but freeze momentarily, exchanging meaningful glances.

The two acted as if they hadn’t noticed, following the matrons’ guidance while intentionally observing the surrounding terrain and the Li residence’s layout. The Li family was presumably of military background – the architectural decorations lacked frivolous ornate carvings, instead possessing a heavy, dignified atmosphere. Every few zhang there stood tall birch trees, though flowers were few. The pavilions and pathways were sparsely but tastefully arranged, revealing that whoever built this courtyard had considerable depth of thought.

More importantly, throughout the inner and outer courtyards, defenses were loose on the surface but tight within. All ground-level objects that could conceal people or provide cover had been removed. Guard patrols moved through in formations, carrying crossbows on their backs and sabers at their waists – security was strict, clearly showing that Li Denglong had made multiple preparations for the possible methods Xiliang might use to breach the city.

The Ninth Lady’s boudoir naturally wouldn’t retain such masculine styling. The exquisite chambers, built in imitation of Xiliang’s Longnan Pavilion style, were bright and spacious, hung with palace-style lanterns decorated with beauty patterns. Golden bells under the eaves chimed with delicate, clear, and moving sounds. The charming woman standing under the eaves on the tung oil-finished wooden corridor was as brilliant and radiant as those golden bells.

When she spoke, her voice was also as pleasant as golden bells.

“I’ve long heard that Miss Yuren’s pipa skills are famous throughout Du City, but I never imagined you’d be blessed with such extraordinary beauty!”

Qin Chang Ge lowered her brows, secretly amused – what thick jealousy indeed!

Yu Zixi bashfully curtsied with seeming timidity. “I greet the Ninth Lady.”

As he curtsied, his cloak parted slightly, immediately revealing glimpses of spring through his light gauze inner garments – a flash of snow-white skin that was dazzling. The Ninth Lady’s expression changed, then she descended the steps to personally take Yu Zixi’s hand, saying, “Miss, this is your first time at the Li residence, isn’t it? These steps are high – be careful.”

“How dare Yuren presume?” Yu Zixi played the part of gentle compliance perfectly, but the Ninth Lady suddenly exclaimed in surprise, “Miss Yuren is so delicate, how do you have calluses on your hands?”

Qin Chang Ge looked up, watching Yu Zixi, who replied unhurriedly with a smile, “Yuren comes from a poor family background – otherwise, how would I have fallen into the pleasure quarters? These calluses are half from farm work in my youth, half from learning the pipa in my courtesan career. I’ve made the Ninth Lady laugh.”

“You’re so well-spoken,” the Ninth Lady laughed charmingly. “How could I laugh at you? With such beauty, I’m too busy envying you.” The three entered the room, and everyone looked up, all stunned by Yu Zixi’s radiance. The originally charming Ninth Lady immediately felt eclipsed by comparison. A cold smile flickered across her lips, and rolling her eyes, the Ninth Lady said, “The general will arrive shortly. He’s always disliked crowds, so I ask that you sisters please bear with me and familiarize yourselves with the sheet music behind the silk screen. You can perform for the general later – would that be acceptable?”

This was clearly meant to prevent the general from seeing Yu Zixi. Everyone understood perfectly, all smiling and nodding. Matrons immediately brought silk screens, densely concealing everyone. The others, eager to curry favor with the Ninth Lady, deliberately crowded toward the front, pushing Yu Zixi into the furthest corner of the room.

Yu Zixi remained unhurried, sitting gracefully and flipping through the sheet music in his hands with a slightly mocking smile.

Soon they heard footsteps approaching from outside – it seemed like a group was drawing near. Then footsteps from one person sounded in the front courtyard while the other footsteps stopped in the corridor without continuing forward. Qin Chang Ge and Yu Zixi exchanged glances, both thinking that Li Denglong was indeed thorough and cautious, bringing quite a few guards even when entering the inner courtyard.

Then they heard the Ninth Lady’s voice going out to greet him, soft murmuring laughter, and Li Denglong’s gentle responses. Light and shadow shifted before the silk screen as they vaguely saw the Ninth Lady entering while leaning against a man. The man’s shadow cast by candlelight onto the silk screen embroidered with peonies only reached the upper half of those peony branches – he wasn’t tall.

The Ninth Lady whispered something in Li Denglong’s ear. To his right was the corridor guard unit, ahead was a window, behind was a wall – there was nowhere on his person that could be attacked in one strike – extremely cautious.

Even subconsciously, he could use the Ninth Lady as his shield. Qin Chang Ge defined him with extreme contempt in her heart – extremely selfish.

Based on comprehensive judgment: this person had poor character and would be extremely difficult to eliminate.

Yu Zixi merely smiled lightly, gently plucking the smallest string.

Behind the screen, boxwood lady figurine lamp stands with jade-hooked cloud-patterned lanterns cast yellowish light and shadow. One lantern slanted its light directly onto the string-plucking figure – wind-tousled hair in a misty coiffure, lightly knitted moth eyebrows, wordlessly embodying complete elegance.

They could faintly hear charming voices and sweet laughter from beyond the silk screen. The Ninth Lady laughed, “With this melody ‘Azure Sky,’ your concubine congratulates my husband on soaring through wind and clouds, ascending like a dragon to the ninth heaven.”

Her slender fingers raised a golden cup, each word a prayer: “My husband is the pillar supporting our Northern Wei, an unbreachable great wall. That Xiao Jue is just a milk-smelling child who will surely bow at my husband’s feet, trembling and begging for mercy.”

Li Denglong stroked his beard and laughed heartily, drinking from the wine cup in the Ninth Lady’s fragrant jade hands. “Don’t underestimate Xiao Jue. This man is skilled in warfare. However, under these circumstances, with an army of 800,000, supply difficulties will make it impossible to continue once they suffer losses beneath Du City walls. They’ll have to retreat whether they want to or not… Haha, besides… we are not lambs for slaughter…”

He stopped mid-sentence in his final words, laughing heartily. Though his voice carried hidden smugness, he cautiously only drank wine without speaking further.

Qin Chang Ge and Yu Zixi exchanged glances. Beyond the defensive strategy of clear fields and high walls with deep moats, what other plans did this fellow have? Sneak attacks? Harassment? Inside agents? Outside Du City lay mostly plains and open fields. The Xiliang main camp was thirty li from the nearest mountains – it would be impossible for reinforcements to emerge from the mountains undetected. That left only the first three possibilities.

Among the six nations, they had always been infiltrating each other continuously – you in me, me in you. The strategies I use, you’re also secretly employing – this was perfectly normal. It all depended on which side used them more skillfully.

After exchanging glances with Qin Chang Ge, the two had completed their silent consultation through eye contact.

“Strike now?”

“Inadvisable, defenses too strict.”

“Lure him closer?”

“Good.”

Yu Zixi’s lowered eyelashes concealed a playful smile. Beyond the silk screen, the Ninth Lady clapped three times. Qin, zheng, xiao, flute, konghou, sheng… even Gaochang Jie drums – eight musical instruments played in harmony, silk and bamboo melodious.

The melody “Azure Sky” began plainly, gradually rising and soaring like stepping onto blue clouds, ascending step by step until reaching the ninth heaven, looking down upon the smallness of all living things, laughing as clouds and rainbows formed.

The piece had a grand conception, secretly harboring ambitions of dragons soaring and phoenixes dancing. It was surprising that the Ninth Lady, a girl barely twenty, could compose such sheet music. No wonder Li Denglong doted on her so much that even during wartime, he wouldn’t go against her wishes, summoning the city’s famous performers for her.

However, such standards, while naturally looked up to by ordinary people, were hardly worth a glance in the eyes of Yu Zixi, Xiliang’s foremost musical prodigy and renowned musical master of the four seas.

His slender fingers pointed and marked on the sheet music… tsk tsk, this note too high… this note too hurried… there should be a transition here… here…

“Azure Sky” was dominated by heroic and majestic melodies with qin and drums as the main instruments. Yu Zixi’s pipa had a relatively idle part – only three small transitional sections during interludes, easily drowned out by the main melody.

Someone cast mocking glances at Yu Zixi during performance breaks – despite all your careful grooming, you’re only assigned these mere three sections of extremely brief transitional playing, decorative in nature and fleeting. With everyone here being famous musicians giving their all, how could you possibly have a chance to shine?

Smiling lazily and disdainfully, Yu Zixi raised his hand.

A graceful gesture like plucking flowers.

All other instruments were about to rest but hadn’t quite stopped, while the pipa should have started but hadn’t yet responded.

One beat early.

He plucked the string.

Sound arose.

Bright pearls scattered across crystal plates, moonlight breaking through crystal wells, chaotic snow flying above the azure void, with a mandala flower carelessly dropped by a celestial maiden landing precisely on the silk strings below.

In spring breezes, flower stamens trembled and swayed, as a dewdrop fell from the tip of fragrant grass.

A bird flew past, its tender yellow wingtips carrying the verdant green of distant mountains, fresh and bright.

In the bamboo grove, a gentle shower of clear rain rustled down, instantly carried away by the evening breeze. In the pale twilight, green bamboo shoots broke through the earth, revealing a jade-white tender sprout.

…

When something reaches the ultimate in beauty, it produces a sensation of complete mental and spiritual loss, not knowing where one stands. Like hearing this pipa’s opening, it was as if seeing the deep recesses of the nine-heavenly palace towers, where night dew was forest-cool, the cold moon silent, and a wisp of pear blossom’s dark fragrance and sparse shadows faintly illuminated the deeply hanging curtains.

Behind the deep curtains, whose ornaments chimed softly as they approached gracefully? Footsteps moved toward the moonlit tower, each footprint a peach blossom.

Where peach blossoms bloomed, what manner of woman appeared – with deep blue spiral eyebrows, a heart-shaped silk dress, eyes like horizontal waves, gazing back distantly from the depths of the Milky Way’s misty clouds?

…

In the stunned and silent hush of the crowd, the pipa sound suddenly paused. Everyone’s hearts sank as they felt vaguely lost, but the pipa had already resumed after this soul-stirring pause, starting again with clear, high, penetrating, and divinely elegant notes, each urgent string, each low and hurried note.

The crowd, captivated by these extraordinary sounds, unconsciously picked up their instruments and began playing along, forming an ensemble once more.

However, the situation had changed. Though the pipa still didn’t dominate the melody, it subtly controlled the entire composition’s rises and falls, transitions and progressions. Even under the leadership of those clear, cold, and profound pearl-like tones, some inadequacies in the original piece were seamlessly corrected as if they had always been meant to be that way, continuing with great winds stirring and the four seas dancing.

This was a true musical prodigy – casually modifying sheet music and, without prior rehearsal, using his instrument’s charm to unconsciously lead all other instruments to follow his changes.

Slightly raising his gaze to observe the woman frozen stiff before the silk screen and the man whose eyes blazed as he stared over, Yu Zixi revealed a meaningful smile.

Seeing that smile, Qin Chang Ge immediately knew someone was about to cause trouble again.

Yu Zixi raised his finger and plucked the string.

One sound, then another.

Each sound came just as the previous note was ending but before the next began.

Each sound was plucked one note higher.

One sound higher than the last.

All instruments involuntarily followed, raising their pitch one note at a time, gradually reaching their limits.

“Twang!”

Qin strings snapped, zheng strings snapped, sanxian strings snapped, konghou strings snapped!

“Screech!”

Xiao, sheng, flute, and pipe all broke their notes in unison!

Only the Jie drums remained, continuing their monotonous and confused beating, but even they began to fall into chaos.

Raising his eyebrows with a smile.

His right hand used tan, tiao, gun, fen, gou, mo, zhi, kou, fu, sao, lun, shuang tiao, ban lun techniques, while his left hand employed rou, yin, tui, zhu, chuo, nai da, xu an, jiao xian, fan yin, wan techniques. In an instant, Yu Zixi displayed the complete repertoire of the pipa’s complex and exquisite fingering methods. With finger speed and control so ingenious as to be unimaginable, using the pipa as a single instrument to create harmonies and chord progressions, after forcing all other instruments to stop and break, he arrogantly and flawlessly completed the ensemble piece “Azure Sky” entirely by himself!

The momentum remained undiminished while the melody became even more beautiful, his fingering graceful and lively like a butterfly flitting through flowers, dazzling viewers until their mouths hung open, completely forgetting what they should be doing.

When the piece ended, its lingering notes still floated ethereally, and everyone had long forgotten what they should be doing.

“Excellent!”

Applause erupted as Li Denglong finally rose, loudly praising the Ninth Lady: “This piece is extraordinary! Like listening to celestial music! Yiru! I never imagined you possessed such talent!”

Without waiting for the stiff-faced Ninth Lady to respond, Li Denglong strode forward and swept aside the silk screen with one motion.

The brilliant lamplight suddenly dimmed, and the garden’s moonlight bashfully retreated.

Behind the silk screen in the interplay of light and shadow, everyone faced the light source with joyful raised heads, except for that “woman” who seemed startled and slightly turned her shoulder.

Wind passed over the Taiye Jade Pool, and countless lotus flowers couldn’t withstand the cool breeze’s tender shyness. Ten thousand poems and rhymes burst forth with brilliant radiance for that gentle shoulder turn.

In that moment, everyone who witnessed this scene had the words “rare beauty, peerless rare beauty!” thunder through their hearts.

Li Denglong’s gaze could no longer contain anyone else’s existence. He simply stood there, staring intensely at Yu Zixi, laughing: “Excellent music, excellent pipa, excellent person!”

Yu Zixi gracefully stood, half-concealing his charming face with the pipa, performing a curtsy with elegant composure. “I greet the General!”

As he rose, he was already cursing inwardly – this fellow even had blades mounted on his boot tips!

Li Denglong waved his hand. The others, both envious and jealous, glanced at Yu Zixi and tactfully withdrew. The Ninth Lady stood frozen in the hall, her face iron-blue with rage, grinding her teeth as she twisted her handkerchief, her once-bright features appearing almost sinister in the lamplight.

Hadn’t they said that Li Yuren was beautiful but had a bad temperament? So upon meeting the general, even the worst temperament would melt into spring water.

The Ninth Lady stared blankly at the man and woman facing each other, secretly hateful… She’d never heard that Li Yuren was beautiful to this extent… How unlucky… With such beauty, even the most restrained general would be moved… If only she had known… sigh!

After much consideration, knowing that Li Denglong disliked women who didn’t understand propriety, the Ninth Lady reluctantly approached with a forced smile to introduce them. Li Denglong listened absent-mindedly, nodding casually: “Mm… Li Yuren… from Yu City…” Seeing her husband’s condition, the Ninth Lady naturally didn’t dare say more, enduring her vexation as she found an excuse to withdraw.

Only Li Denglong, Yu Zixi, and Qin Chang Ge remained in the room. Li Denglong waved his hand: “You, leave!”

Qin Chang Ge immediately obediently walked toward the corridor, avoiding to the courtyard.

In the darkness, two teams of guards stood in formation, upright and silent as pines. Their iron armor and weapons gleamed coldly in the moonlight, with no one paying attention to a little servant expelled from the warm pavilion.

…

In the warm pavilion hung with blue smoke, the purple copper flower incense burner emitted the intense fragrance of Cuiping incense. The gold account hooks on the silver-threaded brocade curtains with openwork embroidery chimed softly. Before him, the beauty’s skin was lustrous and smooth, and her music carried a distinctly different but even more pleasant fragrance. Li Denglong felt dizzy and dazed, unable to resist reaching out to embrace the beauty’s waist, laughing softly: “Come, come here.”

Yu Zixi looked up, glancing at the two rows of guards directly facing the warm pavilion. Li Denglong had never let himself leave their line of sight – he needed to get this fellow away.

Laughing charmingly while imperceptibly avoiding a certain area of his waist, Yu Zixi reached out to touch Li Denglong’s extended hand, gently scratching his palm while whispering: “…With so many people watching, it’s rather embarrassing…”

Li Denglong felt as if small hands were scratching and grasping at his heart, wanting nothing more than to press the enchanting creature before him firmly beneath him. He reached out laughingly to push him onto a side couch, climbing up himself while roaming with his hands, panting in Yu Zixi’s ear: “Little darling, this way they can’t see you, right?”

A cold gleam flashed in his eyes as Yu Zixi’s fingers had already reached Li Denglong’s chest, suddenly freezing.

Then he seemed to casually raise his head to smooth his hair, and as his hand rose, froze again.

After these two freezes, Li Denglong had already thoroughly fondled his entire body.

Protecting his upper and lower vital areas with his arms to avoid exposure, Yu Zixi’s stomach churned with countless curses at this man’s maddening caution.

Just now when pulled, Yu Zixi had intended to strike but immediately discovered Li Denglong wore protective body armor and the like, with even his throat protected by high-collared thin iron armor. Yu Zixi wanted a silent, instant kill, but faced with such thorough defenses, he had no choice but to pause first.

That man’s wandering hands took advantage of this momentary lapse to begin attacking the powder-bright chest. Yu Zixi “panted softly,” waiting for him to bow his head.

At this angle now, killing him and letting the body fall would look like nothing more than aggressive pawing – the least alarming way to die.

But Li Denglong’s hand suddenly paused, as if suddenly remembering something, asking hesitantly: “…Your surname is Li? Twenty-one years old? From Deep槐 in Yu City? …You…”

His eyes gradually showed thoughtful light, his hand pausing in mid-air, no longer advancing, just asking foolishly: “Could you be born in the year jiashen, month bingzi, day yiyou…”

His voice suddenly stopped.

Fresh blood burst like a huge dahlia suddenly blooming at his brow, followed by spurting streams of blood!

Yu Zixi grabbed a soft pillow, pressing it directly against his brow. The apricot-yellow pillow with excellent absorption quickly and silently transformed into a bright red, swollen, dripping mass.

Frowning as he stuffed the pillow under the covers, Yu Zixi laughed charmingly while embracing Li Denglong’s slowly toppling corpse, rolling intimately deeper into the bed with a playful laugh: “…This way they definitely can’t see anymore, right? …?”

With a toe hook, layers of pearl-beaded gauze curtains silently fell, like a dream’s hazy veil covering the bed of spring colors.

The sound of tearing fabric arose.

The sound was simple, crude, direct, yet carried the most stirring sensual thoughts of the deep night.

Then, from behind the curtain’s concealment, a light red crystal-beaded, folded gauze dress the color of spring fell gracefully to the flat gold and blue brick floor in several irregular pieces, carrying gorgeous colors and boundless allure.

Faint feminine moans began to sound softly, spreading uncovered through the boundless silent night.

The guards in the courtyard stood even straighter, their expressions more iron-like, but could faintly be heard swallowing involuntarily.

Someone’s trousers seemed to have undergone changes.

…

Inside the red silk curtains and mandarin duck brocade covers, fragrance and bloody scent mingled together, creating an indistinguishable odor that only made one feel cold, finding this night air bone-chillingly forest-cool.

Death is sometimes a very simple matter.

Conversely, living is another kind of difficulty.

Yu Zixi, having changed clothes and holding up the covers, spoke softly to the corpse sleeping in the same bedding, whose eyes stared wide but could no longer see the world’s myriad things: “…You look quite resentful, as if you have a question that didn’t get answered?”

He sighed and smiled.

“Dying with questions is cruel, so I’ll tell you – yes, Li Yuren’s birth date is jiashen bingzi yiyou dingchou, probably the same as what you didn’t finish saying.”

His smile became increasingly seductive and dissolute, though his gaze grew section by section colder.

“She… is your daughter?”