“Apologize to your mother!” Yelu Qianqian snapped furiously, and even on her knees, she raised her head to glare at Ziqing. “Liar! You absolute liar!”

She had no idea that Ziqing’s fury had been building up ever since that incident in the imperial garden!

She’d long since forgotten about what happened in the garden—all she felt now was pure resentment, resentment toward Han Ziqing for tricking her into thinking Situ Haonan was standing right behind her. Heaven only knew how happy she’d been in that split second—and heaven only knew how crushed she felt now!

“Are you going to apologize or not!” Ziqing’s eyes narrowed as she grabbed Yelu Qianqian by the collar, paying no mind to the crowd that had already gathered around the envoys’ compound.

The Empress of Dongqin’s entourage, the Xiliang envoys—everyone had been woken by the commotion. There was no question now: the matter had truly blown up.

Several reception ministers hurried over to intervene. Yelu Qianqian’s own reception minister, Lord Xiuluo, was sweating profusely with anxiety, pleading urgently, terrified that Consort Yao might actually injure Yelu Qianqian, in which case he would surely be the first to suffer the consequences!

Jun Beiyue’s reception minister, Lord Bomiluo, seeing Jun Beiyue standing by without so much as a flicker of expression, didn’t dare offer much persuasion himself either, simply going through the motions along with the other officials.

It seemed Prince Yao intended to simply let his Consort handle things as she saw fit!

“Consort Yao, it’s late at night—whatever the matter is, perhaps it could wait until tomorrow to discuss?”

“Exactly, exactly, Consort Yao. Waking everyone up isn’t good for anyone. Whatever the disagreement, there’s no need to come to blows over it—tomorrow you could both go before His Majesty and let him settle it.”

“Your Highness, please don’t let this ruin the peace. Princess Qianqian is still young and doesn’t know better—there’s no need to take it so seriously with her!”

…

Everyone tried to talk her down, but with one cold word from Ziqing—”Apologize”—they all fell silent at once!

Yelu Qianqian’s temper flared too. “You lied to me first—you apologize first!”

“You blocked my path first—you apologize!” Ziqing refused to yield an inch!

“I…” Yelu Qianqian was at a loss for words.

“Well?” Ziqing demanded sharply.

“I… I’m just not going to apologize—go ahead and bite me!” Yelu Qianqian said, throwing a tantrum.

“You think I can’t deal with you?” Ziqing sneered coldly. Once she decided to act, she’d make sure this girl understood the price of her recklessness.

With that, she seized Yelu Qianqian and began dragging her toward the door. Yelu Qianqian struggled desperately, flailing about—whether it counted as thrashing or clawing, it made no difference, since she couldn’t break free either way!

Before long, Ziqing had dragged her all the way to the front gate, and by now a crowd had gathered to follow. Lord Xiuluo, panicking, hurried to block their path, pleading desperately, “Consort Yao, this one will apologize to you on the Princess’s behalf—please, calm your anger!”

“This is between her and me,” Ziqing said coldly.

“Consort Yao, all our guests here are Nanzhao’s honored visitors—please, calm yourself. If this disturbs His Majesty… it won’t be good for anyone!” Lord Xiuluo pleaded again.

Ziqing ignored him entirely, tightening her grip on Yelu Qianqian as if about to fling her outward. At this, Yelu Qianqian immediately cried out in alarm, begging for mercy. “Don’t…!”

There were hundreds of stone steps just beyond the gate. If thrown down them, she’d quite literally go tumbling all the way. She wasn’t afraid of pain or injury—she was afraid of losing face!

“Apologize!” Ziqing said coldly.

“I shouldn’t have blocked your way, I shouldn’t have cursed at you—I apologize!” Yelu Qianqian shouted.

Only then did Ziqing take a deep breath and release her. But the moment she let go, Yelu Qianqian scrambled far away, shouting furiously, “Han Ziqing, I hate you!”

Her voice was so loud that the entire envoys’ compound could hear it clearly. Ziqing paid it no mind, turning and walking back to their quarters with Jun Beiyue amid a wave of murmuring discussion!

The moment the door shut, Ziqing leaned back against it, wearing a helpless expression, though notably free of any real anger!

Jun Beiyue looked at her with a doting smile. “Woman, you… you’re getting more and more clever, aren’t you?”

It had just been a petty quarrel—Yelu Qianqian had meant no real harm, and there was no need for things to have escalated so dramatically, with neither side able to back down. Clearly, Ziqing had deliberately intended to wake the entire compound.

The Xisan City had already allowed the Xijing Night Wolf Army to pass through; before long, the balance of power between Western Chu and Xijing would shift. Now, with news spreading that Da Zhou’s Consort Yao and the Xijing princess were at odds, it would serve as further proof that Da Zhou and Xijing were not on good terms—making it all the more natural to pin the blame for breaking the engagement squarely on the Second Prince!

Ziqing glanced at Jun Beiyue and sighed helplessly. “That girl is truly impossible to reason with—I nearly worked myself into a fit back in the imperial garden!”

“The imperial garden? She went there too?” Jun Beiyue asked, puzzled.

Ziqing then recounted everything that had happened in the imperial garden in detail. Jun Beiyue mulled it over. “The Second Young Beast Master—I have heard he’s something of an odd character.”

“The maid, Qing’er, is one of the King’s own attendants—she shouldn’t have any reason to lie. It was probably just a coincidence. I’m overthinking things,” Ziqing said flatly.

Jun Beiyue nodded, not dwelling on it further. “You’ve been through quite a journey, and tonight you had to wait so long again. Get some rest quickly.”

But Ziqing asked idly, “Will Situ Haonan be coming?”

“Within the next day or two, probably. He really couldn’t spare the time before now—we’ll have him invite the old man at the Poison Den on our behalf,” Jun Beiyue said flatly. Situ Haonan truly was like a brother to him—even though he and Ziqing had had a falling out with Lord Situ over the matter concerning Situ Xin’er, Situ Haonan still remained loyal.

Jun Beiyue wore a white inner robe, his collar loosely open, faintly revealing the well-defined, bronzed contours of his chest. Ziqing, finding it far too enticing to look at directly, quickly changed into her sleeping clothes and obediently curled up on the inner side of the bed.

On an ordinary night, Jun Beiyue might have teased her a little, but tonight he seemed to have no such mood. “Did you see the Empress of Dongqin earlier? She’s staying in the pavilion right across from us.”

“I hear that Empress… is no ordinary woman.”

Jun Beiyue nodded. This was the first time Ziqing had ever seen him quite this cautious. Yet a moment later, he gave a faint smile. “There must be a reason Xuanyuan Lige didn’t come.”

Ziqing leaned against his shoulder, thinking for a long while before speaking. “I’ve hit a wall with Lishang—I keep getting stuck at the climax section. No matter how I practice it, something feels off, like it doesn’t connect to what comes before.”

The climax within the Qinse Valley’s sea valley hadn’t been complete—it was the part Ziqing had yet to actually play. She’d listened carefully at the time; the sea valley’s resonance had occupied a full thirty scrolls of the climax alone!

And before those thirty scrolls, there were another thirty scrolls preceding them—she was stuck right at the very first of those thirty scrolls!

To be precise, it was the very scroll where the true climax began.

“What about Xuanyuan Lige?” Jun Beiyue asked. If he still couldn’t guess that this piece, Lishang, held some deeply hidden connection to the Lonely Isle—one that perhaps even the Nanzhao royal family itself wasn’t aware of—then he wouldn’t be Jun Beiyue at all!

Once the entirety of Lishang was played through, the secret would likely surface at last!

“He said he’s stuck after the climax, past the four hundred and fiftieth scroll,” Ziqing said flatly.

“He’s already played through the entire climax?” Jun Beiyue clearly didn’t believe it.

Ziqing was mildly surprised—she hadn’t considered that Xuanyuan Lige might be lying about this. “That’s what he told me. I’ve never heard him play it myself.”

…

The two of them talked on and on, and it seemed this would be another night without much sleep!

Meanwhile, in the pavilion directly across from them, the lights in the Empress of Dongqin’s chamber remained lit even now. Tonight, an entirely unexpected guest had come to her room.