The next morning, A’Luo woke to the faint sound of a flute-like instrument drifting over from the bamboo grove. She thought of Zili. In truth, she’d stopped being angry with him long ago — it made sense he’d be cautious, given someone was trying to kill him. The reason she didn’t want to stay in contact with him was that she found Zili too mysterious, and she was afraid of getting caught up in more trouble. Aside from Seventh Madam and Xiao Yu, she didn’t know who else she could trust.

As A’Luo walked into the bamboo grove, she was still wondering why the music hadn’t stopped yet today. Then she caught sight of Zili, leaning against a bamboo stalk, playing his instrument. Seeing someone approach, Zili stopped and looked over. A’Luo froze. Her instinct was to turn and leave.

Zili asked: “Who taught you to play the flute?”

A’Luo was startled: “My mother.”

Zili looked puzzled: “Who is it that comes to play the flute in this grove every day?”

A’Luo forced herself to answer: “My mother.”

Zili stared at A’Luo, that same half-smile returning to his face: “You’re not the least bit surprised to see me — you’re the flute player, aren’t you?”

Only then did A’Luo look genuinely startled: “This is the Chancellor’s residence — aren’t you afraid of being reported to the authorities for trespassing?”

Zili smiled: “With my skills, by the time anyone arrived, I’d already be long gone. I’ve been playing here for quite some time now — I finally couldn’t help wanting to see who the flute player was. Turns out it’s the third young lady of the Chancellor Li household.”

Xiao Yu played a few notes on a flute just outside the bamboo grove, signaling that something had come up. A’Luo put on a stern face: “You’ve seen who I am — now will you leave?”

Zili didn’t move, smiling: “Why haven’t you played together with me anymore? Tell me.”

A’Luo felt anxious, not knowing what was going on at home. She tossed out: “Something’s come up at home, I don’t have time to talk,” and hurried off.

Zili felt a bit melancholy, unable to quite understand it. Recently he’d met a young “brother” who’d been irritated with him, and now that he finally knew who the flute player was, she’d rushed off again. Zili sighed and leapt over the courtyard wall.

A’Luo hurried back to the courtyard, and Seventh Madam quickly pulled her toward the main house, saying as they walked: “An imperial edict has arrived — the whole family is to receive it.”

They arrived at the main hall to find the whole family already gathered. The eunuch holding the edict unrolled it and began to read.

A’Luo knelt beside Seventh Madam, head lowered. She heard the eunuch read: “The Li family’s eldest daughter, Qinglei, virtuous and refined in both character and appearance… is to become Consort to the Crown Prince.” She froze. Everything that followed was a blur. She stole a glance at Qinglei — her face alternated between pale and flushed, clearly holding back tears.

Once the eunuch left, Qinglei burst into tears: “Why? Why her and not me? His Highness clearly favors me!”

Chancellor Li merely smiled: “Such is fate — who knows how the Empress Dowager and the Empress worked together, using your status as a concubine’s daughter against you. A’Lei, don’t be discouraged. You may not become Crown Princess, but you can still be his most favored consort. Even without becoming Empress in the future, the Crown Prince won’t treat you unfairly.”

Qinglei only wept quietly. Chancellor Li continued: “When you see the Crown Prince again, you must not let any resentment show. Wang Yanhui is exceptionally strategic and not easy to deal with — you must firmly secure the Crown Prince’s affections to ensure your position and the Li family’s continued prosperity. And the Li family’s full support will be your strongest backing.” Chancellor Li’s tone had turned stern.

Qinglei nodded, leaning weakly against the Third Madam.

A’Luo listened, her heart pounding — getting married here involved so much trouble, and the scheming had already begun before the wedding even happened.

Back at Tang Garden, Seventh Madam sighed: “Third child, well, this is quite the situation for the Crown Prince — marrying two at once. It’s a shame Qinglei is a concubine’s daughter. Daughters of concubines have no real standing.”

A’Luo then asked: “What about Gu Tianlin? Why wasn’t she mentioned this time?”

Seventh Madam said: “I heard the edict arrived at the Gu household today too — she’s been promised as principal consort to the Fourth Prince.”

A’Luo made a small sound of acknowledgment. Among Fengcheng’s five young noblemen, she still hadn’t met the Fourth Prince or Gu Tianxiang. It seemed Gu Tianlin’s fate was far better than Qinglei’s. No matter what, the Fourth Prince would only ever amount to a princely household — at least he wouldn’t be marrying Gu Tianlin while simultaneously taking another consort alongside her. The thought of marrying someone and having to deal with his many other wives made A’Luo shudder. There was simply no way she could accept that, under any circumstances. Better to quietly gather enough silver and get away before Chancellor Li could marry her off.

A’Luo walked slowly into the bamboo grove, glanced at the sun, and realized there was no way she’d make it to the riverside by noon to meet Liu Jue. She also didn’t want to stay cooped up in the residence, so she told Seventh Madam and Xiao Yu she was going out, disguised herself, and climbed over the wall to leave the residence.

What should she do next? She’d spent more than half of the two thousand-plus taels on buying the properties, and there were still ongoing expenses to maintain both houses. A’Luo walked slowly toward the riverside, thinking about where to find more silver. The river breeze felt pleasant, and leaning against a willow tree, she gradually fell asleep.

When Zili arrived at the riverside, he found A’Luo asleep. His heart lifted with delight, and he approached quietly, not wanting to wake her. Crouching in front of the tree, he studied her more closely, and the more he looked, the more her features seemed to resemble those of the Chancellor’s third daughter. Zili frowned, dipped a finger in the river water, and swiftly brushed it across A’Luo’s neck.

A’Luo startled awake: “Zili? What are you doing here?”

Zili’s eyes were full of amusement: “Little brother, what brings you here?”

A’Luo smiled: “It was boring at home, so I came out for a walk. It’s peaceful here — didn’t expect to fall asleep while sitting.” A’Luo thought of her missed appointment with Liu Jue, and felt uneasy about the trouble it might cause. She checked the time — it was probably already the hour of Wei. There was no way Liu Jue would still be waiting by the river after three hours; not knowing she’d missed the meeting, there was no telling how furious he’d become or what he might do to her. She sighed involuntarily.

Zili looked a bit anxious: “Are you still holding a grudge against Big Brother?”

A’Luo smiled: “How could I be? Someone was supposed to meet me at noon today, but something came up at home and I couldn’t make it — I’m just worried they’ll be upset. By the way, why are you here, Big Brother?”

Zili said playfully: “It’s peaceful here, good for thinking things through.”

A’Luo said “oh” and fell silent.

Zili asked curiously: “Why don’t you ask what I’m thinking about?”

A’Luo glanced at him: “I respect people’s privacy. If you want to tell me, you will; if you don’t, there’s no use in me asking.”

Zili said: “If you ask, I’ll tell you.”

A’Luo relented: “Fine then, what’s on your mind?”

A smile tugged at Zili’s mouth again: “I know a girl who plays the flute very well. We often play together here, her flute and my flute-like instrument echoing each other. I could always tell her mood from the sound of her flute — sometimes happy, but most of the time she seemed to carry many worries. She’s very clever, learned to play quickly. But one day, she suddenly stopped playing, and no matter how I tried to coax her back with my own playing, she wouldn’t respond. Little brother, what do you think happened to her?”

A’Luo was silent for a long moment before answering: “Since you could tell she had many worries just from her flute-playing, she must be facing some serious trouble. And with trouble like that, naturally she couldn’t keep playing flute with you anymore.”

Zili thought it over for a while, then brightened: “Little brother, don’t you love good food? Let me take you to another restaurant to try something.”

A’Luo shot him a look: “Not another one where someone comes at you with a blade, is there? I’m terrified of dying, you know.”

Zili laughed heartily: “With Big Brother here, I won’t let a single hair on you get hurt.”

A’Luo said seriously: “I’m someone who’s very afraid of trouble, because I have no way of handling it. Can you guarantee you won’t get me caught up in any trouble?”

Zili smiled: “Of course.”

A’Luo added: “You’re not a bad person, are you? I’m definitely a good person!”

Zili was amused: “I’m definitely not a bad person. Little brother, why have you grown so much more suspicious after just a few months?”

A’Luo lowered her head and sighed: “Because you doubted me first, and someone’s trying to kill you, and you’re clearly no ordinary person! Basically, I definitely can’t afford to get involved with you.”

Zili suddenly asked: “Little brother, is there something you’re afraid of?”

A’Luo thought, I’m afraid of everything — there’s too much to be afraid of. Thinking of everything going on at the Chancellor’s residence, she couldn’t feel happy about any of it.

Zili looked at A’Luo’s slightly wronged expression, sighed inwardly, and said with a smile: “Little brother, if you frown any more you won’t look like a handsome young master anymore. Cheer up — if anything comes up, Big Brother will help. Now, let’s go get something good to eat.”

A’Luo thought, worrying won’t help anyway — might as well go eat for free, and think about how to earn some money along the way.

The two rode together to the commercial district. This time they chose a different restaurant — according to Zili, this place, Zuifeng Tower, was the best restaurant in Fengcheng. A’Luo asked him: “Big Brother, is the food here just as expensive? Would one meal cost as much as an ordinary family’s yearly expenses again?”

Zili smiled: “Not necessarily — just don’t order their most expensive dishes.”

A’Luo shook her head: “What I mean is, if it’s really that expensive, you don’t need to treat me — just give me the silver directly instead.”

Zili laughed out loud: “Why do you love silver so much?”

A’Luo answered matter-of-factly: “Without money, you can’t take a single step; with money, you can go anywhere! Silver is a good thing — loving silver is the same as loving life.”

Zili just looked at her and smiled without speaking.

The two entered the restaurant, and a server led them up to the second floor. A’Luo curiously observed this, the finest restaurant in Fengcheng. Her eyes drifted to someone seated by the window — Liu Jue. She was so startled her hands and feet went cold. She immediately turned and headed back down the stairs.

Zili glanced at Liu Jue by the window, then at A’Luo turning to head back down, and followed her down as well.

A’Luo forced a smile: “Big Brother, I think I want to head back. Can we eat another time?”

Zili rode with A’Luo back to the riverside and dropped her off, then rode away. He turned his horse back toward Zuifeng Tower. Liu Jue had already left by then. Zili ordered a pot of wine, and raised his left index finger — there was still a trace of brown pigment on it. Zili couldn’t help but laugh.

He drank cup after cup, a faint melancholy lingering in his eyes.