As they were looking, Yanling, one of Empress Wang’s female officials, came over saying: “The Empress has had a side hall prepared for Lady Wang to rest. If you’d like to see the palace sights, you may enjoy viewing the nearby Taiye Pool, but don’t wander too far.”

Hearing they could go down to look around, Xianyun immediately asked excitedly: “Really? That’s wonderful!”

Yanling turned and called an older palace maid named Changqing to take them to view the Taiye Pool. Huang Zixa and Xianyun followed Changqing to the poolside. Just as they boarded the Chinese flowering crabapple boat, they heard someone call from the water: “Imperial Consort Zhao approaches, all clear the way!”

They looked up to see a painted pleasure boat approaching, with an elderly eunuch standing at the bow, calling to them in a strong voice.

They quickly disembarked from their boat and stood respectfully at the dock waiting for Imperial Consort Zhao to land.

After the boat docked, several eunuchs and palace maids disembarked first, followed by a round-faced young woman with almond eyes. Huang Zixa was surprised to see it was Princess Qile. She recalled the capital’s gossip about how Princess Qile had specifically attended to Imperial Consort Zhao, copying scriptures daily, hoping to secure her blessing for a marriage. Recently it was said she had fallen ill with melancholy over the matter of Duke Kui’s bride, yet here she was in the palace accompanying Imperial Consort Zhao.

The elderly eunuch helped Imperial Consort Zhao from the cabin. She was an extremely gentle and charming person, with fine crow’s feet when she smiled, her eyes showing some fatigue, but her lips always turned upward.

Entering the palace at thirteen, bearing a child at fifteen, becoming an Imperial Consort at twenty-four, and even having her palace in the Daming Palace – compared to other former imperial consorts who were sent to the Taiji Palace or Xingqing Palace after their emperors passed away, she was naturally much more privileged.

Huang Zixa and Xianyun hurried forward to pay their respects. Hearing they were from Duke Kui’s mansion, Imperial Consort Zhao smiled as she looked them over, asked their names, then studied Huang Zixa particularly, asking: “Are you Yang Chonggu, the young eunuch who solved the Four Corners case?”

“Yes,” Huang Zixa replied, head bowed.

“Mm, not bad, good appearance too – Duke Kui has always been good at judging people.” She continued, asking, “You’re accompanying Duke Kui’s bride to the palace today? Perfect timing – since we’re here, I’ll go see the Wang family girl too. She’ll be part of the royal family soon.”

Imperial Consort Zhao spoke with a warm smile, leading her entourage toward Penglai Hall. Huang Zixa waited for her retinue to pass, about to follow, when suddenly someone tugged at her sleeve, and a woman beside her smiled with pursed lips, saying softly: “Eunuch Yang, we meet again.”

She turned to look and saw it was a woman carrying a pipa, with rounded features and bright, lively eyes – a very pretty and capable-looking woman.

Huang Zixa recognized her as Jin Nu, the entertainment district musician who had played pipa beside Prince Zhao Li Yue last time, and quickly nodded in acknowledgment. She covered her mouth and smiled, whispering: “Today Imperial Consort Zhao wanted to hear pipa music, so Prince Zhao sent me over.”

Huang Zixa knew that Imperial Consort Zhao was Prince Zhao Li Yue’s birth mother. As they spoke, they entered the main gates of Penglai Hall, where Empress Wang personally came out to receive Imperial Consort Zhao.

Huang Zixa stood at the bottom of the steps, seeing Wang Ru following behind the Empress, walking down the steps surrounded by female officials and palace maids. Among all the brocaded clothes and flower-like faces, only Empress Wang’s countenance shone like the bright moon, as if illuminating this spring day – even Wang Ru behind her, many years younger, could not steal an iota of her radiance.

Empress Wang looked down from above at Huang Zixa and the others below. Penglai Hall stood beside the Taiye Pool, and a sudden breeze from the water caught the Empress’s robes and hem. Her seven-layered gauze garments resembled a crimson peony blooming in the wind, half-concealing her otherworldly grace, ethereal and beautiful as if she might transform into an immortal and fly away.

Huang Zixa forgot protocol, transfixed, and unable to look away. She felt herself sinking into the dust before the Empress’s downward gaze, ashamed of her appearance.

She heard Jin Nu beside her make a tiny “ah” sound, extremely soft, caught in her throat, almost inaudible.

Empress Wang’s gaze passed carelessly over them as she went to greet Imperial Consort Zhao: “Imperial Consort honors us with her presence; I apologize for not going further to welcome you.”

“Oh, I don’t care for such formalities. You’re now the mistress of the palace – this old woman relies on you for my stipends of silk and fabric during festivals.” Imperial Consort Zhao joked as she took Empress Wang’s hand, walking toward the hall.

Huang Zixa watched Imperial Consort Zhao and Empress Wang chatting and laughing as she followed them up to Penglai Hall. Atop the three-tiered white jade platform, within the vermillion gates, the Imperial Consort and Empress sat above, with the Imperial Consort carefully observing Wang Ru, questioning and conversing with her, often laughing heartily. Princess Qile stood beside them, her originally pleasant young face full of gloom, yet she wouldn’t withdraw outside the hall, just standing motionless like a wooden figure.

Inside the hall there was both joy and sorrow, while outside the group pretended not to notice, standing quietly. Huang Zixa and the others, not being close attendants, waited outside.

Standing outside the hall, Huang Zixa saw sweat slowly rolling down Jin Nu’s face beside her, almost ruining her powder makeup. She quietly asked: “What’s wrong?”

“I… seem to be very hot,” she said, her throat becoming hoarse.

Huang Zixa noted the spring sun and the water breeze, thinking it wasn’t particularly hot, but still offered her own handkerchief. As Jin Nu took it, her hands were trembling uncontrollably.

Jin Nu wiped the cold sweat from her face, and seeing Huang Zixa’s strange expression, forced a smile and said: “It’s nothing… probably just my old condition acting up. I… have a strange illness that flares up sometimes. I’ll be fine after some rest.”

Huang Zixa nodded, looking up at the azure sky overhead. Vaguely, she heard Jin Nu murmur: “It couldn’t be… couldn’t be her…”

“Who?” she asked instinctively.

“It must be… just someone who looks similar…” Jin Nu realized she had misspoken, hesitated for a long while, then asked tremulously: “That person in red must be… Empress Wang?”

“Yes,” Huang Zixa answered softly.

“Then… the one following her… is Duke Kui’s bride?”

Huang Zixa nodded again, studying her face carefully, trying to read something from it.

But Jin Nu’s face showed only a dazed, absent expression. After a long while, she muttered quietly: “Impossible… if that’s the case, how could Duke Kui’s bride be her…”

Huang Zixa keenly sensed there must be some inside story here, but Jin Nu was just a pipa player newly arrived from the entertainment district – how could she know anything about these matters?

Just as she was about to inquire further, suddenly Yanling, the Empress’s female official, came out asking: “Which one is Jin Nu?”

“I am…” Jin Nu quickly responded, holding her pipa.

“The Imperial Consort summons you.” Yanling said, then glanced at Huang Zixa and asked quietly, “Why aren’t you inside attending to Lady Wang?”

Huang Zixa hurriedly acknowledged while Jin Nu hesitated, tugging at Huang Zixa’s hand. Huang Zixa felt her hand was cold with sweat and lacking strength. Knowing Jin Nu couldn’t hold the pipa, she helped carry it, leading her by the hand into the great hall.

After Jin Nu paid her respects, Huang Zixa placed the pipa in her arms, handed her the jade pick, then walked toward Wang Ru.

She saw Wang Ru’s face was as pale as a damaged flower, her gaze fixed on the ground, as if afraid to look directly at anyone before her, including even a mere pipa player like Jin Nu.

Huang Zixa sighed inwardly while maintaining an expressionless face as she stood behind her. Beside her was Princess Qile, and she could feel the gloomy aura emanating from the Princess. She couldn’t help turning to look, only to see Princess Qile’s venomous gaze fixed on Wang Ru, as if her eyes could turn into blades and slowly slice Wang Ru to pieces.

Seeing Huang Zixa looking at her, Princess Qile not only didn’t withdraw her gaze but stared back challengingly, with such righteous hatred that Huang Zixa couldn’t help but admire it and had to look away.

Imperial Consort Zhao smiled at Empress Wang: “This is a new pipa player from the entertainment district, whose pipa skills are unmatched in the world. Prince Zhao loves her pipa playing most, saying that given time, she will surely become a master of the nation.”

“Is that so? So young yet a national master – could her artistry truly be that astonishing?” Empress Wang smiled, her gaze sweeping carelessly over Jin Nu seated below.

Jin Nu clutched her pipa tightly, bowing slightly with a lowered head, saying: “Jin Nu doesn’t dare accept such praise. My skills are inadequate – no matter how good I might be, I could never surpass my master. She truly was a national master.”

Only then did Empress Wang seem to show interest, her gaze sweeping over her a few times, though she didn’t speak. Imperial Consort Zhao asked with a smile: “Who is your master, this great artist?”

“My master was the pipa master of Yunshao Yuan in Yangzhou, named Mei Wanzhi. I don’t know if any of those present have heard her name. I am her only disciple.”

Mei Wanzhi – Huang Zixa had never heard this name, but hearing the words “Yunshao Yuan in Yangzhou,” her heart stirred slightly as she thought of Chen Niangniang and Feng Yiniang, who had also come from Yunshao Yuan in Yangzhou – and this pipa player Jin Nu was also from Yunshao Yuan. This seemed quite coincidental.

No one reacted to this name, except Imperial Consort Zhao who seemed to like her very much, saying with a smile: “Then you must have shown extraordinary talent to catch your master’s eye.”

“Indeed. I was just five years old when my hometown suffered a flood. My parents took me to flee to the outskirts of Yangzhou, where our family was dying of hunger, and they had no choice but to sell me with a grass mark…” Jin Nu held her pipa tightly as she spoke quietly. “My master happened to be passing by in her oiled-paper carriage when she briefly lifted the curtain and caught a glimpse of my hands. She stopped the carriage, came down, and took my hands, examining them carefully – without even looking at my face, she had money given to my parents and bought me. My master told me, ‘Jin Nu, these hands of yours were born to play the pipa. Heaven created you for this one thing.'”

Everyone’s gaze naturally fell on her hands. They saw white, proportionate joints and extremely long fingers that seemed almost too large for a woman’s hands. But Jin Nu smiled, laying the pipa across her body, her left hand lightly pressing the neck while her right hand swept across the strings with the jade pick.

In that instant, her hands no longer trembled, and her face flushed slightly. Her fingers moved so quickly that one could barely see her hands, and cascading notes poured forth, like large and small pearls dropping throughout the hall. Yet each pearl of sound was distinct and unique – some round, some light, some clear, some soft – thousands of sensations surging forth in an instant. In the high hall, the echoes lingered subtly, especially moving.