Chapter 129: Old Acquaintances, Forgotten Feelings. Thanks to Qing Xi for the crown.

After leaving Zhiyan Pavilion, Yun Muge made an excuse about needing to pay her respects to the Grand Matron and headed straight for Rongjin Hall.

"Your daughter, Muge, pays her respects to you, Mother." Yun Muge greeted the Grand Matron with a delicate, affected grace.

The Grand Matron arched an eyebrow, her expression one of practiced warmth. "Have you said to your sister-in-law what needed to be said?"

"I have," Yun Muge replied, keeping her head lowered in a submissive posture. "Sister-in-law has agreed to teach me the zither. I shall study with her for an hour each evening after dinner."

The Grand Matron nodded with satisfaction. "It is good that you are obedient. You know that I am elevating your status by arranging your marriage into the Ye family of Quzhou. That family has produced a noble consort, and they are the foster parents of Prince Mu; in the future, they will be the Imperial Dowager of Southern Xi. Although you are a daughter of the Yun household, you are born of a concubine. To be able to marry into the Ye family as the eldest daughter-in-law is an excellent path for you."

Raised in the sheltered confines of the inner chambers, Yun Muge was unaware of the deep-seated grievances between the Xie and Ye families. Taking the Grand Matron’s words at face value, she replied, "Thank you, Mother, for your grace."

The Grand Matron gave a soft hum. "It is rumored outside that you are skilled at the zither, and the mistress of the Ye household and her son are also admirers of music. If not for this reason, combined with the prestige of our Yun family, you would never have had the chance to climb so high as to marry into the Ye family."

Yun Muge pressed her lips together and nodded. "I understand, Mother. I will certainly practice diligently with my sister-in-law."

The Grand Matron scoffed inwardly, though her face remained impassive. "You are to be married by next year at the latest; how much could you possibly learn? It is merely for show, so there is no need to take it too seriously. If you can manage to play a tune or two that is at least pleasant to the ear, that will be enough to count as your own accomplishment."

Yun Muge paused, startled by this remark, before adding softly, "But sister-in-law said that I could wait another two years before marrying..."

The words were spoken quietly, yet the Grand Matron heard them clearly and her expression darkened instantly. "Do you not know the meaning of 'long delays lead to many hitches'? Since the marriage is settled, it must naturally be concluded quickly. You will be fifteen next year; the age is perfectly appropriate. Look at your sister, Xiangrong—she nearly became an old maid. If you are obedient, I will not treat you unfairly; your dowry will only be greater than your sister's!"

At these words, a look of delight crossed Yun Muge’s face, and she quickly pressed her lips together to offer thanks again. "Thank you, Mother."

*Truly a girl of shallow origins,* the Grand Matron thought. *A few dowry items are enough to make her this happy. She doesn't even stop to consider the consequences of her aspirations toward the Ye family...* The Grand Matron coughed slightly and added, "The people from the Ye family have not yet left. I fear they may be lingering nearby in the evenings, hoping to hear you play. Find a way to have Chuxiu play for you; just send them away for now!"

Yun Muge grew visibly nervous, biting her lower lip as she answered, "I understand, Mother."

"I am tired. You may go." The Grand Matron had no desire to waste another word on her.

Yun Muge bowed and retreated gracefully. Even now, she remained oblivious to the fact that the Grand Matron had set a trap for her, and that even Chuxiu was being kept in the dark.

Once Yun Muge was out of earshot, Mother Chi, who was attending to the Grand Matron, sighed. "When Master Xie sent people to propose for his eldest son, you had them driven away. The Ye family was delighted to hear of it and immediately finalized the marriage."

The Grand Matron sneered. "Do you think I am unaware of the Ye family's intentions? They believe that because Chuxiu is now the mistress of the house and I, an old woman, no longer concern myself with worldly affairs—having relinquished my authority—that I no longer hold them in regard..."

She paused, as if mocking the shortsightedness of the Ye clan. "The Ye family wants to marry into the Yun lineage to secure their prosperity after Ye Yingfei passes. They don't stop to think whether the Yun clan is willing to be their shield. Even if I am no longer the mistress of the Yun household, I can still bring the Ye family down just the same."

Mother Chi chimed in with a smile, "The Ye family sees our Yun clan's merit in supporting Prince Mu, and how Yun Xiangrong managed to protect Shen Yu, so they are imitating this method, thinking they can find shelter under a great tree."

With Yun Xiangrong as a precedent, the Ye family hoped to use Yun Muge as a pawn. Little did they know that the Grand Matron could manipulate her two concubine-born daughters with ease. While she had protected Yun Xiangrong and Shen Yu for the sake of Chuxiu, the same would not necessarily be true for Yun Muge!

The Grand Matron wore a look of disdain. "It is no wonder the Ye family is taking precautions. Prince Mu is not Ye Guifei's biological son, after all. There is no guarantee that if Ye Yingfei attempts to interfere in politics, Prince Mu won't dispose of the Ye family."

"Even if Ye Guifei has no desire to interfere, with your past brilliance as a benchmark, she will surely want to surpass you. For that reason alone, she will end up meddling," Mother Chi noted, having calculated the hidden motives of the Imperial Consort.

"Ye Yingfei doesn't stop to think—how many Xie Miaodans can there be in this world? If she wants to be a hen that heralds the dawn, she must first see if Prince Mu will allow it!" The Grand Matron sneered again. "I am merely adding fuel to the fire. Just wait and see; given Ye Yingfei's temperament, it will be Prince Mu who finds her intolerable first! Unless she herself learns to be sensible!"

Having competed to be the "First Maiden of Quzhou" in their youth, they were now vying for the title of "First Matron of the World." The struggle between Xie Miaodan and Ye Yingfei had lasted decades. In truth, it was because Ye Yingfei was overly calculating, and Grand Matron Xie was fiercely competitive. How could she stand by and watch her rival sit comfortably on the throne of the Imperial Dowager?

As for Yun Muge, she was merely a concubine’s daughter, and Wen Xian’s child at that—how could the Grand Matron tolerate her? She would use the Ye family's hands to dispose of her! Yun Muge, with neither talent nor ability, would likely throw the Ye household into chaos... The Ye family and Yun Muge would ultimately destroy each other. And they expected the Yun clan to come to their rescue? A joke!

The Grand Matron closed her eyes and smiled. Wen Xian had caused the death of her beloved son, Yun Ci; by rights, she could not tolerate Yun Xian either. But because Yun Xian was the last remaining bloodline of the old Marquis, she, Xie Miaodan, had no choice but to settle for targeting Yun Muge instead.

To use the life of a dull-witted girl like Yun Muge to repay the life of Yun Ci—in the end, it was Wen Xian who had profited.

A sudden, unprecedented wave of exhaustion washed over the Grand Matron. Perhaps it was because she had finally taken her revenge on Yun Muge that the resentment in her heart had finally dissipated. Two birds with one stone. Once the Ye family took the bait, she intended to rest for good. Now that Chuxiu had come into her own, there was no longer any need to worry about the future of the Yun clan.

***

The following evening, after dinner, Chuxiu and Yun Muge met at the Quiet Garden. The original plan had been to go to the Qingyin Pavilion where Yun Muge resided to pass on the techniques, but Chuxiu, fearing that the zither music might drift outside and disturb others, changed the location to the Quiet Garden.

The layout of the Quiet Garden was now vastly different from before. In the days when they were supporting Prince Mu, the treasury beneath the lotus pond had been opened. To transport the large quantity of gold bars without drawing attention, the Grand Matron had simply renovated the Quiet Garden as a cover, shipping out the gold mixed in with the soil.

It was now early November, and in Southern Xi, the four seasons felt like spring; even on winter nights, it was not cold. Chuxiu had the steward find a high-quality zither and, accompanied by Zhuyang, went to the Quiet Garden, intending to start by teaching Yun Muge finger positioning before slowly moving on to reading musical scores.

To her surprise, Yun Muge arrived late, her hands wrapped in thick gauze, looking utterly miserable.

"What happened?" Chuxiu asked with concern.

"The maidservants were wiping the doors outside, and I happened to be standing by the threshold, wanting to go out. The maid exerted too much force, and my fingers got caught in the door crack," Yun Muge replied, her voice nasal, clearly having been crying.

"Were both hands caught? Does it hurt terribly?" Chuxiu asked anxiously.

Yun Muge nodded. "I already had a physician look at them and apply medicine. They said there is no major harm, but I fear I will not be able to practice the zither for these next two days."

Chuxiu sighed. "Don't be anxious. How about I teach you how to read musical scores instead?"

A flash of panic crossed Yun Muge’s face. She looked up at the sky and said, "It is already dark, and reading scores by lantern light is too hard on the eyes. I shall go to Zhiyan Pavilion to ask for your guidance another day, Sister-in-law."

Chuxiu thought for a moment and said, "Very well. Go back and rest for today."

"But I want to hear you play the zither," Yun Muge added quickly. "I must train my ears first."

*Train her ears?* Chuxiu was amused but did not refuse. She smiled and said, "Very well, I will play a few simple tunes for you to listen to." Having centered her mind, she sat down gracefully and began to play a short melody called *A Life of Peace*.

The last time she had played this piece was over a year ago, right here in the Quiet Garden. Chuxiu remembered that when she played, there had been the sound of a bamboo flute accompanying her from outside the wall. Because her fingernail had broken and the music had stopped abruptly, the person on the other side had played their flute to inquire about her condition, and she had played this *A Life of Peace* in response.

Since then, one event after another had occurred, and she had had little opportunity to touch the zither. Her hands felt stiff. Patiently winding her finger guards, Chuxiu plucked the strings to warm up.

The appointment with Yun Muge had been for the third quarter of the You hour (around 6:45 PM), but because the girl arrived late, it was already the Xu hour (around 8:00 PM). Between the chatter and the winding of the guards, the third quarter of the Xu hour was nearly past.

Chuxiu bowed her head and began to play. The brief, tranquil melody flowed from her fingertips, possessing the power to calm the spirit—truly living up to the name of the piece, *A Life of Peace*.

At first, Yun Muge listened intently, full of admiration and awe. But after a while, perhaps because it was so late, she began to doze off, her head bobbing until she eventually rested her chin on her hand, supported by the stone table, and drifted off to sleep.

Chuxiu, immersed in her playing, did not notice. Zhuyang, watching from the side, found it difficult to interrupt. The night was meant for teaching, but having played through the piece a few times, Chuxiu felt as if she had rediscovered her former rhythm and began to change the music, playing with focused intensity.

Just as she reached the middle of the sorrowful and melodious *The Heartless One*, a graceful sound of a flute suddenly drifted from over the wall. It was neither fast nor slow, perfectly rhythmic, and harmonized flawlessly with the zither. Chuxiu felt her spirits lift, and her playing became even more precise and steady.

To find a kindred spirit was like meeting a worthy opponent in a game of chess; it was truly exhilarating. When the piece ended, Chuxiu felt deeply refreshed. It was only then that she came to her senses and realized that Yun Muge had fallen asleep.

"Zhuyang, take Miss Muge back to Qingyin Pavilion," Chuxiu ordered, adding with a smile, "I will return to Zhiyan Pavilion myself." A female guard was more convenient in such situations.

Zhuyang hesitated for a moment. "Madam, let a guard escort you."

"That is fine," Chuxiu replied, not refusing. "The Yun household has few people left now; there is no one left to scheme against me. Are you still afraid that something will happen to me on the way? Go now! Do not let the Second Miss catch a cold."

Zhuyang did not insist further. She bent down, picked up the soundly sleeping Yun Muge, and left the Quiet Garden first.

Chuxiu sat alone at the stone table for a while, thinking of the flute music from over the wall; it felt strangely intimate. Could it be the same person from before? She wondered if the player was a man or a woman... Chuxiu thought that it would be impolite to leave without acknowledgement, so she used her fingernails to strike a few final notes on the strings, signaling her departure to the flautist.

This time, there was no response from over the wall. Had the flautist left? Thinking this, Chuxiu picked up her zither and rose, intending to return to Zhiyan Pavilion.

But as she turned, she caught sight of a dark purple figure standing under the corridor pavilion. He wore a golden mask and stood a full head and a half taller than her, standing silently behind her.

Chuxiu’s face paled instantly. In her shock, she let the zither fall to the ground with a loud *bang*, accompanied by the sound of snapping strings. The instrument cracked right down the middle.

At that moment, Chuxiu had no concern for the zither. She took a step back and exclaimed, "Who are you? How did you get in?" There were no more treasures in the Quiet Garden, and the security had been tightened. Why had this man in the golden mask been able to break in so easily without being detected by the guards?

However, the man showed no intention of answering. The pure gold of his mask caught the light of the pavilion, shimmering with brilliant color. The man behind the mask revealed only the area below his nose; his jaw was rigid, and his thin lips were pressed tightly together, as if he were trying to suppress his anger—or perhaps his disappointment?

Seeing that the man remained silent and made no move to harm her, Chuxiu steadied her nerves and asked again, "May I ask who you are?"

The man in purple finally shifted slightly. A pair of deep eyes behind the mask glowed with an unreadable luster, staring intently at Chuxiu. There was awe in that gaze, and surprise, but above all... disbelief.

He slowly raised his right hand, which had been hidden in the shadows, revealing a long flute. "I meant no offense. I merely heard the heavenly sound of the zither and felt drawn to it, so I could not help but enter the estate to seek its source."

For some reason, Chuxiu felt that the man's voice was extremely low, carrying a profound, hidden sorrow. She could not see the expression behind his mask and could only rely on her instincts; she felt that this man must be the one who had played the flute. One who could play such beautiful music could not be a mere scoundrel with malicious intent.

Chuxiu looked down at his slender, well-defined right hand and the flute held within those long fingers. She spoke again, her tone light. "Do you know where you are?"

"The residence of the Marquis of Lixin," the man in purple replied, his voice even deeper than before.

Chuxiu parted her lips, her face as fair as a fairy of the lake, and looked up at him. "I am a widow, playing the zither merely to soothe my heart. Since you have seen my face, I ask that you leave at once."

She paused, then added, "As for tonight, I hope you will act as if you never saw me. Farewell." With that, she bent down to pick up the broken zither, held it to her chest, and walked quickly out of the pavilion.

After a few steps, she remembered something and paused, looking back. The man in purple still stood in the pavilion, gazing at her from across the steps, his posture appearing remarkably... lonely and despairing.

"Did you happen to lose a jade flute? Please tell me your address, and I will have someone return it to you tomorrow." Chuxiu looked up at him, waiting for a reply.

At these words, the man in purple swayed again, as if he had suffered a great blow. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Madam Chuxiu..." The four words sounded like a question, yet also like a confirmation.

Chuxiu recalled the flute music and assumed he was merely a man obsessed with music. She replied candidly, "That is me."

No sooner had she finished speaking than, in the blink of an eye, a flash of purple and gold light swept through the pavilion. The man in purple had vanished without a trace.

It was as if it had all been a dream.