Chapter 127: Hard to Reunite with Old Friends (Part Four)

Prince Cheng, Nie Peixiao, had previously only been able to visit Fangzhou in secret. Now that the political situation had finally settled, he arrived in high spirits, determined to spend some time enjoying the local food, drink, and scenic beauty.

At the welcome banquet that evening, the two brothers drank heartily. In the end, Prince Mu became heavily intoxicated, overcome by the pain of heartbreak. Prince Cheng, Nie Peixiao, remained relatively sober, though he felt a faint sense of melancholy at the thought of Yun Xiangrong’s marriage.

After the banquet, the steward helped Prince Mu to his quarters to rest. Nie Peixiao, however, felt no desire to sleep. Accompanied by his personal guard, he wandered aimlessly through Yanlan City. After walking for some time, the guard reminded him, "Your Highness, we have already crossed more than half the city."

Only then did Nie Peixiao realize how far he had traveled. Perhaps it was the wine, or perhaps the loneliness of the moonlight, but his sense of desolation grew more profound. No matter how flamboyant or dissolute he appeared in public, in these quiet, tipsy hours of the night, he could not hide the solitude in his heart.

Nie Peixiao did not reply and continued walking. The guard dared not speak again. It was not until they reached the northern part of the city and saw the solemn and imposing Marquis Lixin Mansion that Nie Peixiao finally stopped.

He had unknowingly walked from the south of the city to the north. Since the banquet had ended late and he had walked for so long, dawn was already approaching, and early risers were beginning to appear on the streets.

Nie Peixiao thought for a moment and said to his guard, "Go to the outer wall of the Yun family’s backyard."

The guard, named Feng Fei, had once been highly valued by Prince Mu, but after committing a taboo, he was dismissed. Seeing his talent, Nie Peixiao had taken him into his service. Understanding that his master was thinking of the duet of zither and flute from that night, Feng Fei led the way. By the time they reached the wall, the sky was tinged with a faint, pale light—a time between darkness and dawn that felt inexplicably oppressive and restless.

Nie Peixiao looked up at the sky and took a jade flute from his robes. Instead of playing it, he hesitated, then gently stood the flute against the corner of the wall. He sighed to Feng Fei, "If there is a next time, I will certainly not back down."

Years ago, he had been captivated by Hanchu’s zither playing at the Zuihua Pavilion, but he had chosen not to compete with Helian Qi, believing it was a noble gesture. In the end, Hanchu was heartlessly abandoned by Helian Qi and perished in a fire under mysterious circumstances.

More recently, his proposal to marry Yun Xiangrong had been rejected. He could have used his status as a prince to force the Wenchang Marquis Mansion to break off the engagement, but out of respect for his friendship with Shen Yu, he had conceded. Later, he heard that Yun Xiangrong was not happy in her marriage and that Shen Yu treated her with great coldness.

If it were him, he would have cherished such a kindred spirit in the palms of his hands. Yet, there were those who were blind and did not know how to love or treasure a flower. If he ever encountered such a woman again, he would never yield!

The pain of unrequited longing was truly unbearable.

Nie Peixiao took one last look at the jade flute standing against the wall and sighed to Feng Fei, "The day is breaking. Let us return."

"Are you not going to play the flute anymore?" Feng Fei asked, surprised to see his master leave the instrument behind.

Nie Peixiao shook his head. "It is not that I will not play; it is that I will not play so casually ever again."

The two returned to Prince Mu’s mansion in silence. Having stayed up all night, Nie Peixiao slept until sunset. When he awoke, he felt refreshed and arrived just in time for dinner.

During the meal, the brothers chatted freely. Nie Peixiao heard of a famous place in Yanlan City called the "Guanhong Pavilion," where the women were known for their arts rather than their bodies. Driven by his love for music, he went to investigate, ordering two women skilled in the zither to play behind a screen while he listened intently in his private room.

Given his status as a prince who had heard the finest masters, the zither skills at Guanhong Pavilion were naturally underwhelming. Bored and increasingly disappointed, Nie Peixiao dismissed the women and sat alone for a while before deciding to leave.

The first floor was bustling, but the few private rooms on the second floor were quiet. Just as Nie Peixiao stepped out, he heard the name "Eldest Miss Yun" mentioned in the room next door. He paused and leaned in to listen.

"Knowing now that she is treated coldly by Young Marquis Shen, I don't know how satisfied I feel. Hahaha!" a man’s voice rang out, followed by a vindictive laugh.

"You must have turned your love for the Eldest Miss Yun into hate!" another person joked.

The man sneered, "Two years ago, I admired her reputation and went to propose, only to be rejected. I didn't lose heart, thinking that since she was of noble birth and talented, it was only natural for her to be proud. So, last year, I took the opportunity when she went out to burn incense to find an excuse to see her. Guess what happened?"

"What happened?" three or four people asked in unison. Outside the door, Nie Peixiao perked up, waiting for the rest.

The man scoffed, "There was a nun playing a Buddhist melody in the temple, and several people were listening. I snuck in to get close to her, but while listening, she actually dozed off! I saw her lack of decorum and kindly tried to remind her, hoping to earn some favor. She didn't know who I was, and she cold-facedly said, 'I hate the zither most of all, and I hate those who like listening to it even more.' Then she flicked her sleeves and left."

The man mimicked her tone, perfectly capturing the disdain and arrogance. Following this, the room erupted into gossip. Some called Yun Xiangrong pretentious, others said she lacked breeding, and some even blamed the Yun family for failing to raise their daughter properly.

"I used to worship her like a celestial being, dreaming of meeting her. But after seeing her at the temple, she lacked the cultivation of a lady. It was truly disappointing!" the man sighed again.

"That’s not disappointment; it’s resentment for being slighted!" another laughed.

The man did not get angry, replying, "I heard Young Marquis Shen was so pressured by the Yun family that he ran back to Jingzhou before he could even say goodbye. I sympathized with him then, but who knew he would end up marrying her anyway? He probably realized the beauty wasn't worth the reputation, which is why he ran away. Hahaha!"

As the man laughed and the others joined in, sympathizing with Shen Yu, Nie Peixiao realized there was no need to listen further. His melancholy of the past few months seemed to vanish, replaced by a surge of excitement and ecstasy.

If Yun Xiangrong could doze off while listening to the zither and claim to "hate" it, she was clearly not a master of the instrument! Nie Peixiao remembered the zither music he had heard from behind the Yun family's wall; he had assumed it was the Eldest Miss. Now it seemed he had mistaken the person!

Of course! The Yun family had many women, and even their maids were talented. Perhaps it was a favorite maid who played at night? Or perhaps the second daughter, Yun Muge?

Nie Peixiao looked at Feng Fei, who had clearly heard the conversation as well. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "How old did you say the second miss of the Yun family was?"

Feng Fei recalled for a moment. "I inquired carefully; the second miss is now fourteen."

Fourteen... Fourteen! When Hanchu was twelve or thirteen, her zither skills were already famous; at fourteen, she was teaching in Beixi; and before she was fifteen, she was already performing. It was clear that the world possessed truly gifted zither players.

Could the music he heard last year have been played by the second miss? It was not impossible for a thirteen or fourteen-year-old to possess such musical depth! He himself was only twenty-one, and he had been playing the flute beautifully ten years ago.

"Yun Muge..." Nie Peixiao murmured the name, finding it increasingly likely. Even her name contained the word "Mu" (admire) and "Ge" (song), suggesting she was fond of music!

"Let's go! To the Yun mansion!" Nie Peixiao strode out, eager to mount his horse.

"Your Highness, you cannot!" Feng Fei hurried to stop him.

"Why not?" Nie Peixiao asked, pausing as he prepared to mount.

"It is already the hour of the boar (9-11 PM). It would be improper to visit now," Feng Fei explained.

Nie Peixiao laughed heartily. "I understand. I will go to the back wall and see if I can hear that music again! You don't need to follow; go back to the Seventh Brother’s mansion and wait for me!" Without giving Feng Fei a chance to speak, he galloped away.

...

By the time he reached the wall of the Yun family's backyard, it was near midnight. The surroundings were silent, save for the breeze and the silver moonlight, which inexplicably put him at ease. He tethered his horse to a nearby tree and hurried to the wall, hoping to find the jade flute he had left there the previous night.

To his dismay, the flute was gone!

Had someone taken it? But it was so secluded here; who would come? Nie Peixiao began to grow agitated. The flute was a valuable object—while not worth a thousand gold pieces, it was the only one of its kind in the world.

However, if it had been taken by someone greedy, they would surely take it to a pawnshop. He would simply have to order his men to keep an eye out.

In his heart, Nie Peixiao hoped that the woman who played the zither had found it. Perhaps this could be the start of a beautiful destiny?

He stood by the wall for a long time, waiting, but he did not hear the music he had been longing for. Yet, his heart raced with a sense of comfort that could not be suppressed.

His purpose in coming to Fangzhou was to visit his Seventh Brother, Nie Peihan, and to soothe his heart. He had never expected to find a chance for a new beginning! This must be fate!

With this excitement, he decided to return home. To avoid another misunderstanding, he decided not to visit the Yun mansion for now. Upon returning to Prince Mu’s mansion that night, he specifically ordered the steward to inquire whether the second miss of the Yun family was skilled at the zither.

The next day, the steward reported back to Nie Peixiao: Yun Muge played the zither beautifully.