Thinking of longing, then breaking off longing once more

Wen Zhi touched his nose. “I did have people following, but mine never got a chance to act. Clearly, there’s someone else pulling the strings.”

“The deeper we dig, the more tangled this becomes,” Zhang Qi sighed.

“Heh, that’s what makes it interesting. Why should the fifty thousand brothers of the Pei family lie as bones in the northern wastelands, their graves overgrown with weeds, while the aristocrats of the capital live every day in luxury and decadence?” Wen Zhi’s lips curled in a smile, but his eyes were cold as ice.

“Every wrong has its culprit, every debt its debtor. Surely it’s finally their turn. Back in Chetlan City, fifty thousand brothers were slaughtered, our general fell with them; most of my Xianzhou troops perished in Dabie Mountain; the Pei family was wiped out, countless innocent kin implicated; tens of thousands of lives lost, the blood could form a moat. If Heaven will not bring justice, then we must.” Wen Zhi’s eyes were red and swollen, his emotions surging so fiercely that he was breathless by the end.

Zhang Qi considered himself steady and reserved, but hearing Wen Zhi’s words, he couldn’t help but be deeply moved. His eyes grew moist as he reached out and patted Wen Zhi’s shoulder.

On the seventh day of the eleventh month, it was the sixtieth birthday of Prince Nangong Ping of Ningdu. The celebrations lasted three days, and the nobles of Ling City bustled in and out in a constant stream.

Though the Crown Prince was still confined to the Eastern Palace, this did not hinder the Crown Princess’s social engagements. To be honest, faced with a roomful of the capital’s elite, each speaking in slow, elegant phrases, Xu Guiyi secretly wished the Emperor would decree that the Crown Princess be confined as well.

The magnificent Prince’s mansion of Ningdu was more splendid than ever on this joyful day. The Emperor and Empress did not attend in person, but both sent lavish gifts—and… Consort Nangong herself arrived.

Today, she wore a rose-red brocade dress with auspicious cloud patterns, over which she draped a deep-purple peony-embroidered silk robe, and a soft pink needlework cloud collar. Her hair was styled in a peony bun, adorned with golden hairpins shaped like phoenixes and peonies, her ears hung with ruby earrings that sparkled like a thousand blossoms, and a golden bejeweled necklace graced her neck. She was radiant, dazzling, a picture of vibrant beauty.

With the Qi Prince holding power, the Crown Prince confined, and the Prince of Ningdu’s grand birthday, Consort Nangong felt life was finally as it ought to be—truly comfortable.

“Greetings, Your Highness, may you be well,” Xu Guiyi, accompanied by Cheng Hewei and Lu Zhirou, offered a graceful salute.

Consort Nangong greeted Xu Guiyi warmly, taking her hand. “No need for such formality, Crown Princess. Today is a family feast.” She turned to the guests, extending the same easy courtesy.

A family feast indeed—Consort Nangong’s skill with words could put even the Empress to shame.

“Nephew, greetings to Your Highness,” Nangong Mingchen approached to pay his respects, tall and dignified, with the bearing of a pine or bamboo, as upright as blossoming tanghua.

“Rise, Mingchen,” Consort Nangong said gently, helping him up, as if he were a precious treasure.

With her own family gone, the future of the Nangong house rested on this young man. Though his birth was humble, his efforts over the years had won the Emperor’s favor. How could Consort Nangong not cherish him even more?

“Greetings, Crown Princess and ladies,” Nangong Mingchen bowed to Xu Guiyi.

“No need for ceremony, Marquis,” Xu Guiyi replied with a gentle smile.

The hall was abuzz with people. Approaching now were Prince An and Princess An, dressed in matching purple finery, a pair of jade pendants tied at their waists, a vision of beauty and harmony.

Two figures with laughter behind the curtains—a scene of prosperity and merriment, in stark contrast to the quiet Eastern Palace.

Consort Nangong sat at the head, with Xu Guiyi beside her. Nangong Mingchen and the Qi Prince accompanied the Prince of Ningdu and the other guests in drinking and conversation.

Xu Guiyi glanced across at Princess An, who, with her delicate features, covered her mouth as she laughed, occasionally leaning in to whisper to the Qi Princess, visibly delighted. Prince An cradled the little princess in his arms, soothing her to sleep. Though he smiled gently, there was no warmth in his eyes.

The Censorate often accused Prince An of debauchery and womanizing. Those who hadn’t met him might imagine Fu Jingchu to be a notorious playboy, dressed in silk and gold, squandering his fortune, with a mocking, arrogant air.

But he was not so.

Xu Guiyi recalled that every time she saw Fu Jingchu, he wore a simple violet robe, with no ornament but a white jade hairpin. Perhaps his orphaned, difficult childhood had shaped his subtle, perceptive nature—expert at reading faces.

If Fu Jingchu’s eyes were gentle and pure as bamboo, then Fu Lancheng was like gold and jade, cold and exalted.

“I thought today’s performance of ‘Changban Slope’ was exceptional—magnificent and stirring,” Consort Nangong praised, clapping her hands.

The Princess of De nodded in agreement. “Indeed, Your Highness. Especially the actor playing Zhao Zilong—his singing was exquisite, his voice clear and melodious, his movements graceful, truly a natural talent.”

“Changban Slope” was performed in the capital style, while Xu Guiyi was more familiar with Kun opera, but hearing their praise, she eagerly looked for the Zhao Zilong on stage. Though the distance was great, she could sense the extraordinary presence of the young man.

When the performance ended, the troupe came forward to offer birthday greetings. Consort Nangong suddenly called out, “Is the actor who played Zhao Zilong present?”

The troupe leader halted, and soon, a slim, handsome youth with striking black brows stepped forward and knelt in greeting.

“Your humble servant greets Your Highness, wishing you every happiness and eternal beauty.” His voice was like a mountain spring—gentle and musical, clear as a bird in the forest.

All eyes lingered on the youth’s unique charm, no one noticing that Princess An’s face had suddenly turned deathly pale.

“Such a handsome young actor, and so skilled—how many years have you studied?” asked the Princess of De.

The youth’s lashes quivered, and he replied respectfully, “To answer Your Highness, my father loved the opera from my childhood, and I have studied under my master for a total of seven years.”

“Only seven years? Such talent!” exclaimed the Princess of De. “Troupe leader, you must perform at my residence sometime.”

“With features like his, he could easily play a qingyi,” someone remarked from the crowd, referring to the female lead role.

Before the youth could answer, the troupe leader fell to his knees, trembling. “To answer Your Highnesses, this… is not a young man, but a young woman. Because of her striking looks and skill, I had her play Zhao Zilong. If there has been any misunderstanding, I beg your forgiveness.”

A murmur of surprise spread through the hall.

“No wonder she looks so feminine! She’s a woman!” cried the Princess of De.

Consort Nangong, startled but not displeased, looked at the girl and said, “In that case, remove your hat and let down your hair so we may see your true face.”

Under so many eyes, the girl hesitated, but as a minor member of a traveling troupe, she could not disobey. After a moment, she removed her felt hat and let down her long hair, dark as clouds and smooth as silk.

Xu Guiyi’s lips parted in astonishment. The girl’s features were a perfect blend of strength and softness—not an extraordinary beauty, but graced with a rare, cold elegance and a gentle, refined air. Her bones were finer than her looks, making her striking among women.

The guests gazed at her, not blinking.

“What is your name?” Consort Nangong asked, surprised. Amid the splendor of the jade hall, her ethereal presence was all the more captivating.

“My name is Qi Xiangsi.” Such a romantic name, such cool grace, how abrupt and unexpected it seemed.

Suddenly, a jade cup flew from the table and struck Qi Xiangsi on the brow, blood streaming instantly.

“What are you doing?!” Prince An leapt up, shouting at Princess An with fury.

Before anyone could react, the little Princess Yi’an, who had been dozing in her nurse’s arms, was startled awake by the crash and her father’s roar, and burst into loud sobs. The hall erupted into chaos.

“What on earth…” Xu Guiyi was baffled, as were all the guests present for the Prince of Ningdu’s birthday.

Nangong Mingchen, thinking quickly, ordered, “Fetch the physician! Quickly!” He immediately brought a handkerchief to staunch Qi Xiangsi’s bleeding.

Though from a traveling troupe, they were an honest family making a living—how could they suffer such humiliation in the Prince’s mansion, before so many nobles?

Among so many guests from prestigious families, who valued decorum above all, such a scene would make it hard for the Prince’s house to maintain its standing in Ling City.

“Zhen’er, what are you doing?” Consort Nangong rose hastily, forgetting her composure, and rushed to separate the quarreling Prince An and Princess An.

Xu Guiyi, Cheng Hewei, and Lu Zhirou clustered together, exchanging bewildered looks. Princess An, though proud, was always proper, never lacking in decorum. Her behavior today was so unusual that people couldn’t help but think of the long-suffering Prince An.

Could the notorious, womanizing Prince An have some unspeakable entanglement with the beautiful actress struck down before them?

Speculation ran wild.

Soon, the servants dragged Princess An, Nangong Yuzhen, to the rear courtyard, and Prince An, looking disheveled, was also summoned away. The little Princess Yi’an sobbed hysterically, crying for her parents, but could only watch helplessly as both were taken from her.

The banquet was suspended. Xu Guiyi gave an awkward smile to Nangong Mingchen, who remained to clean up the mess. “I… will go check on Princess An.” Without waiting for a reply, she hurriedly left the main hall with Cheng Hewei and Lu Zhirou, escaping the stunned murmurs behind them.

Today, it was not only the Nangong family’s reputation that was lost, but that of Prince An and the royal house as well!

What a mess…