124 Sisters

"Yunrong has made a fool of herself before the Pavilion Master."

I only then realized that Yunrong had finished her dance and was bowing toward the high dais. I nodded without a word. Just as Yunrong was about to speak, a palace servant hurried in and whispered something into the ears of Li Yexuan and Li Zheng. Their expressions shifted into surprise, and Yunrong, possessing the good sense to read the room, fell silent.

Li Yexuan nodded, signaling the servant to withdraw.

"Envoys from the Lingyun Kingdom have arrived..."

My hand tightened around my wine cup. Envoys from Lingyun? I chuckled inwardly. I would like to see exactly who they were.

A man and a woman stepped into the hall. It was him—the Du family. A fine lot, the Du family indeed.

"I, Du Qingyun, Left Chancellor of Lingyun, pay my respects to the Emperor and the Prince Regent. I have brought our kingdom's Third Princess with me; I beg the Emperor and the Prince to forgive any unintended rudeness."

"Huangfu Yuan pays her respects to the Emperor and the Prince."

Huangfu Yuan’s mother was the elder sister of Du Qingyun and Du Qinglian. Huangfu Yuan, my father’s third daughter—the name "Yuan" was one I had chosen for her myself.

I hadn't recognized her the moment she stepped in. This was the little girl who used to tug at my robes and call me "Big Sister." It had been six years; how the times had changed. I never expected her to blossom into such a beauty. Huangfu Yuan must be fourteen now, two years younger than Zijun. It seemed she had reached the age for marriage, and their intentions were quite clear.

I never imagined that a reunion between sisters would take place under such circumstances. The Du family had chosen to defect to the Murong clan and cling to their lives rather than die for a cause. This sealed our fates: even if we shared the same blood, we were destined to be enemies.

I had to admit, Huangfu Yuan shared a resemblance with me, and at this age, she bore a striking likeness to how I looked when I appeared as Mu Fan—a triple measure of familiarity. Predictably, Li Yexuan’s gaze flickered on the dais.

"Princess, you are too kind. I only hope you do not find my Yuehua Kingdom lacking."

"Not at all."

Li Yexuan returned to his cold, detached demeanor and ordered seats to be prepared for them. The intention behind the gesture was no secret; everyone knew the princess and the chancellor were here for a political marriage.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, the Princess and I have come to Yuehua with a request."

"I wonder what it might be? Chancellor Du, speak freely."

"Princess Yuan has come of age for marriage, and we have heard that the Prince Regent does not yet have a consort..."

Yunrong’s body trembled slightly. Li Zheng looked innocently at Li Yexuan. Although Li Zheng had been the one speaking, Li Yexuan was the one who held the power here; this was a matter only he could decide.

I remained calm, my expression unchanged, as if this had nothing to do with me, and I did not flinch under Li Yexuan’s gaze.

"It seems Chancellor Du is ill-informed. This Prince already has a consort."

The hall erupted in hushed murmurs. The guests whispered among themselves—the Prince Regent had a consort? How did they not know?

"This... I wonder which noble house she hails from, to be so fortunate..."

"Five years ago, I already had a consort. Alas, the late Emperor fell gravely ill, and subsequently, she went missing. Thus, I did not make it public..."

Du Qingyun managed to squeeze out a few polite wishes for Li Yexuan to find his consort soon. My heart felt as though a spice jar had been overturned—a cocktail of bitter, sour, and painful emotions. I longed to tear off my mask and wait for his embrace, but that was merely a fantasy. In our current positions, how could we act on our whims?

The atmosphere of the banquet grew stiff.

"Royal Uncle, it is rumored that the Master of the Fantian Pavilion is also a woman. Is that true?"

"Indeed."

With those words from Li Zheng and Li Yexuan, I once again became the center of attention. Ah, the price of fame.

"I met your imperial sister-in-law years ago; she bears a certain resemblance to the Pavilion Master."

Li Zheng was young, but he already seemed capable of facing the court alone to make such a remark.

"Your Majesty flatters me. The Prince and I are not old acquaintances."

"I know."

"If I may be so bold, Pavilion Master, since you are so capable, do you have any unique talents to show us and broaden our horizons?" Yunrong, standing to the side, finally found her chance to intervene.

"I possess no special talents, save for the ability to earn a little coin. Surely you do not expect me to reveal my trade secrets here?"

I didn't give Yunrong an ounce of face, and her complexion turned ashen.

"This..."

As I sipped my wine, a hand reached out and took the cup from me.

"What is the fuss? Drink less."

I shrugged helplessly and let Dongfang Qingyu take the cup. A sharp, piercing gaze shot toward me; I didn't need to look to know it was Li Yexuan. That man—he had his eyes on the one in his bowl while watching the one in the pot.

I had no interest in a verbal sparring match with Yunrong. Instead, I gave a silent signal to Guteng, who immediately slipped out. Many noblewomen of Yuehua performed dances or played the zither, but I was so bored I nearly fell asleep.

I did not expect Huangfu Yuan to take the stage. Her pipa performance was truly excellent, and combined with her pure, innocent demeanor, it drew the admiration of many.

"Everyone is so eager to show off. Should we steal the spotlight as well?" I smiled at Dongfang Qingyu, and a flash of shared mischief crossed his eyes.

"Naturally."

When Guteng returned, it was just as Huangfu Yuan was stepping down.

*Crack.* Li Yexuan crushed the wine cup in his hand on the dais.

"Royal Uncle..." Li Zheng’s soft voice brought Li Yexuan back to his senses.

In Guteng’s hand was a violin—specifically, the one I had played in Maple Leaf City six years ago. It wasn't the exact same one, as I had left that on the island, but it was a match. Guteng handed it to me.

"If it pleases everyone, I would like to add to the evening's entertainment."

I walked to the center of the hall, avoiding Li Yexuan’s eyes, and began to play. The melody of the *Butterfly Lovers* soared through the hall. As the flute joined in, Dongfang Qingyu stepped forward. During our five years on the island, I had practiced this piece constantly, and Dongfang Qingyu was so familiar with it that our coordination was flawless.

His flute melody was infused with internal energy, wrapping around me and shielding me. My simple dress fluttered as the high-coiled hair came loose, and I became completely immersed in the music.

As the final note faded and I lowered the violin, Dongfang Qingyu withdrew his energy. The crowd was still in shock, especially Li Yexuan, whose eyes were filled with a mix of longing and fury.

"I hope the Pavilion Master's performance satisfied the Emperor and the Prince."

Before I could finish, I saw Li Yexuan appear directly in front of me, having used his internal energy to glide across the hall.

"Your Majesty, I must excuse myself..."

My waist was gripped, and I was swept out of the hall. Dongfang Qingyu and Guteng followed immediately. I knew Li Yexuan might lose control, but I never expected him to be so bold as to abduct me from the banquet.

In the Imperial Garden, Li Yexuan finally set me down, pinning me against the rockery. The impact against the stone was painful.

"Who exactly are you? Why do you know how to play the violin..."

Before Li Yexuan could finish, he veered to the side, easily dodging an attack from Dongfang Qingyu, who had rushed to pull me into his arms.

"Li Yexuan!"

"Dongfang Qingyu, who is she!"

I pushed Dongfang Qingyu away, brushed off my robes, and removed my mask, revealing a face entirely different from Huangfu Ziyun's, before quickly putting it back on.

"You misunderstand, Prince. I simply did not want the world to say the Master of the Fantian Pavilion was unattractive. You have seen my true face more than once, Prince."

"Why do you know how to play the violin?"

"One learns from those who possess one." I glanced at the violin shattered on the ground by Li Yexuan’s brute force.

"I see. My apologies, I was mistaken. She would not act this way."

"You know, Prince, my Fantian Pavilion is full of spies and informants. We know a thing or two about your consort as well."

"You used this music to lure me out just to tell me this?"

I tossed my hair back without a word, gesturing with my eyes toward the shadows behind Li Yexuan. Guteng moved with lightning speed, dragging Yunrong, who had been lurking nearby, into the light.

"Prince, is this how you conduct business? This Imperial Concubine Yun has made things difficult for my Pavilion at every turn. Surely this wasn't her own doing?"

"What are you!" Even with her hands restrained, Yunrong shrieked. I gave her a sharp slap without hesitation.

"And what are you?"

I turned my gaze to Li Yexuan: "How do you explain this, Prince?"

"Take her away." Shiyan, who had rushed over, dragged a struggling Yunrong away.

"Let us speak plainly. My Pavilion owes you nothing, nor the Emperor, nor the Tanghui Palace. You invited me here only to try and swallow my Pavilion."

"You are very clever."

"But no matter how large the appetite of Tanghui Palace, you cannot swallow the Fantian Pavilion."

"Indeed. I never expected the Pavilion to be so formidable."

In the shadows, countless figures moved. By using the excuse of retrieving the violin, Guteng had brought the Twelve Assassins with him.

"The Fantian Pavilion has no ambition other than to survive. If the day comes that we are threatened, we will look to you for protection, Prince."

"I will keep that in mind."

"Let’s go."

With a wave of my hand, I led my people out of the Yuehua Kingdom. That was enough. We would remain separate, living our own lives, walking our own paths, and bearing our own burdens.

"Why go to such lengths?" I collapsed, exhausted, onto the carriage as Dongfang Qingyu spoke from the side.

"Huangfu Yuan cannot marry Li Yexuan. That song I played was one I used to perform. Plus, she is my sister; I feared Li Yexuan might lose his composure..." I had to use an even more shocking method to divert his attention.

"He is not a man without restraint."

"If Huangfu Yuan actually married him, they would gain Li Yexuan as a powerful enemy. I can accept him as a nemesis, but what of Mu Feng? How would he face that?"

As I spoke, I grew weary and drifted to sleep in the carriage, later finding myself in a warm embrace in my half-slumber.

"Is that truly what you think?" someone whispered in my ear.

Little did I know, this move would leave me with endless troubles in the days to come.