When Liu Liu finished her meal, Cui'er ordered the young maids to clear away Ci Yu's dishes, leaving only two or three people in the room.
Cui'er glanced at the eldest young master, then at the empress. She knew that the master and eldest young master had a good relationship since childhood and decided to leave them to talk for a while, slowly retreating.
Seeing Cui'er leave, Liu Liu called out, "Cui'er, go get my White Jade Wolf Fang Zither, I want to play for brother."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Cui'er was not surprised at all. The empress's zither music could soothe the soul. As long as the eldest young master heard the empress's music, any feeling of pain would disappear.
Cui'er quickly brought the zither and placed it on the zither stand in front of the bed. She lit the empress's favorite floral incense. Once everything was ready, she quietly withdrew.
Liu Liu smiled, looking at her brother, who was lying on the bed with sharp eyebrows and a handsome face. Her brother was as handsome as their father, with dark, ink-like thick eyebrows that were narrow and slanted, exuding arrogance and rebelliousness. His eyes were as bright and lustrous as the stars in the sky, and his nose was high and straight.
His lips were full and thick, completely different from Feng Xie's thin, cold lips. His entire face was as if carved by an artist, and every movement attracted attention. Many young ladies from prestigious families were captivated by him.
Yet, he remained cold to everyone else; only she could enjoy his smile.
"Brother, shall I play 'High Mountains and Flowing Water' for you?"
Liu Liu knelt by the zither stand, her slender fingers resting on the strings. She lightly tested the pitch, and a pleasant note sprang out playfully, stopping with a single pluck.
Liu Liu turned her head, looking at the man on the bed with a smile as radiant as peach blossoms. She watched until he nodded, gently closed his eyes, and lay quietly on the bed.
The bright moonlight streamed in through the opened window, falling upon her.
Her eyebrows were lowered, and she gazed at the White Jade Wolf Fang Zither. Her plain hands moved lightly, and the notes that flowed from her fingertips seemed alive, soaring into the heavens, winding and turning, their resonance lingering. She herself swayed gently with the melodious and clear notes, lost in the music.
A gentle breeze blew outside, carrying petals in its wake. The night air was as cold as ice. She was like a celestial fairy between heaven and earth, dancing gracefully. The zither music was empty yet ethereal, so passionate, unlike anything ordinary people could play.
Her fingers evoked the babbling sound of flowing water, each note striking a chord and captivating the heart, ethereal, dazzling, and soul-stirring.
This music should only be heard in heaven; how could it be heard in the mortal world?
When the piece ended, Liu Liu remained lost in thought for a long time. Her eyes looked out the window. The moon was setting by the west window, scattering shadows of fallen flowers. The hot summer was nearing its end.
Liu Liu turned and smiled brightly. Her brother was already asleep. She picked up the White Jade Wolf Fang Zither and quietly walked out of the room. Outside, Cui'er called out softly, "Your Majesty, I'll take it."
"Mm," came the gradually fading voice.
In the room, the man lying on the bed suddenly opened his eyes, a fine sheen of sweat appearing on his brow. His dark eyebrows furrowed slightly. He let out a soft hum, "This night is truly difficult to endure."
In the long corridor, Liu Liu's slender figure moved lightly towards the back. Tingfeng Tower was not far from her brother's courtyard. After a few turns, she arrived.
The night wind picked up, blowing away a few strands of her hair that had fallen onto her shoulders. Her long skirt fluttered like a graceful butterfly, eager to fly away on the wind.
Cui'er followed her mistress silently. Tonight, her mistress seemed a bit somber, and she dared not speak much, knowing the close relationship between her mistress and the eldest young master.
With the eldest young master injured, she must have been very worried but could do nothing. As Cui'er was lost in thought, she heard the voice from ahead.
"Cui'er, tomorrow morning, bring me the bottle of wound ointment I got last time to give to the eldest young master."
"Yes, your servant remembers. Your Majesty, please rest assured," Cui'er responded, accepting the order. She held the White Jade Wolf Fang Zither. This zither was extremely precious, said to be a treasure rarely seen in a thousand years. She wondered where Master Ming Hui had obtained it to have given it to her mistress.
The zither was entirely made of white jade, without a single flaw. Dragon patterns and phoenix bodies were carved on the head and tail. The thirteen strings were all made of the finest silkworm silk, possessing pure sound quality and melodious resonance. Her mistress cherished it like her own life and kept it by her side.
Later, when she entered the palace through the imperial selection, she left the zither at the Prime Minister's mansion and did not bring it with her.
In Tingfeng Tower, a group of maids was already waiting. After all, Liu Liu's status was that of Empress. Even if she didn't care, Prime Minister Liu did not want to neglect his daughter, so he assigned a group of people to serve Liu Liu.
Liu Liu raised her loose, water-cloud sleeves, like a sweeping cloud, and issued a cold command.
"All of you, go down. No need to come over."
A group of young maids nodded in trepidation. Although their young lady was the same, her status was different. They dared not be careless. "Yes," they responded and retreated, leaving only Cui'er. The eunuch, Xiao Anzi, had already been settled to rest by the household manager.
After the young maids withdrew, Cui'er put away the White Jade Wolf Fang Zither. Turning back, she saw that her mistress's face was a little pale and asked with concern, "Your Majesty's complexion looks very bad. Should I find a doctor to examine you?"
"No need. It's rare to return home, and I don't want to disturb Father and Mother," Liu Liu leaned back on the soft couch, her head feeling a bit dizzy. She thought about last night; if she hadn't been caught in the rain, she wouldn't be so fragile.
People say illness comes like a landslide but leaves like drawing silk. It's indeed true. She had taken medicine twice today, but her body didn't seem to be getting better. However, it was late, and she would decide in the morning.
"Yes, then Your Majesty should rest early."
Cui'er attended to Liu Liu, helping her to rest early. Seeing her mistress's pale complexion, she made a floor bed to be ready in case her mistress needed anything during the night.
The night grew deeper, and the moonlight cast a clear glow. The shadows of the railings penetrated the pavilion, lying serenely upon it, emitting a brilliant radiance. The night wind rustled, and a misty fog spread like a hazy blue curtain. The splendid flowers in the garden, illuminated by the moonlight, glowed dimly.
Liu Liu slept restlessly on the vermilion sandalwood incense couch, trembling lightly from time to time, muttering incoherently, her face flushed and covered in a fine sheen of sweat. She had fallen ill again, and quite severely.
Suddenly, a bright moon-white light swept across. A shadow fell before the gauze curtain. Through the hazy curtain, a figure saw her restless murmuring and was startled. With a raise of his hand, his palm wind lifted a corner of the gauze curtain. His figure shifted, and he scooped her up, flashing out of the Prime Minister's mansion.
In the morning, a gentle breeze blew, lifting a corner of the gauze curtain. Flowers from outside fell inside, their fragrance filling the air.
Inside the room, under light gauze curtains, behind an embroidered screen, beside a carved cabinet, a woman with hair like clouds lay on a wide sandalwood couch. The woman was facing inwards, her slender and delicate figure appearing faintly through the gauze curtain, inspiring endless imagination.
With a soft moan, the woman turned over, revealing a small, spirited face. Even with a birthmark on half of her face, it couldn't conceal the brilliance of her small face.
Liu Liu languidly opened her eyes, scanning her surroundings. She had slept very restlessly, dreaming that she had fallen ill again. Shaking her head with a chuckle, she habitually called out.
"Cui'er?"
There was no usual response. Instead, a pleasant voice replied, "Miss, you're awake."
As the voice spoke, someone lifted the gauze curtain. It was a maid Liu Liu didn't recognize.
She wore a simple, belted silk dress but was not a maid from the Liu family. Liu Liu raised her eyebrows in surprise, then realized that the place she was sleeping was not her own room. Although it was fresh and elegant, it was quite masculine, without excessive clutter.