Chapter 8

Alo was afraid that she would worry, so she did not dare to tell her that she had offended the young prince of the Anqing Wangfu. After thinking for a long time, she finally mentioned the matter of playing the piano for Qing Lei. Upon hearing this, the seventh lady's face turned pale, and Alo comforted her, saying, "There are only five of us in the shed; if we do not speak of it, others will not know."

Alo felt extremely distressed upon hearing this, and suddenly remembered the gold and silver she had taken from Liu Jue. She hurriedly took it out and said to Madam Qi: "Can we leave? Is this silver enough for us to live on?"

After taking two steps, A Luo turned around and almost spoke at the same time as the madam: "Do not mention the matter of coming to the Peach Blossom Banquet after we return." A Luo was pleased with this statement and added, "If the princess knows that the third young lady of the Li family came but did not pay her respects, it would indeed be disrespectful. A Luo is not feeling well now and wishes to leave early, which would be even more impolite."

Alo thought to herself, how could I have anticipated the severity of the situation at that time? It seems that my experiences are always insufficient. In ancient times, even minor acts of disrespect could lead to beheading. How much better it is in a socialist legal society! If one cannot cheat in the college entrance examination, then one simply does not take it; here, cheating could cost one’s life. I truly had not considered this aspect deeply. Six years have passed without any contact with society, confined within a limited environment, like a frog at the bottom of a well gazing at the sky. The key difference between modern times and here lies in the differences in criminal law and the privileges of different social classes. Suddenly, I felt almost devoid of confidence, subject to the arbitrary whims of others.

The lady nodded in appreciation.

Li Xiang gazed at her tear-filled eyes and chuckled, "This is indeed my good daughter. From now on, you must not hide things from your father as your mother does. Yu Tang, A Luo truly resembles you when you first arrived. Very good!"

Upon returning home, Lady Seven had been leaning against the door, waiting. This was the first time Qingluo had left her side. She was uneasy.

The seventh lady looked at the banknotes in astonishment: "San'er, where did this come from? How could there be so much silver?"

Li Xiang, who was watching coldly from the side, laughed heartily and said: "Who said you were wrong? If you hadn't played this piece, how could the Crown Prince have taken a liking to Qing Lei and A Luo? You are indeed indispensable!" He reached out to help Qing Luo up and, taking the opportunity, embraced her, gently stroking her head as he continued: "Father is just angry that your mother kept it from me; in fact, I am quite pleased. It turns out my A Luo is also a beauty with both talent and charm!"

The lady glared at her with disappointment, saying: "Since the banquet has not yet begun, the princess has not spoken, and His Highness the Crown Prince is showing interest in your elder sister, are you intentionally trying to ruin your sisters' good fortune?"

At last, A Luo supported Madam Qi as they walked out of the hall, and then they heard Li Xiang coldly say: "Yu Tang, you must teach A Luo well; she is still young and does not understand many things, but you know."

Alo said to her: "I can pretend to be naive and foolish because I am young, and they cannot be too wary. If you know, it will only add to the caution and danger. Just say that I came back complaining of a headache and fell asleep, only to be awakened later."

Alo was just about to speak when Lady Seven preemptively replied: "My lord, it was I who instructed Alo not to reveal her talents, hoping to keep them hidden until one day she astonishes everyone."

Lady Qi observed that A Luo's complexion had turned pale and repeatedly comforted her: "After all, your father is still the current Prime Minister. If word gets out, we can say that your elder sister is seriously ill, and you are still young. Playing a tune on the zither to express sisterly affection is also a way to maintain dignity for the family. Moreover, we must also consider the reputation of the residence."

Alo was taken aback: "Mother, at that time I felt pity for Qing Lei, and I was also afraid that the Li family would lose face."

Alo relaxed and sighed, instructing the coachman to return to the residence

Alo has been busy all day and is truly hungry, feeling that the plain congee and simple dishes at home are the most appealing: "At the princess's banquet, there were only pastries and snacks for lunch, and I dared not eat too much, lest the elder lady say I was lacking in decorum. The dinner was lavish, yet I did not dare to indulge."

Alo said in a soft voice: "I fear it was the wind blowing in the forest. Madam, when shall we depart?"

The seventh lady shook her head with a smile and instructed Zhang Ma to serve the dishes. She said to Qing Luo: "I knew that we wouldn't be full eating out, come, eat with mother."

Alo observed along the way and, seeing that no one was paying attention to her, finally felt at ease to sit in the carriage. She then instructed Juan'er, "You must not mention today's events to anyone! Otherwise, it will lead to great trouble. Do you understand?" Her tone turned cold.

The Seventh Lady's eyes sparkled with brilliance, but upon checking the time, she frowned: "San'er, why have you returned without waiting for the banquet? Did you come back alone?"

Li Xiang nodded: "Well, as long as there is a Qing Lei who can play the zither, and Qing Fei is skilled in calligraphy, A Luo, you should earnestly learn to recite poetry from your mother."

Alo saw Lady Qi looking out from a distance and felt a warmth in her heart. She called out cheerfully, "I am back, Mother!"

Li Xiang's gaze finally softened: "Well, being able to recite poetry and play the flute is good."

The Seventh Lady gazed at the begonia in the courtyard, the moonlight casting its shadow on the ground, the mottled shadow swaying slightly, just like her voice, her heart, both lonely: "In those years, I was the most beautiful girl at the Huanhua Pavilion, and I met a guest. We fell in love with each other and promised that when the flowers bloomed, he would bid for me, and we would fly together as one. In the end, he came to buy me, but that very night he met a violent death. When I awoke, I had already become the Seventh Lady of the residence. To this day, I do not even know who my enemy is. Your father favored me for a time, but when he saw my indifference, he lost interest. As a result, he came to buy me, but that very night he met a violent death. When I awoke, I had already become the Seventh Lady of the residence. To this day, I do not even know who my enemy is. Your father favored me for a time, but when he saw my indifference, he lost interest. Here, I have stayed in this courtyard for fourteen years."

Lady Qi said: "A Luo will never play the guqin again in her lifetime, as no one else knows that she can. It would be just as good to casually pick up a few other skills to learn."

Qing Lei bit her lip and whispered something to the madam. After considering it, the madam said to Qing Luo: "There are still two hours until the banquet, so let the carriage take you back first and then come to pick us up."

Alo let out a sigh, wondering why there was such a disparity when helping them was not visible. They were all daughters of concubines, so why the difference? What was wrong with the brothel? My beautiful mother entered the Li residence at the age of sixteen, pure and innocent, because of her exceptional talent and beauty, once renowned in the Wind City. Are you afraid of becoming like her? I see that each of you has your own charm, which is not lacking at all, truly hard to understand. Yet, she began to hum loudly.

Lady Qi laughed heartily while covering her face, saying, "It is only permissible for their daughters to find a good match; why can't my daughter?" As Lady Qi turned around with a smile, she signaled to the furious Qingluo not to act rashly.

Madam Qi held A Luo's hand and said: "San'er, Juan'er cannot escape either. The consequences for runaway slaves who are caught are even more tragic; they are usually beaten to death. " A Luo felt distressed and powerless; crying would not resolve anything. She secretly resolved to be more cautious and prudent in her future actions, avoiding arrogance and impatience.

Alo was taken aback: "How could we get into trouble if we don't speak? The madam can't be that ruthless, can she? Juan'er promised not to reveal a single word."

Alo exclaimed: "Can we talk while eating? I'm really hungry."

The husband fears that the green vine will form a knot: "Mother just tends to think the worst of everything, and perhaps nothing will come of it."

The seventh lady thought to herself: "At this point, it all depends on the master's intentions."

The seventh lady shed tears: "San'er, you have caused a great disaster! That girl Juan'er is likely unable to speak now"

Alo looked at Qinglei with confusion, and Qinglei winked at her. Alo thought, could it be that by helping her play the piano and relieve her boredom, this older sister is finally willing to be a bit nicer to me? Qingfei had remained silent, and Alo noticed her entire demeanor was that of a young girl in love. Thinking that she must leave to avoid the trouble posed by Liu Jue, she was assisted by Juan'er as she walked out.

Lady Qi sighed as she patted Qing Luo's shoulder: "Unclear robbery, who can truly explain it in secret? Back in the day, your mother..." A Luo looked at Lady Qi in surprise: "What happened back then?"

The lady took the opportunity to say: "I am also afraid that the princess and the crown prince will find out about this and blame us. Old Seven, A Luo is trying to save face for the family at the banquet, and A Lei was not behaving well at that time. It is good, but what if it gets out? What shall we do then?"

Alo thought for a moment and said to Lady Qi, "Mother, the young prince of the Anqing Wangfu does not know who I am, and today at the banquet, no one will know that the third miss of the Xiang residence has been here. I have been pretending to be a maid of the Xiang residence. I believe that once Father understands the stakes, he will never allow me to ruin his plan to marry Qing Lei to the Crown Prince. He will do everything possible to prevent this matter from spreading. Today, Qing Fei was chatting happily with one of the Fifth Young Masters, Cheng Siyue. If a scandal were to arise from the Li residence, it is uncertain whether the top scholar would back down. As for me, I have my own ways; I fear that Juan'er will not be able to protect herself. When I reminded her today, I vaguely felt that something was amiss; I should have advised her to escape then."

A-Luo's fine hairs stood on end, and goosebumps rose layer upon layer. Finally, she lifted her tearful eyes to look at Li Xiang and said: "Mother only thought of A-Luo's future, so Father should not blame her anymore. Moreover, A-Luo has only learned to play the piano; she has not even learned a single layer of other calligraphy, painting, or poetry from Mother. If Father is happy, A-Luo will learn everything from Mother one by one." A-Luo's tone was extremely delicate.

Juan'er shivered and felt that although Miss San's tone was severe, it was actually for her own good. If it were to spread that the one playing the piano today was not the eldest young lady but Miss San, it would not only bring shame to the Li family but also be a grave disrespect to the princess and the crown prince. She hurriedly nodded and said: "Miss San, rest assured, Juan'er knows the importance of discretion and will never reveal a word."

The seventh lady replied softly

Upon entering the hall, only Li Xiang and the lady of the house were present. The seventh lady, accompanied by Qing Luo, paid her respects. Li Xiang sighed and said: "Yu Tang, you have concealed this from me for so long. I find it strange that, given your renowned talents and beauty that once captivated Feng City, how could you fail to raise a daughter of similar caliber?"

The Seventh Lady inquired: "Why do you not dare to eat?"

Alo softly said again: "I have always been unaware of the extent of the power held by the nobles in this Wind City. If they desire a young girl and others refuse to comply, would they resort to abduction? If they find someone displeasing, would they simply kill them?"

Alo had no choice but to recount the events leading up to how she got involved with Liu Jue once again. The more the Seventh Lady listened, the paler her face became. When she heard that Alo had stripped Liu Jue of his robe and tied him to a tree, and even took his silver, she rolled her eyes and fainted.

Lady Qi shed tears again: "San'er, you are only twelve years old, how can you face these matters alone?"

A Luo said firmly: "What about Juan Er? She will be fine, right?"

Madam Qi sighed: "People say that heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know. Now the first madam knows, the eldest young lady and the second young lady know, Juan'er knows, you know, and I know. When they return, will the master not know? Will the third and fourth madams not know? Qing Lei and her mother dare not speak, and the master and the first madam will definitely not let it out, but what about Qing Fei and her mother? They have long been displeased with the third madam relying on her daughter to gain the master's favor. Once this is spread, what will be the consequences?"

Alo knew she had caused trouble; if Liu Jue caught her, it would be strange if he did not seek revenge. Upon returning to the banquet, she began to complain of a headache. The eldest lady and Qing Lei, Qing Fei were in high spirits, but suddenly saw Qing Luo dampening the mood. The eldest lady's expression darkened: "You were fine just a moment ago, how did you suddenly develop a headache?"

Alo's legs went weak and she knelt down: "It is my fault, I should not have helped my elder sister play the guqin today"

The madam swiftly approached and raised her hand to slap the seventh lady, exclaiming: "Wretched woman! What a remarkable entrance, A Luo has truly astonished the world today!"

Returning to Tang Garden, A Luo's tears began to flow. Regardless of whether in modern times or ancient times, she had never felt such a heavy fear. Even when she first realized she had crossed into another world and become another person, she did not distinctly feel this inexplicable fear. If she did not play the flute, would her hands be crippled by Li Xiang? She simply felt a natural sense of fear. A Luo told herself to think again, what could be done to change this passive situation?

Alo was so frightened that she slapped her face and pinched her philtrum, filled with regret. If she hadn't gone out today, nothing would have happened. If it weren't for seeing Qing Lei's pitiful state, she wouldn't have played at all. The disgrace of the residence and the shame of Li Qing Lei had nothing to do with her. If only she hadn't gotten involved with Liu Jue. But can all this be regretted?

Madam Qi took a while to slowly regain consciousness. Upon seeing A Luo looking at her anxiously, she suddenly pulled A Luo close and cried out loudly: "San'er, what are we to do?"

At this moment, Xiaoyu reported that the madam had returned with Qinglei and Qingfei, stating that the master had invited the seventh lady and the third young lady to come over. A Luo looked at the seventh lady and said, "Mother, please do not let anyone know; it is not good for more people to be aware of this."

A Luo looked at Li Xiang, her gaze constantly shifting to her hands, her heart filled with extreme fear, and she exclaimed: "A Luo can still play the flute! Mother said I have a talent for music theory and was just about to teach me."