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The Yuzin Garden was indeed arranged with great elegance, with small bridges and flowing water surrounded by towering green trees. Winding paths paved with cool pebbles led to beautiful scenery at every step. The lively waters of West Lake were channeled through hidden ditches, meandering throughout the garden. The sound of flowing water brought a refreshing relief from the summer heat.
In front stood a massive rockery, constructed entirely from Taihu stones, topped with an exquisite three-tiered small pavilion. With its vermilion eaves and azure tiles, the light pink gauze curtains fluttered in the breeze, exuding an endless fragrance.
The steward led the two to the base of the rockery and pointed to a path hidden among the stones, saying, "Follow this path straight ahead, and you will reach the Green Fragrance Pavilion. Pearl Maiden is waiting for you up there." He turned to Li Hong, his eyes revealing caution as he said, "Only the master should go up. You should accompany me to the back hall for tea while we wait."
Li Hong dared not let Zhao Gou out of his sight. Zhao Gou felt the same way; having recently survived an assassination attempt, he was reluctant to let Li Hong out of his sight even for a moment. He shook his head and insisted, "He will go up with me. What? Is Pearl Maiden not convenient?"
The steward hesitated for a moment before reluctantly saying, "Pearl Maiden has a gentle and quiet temperament and does not like abruptness. Please do not speak carelessly."
Li Hong pretended to gather his hands in his short sleeves and responded affirmatively.
Only then did the steward step aside to let them pass. Observing Li Hong's towering figure, he furrowed his brow and hurried back to his place to hastily write a secret letter. After sealing it in a bamboo tube, he released another pigeon.
The pigeon circled above Yuzin Garden before flying north.
Shui Qingzi and Shui Miaozi were already waiting north of Lin'an City. The small white dot that was nearly invisible to ordinary people quickly caught their attention. They concealed themselves and followed closely behind the pigeon, tracking it at a meteoric speed that was hardly slower than that of the pigeon itself.
Meanwhile, Zhao Gou slowly ascended the rockery step by step toward the Green Fragrance Pavilion. Li Hong followed closely behind him, releasing his divine consciousness to envelop the entire garden. Although he had already checked beforehand, caution was always prudent. Li Hong quickly locked onto his target.
Inside the Green Fragrance Pavilion above them were three women; one was the mute concubine Pearl, while the other two were maidservants. The maidservants were preparing the dining table while Pearl organized calligraphy and chess pieces. There were also seven others in the garden; apart from the steward, they were all ordinary people—some sweeping while others fetched water. There were no Demon Sect monsters within Yuzin Garden.
Outside the garden, as night fell, more visitors arrived. Several pleasure boats drifted leisurely on West Lake, docking beneath willow trees. On one of these boats, several scholars dressed in traditional attire were drinking and discussing poetry in an elegant manner.
Everything appeared normal inside and outside Yuzin Garden.
Upon reaching the Rockery and standing at the entrance of the Green Fragrance Pavilion, a young maid came out to greet them respectfully, saying, "Lord Hanlin, please come in." She glanced at Li Hong, seemingly puzzled as to why a servant was accompanying them. However, the maid maintained her composure and said nothing further, turning to lead the way.
She appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, in the bloom of youth, and her beauty was striking. If a maid looked so exquisite, her mistress must be even more remarkable. Zhao Gou couldn't help but feel a stir of desire as he observed the maid's slender waist.
The three of them ascended the stairs. After navigating the narrow staircase and turning onto the third floor, they pushed open a small door, and a cool breeze greeted them, carrying a faint yet delightful floral fragrance that was both pleasant and soothing.
The floor was open and although not large, it was elegantly arranged. Delicate pink curtains fluttered around, and in each corner of the room stood a copper basin filled with glistening white ice cubes, making the interior refreshingly cool. A table was already set in the center, with light from a White Silk Lantern casting a soft glow on the Pearl Maiden standing beside it.
Her figure was perfectly proportioned, dressed in a light pink sheer palace gown that revealed a glimpse of her smooth skin. Her hair was styled high, adorned with a hairpin made of large pearls resembling longan fruit, giving her an appearance of understated elegance. She stepped forward to perform a graceful bow, her sheer sleeves falling back to reveal her jade-like hands. As she lifted her gaze, her eyes sparkled like autumn waters shrouded in mist, and her rosy lips were slightly pursed as if she wished to speak but felt shy.
Zhao Gou's eyes lit up; he could not tear his gaze away from her. After a moment, he remembered to return the greeting and hurriedly stepped forward to support her. Upon touching her smooth white wrist, he felt his heart flutter but managed to say, "Please rise, Miss."
For some reason, this gesture caused all color to drain from Pearl's face; her blush seemed merely painted on. She discreetly took half a step back, letting her sleeves fall to cover her delicate wrist, clearly unwilling to have any physical contact with Zhao Gou.
Feeling somewhat awkward, Zhao Gou had no choice but to sit down first and gestured towards the table saying, "I apologize for my rudeness; I will sit down first. Please take a seat as well."
Pearl sat down across from Zhao Gou, keeping her head lowered and remaining silent.
Zhao Gou found it strange; this young lady did not resemble the legendary Concubine at all—why was she so reserved? Remembering what Li Hong had told him about this Concubine being mute made him feel it was truly unfortunate. Pouring himself a cup of wine absentmindedly, Zhao Gou ultimately refrained from drinking it and offered the cup instead saying, "Pearl Maiden, please."
Pearl accepted it but still placed the cup back on the table without raising her head.
Li Hong behind Zhao Gou clearly noticed that Pearl's eyes were becoming increasingly moist as if she were about to cry.
This is very strange. Li Hong was quite surprised and continued to watch the two sitting across from each other in silence.
The atmosphere became very odd, nothing like the fragrant chambers of a concubine. The air seemed to grow colder, enough to make everyone in the room feel uncomfortable.
Zhen Zhu remained silent, and her expression seemed quite unhappy. Zhao Gou found it very dull and was considering whether to leave.
At that moment, a maid approached and asked, "Miss, would you like to play the guqin?"
Zhen Zhu raised her chin towards Zhao Gou, as if inquiring. Zhao Gou forced himself to show interest and smiled, "On a summer night with nothing to do, it would be wonderful to listen to your melodious playing to cool off. Please, go ahead."
Zhen Zhu nodded and walked over to an ancient guqin placed in the corner of the room. With her back to Zhao Gou, she casually plucked a few strings to test them. Then, she gently pressed and began to play.
The room was filled with the sound of the guqin, its notes soft and elegant, flowing like a gentle stream from Zhen Zhu's delicate hands. It was like the sound of footsteps in an empty mountain after rain through a bamboo forest. It was beautiful, but for some reason, Li Hong felt a chill in his heart as he listened.
There was a deep sadness woven into the music, a profound sorrow that affected everyone present. Whether it was inherent in the piece itself or if Zhen Zhu's own deep sadness was being expressed through her playing, Li Hong did not know. He did not understand the guqin.
But Zhao Gou seemed to understand; his brows furrowed tighter and tighter as he unconsciously gripped his folding fan tightly. The sweat from his palm slowly stained the precious fan, yet he remained oblivious.
After a long while, the piece ended. Zhen Zhu sat still with her back to Zhao Gou. Li Hong distinctly heard the sound of dripping water. Two pearl-like tears fell onto the guqin, which still produced relatively fine tones.
Zhao Gou recited softly:
"One day, barbarian riders entered China; everywhere one encounters Hu people."
Suddenly, the Fate of the Arrow was entrusted, but unfortunately, Beauty followed Captive Dust.
He immediately turned towards the Desolate Land, weary of life and seeking death but unable to attain it.
Rongjie’s stench is not human; the wolf's anger is difficult to appease.
Traveling through Tianshan, his feet were met with frost and sleet, the desolation of the land near Hu Kingdom.
For thousands of miles, under heavy clouds, birds do not fly; the cold sand stretches endlessly without north or south.
As he recited this, he sighed heavily and stood up, bowing to Pearl. "Today, Miss, you seem to be in a bad mood. I have been presumptuous. To hear you play 'Hu Jia Eighteen Beats' would be enough for me. I shall take my leave."
After saying this, he shook his head and sighed as he walked out.
At this moment, Pearl seemed to suddenly awaken, standing up and turning to chase after Zhao Gou. She grabbed him, their eyes meeting. Looking into those tear-filled eyes, Zhao Gou unexpectedly recalled someone from long ago; this face gradually overlapped with that one.
Unconsciously, the folding fan in his hand slipped and fell to the ground. Zhao Gou did not notice at all; the more he thought about it, the more troubled he became. He hurriedly said, "Please take care, Miss. If you are in a better mood next time, I will come to see you again."
He turned and left.
Li Hong saw the folding fan that Zhao Gou had dropped on the ground and felt a stir in his heart. Intentionally, he did not remind him and followed Zhao Gou downstairs.
On the way back to the palace, Zhao Gou remained silent.
Li Hong could not help but ask, "What happened to the Emperor?"
"She resembles a concubine of mine from my early years, a woman who died long ago in the icy cold of the Jin Kingdom. The piece she played, 'Hu Jia Eighteen Beats,' perfectly matches that woman's experiences. If she weren't so young, I would almost think it was her. Alas, I'm reminded of some past events, and it's giving me a headache. Let's hurry back to the palace."
After Zhao Gou finished speaking, he no longer wanted to talk, his face clearly showing his displeasure.
Li Hongyu felt increasingly alarmed, and a very bad thought arose in her mind, deepening her anger towards Li Xiaolou.
********
After returning to the palace, Zhao Gou remained troubled. It was only while changing clothes that he remembered he had dropped his precious folding fan, a calligraphy piece personally inscribed by his father. It must have fallen at Yuzin Garden with Pearl Maiden.
Thinking of that face and some past events, he became increasingly restless. Despite the late hour, he decided to go again.
The Eunuch was startled and dared not oppose him, only gently reminding the Emperor that things had been unstable lately and suggesting he bring along Chu Hongzi, the National Protector.
Zhao Gou did not want anyone to accompany him; he wished to find Pearl alone in silence.
It was already Hai Time; the night was quiet. Zhao Gou once again boarded the carriage and headed towards Qingbo Gate, his heart racing with each rumble of the wheels.
The Eunuch driving turned around and whispered, "Your Majesty has arrived."
Zhao Gou got off the carriage and walked to the door of Yuzin Garden, knocking. After a long while, a faint light and footsteps could be heard from inside. The butler opened the door and, seeing Zhao Gou return, seemed a bit surprised and asked, "Why has Lord Hanlin come back?"
Zhao Gou replied, "I apologize for the trouble. Please inform Pearl Maiden that I dropped a fan here earlier and ask if she has seen it."
The butler nodded, "Yes. Pearl Maiden is still awake; please follow me."
The Eunuch watched as Zhao Gou followed the butler inside alone, and with the garden gate locked, he anxiously stamped his feet and looked around. He had already quietly sent someone to inform Li Hong. He was puzzled as to why Celestial Master had not yet arrived.
When Zhao Gou reached Green Fragrance Pavilion, a Maid came out to greet him. Seeing Zhao Gou return, she seemed unfazed and smiled, "Our young lady knew you would come back; please come in."
Zhao Gou nervously ascended the stairs again.
The White Silk Lantern was dim, and there was a faint fragrance in the room. Pearl stood in the light of the lantern. Her gauzy clothing was sheer and delicate. Through the thin fabric, the light revealed her long, snow-white skin, with a bright red bodice accentuating her full chest that rose and fell beneath it, while her long black hair cascaded down her shoulder.
She was disheveled and had removed her makeup; in the lantern's glow, she appeared exceptionally charming, her eyes hazy as if intoxicated, glancing toward a delicately draped bed in the corner of the room.
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