Chapter 4 First Encounter


    Just as Qingyan was about to carry out her course of action, a dignified voice was heard.


    "What''s the matter for this mor here?"


    However before Qingyan could even reply, Su Qingyuan''s drenched body was thrown up ashore. Su


    Ming watched as his daughter was rescued ashore and respectfully said to the young man next to him


    while smiling, "Thank you for your trouble, Shizi*."


    (*TN: This is a title not a name, this title is granted to the appointed sessor, usually a son, of a


    Prince or Lord, who are usually rted to the royal family - Since there''s no english equivalence I''ve


    left it as is.)


    Su Qingyuan red at Xiahe who was next to her, opening her mouth in discontent as a p shed


    across Xiahe''s face, "This lowly servant*, didn''t you see me fall into the water?"


    (*TN: equivalent to calling her bitch)


    Xiahe knew that she was in the wrong herself, so she only covered her reddening cheeks as she stood


    to the side.


    "Such beauty, how could I not be willing to save." The young man didn''t put his line of sight on Su


    Qingyuan, but turned his head to look towards Su Ming, "I presume this must be Sire''s daughter, she''s


    grown quite elegantly."


    Su Ming just realizing just how rude Su Qingyuan''s action was earlier, he looked to the young man


    apologetically, "I apologize for having Shizi see such an embarrassment, this is my daughter Su


    Qingyuan." He pointed to Su Qingyuan with ttering smile. Afterwards, when he looked to Qingyan,


    there was clearly a bit of disdain in his eyes, "this is the daughter of my elder brother, the Dingguo*


    General."


    (*TN: his nobility rank title plus his position as general)


    Qingyanpletely ignored that smudge of disdain in Su Ming''s eyes. She looked the to young man


    before her and bowed, "Please to meet you, Shizi."


    "Just what happened earlier? Yuanyuan, why did you fall into the water." As he said this, Su Ming


    ced his sight on Su Qingyan that was to the side, that look was like as if he was about to swallow Su


    Qingyan whole.


    "Second uncle, I was justing to walk in the gardens with my two maids after eating, who knew I


    would just happen to witness big sister carelessly fall into the water." Qingyan replied looking to Su


    Ming while grinning, "Unfortunately, neither my servants nor I could swim." With just a few words, she


    was able to cleanly push away all the me.


    As Su Ming listened to Qingyan, he red at her, then ncing at Xiahe, he impatiently said, "Hurry up


    and take her to go change."


    "I......understood." Just as she said this, she helped Su Qingyuan, who had a poorplexion, leave."


    Watching Su Qingyuan''s figure from behind, the man took a few steps up next to Su Qingyan,


    whispering next to her ear in a low voice, "That was quite the show."


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    As the young man''s breath reached her ears, Qingyan unconsciously took a step back, and with a face


    full of smiles replied, "Qingyan doesn''t understand what Shizi means by this. If there''s nothing else,


    uncle, please excuse Qingyan for leaving first." Saying this, she immediately turned to leave, with Zizhu


    and Baizhi, following after her.


    Seeing Su Qingyan''s retreating figure in the distance, Su Ming''s brows tightened, he then looked to the


    young man still with a face full of respect, "That girl, though was raised by my wife''s side, but in the end


    is still born from a military family so she doesn''t have any manners, I hope Shizi won''t take offense."


    "Oh." the man''s ending tone rose. And when he looked to Su Ming, his tone abruptly turned cold, "Does


    that mean that Sire looks down on the military?"


    "I wouldn''t dare to." Su Ming clearly did not expect the young man would say this."


    "Hmph." Tossing his sleeve, the man turned and left.


    But recalling that scene he''d just witnessed, his lips faintly smiled, thinking in his mind: that girl, was


    actually quite interesting.


    After they''d returned to the room Baizhi, with great detail, told Huangcen and Lue what had happened.


    As they listened, they grasped their stomach fromughter.


    "Baizhi, if in the future, should we ever end up on the streets, this storytelling talent of yours may even


    How could Baizhi not realize that Qingyan was teasing her. She replied while blushing in discontent,


    "Miss how could you make fun of me like that."


    "How is young miss making fun of you, isn''t this praising you, " Zizhu said with a face full of smiles


    while looking at Baizhi, "If it''s really like how Miss said, then Baizhi would be our benefactor."


    "Zizhu!" Baizhi stamped her foot in protest, "I''m never going to mind you all ever again."


    Seeing them giggling from ying around, Qingyan thought of the person they encountered earlier.


    When she was still Qilian Qingyan, she had a close friend in her childhood called Zhongli Jingshu.


    Jingshu could be considered Nanchen Country''s unparalleled beauty. Although she was older by a few


    years, the two of them became close friends due to having simr interests.


    And that young man was precisely her best friend''s eldest son -- Murong Jingxuan.


    Jingshu once mentioned in a letter that Donghe''s ruler, in order to secure the throne, made the newly


    born Murong Jingxuan be left at the capital to be personally raised by him as a political hostage.


    But she''d never thought that Murong Jingxuan would be such a frivolous man, if Jingshu learnt of


    this, who knew how sad she would be.


    "Zizhu, bring me my qin*." Qingyan dully said this as she looked to Zizhu.


    (*TN: Those ancient string instruments that''s like a nk with strings)


    Hearing Qingyan''s words, Zizhu looked towards her in surprise.


    Though Qingyan was born into nobility, she was inept in music and arts, why did she suddenly want to


    y the qin today?


    Watching the half frozen Zizhu, as if she''d thought of something, she followed with a smile, "A few


    nights ago, in a dream I received the teachings of a master on this one piece. I will y it for you now, if


    I yed it poorly, be sure not tough at me."


    After hearing this Baizhi went with Lue to take out the qin at was stored at the bottom of the cab.


    Carefully wiping it clean, before finally lighting an incense next to the instrument.


    Watching them, Qingyan walked over next to the qin and sat down. She plucked the strings to test the


    sound, murmuring in a low voice, "What a magnificent Wutong* Guqin."


    (*TN: Wutong is the type of tree wood it''s made from,monly known also as the Chinese parasol


    tree; Guqin is the full formal name of the instrument with Gu meaning ancient or old)


    As if recalling something, Qingyan began to seriously y the instrument. The ethereal tone of the of


    first half of this tune could make one feel as if they''d be one with the natural world, and able to


    feel surrounded by the birds and beasts. The sound of the second half gradually dropped deeper, and


    the veryst low note resonated as if to tell of all the joys and sorrows in the world.


    As the tune finished ying, a familiar voice sounded, "How are you able to y the tune of [Thousand


    Beasts and Phoenix] that''s been lost from Jianghu* for more than five years?"


    (*TN: Pugilistic world of ancient China)


    Qingyan followed the sound of the voice, and saw Murong Jingxuan holding a de of grass in his


    mouth, sitting on the ledge of her window sill. The man before her had distinct facial features. His sharp


    and clearcut face, under the candle light, appeared exceptionally handsome. His outer appearance


    seemingly appear frivolous, but that look asionallying from his eyes, made it difficult to despise


    him. He was wearing an everyday purple robe, with soaring cloud patterns* embroidered in gold


    threads on the hem. Fastened on his waist was a wide belt with patterns of moon white mystic clouds*,


    and from it hung only a single jade pendant made from top quality jade.


    (*TN: Both aremon cloud patterns found in traditional Chinese art and clothing)


    "I didn''t know Shizi would visit, I apologize for not going out and weing you." Qingyan pressed


    down on the qin strings and met with Murong Jingxuan''s eyes as she dryly replied.


    "Hey beautiful, you still haven''t answered my question." Murong Jingxuan while looking to her,


    teasingly said, "Is it perhaps, this Shizi looks too handsome and elegant, that you''ve be


    infatuated?"


    "Shizi, please don''t say such impolite things that deviate from etiquette, Qingyan has yet to reach


    marriageable age*, if someone with an ulterior motive heard this, then wouldn''t it be difficult for


    Qingyan." Qingyan, still with a serious expression, replied as she looked at Murong Jingxuan.


    (*TN: Also meanse of age, ording to some sources it''s 15, though Qingyan in her past life


    married at 13)


    As he watched her appearance, in a split second he appeared in front of her, lifting up her chin, "Little


    Murong Jingxuan''s frivolous words made Qingyan p away his hand, and taking a few steps back,


    she berated him coldly, "Insolence!"


    As he listened to Qingyan''s words, Murong Jingxuan''s lips raised into a smile, "Littledy, why don''t


    you tell me why you know how to y [Thousand Beasts and Phoenix], that discontinued in Jianghu


    five years ago?"