Chapter 22: The Gentleman's Heart is in Harmony with Mine

  Autumn night wind is clear, fireflies and grass are shallow and light. Faintly can hear the sound of songs and wine from all sides. The coolness of the distant river water comes over, already deep in the night with heavy dew.

  As I look up and gaze into the distance, the Chu weir on the river is painted with a continuous stream of boats, their lights flickering like a shimmering jade belt that traverses the heavenly capital.

  A boat drifted leisurely to the dock on the south side of the four-sided building facing the water, with a person standing at the bow, wearing a plain green shirt, tall and slender. With his hands behind his back, he gazed out at the river, the night wind blowing against him, causing his clothes to flutter, his demeanor carefree and relaxed.

  The fellow with a pair of eyes that had long been accustomed to the guest scene on the dock, saw that the guests on the boat were extraordinary as soon as they came up, and welcomed them before the boat was even stable.

  A bright and cheerful laughter came from inside the cabin, a young man lifted the curtain and said with his head turned back: "Si Mian Lou has arrived." He then asked the person at the bow of the boat: "Fourth brother, this time Eleven brother followed you back from Mo Bei, why did he become lazy?"

  He glanced at the cabin with a faint gaze: "You were forced to drink seven bottles of imperial wine, try it out, and Father's wine was wasted on you few white-haired people."

  That young man was Ye Tianlie, who smiled and said: "Fourth brother has suffered a great defeat at the hands of the Turks this time. We can only drink the good wine stored in the cellar of Shuoyang Palace because Father Emperor is in high spirits tonight, how can we dampen his mood?"

  Someone inside the cabin laughed and scolded: "You poured me seven bottles of imperial wine, yet you still think I'm lazy. What's wrong with you, insisting on coming to this four-sided building tonight?"

  Ye Tian Liao smiled and said: "This is good tea and a good zither, just right for you, Eleventh Brother, to sober up."

  Eleven stumbled out of the cabin, grasping Night Sky's shoulder, and stood side by side with him. At first glance, their figures seemed similar, and their eyes were especially alike. If Eleven weren't drunk at this moment, they would look like two people carved from the same mold.

  "Neither Fourth Brother nor Seventh Brother said they were coming, who came with you to cause trouble?" Eleven said, raising his head and narrowing his eyes as he scanned the four-sided building: "After not seeing it for months, it has changed into this appearance?"

  Ye Tianling turned his head to look at his two brothers, a faint smile escaped from the corner of his lips, and he stepped onto the wooden plank road in front of the building, saying casually: "Wu Di, Qi Di are slow."

  Shi Xiong laughed and said: "I told you earlier that a boat is faster than a horse, but Fifth Brother insisted on riding a horse."

  The housekeeper received the news early and came out to greet them personally: "I've seen a few princes, Xiaolan Pavilion is clean and tidy, with some wine and water prepared, Miss Wenyan has been waiting for a long time, please go upstairs."

  A few people followed him upstairs, the sound of laughter and chatter gradually faded away, the high building and gentle breeze made the air feel even cooler.

  At the very end, a simple and elegant plaque met my eyes, with the words "Xiao Lan Ting" written on it. The strokes were as clear and beautiful as the orchids in a secluded valley, floating like clouds emerging from the mountains, with a hint of elegance and refinement, conveying a sense of lofty emotions and distant longing.

  Entering the pavilion, a spacious hall with carved wooden windows on both sides, several pots of orchids were placed in front of the windows, and the fragrance of orchids wafted from all directions, refreshing the mind and spirit.

  Several pieces of light silk fluttered gently in the wind, dividing the elegant room into two parts. On one side, several transparent crystal lamps were placed everywhere, shining brightly, and eight pairs of simple yellow pear wood long tables were arranged in pairs. Each table had a few exquisite small dishes, two or three bottles of water wine, and a plain white embroidered orchid flower cushion was placed in front of the table for guests to sit on.

  On both sides of the flower window, there is a set of tea utensils, a small stove boiling water, making a slight sound, adding a few warm and cozy feelings to the dry and cool autumn air.

  On the other side of the thin curtain, the lamp shadow was deep and quiet, as if only a clear lamp had been lit. A woman with wide sleeves sat quietly on the mat, with a jade zither in front of her, but it couldn't be seen very clearly.

  As Ye Tianling and others entered the pavilion, they heard a few soft sounds of "ding dong" coming from behind the thin curtain. The sound of the zither was light and clear, like the sound of pearls splashing in an empty mountain valley, with the phoenix singing in harmony. The lingering sound seemed to have the intention of welcoming guests.

  Two slender women standing beside the case suddenly curtsied and said in clear voices, "Lan Xiang and Lan Lu welcome the honored guest to arrive at the Small Orchid Pavilion."

  Yè Tiān Liáo faced the light gauze and raised her eyebrows, smiling: "Tonight I'm disturbing Wén Yuàn's daughter."

  You sat behind a thin veil of silk, and due to the varying brightness of the light, she couldn't be seen from the outside, but she could clearly see the movements of people under the crystal lamp.

  Although she knew that Ye Tianlan was hosting a banquet here, she hadn't expected to run into her brothers. The sudden encounter left her stunned, overjoyed and bewildered, her emotions threatening to spill out from beneath her elegant demeanor. Her hand trembled involuntarily, causing the pitch of her music to rise unintentionally, before she hastily regained control, her fingers dancing across the strings to produce a gentle, flowing melody that blended with the night air as the silk curtain faded into the darkness.

  She gently pressed the icy strings, quietly watching the approaching people, her gaze fell on Ye Tianling and Eleven, and a smiling expression floated up. Ye Tianling looked slightly thinner, his tall figure faintly revealing a clear and elegant demeanor, his movements calm and collected as usual, with deep and mysterious eyes that were hard to fathom, thin lips that barely moved, occasionally rising slightly, which was considered a smile.

  Eleven stood beside Ling in the night sky, slightly drunk, and after not seeing each other for several months, the few more stable ones were all gone in the intoxication. However, after entering, it seemed that he had sobered up a lot, looking at a long scroll hanging on the wall: "Lan Ting Xu, who wrote this?"

  That was Qīn Chén himself who silently wrote a piece of the ancient famous calligraphy "Lanting Xu" and hung it on the wall, but only took the two words "Lan Ting" to suit the scene. Yè Tiān Líng also turned around to take a look, quietly looked at it for a while, and only slightly raised his sword-like eyebrows, saying two words: "Not bad." He then turned his head to look towards Qīng Shā's back.

  Although you know he can't see himself, he still feels that the two clear and cold gazes can penetrate through, seeing through the veil without any residue. In his heart, a strange feeling arises, as if in the moment of gazing at each other across the heavy veil, the vines that had been quietly spreading and entwining suddenly burst into bloom in the dust, revealing a fleeting glimpse of beauty, then quietly shining with a bright light like jade.

  Lan Xiang and Lan Xiao, who were serving the banquet on the side, boiled water and brewed tea, and one by one presented a green cup to the three of them. At this time, several more people came in from downstairs, but it was Ye Tian Zhan and Ye Tian Tai, who had arrived later.

  At night, Tian Zhan saw that several of them were already in the pavilion tasting tea and laughed: "You got Fifth Brother drunk and left him to me, but you're enjoying yourselves here."

  Qing Chen saw him and suddenly took a light breath. Ye Tian Hui smiled and looked at the curtain, his eyes seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally looking in the direction of Ye Tian Zhen, with a smile that was 80% teasing, making Qing Chen's teeth itch, no wonder he only said he had guests during the day, it turned out he had intended to tease her.

  She raised her eyes and stared into the distance, but of course, she couldn't see anything in the dark night. She turned her head and went forward to ask: "Fifth brother, how did you get like this after just a few cups?"

  At this time, Ye Tianxiao looked gentle and refined, more approachable than Ye Tianling's cold demeanor. He was also more calm and composed compared to the two brothers' straightforward nature, and his elegant bearing was somewhat quieter than Ye Tianzhan's. With a hint of drunkenness, he almost couldn't compare to the eleventh brother. Upon hearing this, he shook his head helplessly: "You don't dare to provoke Fourth Brother, so you take me and Eleventh Brother to bully."

  He wore a long shirt with a clear sky and a jade pendant carved with intricate patterns at his waist, making him look even more handsome and elegant. He smiled and said, "Eleventh brother drank it himself, can't blame others."

  Eleven propped up her head with her hand and said casually: "You can't stand it, sooner or later you'll provoke Fourth Brother again. The wound on Fourth Brother's body has just healed..."

  Just as he finished speaking, Ye Tianling faintly said: "Eleventh brother, don't spoil everyone's interest."

  Eleven shrugged and remained silent.

  Several people had already heard that, and a look of surprise flashed in Ye Tian's eyes as he asked, "Fourth Brother was injured?"

  "Who is this person?" Ye Tianlie continued to ask, "How can there be such a figure in the Turkic army?"

  "It's just a minor injury, it doesn't matter anymore."

  "Fourth brother said so, but after all, he was seriously injured. These months of fighting have been extremely exhausting," Ye Tianxi said: "They want to drink, I and the eleventh brother will help fourth brother block it."

  The night sky seemed to flash a faint smile at the corner of his lips, and then he fell silent again, his eyes fixed on the "Lanting Xu" on the wall, his slender fingers lightly tapping on the huamu wood table.

  Eleven knew that he had something on his mind, so he changed the subject: "Just returned to Tian Du, I heard that the four-sided building's Wenyan girl's piano skills are unmatched in the world. Just now, lightly plucking the strings has already made people's hearts and minds wander. May I boldly ask Miss Wenyan to play a piece on the piano? I don't know if it's possible?" He glanced at Ye Tianling, seeing that he was still staring at the "Lanting Xu" painting, and couldn't help but sigh silently.

  That night, he returned in time with his troops to support Ye Tianling's successful breakout, but from then on, there was no news of Qingchen. After returning to the camp, they sent people to search for her several times, but for half a year, there was no sign of her, and her life or death was unknown. Although Ye Tianling appeared calm on the surface, leading his army to defeat the enemy as usual, Xi knew that he had been thinking about this matter all along. This time, the Western Turks were unlucky, encountering Ye Tianling when he was in a bad mood. The Black Armor Iron Cavalry showed no mercy, forcing them to retreat in disarray, losing nearly a thousand miles of land north of Yanran Mountain. After this battle, they suffered heavy losses and would not be able to attack Central Plains for a short period of time. However, even after winning the battle and returning to the court, Ye Tianling still left his team of trusted guards in the north to continue searching for Qingchen's whereabouts.

  Ye Tianzhan and the others knew that the Fourth Prince was cold in nature, if he didn't want to talk about something, it would be useless to ask more questions. He dropped the previous topic, raised his cup with a smile and said: "We came here drunk, already being rude to you, let's use tea instead of wine, first have a penalty cup, just for one song."

  You were worried about what happened to Ling that night in the mountains, and after lightly examining his face, you couldn't quite tell, but thinking back on it now, several months have passed, so he should be fully recovered by now. Originally focused on him, suddenly hearing everyone bring up the topic of himself, hastily collecting his thoughts, his right hand lightly plucked the strings, producing a soft and clear melody, as a response. Ye Tian Xuan, with his refined and elegant demeanor, always made it impossible for people to find fault in his words and actions.

  With a gentle lift of his finger, the lingering sound still lingered, and the flowing water-like piano sound had already risen.

  The melody is elegant and refined, like a quiet orchid in a secluded valley. The posture is noble and pure. As soon as the music sounds in the room, it seems to be accompanied by a faint piano sound all around, making it impossible to distinguish whether it is played on the qin or not. It's as if the sound is carried by the gentle breeze, drifting from all directions, endless and carefree.

  Your fingers press the strings, and the rhythm is like a fragrance floating in the sound of the qin, making people's hearts expansive and refreshing, leisurely thinking far away, as if one's body is placed among the empty valley and orchid wind, both body and mind are cleansed, and the whole body is comfortable.

  Her eyes slightly closed, and the strings vibrated again, with a slightly higher pitch, like the gentle swaying of orchids on the rocky mountainside. Regardless of the autumn wind blowing fiercely or the layers of frost, it still exuded an elegant atmosphere, with a proud and unyielding spirit. The seven-stringed zither's sound gradually slowed down and became fainter, almost inaudible, transforming into a soft whisper that lingered on indefinitely.

  Low to the point of being unable to be lower, the sound of the qin quietly arises, fluttering like a dance, as if having experienced wind and frost, the orchid blooms, the melody is extremely exquisite, in the place where there are no words, subtle emotions are born, elegant and refined.

  The music came to an end, and the lingering sound hovered in the air. The room was quiet and still, as if everyone was immersed in the piano, savoring the endless aftertaste.

  You raised your eyes to look, but it was cold and couldn't help but see the night sky looking this way. The clear gaze pierced through the thin gauze to the bottom of her heart, making her heart inexplicably tight. The shadow of the gauze made his angular outline soft and gentle, like a dream from afar.

  Suddenly looking back, that person is still there, in the dim light of the lamps. She had thought of this poem when she first took off his mask. She had never known that seeing someone could give her such a feeling, as if they had met before, like in a past life.

  Ye Tianling's eyes never left Qing Xiang, at this moment, Qing lightly knocked on the flower table and said loudly: "This melody should only be in heaven, how can it be heard a few times in the world? For this reason, I will drink a big cup!" After speaking, he picked up the wine bottle in front of him and took a painful sip.

  Ye Tianling finally withdrew his gaze from the thin gauze and looked at Shiyi.

  Ye Tianlie also poured a cup of wine, smiled and said: "Good zither and good wine are hard to come by tonight, Wenyan girl, I toast you." He drank it all in one gulp.

  She smiled warmly at the two brothers from behind her veil, slightly moving the strings of her zither to express her gratitude. As she turned her gaze, she saw Ye Tian Chen lightly holding his cup, looking at her with a warm and elegant expression, with a familiar smile on his lips, and unexpectedly, appreciation and tenderness in his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, fearing he had discovered something, she played a short melody to bid farewell, then quietly slipped out.

  All the way back to his room, Qing dusted off his clothes and changed into a plain white scholar's shirt. He tied up his long hair with a jade ribbon, instantly transforming into a handsome young gentleman. He looked up at the small Lan Pavilion on the third floor, quiet and still, with only a faint light shining from the window. His bright eyes sparkled with a smile as he felt a subtle joy in his heart. He instructed those behind him to prepare a few more dishes of refreshing snacks for them to enjoy with their wine, and also added some nourishing soups to be cooked extra.

  The four-sided building had a good business tonight, she took care of the front and back, suddenly heard a noise in the hall, the manager came quickly and said: "Young master, please go and take a look, Wei's young master is afraid of drinking too much, entwining Lanluo and not letting go."

  Qingchen frowned, Wei Xiao had seen her before, but didn't know if he would recognize her. At this time, Xie Jing was nowhere to be found, she feared alarming the people in Xiaolan Pavilion, so she quickly rushed to the front hall. When she got there, she saw that Wei Xiao, the eldest son of the Wei family, was drunkenly dragging Lan Lu out, Lan Lu didn't dare resist with all her might, and could only softly plead, while Lan Jing and the others followed, trying to persuade him to stop, when they saw Qingchen come out, they were like seeing a savior, and hastily shouted: "Young Master!"

  The four-sided building was still a song and dance hall, although it was more elegant than other places, but customers would occasionally cause trouble after drinking. However, on normal days, Xie Jing would come out to handle the situation. Qing Chen felt disgusted by Wei Qian's body odor, but she smiled and stepped forward, raising her hand to block between them: "Wei, you're holding onto our Lan Lu's clothes and won't let go, are you looking at this new fabric thinking of taking it back to give to your wife? Once the fabric is worn, it's no longer precious, why don't I have someone bring a new one over?"

  Wei Xian had only met her once on the street, and now she was dressed in men's clothing again. With a sideways glance, she looked over, and even with blurred vision, she couldn't tell who was in front of her: "Young master, today you're going to take Lan Lu back as your second wife. How much silver do you think we should pay for her ransom? I'll pay double!"

  He seemed to have drunk a lot of wine, staggering and unstable on his feet. Qing Chen took advantage of the situation to pull Lan Lu away and protect her behind him, smiling with raised eyebrows but with a cold tone in his eyes: "Weishao, you're joking, right? The girls from our Four Sides Building don't sell themselves into marriage, they come and go freely. This is a good thing, but it also requires mutual consent to be perfect. Is that what you think, Weishao?"

  Wei Xiao waved his hand and pointed at Lan Lu: "Less nonsense, come here! It's your good fortune that the young master fancies you!"

  Lan Lu was so frightened that she hid behind Qing Chen, who still smiled and said: "There are people coming and going everywhere, it's not convenient to talk outside. Lan Lu, go take a look at the ju flower honey wine that was just made in the back, and send it to Wei Shao at Ya Ge." She raised her hand and let him pass: "Wei Shao hasn't heard Lan Jing's pipa song yet, why don't you sit inside for a while? Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" She knew that it was impossible to get rid of the person for the time being, but she wanted to calm things down, so she left the front hall first, which would not affect business, allow Lan Lu to escape, and most importantly, not disturb the people upstairs.

  Lan Lu was overjoyed, hastily bowed and quickly went to the back hall. Wei Xiao angrily said: "Where are you going?" Qing Chen half-pleadingly and half-blocking said: "Wei Shao, why be in such a hurry? Please go inside!"

  "Wei Qian shouted: 'You dare to play tricks on me, young master? You're tired of living! If you don't bring the person out today, I'll tear down your four-sided building!'"

  You dust off your eyebrows and subtly trim them, barely containing the fire in your heart. Suddenly, a voice comes from upstairs: "Wei Tuo! What kind of appearance is this? Aren't you ashamed?"

  The voice was not loud, but it sounded smooth and elegant, yet it had a kind of bone-penetrating shock that quietly subdued the chaotic scene. Wei Xiao raised his head to look over and suddenly became clearer: "Seventh Highness, Twelfth Highness?"

  Ye Tian Lian's voice was filled with anger as he shouted: "Wei Xiao, you have a big nerve! You don't even choose a place to cause trouble. If you're capable, then demolish the Four-Faced Building for me to see!"

  Everyone looked up at the building, and Qīng Chén stood still in front of Wèi Jiǎo, looking very strange. She didn't dare turn her head back, slowly lowering it to the side and slipping away, hiding behind a pillar in the hall with a flying veil. The steward made an eye signal. The steward was somewhat perplexed, but he was also quick-witted, hastily smiling and saying: "Really should die, disturbing the two nobles' elegant gathering, I'll stay here to atone for my sin."

  Wei Xuan's wine had already been drunk more than half, and the Wei family, no matter how prosperous they were, did not dare to call board with the prince. However, due to the incident at Tian Wu Zui Fang, he harbored resentment in his heart, hung his head and looked at Ye Tian Zhuang with a hateful gaze, and said: "I didn't expect that both of your highnesses would be here tonight, I had a few more cups with several officials from the Ministry of War, I hope you will forgive me."

  "Ha! So you're the new one who's been promoted to the Ministry of War, huh? You think just because it's only been a few months and Fourth Brother isn't in Tian Du, the Ministry of War is lawless now? You don't even ask who's present today, yet you dare to be so presumptuous!"

  In Wei Xiao's slightly lowered eyes, a mixture of complacency and hidden resentment swirled, but ultimately he didn't dare to stir up more trouble. Ye Tian's face still seemed to hold a faint, cold smile, his tone flat and even: "No wonder, having entered the Ministry of War, you think your status is elevated? Dare to cause trouble here?"

  The night sky was overcast, and the affairs of the past were finally settled. King Zhen also spoke out in defense of the four-sided building, not to mention Wei Qian, who was present, everyone was somewhat unexpected. Qing Chen saw that he had finally disturbed them, feeling a bit regretful, but his heart was relieved after all, otherwise tonight would still be troublesome. Through the curtain, he vaguely saw Ye Tian Zhen standing in front of the building railing, his blue clothes like water, his handsome face calm, slowly saying to Wei Qian: "Don't you hurry up and leave? From now on, don't let this king see you again in the four-sided building."

  This remark was quite impolite, and Wei Xiao's suppressed anger suddenly surged up. Just as he was about to lose his temper, Ye Tian Ling walked out of the small Lan Pavilion with his hands behind his back, taking slow steps. He asked, "Twelfth Brother, what's going on?" As soon as Ye Tian Ling appeared in front of the building, his gaze swept over this way, and Wei Xiao felt like he had been struck by lightning. His whole body trembled, and the remaining three parts of his intoxication were completely sobered up. He straightened his clothes and performed a military salute on one knee: "Fourth... Fourth Highness."

  The night sky was devoid of emotion and sentiment in his eyes, and he stopped for a moment in front of him. The entire hall suddenly fell silent, as if the colors had faded away, leaving only a plain white, icy and still.

  "It's all right." Finally hearing him say two words, everyone felt a sense of relief. Wei Jun stood up with his hands hanging down, and there was a faint sweat on his forehead. Even the most arrogant young masters in Yige City knew that if they made a mistake in front of Ling Wang, it would be self-inflicted suffering, especially since they were still under his jurisdiction, their hearts couldn't help but feel anxious.

  Ye Tianling seemed uninterested in what was happening right before his eyes, only saying: "Tomorrow at the Ministry of War, don't let me see you with a hint of alcohol on your body." After that, he said to Ye Tianzhan and the others: "If there's nothing else, then go ahead and enter."

  His eyes seemed unintentionally swept across the building below, a faint smile escaped from the corner of his lips, and he turned around and entered the small Lan Pavilion.

  The night sky was dark and the stars were shining brightly. He walked away without looking back, but suddenly felt a presence behind him. He turned around to see Qing Chen lifting up the curtain and gazing up at him with an unexpected look in her eyes. For a moment, their eyes met, and he felt a sudden jolt of surprise. In that fleeting instant, Qing Chen blinked at him and smiled, then slipped away, leaving behind only the fluttering purple silk curtains and the bright lanterns shining down on them.