Chapter 314: Monarch’s Word, the sound of the qin is like the sound of your voice (1/2)

Chapter 314: Monarch’s Word, the sound of the qin is like the sound of your voice

When Mu Linger saw Han Yunxi and Long Feiye get off the carriage, she made a beeline for Han Yunxi. Han Yunxi had seen countless women infatuated by Long Feiye’s looks, but this was the first time she’d seen one who acted like he didn’t exist.

“Han Yunxi, where’s my Qi gege?” Mu Linger came straight to the point. She’d been staying in the capital city all this time just for Qi gege. She assumed that he’d get even with her because of what happened to Han Yunxi, but he never showed up. When her father ransomed her out of the Duke of Qin’s estate, she’d stuck around in the closest inn so she could hover around the estate gates and bump into her target. Unfortunately, she met with disappointment every time.

“It’s not like you entrusted your Qi gege to me. How should I know?” Han Yunxi asked with a grin.

Mu Linger was left speechless before she asked, “Has Qi gege looked for you?”

This silly girl. Is it really alright to ask a question like that in front of Long Feiye? Even if Gu Qishao had looked for her, she’d never admit it here! Mu Linger simply treated Long Feiye as air and vice versa. Long Feiye took Han Yunxi’s hand and kept walking forward. But Mu Linger actually dared to block his way.

“You injured Qi gege!” Father had questioned her about the happenings at the back courtyard behind the bamboo groveof the Mu estate. That was how she discovered that Long Feiye had kicked Qi gege into the lake. Actually, her father had been covertly keeping an eye on all her actions behind the bamboo grove, but she had no idea. She was even naive enough to tell her father all about Gu Qishao, including how she liked him.

“Scram,” Long Feiye said coldly. In the end, his intimidating aura scared off Mu Linger, who obediently backed away.

Still, her tone was tough and unyielding. “Han Yunxi, Qi gege did everything because he wanted to help you! If anything happened to him, do as you see fit!” Then she turned and strode off with wide steps. She had decided to follow Han Yunxi around until Qi gege turned up. She was sure that he’d come to look for Han Yunxi.

Even without her reminder, Han Yunxi had been worried about Gu Qishao the entire time. It had been too long since she’d gotten any news of him. She wasn’t even sure how serious his injuries were. Besides him, there was also Mute Granny. Long Feiye had told Chu Xifeng to send out men and search, but there was still no news. It was normal to lose track of a body after it fell down from such a high cliff, but Han Yunxi still persisted in believing Mute Granny survived until she saw a corpse. By the time the pair reached the Hibiscus Courtyard, it was already late night. She’d long lost track of the times they’d traveled through the garden’s covered walkway. The gauzy light of moon shone upon the still evening and its silent people. Long Feiye lead her along as he strolled slowly through the paths. Time itself seemed to slow down as everything turned inexpressibly beautiful.

“Han Yunxi, do you know how to play the qin?” he suddenly asked.

Qin arts?

That was too high of a calling for her. Han Yunxi didn’t even know how to reply.

“You haven’t had enough of their music from the birthday banquet?” she asked with a smile. But no matter how brilliantly she smiled, he always returned them with his usual icy self. Han Yunxi was beginning to wonder who came up with the saying ‘smiles are contagious.’ Is that even true?

“Just asking on a whim,” Long Feiye replied simply.

“If you want to listen, I can play on a whim,” Han Yunxi was still smiling. She’d long grown used to his coolness, and her mood was exceptionally good tonight. She didn’t know how to compose music or accompany instruments, nor could she read ancient musical scores. But she still knew how to play a few Chinese zither pieces of here and there. If she had really played against Chu Qingge tonight, she might not have lost. But if there were better ways to beat her, of course she’d use them instead! She didn’t like performing in front of so many people. That was a serious loss of status for a Qin Wangfei! Certainly, there were plenty of nobles at the banquet, but how many of them really had the right to hear her play the qin?

“If your lordship listens seriously, will you play seriously as well?” Long Feiye asked with interest.

Han Yunxi looked over and caught a rare hint of laughter in Long Feiye’s eyes, faint and indistinct. Its appearance beneath the tranquil moonlight made it all the more mesmerizing. She lost herself hopelessly in those eyes. This fellow has to be in a good mood, too. I don’t even remember the last time he smiled.

“I will!” Han Yunxi nodded earnestly. Unlike Chu Qingge, who plyaed to a crowd, she’d only play for him. Long Feiye led her along–not to Leisurely Cloud Pavilion–but to his own sleeping quarters. Han Yunxi had looked around his mysterious rooms the first night she arrived at the estate. She knew that it had a tatami mat tea room with a rare guzheng inside. But she’d lived here for close to a year without ever hearing any music from these rooms.

Long Feiye personally brewed some tea, its fragrance pure and fresh. Han Yunxi washed her hands and lit some incense, whose delicate tendrils of smoke curled up to the ceiling. Long Feiye had long changed into a set of loose, white informal robes to sit leisurely on the tatami. Although he was holding a cup of tea in his hands, his indolent posture made it look like he was holding wine instead as he gave a light sip. His current appearance looked less chilly than usual and a little more careless. As he sat by the window, bathed in moonlight, he almost resembled some sort of wandering immortal. Once again, the shameless Han Yunxi found herself entranced by his looks. It’d been ages since she’d seen him so relaxed. She didn’t get it. Was he finally feeling drunk from all the wine he drank?

Suddenly, Long Feiye asked halfheartedly, “Han Yunxi, how long are you planning to stare?”

Han Yunxi first gave a start, then quickly withdrew her gaze. Once again, she didn’t know how to reply. Hadn’t he always let me stare as I like?

When Long Feiye noticed how Han Yunxi’s ears were turning red, his eyes flickered with amusement. Naturally, the expression only lasted for a second.

Han Yunxi lightly touched the strings of the qin and asked, “What’s the name of this qin?”

“Monarch’s Word,” Long Feiye said mildly.

Han Yunxi only felt that it was a beautiful name. She murmured it under her breath as her fingers plucked its strings. Gradually, the melody grew to become “Butterfly Lovers.”1 The notes of the qin were sweet and pleasant, the notes lingering in a plaintive melody like someone quietly telling the story of a 1,000 year unrequited love. Han Yunxi didn’t know why she’d picked this pieces of all songs. Perhaps the name of the qin, “Monarch’s Word”,[2 Monarch’s Word (君语) – Junyu. The meaning of this name can be translated many ways (including King’s Speech, a suggestion by translator Jimminx!). Jun can mean a “gentleman/scholar” (such as the male protagonist of “Butterfly Lovers”), or “ruler, sovereign, monarch, lord.” Yu is “language, speech, prose, tongue, expression.” Han Yunxi first thought of “Butterfly Lovers” because the name of the qin can be literally read as “Gentleman’s Word,” which probably reminded her of the scholar in Butterfly Lovers. In English, we tried to make the same logic connection by using Monarch’s Word–in which Monarch > Monarch Butterfly > Butterfly Lovers. Credits for this fun little piece of wordplay goes to my editor Khuja. :D]was to blame.