{"id":2022,"date":"2026-01-29T20:59:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T20:59:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sakuratranslation.com\/song-of-yongan-02\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T00:14:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T00:14:25","slug":"song-of-yongan-02","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/www.velvetink.xyz\/tr\/chapter\/song-of-yongan-02\/","title":{"rendered":"Song of Yong\u2019an 02"},"content":{"rendered":"

I had naturally heard much about him\u2014before entering the palace, I\u2019d heard tales of the Crown Prince\u2019s jade flute, whose melodies were said to be endlessly enchanting. Even then, I\u2019d already imagined in my mind a man of extraordinary talent since childhood, deeply versed in music and rhythm.

Alas, when I entered the palace to serve Empress Wu regularly, it was precisely when he was led out of the Daming Palace and deposed. To avoid suspicion, his father\u2014the Emperor\u2014had deliberately relocated all his offspring outside the Daming Palace, removing them from the very center of imperial power. Was this not, in fact, a wise strategy for avoiding disaster?

I gently shook my head, about to speak\u2014when suddenly I noticed someone approaching from afar; they seemed to have spotted me, yet hesitated, unwilling to draw nearer.

I was well aware of the gravity of the situation, so I hastily said, \u201cThe Great Ming Palace has its own strict rules and protocols. Yong\u2019an dares not casually inquire about matters concerning the imperial heirs or grandsons. I beg leave to withdraw.\u201d With that, I turned to leave\u2014only to hear footsteps approaching from behind\u2014so I quickened my pace and returned to the banquet.

Chang\u2019an operated under a ward-market system: each day, once the government offices\u2019 water clock signaled the end of daylight hours, six hundred drumbeats would sound to close the city gates and initiate the nightly curfew. Except during the three days of the Lantern Festival, no one dared violate this rule. Although this banquet hosted by Di Renjie was unofficial and thus no one dared actually enforce the curfew upon guests, Premier Di\u2019s rigid adherence to protocol meant he would never set a precedent by making an exception\u2014so the banquet ended well before the official curfew hour.

Just as our carriage approached the palace gate, the distant, resonant beat of the curfew drums echoed through the air. I lifted the curtain and gazed out at the empty streets and, ahead, the brilliantly lit Great Ming Palace. For the first time, I found something appealing about palace life\u2014the eternal music and dancing, the endless nights filled with captivating tales and tender confessions.

How wonderful is the Great Ming Palace? At the very least, the women within its walls need not compete for the favor of a single, supreme man.

After Di Renjie was appointed as chancellor, Shangguan Wan\u2019er clearly became much busier, and the Emperor, naturally, grew even more occupied.

Summer was drawing to a close, and chrysanthemums were in full bloom throughout the Imperial Garden. With the Emperor no longer pausing at the Chenxiang Pavilion, people like me were quite happy to occupy it instead.

One morning, I idly rummaged through the hand-copied scrolls Wan\u2019er had given me on the bookshelf\u2014but try as I might, I couldn\u2019t locate the volume containing Luo Binwang\u2019s works. Could it be\u2026? At that single thought, a cold sweat broke out all over my body.

Luo Binwang\u2019s name had long been forbidden for discussion within the Daming Palace. Had Wan\u2019er not secretly slipped me this banned text, I would never have dared lay hands on it. The Li Tang dynasty had faded into distant memory, yet Luo Binwang\u2019s famous proclamation denouncing the Wu clan still echoed vividly in my ears. If anyone inside the palace discovered it, Wan\u2019er would certainly deny all knowledge\u2014and I would be left with no choice but to atone with my life.

I grew weary from searching and sat down, my heart pounding with anxiety as I tried to think clearly. Suddenly, I recalled that Yi Ping had tidied the cabinet the other day. She\u2019d been suffering from chills and fever these past few days and was still convalescing\u2014so if I wanted clear answers, I\u2019d have to go to the Palace of Secluded Virtue myself.

After discreetly dismissing the palace maids on duty, I went alone to the Palace of Secluded Virtue\u2014only to discover Yi Ping wasn\u2019t there.

Her bedding remained unmade, and the medicinal decoction on her table was still warm; no one knew where she\u2019d gone. Yet without clarifying where Luo Binwang\u2019s handwritten scroll had ended up, I couldn\u2019t settle my mind today. So I decided to wander the palace grounds in search of her. Along the way, I asked several people, but none knew her whereabouts. Then it struck me: Yidu had always been close friends with Yi Ping\u2014so I asked someone for directions and made my way to Yidu\u2019s residence.

As I approached Yidu\u2019s door, I heard voices inside\u2014and just as I raised my hand to knock, I realized one of them was a man\u2019s voice.

Could it be that I\u2019ve stumbled upon all the palace\u2019s hidden secrets?

I was still hesitating when the door opened. Yidu showed no surprise\u2014she simply bowed respectfully and said, \u201cHas the Princess Yong\u2019an come looking for this servant?\u201d

I gave an awkward smile and replied, \u201cI was actually looking for Yiping, but found her medicinal decoction still warm in her room, though she herself was nowhere to be seen. Since you two have always been close, I thought I\u2019d ask what she\u2019s been up to lately\u2014why she\u2019s skipping her medicine and running about recklessly.\u201d

\u201cI truly don\u2019t know where Yiping has gone,\u201d Yidu said with a faint, knowing smile. \u201cEveryone in the palace says those who serve the Princess Yong\u2019an are blessed with extraordinary fortune. Only today do I truly believe that saying is true.\u201d

She was a favored attendant of His Majesty, so naturally she spoke more freely than ordinary palace maids. I merely smiled and said, \u201cSince Yiping isn\u2019t here, there\u2019s really no reason for me to stay.\u201d Just as I turned to leave, she softly called out to me again.

Yidu opened the door and said, \u201cThough Yiping is not here, someone inside does wish to see the Princess.\u201d

I paused, startled\u2014and though I\u2019d have preferred to refuse outright, propriety left me no choice but to steel myself and step inside.

A figure clad in pale moon-white robes stood by the window, quietly turning the pages of a book. Sunlight streamed through the window, enveloping that faint, slender silhouette; a faint smile seemed to hover on his face\u2014yet perhaps it was only my imagination; it was hard to tell for certain.

Even in youth, his charm was so captivating it could be painted\u2014yet his character was so uniquely refined that no brush could fully capture it.

I was still startled when he tilted his head slightly and smiled\u2014a smile so disarming that my heart suddenly felt hollow and unsteady.

I hastily bowed deeply. \u201cYour Highness, Prince Yongping.\u201d

Li Chengqi nodded and said, \u201cI never expected such serendipity between Your Highness and myself. I happened to see you at the window just now and impulsively invited you in\u2014pray forgive me for this rather abrupt gesture.\u201d

Yidu carefully closed the door and walked to the table to pour a cup of hot tea, then stepped back two paces to stand respectfully to one side.

I rose and smiled, saying, \u201cI hadn\u2019t expected His Highness the Commandery Prince to be here\u2014Princess Yong\u2019an has unintentionally disturbed you.\u201d Earlier, when Yidu had spoken those words, this very thought had crossed my mind\u2014yet I\u2019d dismissed it as absurd. Little did I expect it truly to be him.

Li Chengqi walked to the table and sat down, gazing at me in silence. With no choice but to follow suit, I sat down as well. Though I didn\u2019t know why he\u2019d summoned me inside, at least his master-servant relationship with Yidu no longer needed to remain hidden from me.

\u201cSince Di Renjie assumed the post of Chief Minister, it has been over a month since I last saw Your Highness the Princess,\u201d Li Chengqi gently pushed the teacup toward me with a warm smile. \u201cYou\u2019re dressed rather lightly\u2014the autumn morning dew is still quite heavy; please have some hot tea first.\u201d

Only then did I suddenly remember that I had rushed out wearing nothing but a thin dress, my hands already frozen with cold.

I picked up the cup and held it in my hands, yet remained uncertain of his thoughts, so I could only force a smile and say, \u201cI heard from Sister Wan\u2019er that His Majesty has instructed all imperial princes and grandsons to move back into Zhaoqing Palace, to remain constantly by His Majesty\u2019s side and enjoy familial bliss together. Yong\u2019an congratulates Your Highness!\u201d

Li Chengqi gave a faint, indifferent hum: \u201cAll unmarried members of the imperial family will be moving back into Zhaoqing Palace\u2014no doubt the palace will become much livelier.\u201d

Seeing his calm, detached expression, I suddenly recalled that he had once been Crown Prince; indeed, my words just now were rather awkward.

After this awkward moment, he didn\u2019t attempt to strike up conversation again, and I could only sit there in silence beside him. Just as I was mentally scrambling for an excuse to leave, a light, rhythmic knocking sounded at the door\u2014so sudden that my hand jerked, spilling some hot tea onto my lap and making me wince from the burn.

He remained perfectly composed, taking another sip of tea as if nothing had happened. The person outside seemed to wait a moment before gently tapping again: \u201cYidu?\u201d

It was Wan\u2019er\u2019s voice.

Instinctively, I glanced at Li Chengqi\u2014and finally saw a flicker of disturbance ripple across his eyes. This was the Palace Servants\u2019 Quarters; strictly speaking, a prince shouldn\u2019t be here at all\u2014let alone inside the chamber of an imperial palace maid. Such chambers had no inner or outer rooms, offering absolutely no place to hide a young man.

Li Chengqi seemed to have reached the same conclusion and gently shook his head, signaling Yidu to remain silent.

At the door, Wan\u2019er appeared even more anxious, knocking and saying, \u201cHis Majesty urgently needs something\u2014yet today\u2019s on-duty staff are all newcomers, and they\u2019ve searched everywhere without success. If you don\u2019t go immediately, we\u2019ll all face punishment together. Are you in there? Say something!\u201d

From Wan\u2019er\u2019s tone, it was clear she wouldn\u2019t leave unless the door opened. Since the door was locked from the inside, someone must certainly be inside the room.

Hiding was no longer an option. Li Chengqi set down his teacup lightly and gestured for Yidu to open the door. Yidu hesitated, visibly torn\u2014after all, given their respective statuses, if Wan\u2019er detected anything suspicious between Li Chengqi and herself, she would surely be the one executed, not the emperor\u2019s legitimate grandson.

Yet, under these circumstances, this was the only option.

Yidu finally bit her lip and walked to the door. Just then, a sudden thought crossed my mind\u2014I had no time to stop her, so I immediately set down my teacup, sat beside Li Chengqi, and gently placed my hand over his. His hand twitched slightly, and a faint, subtle smile flickered at the corner of his mouth. Though he didn\u2019t look at me, he seemed to have already grasped my intention.

The Daming Palace abounded with romantic entanglements; if Wan\u2019er saw me with him\u2026 she would surely choose mercy over severity.

His fingers were cool, and slowly, he turned his hand to gently clasp mine. That single gesture alone shattered seven-tenths of my composure.

A soft click echoed as the door lock engaged. Before Yidu could even grasp the handle, a pair of delicate, fair hands pushed the door open. Clad in a light-pink short blouse and a deep-purple long skirt that hugged her slender frame, the figure hadn\u2019t yet fully entered when her voice rang out: \u201cWhat on earth are you up to? Have you hidden a man in here\u2014?\u201d Her words cut off abruptly as Wan\u2019er fixed us with her narrow, startled eyes, frozen in place.

The performance had clearly achieved its intended effect. Instinctively, I tried to pull my hand away\u2014but he gently tightened his grip, and I felt a sudden warmth creeping up my ears.

Wan\u2019er blinked, quickly regaining her composure and bowing deeply: \u201cYour Highness, the Prince of Jun.\u201d

Only then did Li Chengqi release my hand. He lifted his teacup lightly, took a sip, and set it back down on the table before offering a slow, faint smile. \u201cThere\u2019s no need for such formalities,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I return to Zhaoqing Palace, I\u2019ll rely heavily on your care and attention, Wan\u2019er.\u201d

Wan\u2019er smiled faintly and said, \u201cYour Highness exaggerates. The Emperor is urgently summoning Yidu, so I shall not disturb Your Highness\u2019s tranquility any longer. Still, the Yeting Quarter is where palace maids reside\u2014should Your Highness wish to admire scenery, you would do better visiting the Chenxiang Pavilion\u2019s chrysanthemum garden or the Nine-Bend Bridge, where I hear numerous precious Japanese koi have recently been released.\u201d

Li Chengqi nodded and said, \u201cIt has been quite some time since I last entered the palace\u2014I\u2019d nearly forgotten the beauty of the Imperial Garden.\u201d

\u201cThe Imperial Garden offers only modest views; the Furong Garden is truly the place to go,\u201d Wan\u2019er chuckled lightly. \u201cI must confess, I envy Your Highness\u2019s freedom to enter and leave the palace at will. People say the Furong Garden boasts several famed sights\u2014the Ziyun Tower, the Caixia Pavilion, and the Penglai Mountain are especially renowned. Yet, I\u2019ve heard whispers that none of these pavilions, terraces, or towers compare to the ever-present figure of Prince Yongping himself\u2014frequently seen strolling through the courtyards, standing upon the terraces, or walking within the towers.\u201d

Li Chengqi merely smiled, saying nothing.

Wan\u2019er gave me a subtle, almost imperceptible glance before withdrawing with Yidu.

He remained silent, sitting quietly beside me. I stared at the grain patterns on the stone table, momentarily at a loss. Listening to my own increasingly audible heartbeat, I couldn\u2019t decide whether to stay or leave. The courage that had propelled me to reach out just moments earlier now baffled me\u2014I doubted even a thousandfold boldness would suffice to repeat such an act now.

He suddenly stood up and said calmly, \u201cWould you like to take a walk in the Imperial Garden?\u201d

I hastily rose to my feet: \u201cI\u2019ve just remembered there\u2019s something urgent I must attend to\u2014\u201d A brief silence fell over the surroundings, after which Li Chengqi gently added, \u201cThis Prince will escort you back.\u201d

Though his words were soft and gentle, they carried an undeniable authority. Helplessly, I nodded. Yet he suddenly fell silent and motionless, and I had no choice but to remain still and quiet before him\u2014my heart growing increasingly uneasy.

After a long while, his smile deepened slightly as he said, \u201cThank you.\u201d

I quickly turned my head away to look elsewhere. \u201cAs I mentioned at Chancellor Di\u2019s banquet, I vowed then that I would repay this favor someday. Your Highness saved me first; I am merely returning the kindness now. Truly, Your Highness\u2019s \u2018thank you\u2019 weighs far too heavily.\u201d

He sighed softly with a smile but offered no reply.<\/p>","protected":false},"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"novel":[],"class_list":["post-2022","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/2022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/2022\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=2022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}