Cheng Yunshi sat on the upper floor of the East Palace, sipping tea. Watching Chen Yunxin appear before his eyes for the third time, a handsome, boyish smile touched his face.
"My dear minister, why does your sister keep circling around down there?"
Noticing Cheng Yunshi’s mischievous smile, Chen Yunyan calmly placed a white stone on the chessboard before him. "If Your Highness finds it annoying, you need only order someone to drive her away."
"That wouldn't do at all; she is, after all, the sister you hold so dear," Cheng Yunshi replied, quickly placing another piece. "I’m about to win!"
Chen Yunyan studied the board for a moment and placed three stones down. "Your Highness has excellent technique."
Cheng Yunshi waved a hand, interrupting his attempt to reset the board. "No, no. I find Miss Yunxin far more interesting than this game."
Watching Cheng Yunshi dust off his sleeves and head downstairs, Chen Yunyan picked up his teacup and took a sip, the smile fading from his fox-like eyes. "Go find out where Pei You is, and see what kind of trouble my dear brother has stirred up for me again."
His attendant bowed in acknowledgment, and Chen Yunyan also rose to head downstairs.
He knew Chen Yunxin had feelings for the Crown Prince, but loitering in front of the East Palace was foolish. If not for the Prince’s respect for him, she would have been arrested and interrogated at the Ministry of Punishments the moment she approached!
***
Pei You was crouching on the ground, bored enough to count ants, when she saw the guard who had gone to deliver her message returning.
Her legs had gone numb; as she stood up, she shifted uncomfortably, only to lock eyes with a familiar face.
"Eunuch Qingping?"
Qingping looked at Pei You standing at the gate with an inscrutable expression, signaling the guards to let her through before walking over to support her.
When the guard had mentioned Pei You’s name earlier, Qingping had been incredulous. Now that he saw her in person, and coupled with the memory of that *Jinghong Dance*, everything fell into place.
Once he understood, his manner became even more humble. "Follow me, Miss. Lord Jiang has been waiting for you at the Jiaofang Si."
Pei You nodded. She didn't understand the strange expressions on Qingping and the guard’s faces, and she touched her own cheeks, sensing nothing amiss.
"Thank you for your trouble," Pei You said with a shy smile, following Qingping inside.
As they walked away, the guard on duty asked, "Why did that take so long?"
The guard who had delivered the message merely shook his head. "That young lady has some connection to Eunuch Fulu at the palace, so be careful with her from now on."
***
Qingping walked beside Pei You, blocking most of the sunlight.
The Jiaofang Si was located on the outskirts of the Imperial Palace. Pei You had arrived in Cheng Yunyin’s carriage last time; walking it now while looking around, the journey felt short.
Seeing Pei You’s shadow, Jiang Chen hurried over. "Miss Pei!"
Pei You looked at the man approaching. The Minister of Rites, Jiang Chen, wore dusty, plain robes. Despite his shock of white hair, his eyes were piercingly bright, and they shone with an alarming intensity the moment he saw her.
Seeing Pei You instinctively take half a step back, Qingping lowered his voice to soothe her. "Don't be afraid, Miss. Lord Jiang loves money more than his own life; he’s been waiting here since finishing his official duties, even skipping lunch."
Pei You’s clear eyes swept over Qingping’s earnest face, and looking at the excited old man, her guard dropped slightly.
"Greetings, Lord Jiang."
Jiang Chen nodded repeatedly. Whether it was because of that dance or not, looking at this young girl now, she resembled Princess Taiping in every way—from the way she walked to her slender posture.
Her temperament, however, was not at all the same. The young girl had backed away from him, whereas more than twenty years ago, when he had begged the Princess to teach at the Jiaofang Si, the haughty woman would have simply threatened to have his official hat removed if she were annoyed.
Thinking back on it felt like a lifetime ago.
Pei You didn't quite understand Jiang Chen’s nostalgic expression. She waved goodbye to Qingping and followed Jiang Chen inside.
Once inside, Jiang Chen began to explain as they walked. "Girl, the Jiaofang Si oversees a lot: music, dance, and theater. Everything depends on the festivals or the orders from above."
Pei You pulled her gaze away from the large musical instruments nearby and nodded in response.
"Girl, who did you learn that *Jinghong Dance* from?"
"From my aunt. She dances very well." Pei You replied offhandedly, her eyes still lingering on a dancer spinning her silk ribbons into a blur.
Jiang Chen’s eyes lit up. "I wonder, would your aunt be willing to come to the Capital?"
Pei You shook her head. "My aunt doesn't want to come to the Capital."
She had asked the villagers before she left to come to the Capital; whether it was her aunt, her grandfather, or Uncle Zhang, they all wrinkled their noses at the idea.
Jiang Chen let out a disappointed sigh, but thinking that at least Pei You was willing to be here, he brightened up again.
"Girl, the Jiaofang Si wants to stage a *Jinghong Dance* for the Dragon Boat Festival. If you are willing to provide instruction, I can give you this much."
This struck a chord with Pei You. She looked at the number Jiang Chen held up with his hand and blinked. "Ten taels?"
Jiang Chen shook his head. "One hundred taels."
Before he could worry if it was too little, he saw Pei You’s eyes begin to sparkle—even more intensely than when he had first seen her at the gate.
Pei You immediately leaned in toward Jiang Chen. The white-haired old man didn't look dusty at all; he was practically glowing with gold!
"I’ll do it! I’ll do it!"
Jiang Chen grinned. "Then it’s settled. You come to the palace once every fifteen days, for two hours each time."
Pei You was absolutely elated. To earn one hundred taels in under three months without having to come every day—it was the kind of dream job one could never find even with a lantern.
Pei You nodded quickly, terrified that Jiang Chen might change his mind. Jiang Chen also hurriedly had the paperwork drafted for her to sign, just as worried that she might back out.
The dancers who had participated in the banquet knew Pei You’s skill, so they were not resentful when they saw their new instructor. Pei You, holding to the principle that since she had taken the money, she should make them feel the instruction was worth more than the price, decided to throw in an extra session of guidance.
After dusk, with the host and guests satisfied, Pei You took a box of pastries and boarded the carriage back to the estate.
Nanny Xu had been waiting at the front gate, and only let out a long sigh of relief when she saw Pei You step down, safe and sound.
"Did the young lady agree?" Seeing the smile that nearly reached Pei You’s ears, Nanny Xu smiled genuinely as well.
Her gaze shifted downward, and noticing Pei You’s empty waist, she realized the trip must not have been easy.
She reached out to take the food box from Pei You’s arms. "You’ve suffered, Miss."
Pei You blinked. Suffered? How could she be suffering when she had just earned one hundred silver taels? She assumed it was just Nanny Xu’s way of showing concern, so she gave a shy smile.
Back in Feihua Courtyard, after shedding her heavy accessories, Pei You opened the food box; the neatly arranged pastries were exquisite and beautiful.
"Nanny, come have a taste. I ate something very familiar in the palace today. These pastries taste just like the ones from our village." Pei You picked up a translucent crystal almond cake, gesturing for Nanny Xu to join her.
Nanny Xu recognized the imperial gift box at a glance. "Did you see the Emperor, Miss?"
Pei You held the pastry in both hands, catching the crumbs. "No, the pastries were a gift from Lord Jiang."
As Nanny Xu handed Pei You a cup of warm tea, the sound of chaotic footsteps echoed from outside.
Pei You’s gaze froze as it landed on Chen Boyuan’s face. She hurriedly put down the pastry, clumsily wiped the corners of her mouth, and stood up with a bright expression to approach her father.
"Unfilial daughter!"
As she met those bulging, angry eyes, Pei You stopped in her tracks, but a resounding slap exploded throughout the room.
Pei You reached up to touch her cheek in disbelief. The pulsing pain made her vision go black, and she choked, unable to speak. "Father?"
"Do you even deserve to call me father? When you bullied Xiner, did you ever stop to think that she was feeling exactly as much pain as you are now?"