“Thank you for your care. Farewell.”

Mu Qianhua boarded the wagon with Qing Ying, who glared at Xue Sha before she left.

Following Mu Qianhua’s order, the cart driver drove the wagon in the direction of the Qian Jin restaurant at first, and then rushed to the courier hostel immediately after leaving the street where the general’s residence was located.

Just as she expected, general Han had been searching for her in the city for the whole night. It would lead to a catastrophe if the princess of the Cold Night Empire got lost. Even Dongfang Zhentian, the emperor of the Dark Night Emperor, had learned the news last night. He commanded the royal army to look for Princess Wude at once. Mu Qianhua, annoyed by the chaos she had caused, rubbed her forehead gently and asked her servant to inform general Han of the fact that Princess Wude had returned safe and sound. All the soldiers must come back to the courtier hostel as soon as possible. General Han was planning to leave the city when he met Qing Ying. Luckily, he was stopped on time.

Mu Qianhua was sitting in the hall when general Han arrived. She was well enough, merely a little haggard. General Han let out a sigh of relief.

“Greetings, Your Highness!” General Han knelt down. “Where have you been yesterday, Your Highness? I have been so worried and searching for you for the whole night.”

“It was an accident. Qing Ying and I went out of the city to have a walk, but we lost our way. It took us a night to get back to the city.” Mu Qianhua lied.

“Luckily you have come back safe.” General Han said, “I failed to protect you well and let you lose your way. If there were a mishap, I would never absolve myself from the blame! Please punish me, Your Highness!”

Mu Qianhua felt a little guilty facing such a harsh self-blame. “General Han, it’s not your fault. I am the one who should be reproached. Don’t blame yourself, or I will be ashamed to death.”

“I am totally in a panic.”

“I heard the emperor of the Dark Night Empire had known about my getting lost?”

“Yes. The emperor was very apprehensive. He had commanded the royal army to look for Your Highness with me. According to the emperor, Your Highness should come to the royal palace and set his mind at rest after coming back in safety.”

“So it is. Given his apprehension, I should meet the emperor at palace at once. Qing Ying, dress up for me.” Upon seeing Mu Qianhua’s meaningful smile, Qing Ying took the hint immediately and followed her into the chamber.

Two hours later, they left for the palace in the wagon prepared by General Han.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the royal city, another wagon was approaching the palace.

Qing Ying, as a bodyguard, wasn’t allowed to enter the royal city and could only wait for her lady outside the gate. “Lady, you must watch out every step.”

Mu Qianhua nodded towards Qing Ying and was led to the city by a palace maid.

Although she had been here once, Mu Qianhua still felt amazed at the sophisticated buildings. As the second most powerful country on this land, the Dark Night Empire undoubtedly owned a great strength. There were talents in martial arts who were born to be a general, such as Dongfang Lingyun. What’s more, this was a rich country incomparable to others, where people lived a wealthy and peaceful life.

Prince Wude came to pay her respect to the emperor. Emperor Dongfang Zhentian had got the news from his servants earlier and decided to meet her at the royal garden.

Under the guidance of a maid, Mu Qianhua enter the royal garden, a labyrinth-like place filled with fragrant flowers and grass, the pavilions and terraces afar looking like a scroll of painting unfurling before her eyes slowly. What an exquisite and delicate garden!

Seeing through her mind, the maid smiled and made an introduction, “This garden was initially established by Prince Duanyin when the late emperor was still alive. It is more exquisite after the renovation, which has been commended by the emperor as the paradise on the earth.”

Prince Duanyin? After a little thought, Mu Qianhua remembered that it was the third prince, Dongfang Lingfeng, who would marry her after three months. She recalled the dark snowing night, the first day she arrived in the Dark Night Empire when that man coming to meet her on horseback. What kind of man could create such a magnificent garden? She couldn’t help being curious.

The maid stopped behind a rockery, pointing to the pavilion at distance. “Given my low status, I cannot step forward any further. His Majesty is waiting at the Fanghua Pavilion. Your Highness can meet him there. Please allow me to retreat.”

She made a curtsy and left.

Mu Qianhua walked to the pavilion alone. It was until she got closer that she found there was another man besides Dongfang Zhentian.

He, with a golden corona on his head, was clad in a long purple robe stretching to the floor. He was emitting an aura, too dazzling to be gazed at.

Dongfang Lingyun.

Why was he here?! Mu Qianhua was in panic for a moment.

They had met several hours ago, but it was beyond her expectation that she, showing up as Princess Wude, would actually meet him again at palace. All of these was plotted ahead of time by Dongfang Zhentian. He was really an old fox.

Mu Qianhua stepped into the Fanghua Pavilion, making a curtsy and said reluctantly, “I pay my respect to Your Majesty and General Pingyan.”

Dongfang Zhentian smiled as she came in. “Princess Wude, there is no need to be so polite. I heard that you lost your way last night, which make me so worried. Are you well now, princess?”

“I am fine. Thank you for your concern.” Mu Qianhua raised her head, revealing a frightening face full of cosmetics.

Dongfang Lingyun’s fingertip suddenly felt numb.

Was it his illusion? Her face was barely pale, even a little disgusting. But why did she remind him of Bai Xiao?

“You do look amazing today. I am relieved.” Dongfang Zhentian laughed.

Amazing? Mu Qianhua was stunned by Dingfang Zhentian’s words, let alone Dongfang Lingyun.

“I’m… flattered.”

I must reward Qing Ying for this makeup. Mu Qianhua thought.

“I invite you here, because Fengyu must apologize for his impoliteness that day. Although you have been granted another marriage to my son, who will wed you in three months, I still felt guilty for Fengyu’s misdeeds. Today, in order to show our sincerity, I ask him to come here and make an apology to you,” Dongfang Zhentian said.

Mu Qianhua turned to Dongfang Lingyun. She didn’t dare to look at his eyes. This gangster had a sharp sight. She didn’t want to be recognized.

“Princess Wudu, we have never met before, right?” Dongfang Lingyun said.

“…yes.”

“I wonder why you look so familiar.” He got up and walked toward her.

Mu Qianhua suddenly felt her heart tightened. It is too hard to fool Dongfang Lingyun.

“My appearance is so common. General must have mistaken me for someone else.” Mu Qianhua tried her best to be calm, “We even didn’t have the chance to meet each other during our wedding, did we?”

Upon hearing her words, Dongfang Zhentian cleared his throat and said, “Fengyu, why not apologize to princess right now?”

Staring at Mu Qianhua for a moment, Dongfang Lingyun took by half a step back, bowing slightly while saying, “I apologize for my impoliteness, Princess Wude.”

He had made a compromise for his elder brother. It was the best he could do.

“It’s all right, general. I don’t mind about it anymore.” Mu Qianhua let out a sigh of relief in secret.

Dongfang Zhentian showed her the seat, asking her a lot about the local customs and practices of the Cold Night Empire and Mu Qianhua answered him in patience. She shared no similarities to Bai Xiao, including the petty action of rubbing her little finger at times. She was by no means Bai Xiao.

Dongfang Lingyun frowned. Was he oversensitive? Did she really have nothing to do with Bai Xiao?

“It is said that princess is adept at musical instrument. I wonder if you can play heptachord?” Dongfang Lingyun asked suddenly.

Mu Qianhua smiled. “The royal family of Cold Night Empire are good at musical instrument, but it is my elder brother who is adept at heptachord.”

“Since you can’t play heptachord, why there is a thin layer of callus at your fingertip?” Fixing his eyes on Mu Qinghua’s fingertip, Dongfang Lingyun interrogated her.

Upon hearing his son’s words, Dongfang Zhentian also caught a glimpse of Mu Qianhua’s fingertip.

Mu Qianhua raised her hands without fear. “Back in the Cold Night Empire, I have heard that general loves playing heptachord, and there are two eminent ones, Lvyi and Haozhong at your palace. Can the thin layer of callus only be formed by playing heptachord?”

Dongfang Lingyun squinted at her. “Which musical instrument are you good at?”

“Konghou.” Mu Qianhua said very slowly.

Admittedly, Konghou was not as time honored as heptachord, but the player must be very experienced and skillful. It made sense that the thin layer of callus was formed during the practice.

Dongfang Lingyun was wordless.

“Oh? Princess Wude can play Konghou?” Dongfang Zhentian stared at Mu Qianhua in surprise. “I have got a Konghou made of glass, whose name is Liuyin. It is a pity that no one can play it at the palace. I wonder if Your Highness could play a song for us?”

Mu Qianhua kept silent.

Maybe Dongfang Zhentian had realized his impoliteness. He then explained, “I only want to communicate with someone who loves music, not intending to humiliate you. Please get me wrong.”

Knowing he didn’t treat her as a music-playing girl, Mu Qianhua’s face wasn’t as grim as before. It was well known on this land that the emperor of the Dark Night Empire loved music, especially preferring Konghou’s melody. There was hardly someone who could play Konghou. Since he had met one today, no wonder he would ask Mu Qianhua to play a song for him. A moment later, the glass Konghou was brought to her by a maid. Just as Dongfang Zhentian’s words, the Liuyin Konghou was made from a kind of very rare and delicate glass, which was as transparent as a piece of ice, glinting and sparkling in the sunshine.

Mu Qianhua had seen various sorts of Konghou, all of which were dwarfed by this exquisite one. Even a random strum could produce such a melodious sound, as a mountain stream flowing softly over your heart.

“Please.” Dongfang Zhentian said.

Mu Qianhua sat beside the Liuyin Konghou and began to play after testing the tone. The song she played was totally different from Bai Xiao. The melody seemed to lead you into a forest, with a winding path before your eyes. There were birds chirping all around, like a stretching thread without limit; all of a sudden, the melody turned into rippling whirling in your palm, thrilling enough to take your breath away.

Holding a cup of tea in his hand, Dongfang Lingyun was dumbfounded.

If a person could be forever remembered because of an instant or a piece of musical instrument, it should be the Princess Wude right before his eyes. This woman, who could play celestial melody, was the one who supposed to marry him, but he had no idea what her real name was.

Dongfang Zhentian applauded when Mu Qianhua finished. He promised to give her the Konghou as a present when she got married with Dongfang Lingfeng.

It was very hard for Dongfang Zhentian to meet such a talent in music. They talked so happily that Dongfang Zhentian even forgot his identity as an emperor. Dongfang Lingyun sat aside, enjoying the tea in silence, and interrupted at times. Unlike heptachord, he didn’t know much about Konghou except that it derived from Persia and was prevalent among the peoples living in the border area. Konghou, the music instrument liked by commoners, actually became a holy object in Princess Wude’s hands, which could produce such melodious sound.