A Song of War and Love

Chapter 003: The Boy with the Jade Flute

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟏𝟗𝟎 𝐂𝐄 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐲.

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"Strange that we didn't see Zhou Yu despite him having apparently come along with his father to greet us." Qiao Qirì commented absentmindedly as her slender fingers weaved a needle through and out of a piece of fabric as she sat in the sisters' shared sitting room the next day.

"...Zhou Yu, who?" Was the reply she got from the easily distracted Qiyuè, who had dropped her needlework at the sight of a small songbird which had flown in and perched itself in the window, hopping a few times for good measure before bursting into chirps.

Setting down her needle, the elder sister frowned at the younger. "Lord Zhao Yi's eldest son. He was here yesterday." She tried to drag Qiyuè's attention back to the needle and away from the bird.

Qiyuè blinked once as she refocused, trying to figure out whom her elder sister was speaking about. Was there another guest present the other day...?!

As the image of the loathsome boy came to her mind, her eyes widened in understanding.

That was the Zhou family heir? That contemptuous boy whom she would admit begrudgingly had an awe-inspiring sense of musical talent?

Jutting out her bottom lip slightly in a frown, Xiǎo Qiao returned to her needlework to the pleasure of her elder sister.

"That reminds me, Qiyuè." Dà Qiao seemed to suddenly remember. "You probably wouldn't remember yourself since you were only five at the time, but you two did meet before, you know. You hated him back then since he used to tease you any chance he got but you've probably forgotten all about that."

Xiǎo Qiao had forgotten, evident by the crease in between her eyes as she tried to pull the memory from her mind but coming up blank. Well, in any case, if that's what he was like back then, it was apparent he hadn't changed at all.

A soft knock was heard at the entrance of the room and when the girls looked up, they were met with the gentle face of Feng Mian, their father's second wife.

Though she was not their own mother, she was the mother of their late younger brother whom they loved dearly before he passed away. Feng Mian herself was a kind and virtuous woman who devoted herself to Buddhist teachings and surprisingly despite being a mere concubine while their mother was the official wife, was good friends with her while she was alive.

"Feng-yíniáng.¹" Dà Qiao greeted the elder woman graciously. As she was good to them and practically became their stand-in mother after their own died when they were only three and five, they held her in high respect and loved her as their own blood.

"I'm going to go visit the Baisui Temple in town," The woman proposed. "Would you two care to come along?"

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Bright eyes took in the bustling downtown of Wan County, pale green embroidered robes swishing as the Younger Qiao moved around the carriage to look out the window, happily rediscovering the sight of the city of her birth.

As her chimed hairpin rang cheerfully as she poked her head about, a heavy sigh was heard as someone pulled her head back in the carriage.

"Qiyuè, how many times must I tell you to sit properly? Will you ever learn the concept of acting with dignity?"

Her elder sister fretted while maintaining her usual dignified and decently conducted aura as she sat straight next to her, hands folded neatly upon her light blush pink dress.