Andante

As dusk fell and stars began to adorn the indigo skies, Li Qin tossed restlessly in his bedchamber. The other Court Musicians had kept their distance when Li Qin arrived and retired early to their quarters, awaiting the grueling rehearsal that commenced at dawn. The rehearsal were akin to military drills and would determine their ranks within the Court, particularly for new blood like Li Qin.

Despite his impending trial, Li Qin's mind wandered, warding off any lick of slumber that passed him by. In the Zhang household, Li Qin's chambers laid far from the main hall, due to Zhang Jun Feng's complaints about his music practice. After the remaining servants retired past midnight, Li Qin cultivated his healing music, the songs regenerating the energy coursing through his veins. But, in the White Lotus Pavilion, the thin walls made every plucked string resonate like an orchestra.

Finally giving up on sleep, Li Qin decided on a walk to clear his jumbled thoughts. He roamed around the Western Palace, letting the stars serve as his guide. The North star incandesced the brightest in the sky, and Li Qin followed it mindlessly. It led him to a lone pergola, and in the night, it appeared like an island in the limitless darkness.

A shadowed figure sat solitary in its center, a chess board laid before him. Li Qin watched from behind a post as the man pondered solemnly before pushing a piece forward with a slender finger.

"You can come out now," the man called out without turning to look at where Li Qin stood.

Li Qin emerged slowly from where he stood, approaching the pergola cautiously.

The man finally turned to look at him. Under the faint glow of lanterns, his features that would appear stern in the daytime — full eyebrows, feline eyes, a teardrop jaw — were softened. His posture was regal, emphasizing his broad shoulders but gracile waist.

"Would you like to join me for a game?" He gestured to the opposing chair leisurely.

Li Qin sat hesitantly and stared down at the familiar pieces that suddenly seemed foreign.

The man smirked, leaning forward toward him. "Let us make a wager, shall we? Whoever loses will reveal their identity."

Though dread pooled in his chest, Li Qin could only comply to his demanding tone. They began to play, but in spite of the late hour, the man moved each piece without haste. The two were on equal footing, but Li Qin's disquietude about the upcoming rehearsal caused his moves to falter. With a final flourish, the man claimed victory over the game.

"A good game indeed," the man mused. "And for our wager?"

Li Qin honored their deal. "I am Li Qin, a newly instated Court Musician from the Zhang household of Jinling."

The man nodded thoughtfully, and Li Qin took his cue to depart. Before taking the steps down from the pergola, he turned to look back at the man. "May I at least learn your name?"

With a smile, the man responded, "You can call me Xian-ge."

"Young master! Young master!" Hua Zhen pulled at Li Qin's deadweight limbs, nearly dragging him out of his bed. "It's time for rehearsal."

Li Qin squinted an eye, fatigue setting into his bones as he slumped out of bed. This feeling was beyond what he had imagined when giving up his healing magic. After dressing and a rough comb through his hair, Hua Zhen shoved him out of the door with only his pipa in hand.

The Court of Music was already filling by the time Li Qin arrived. He scanned the concentric circle of seats, a lithe woman at its center, the renowned Madame Ruan. Only the most adept musician would be invited to perform at the emperor's birthday celebration, and Madame Ruan had been bestowed the honor for nearly a decade.

A jolt against his shoulder caused Li Qin to turn his attention away from Madame Ruan. A boy who looked far too young grinned sheepishly back at him. "Apologies, my good sir."

"Not to worry." Li Qin returned the smile. "Li Qin. You are?"

"Qiang Long Wei," the boy announced confidently, and a few musicians turned their heads at his resounding voice.

Li Qin let out a small laugh. Surely, the strength of the dragons had missed this scrawny boy.

The boy's ears reddened at the unsought attention. "I know, I know, my mother had great aspirations, but alas, here I am as a musician."

The two took their seats in the outermost circle, reserved for the new and unskilled musicians. Madame Ruan raised the bow of her erhu, and the room immediately fell to silence. She conducted the musicians, the crystalline sound of her erhu clear even among the dozens of musicians.

Her eyes narrowed, and she held up her bow to halt the practice. She leered straight at Li Qin, the bow pointed to his face more threatening than any sword. "You there, the new pipa player. Are you unable to even keep up?"

Li Qin began to raise a hand, but Qiang Long Wei steeled a grasp on his arm, shaking his head vigorously like a wet dog. Li Qin nodded at him reassuringly, and he slowly loosened his grip. "I believe the cadence of these notes should be altered to convey the composer's intended emotion."

Murmurs grew from the Court; no one ever dared to question the judgment of Madame Ruan.

"Emotion? If every musician played by their own idea of emotion, would we still need a Court? I do not need emotion; I need precision," Madame Ruan thundered. "You are dismissed, newcomer. I expect to see you practicing on the steps in front of the Court until the next dawn."

Her heel clapping the ground caused all the musicians to quiet in unease. But, Li Qin only bowed, rising from his seat. "Yes, Master."

Even as the rehearsal concluded and the musicians poured out of the Court, Li Qin continued to practice on the steps. The spring breeze chilled his fingers pressed to the strings, but the cold was not unknown to him.

In the late afternoon, a man in intricate dress strolled by the Court tailed by an assembly of guards. Li Qin caught his eye, and he approached him in great strides. "So we meet again, Li Qin."

At his name, Li Qin looked up at the man and recognized him as the Xian-ge from the night prior. His new appearance startled Li Qin, and the astonishment must have shown on his face.

The man smiled knowingly. "I am sure you may have already guessed that my identity is not as simple as I made it seem. In truth, I am Crown Prince Yan Xian."

Li Qin froze in his surprised stupor before stooping to a bow. "Greetings, Your Highness."

Prince Yan Xian reached out a hand to raise Li Qin from his bow. "There's no need for formalities. Please, still call me Xian-ge."

Li Qin could not bring himself to address the prince by his name and settled for a simple nod.

Peering into the deserted Court, Prince Yan Xian asked him, "I presumed the rehearsal had already concluded. Why are you practicing out here instead of resting in your chambers?"

Embarrassed, Li Qin answered quietly, "I mistakenly spoke out against Madame Ruan and was punished with practice until dawn."

Prince Yan Xian's expression showed shock, which then morphed into pity. He untied his cloak and draped it across Li Qin's shoulders. "It will get colder in the night." He strode away, and Li Qin could only watch him disappear while strumming an idyllic song.

Indeed, the prince was correct. As midnight approached, the wind bit at Li Qin's raw cheeks. He had ushered Hua Zhen away when she tried to nurse a fire. Li Qin thought of using his healing magic to seal his warmth, but his exposed position would make it much too obvious. He continued on, even as a raindrop stung as it rolled down his face.

The light shower quickly turned to a downpour, and his soaked pipa was reduced to a croak. But, he continued on.

Helplessly, he remembered how his mother played when consumed with flames, and he determined that it was good and righteous that he felt even a fraction of her pain. He could not tell if he had begun to cry, as the rain washed away the trails of salt before they could stain his face.

A figure approached under an umbrella. "That's enough," the voice of Madame Ruan echoed in his ears.

Li Qin kept playing; he felt like he was drowning.

"I said, that's enough." Madame Ruan grabbed Li Qin's arm harshly, and Li Qin's weakened legs could only follow as she heaved him to the White Lotus Pavilion.

The deafening torrent of raindrops dulled, as Li Qin was tossed to the floor of his bedchambers. Wiping his face roughly with his sleeve, Li Qin knew then he had not cried. He held back a bitter laugh. Of course, someone as wicked as him did not deserve to cry.

Madame Ruan walked to the door but paused for a moment. Without looking back, she spoke, "You are my musician now. The Court is not like the enjoyment you had while playing outside the palace; it is a place of survival. I hope you will be one to survive."

Sleepless, Li Qin watched as the rain cleared. At dawn, he readied himself for the next rehearsal. He must survive.

As he stepped into the Court, eyes found him like snakes in wait for their prey. The Court Musicians avoided him as if he was infected with an incurable disease. Li Qin ignored them the best he could.

Right before the rehearsal commenced, Qiang Long Wei took his seat beside him.

"I think it is best for you to sit elsewhere, like everyone else," Li Qin advised the boy.

Qiang Long Wei clicked his tongue. "Nonsense, I like this seat very much. You will have to rip it from my bottom if you want me to leave."

Li Qin smiled, and soon Madame Ruan began the rehearsal, bow poised in the air, like a crane about to take flight.

As the rehearsal concluded, the Court Musicians breathed a sigh of relief and made their way to the door.

Qiang Long Wei skipped beside Li Qin like an overexcited puppy. "What do you think they will serve for lunch today? I would rather carve out my tongue out than eat another bowl of steamed lotus root."

Li Qin laughed but was suddenly interrupted by a guard at the entrance of the Court. Qiang Long Wei looked at him and then at the guard, puzzled.

"You go ahead, Long Wei. I will catch up with you at the White Lotus Pavilion."

With all the reassurance he needed, Qiang Long Wei sprung away, trying to catch the attention of the senior musicians in front of him.

Li Qin turned his attention toward the guard expectantly. Without a word, he slipped a thin strip of paper into Li Qin's hand.

Opening the rumpled sheet, Li Qin felt dread overwhelm him.

"The Zhang family is in trouble with the Emperor. I will try to help as best I can. — Xian-ge."