The moment these words were spoken, every pair of eyes in the room turned toward Qiu Che.

The Empress narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled gently, "May I ask who this young gentleman is?"

Qiu Che remained unfazed, bowing and replying, "This humble official is named Qiu, currently serving as an editor at the Hanlin Academy."

Wu Yiqi's eyes widened in shock. He tugged at her sleeve from behind, gritting his teeth and whispering, "Are you insane? Why are you sticking your neck out now?"

No matter what the Empress's intentions were, it was not their place as subjects to interfere.

To put it nicely, it was none of their business; to put it bluntly, why should they care?

But Qiu Che didn’t move. Instead, she calmly pulled her sleeve away from his grasp, giving him a silent look that said, "Don’t make a scene."

Wu Yiqi could only sigh inwardly. So, it seemed he was the one being meddlesome.

Qiu Che knew that standing up at this moment was far from ideal.

Only recently, she had earned the title of Zhuangyuan, the top scholar, and had caused quite a stir at the Qujiang Feast, becoming famous throughout the capital.

The young ladies in the room admired her for her stunning appearance, but the young men, especially those well-versed in literature, were less than pleased. After all, Qiu Che had stolen the limelight as an unexpected top scholar. Seeing her stand up again could only fuel further private gossip.

Among officials of the same court, the most dreaded thing was being isolated by peers.

But Qiu Che didn’t care about such things.

She stood up not because she wanted to, but because she had no choice.

If she didn’t speak up, then, based on her memory of events, no one else would rise to tell the Empress that her actions were unreasonable.

Soon, Li Qingwu would take the stage to play the guzheng, and her fingers would be cut by the strings, with blood dripping onto her clothing.

She would be escorted off the stage to change.

And Qiu Che, who should have been seated beside her, would, before this accident occurred, repeatedly fed her alcohol.

The aim was to get her drunk and make it easier to carry out their dirty plan.

In her past life, despite her brother’s excessive enthusiasm, Qiu Che still anxiously drank cup after cup.

Amid this forced drinking, she had accidentally consumed the wine prepared for her brother.

Why did he prepare the "festive" wine for himself?

It was because, in case the Emperor got angry and ordered someone’s execution, they could claim that the person had been poisoned.

...It wasn’t out of the question. After all, many knew that the Emperor valued his reputation above all else.

If news spread that his most cherished daughter had been compromised in public, the royal family’s face would be ruined.

Her brother, who had been enjoying the company of two courtesans, only realized halfway through the wine that Qiu Che had drunk the cup intended for him, panicking and hastily making an excuse to leave.

And Qiu Che, already a little tipsy, soon felt the effects of the drug. Realizing something was off, she quickly made her exit.

By sheer accident, she bumped into Li Qingwu.

She couldn’t even remember how they ended up together; she only recalled waking up to find them lying in a room, completely naked.

The only consolation was that she had woken up early, dressed herself, and avoided anyone discovering her true gender.

But the princess had no such luck. She was left exposed.

The incident was so scandalous that the Emperor forced it down, executing half of the palace servants who had been present.

Soon after, an imperial edict for marriage was issued.

Those in high society who were aware of the matter mocked Li Qingwu.

A princess, schemed against, losing her honor, and still being forced to marry a minor official from the sixth rank? It was a tremendous disgrace.

Qiu Che had vaguely heard such rumors.

But she had no way of defending herself, let alone Li Qingwu, who was also dragged into this conspiracy.

She couldn’t very well strip off her clothes and tell those gossipers that she was a woman, and there was no way she could have defiled the princess.

In the following days, as rumors spread, they eventually turned into something else: “She’s so fortunate, marrying someone truly talented. It’s a shame she’s not favored.”

Rumors and gossip were inevitable.

They had a thousand reasons and a myriad of ways to twist everything, turning both what was and wasn’t your fault into your fault.

In her previous life, Qiu Che had been naive, inadvertently dragging Li Qingwu into this mess and delaying her by a decade.

Even until her death, she could never make up for it.

Now that she had the chance to relive it, Qiu Che was determined not to let the same tragedy unfold again.

She would stop this farce, but to ensure that the princess wouldn’t get injured while playing the guzheng, she had to begin by preventing the Empress from making her suggestion.

This time, she hadn’t drunk the wine her brother had passed to her, so she didn’t have to worry about being drugged.

And with Li Qingwu staying onstage, her brother wouldn’t have the chance to exploit her.

This was the most perfect and simple solution.

“Ah, so it’s the well-known Zhuangyuan, Young Master Qiu,” the Empress said with a warm smile. “May I ask what you find inappropriate? Please, share with us.”

Qiu Che calmly responded, “May I ask, Your Majesty, why suddenly have you requested Her Royal Highness the Princess to perform?”

“Why, it’s for Her Majesty’s birthday banquet,” the Empress said, smiling as she curtsied to the Empress Dowager. “It is an honor for Lehe to accompany her with music on this occasion.”

Qiu Che raised an eyebrow, “Oh? I see. But I’ve heard that Your Majesty is also quite gifted in the arts. Since you believe it is an honor to play for Her Majesty, would it not be even more filial if you were to perform yourself?”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The Empress’s smile faltered imperceptibly.

Just as the atmosphere became tense, Wu Rushi suddenly raised his teacup and spoke meaningfully, “Your Majesty, I seem to recall—this time’s banquet, did the Qiu family not receive an invitation?”

Old fox.

He hadn’t asked about it when they first met, but now he pretended to just remember.

"Prime Minister, you must be forgetful,” Qiu Che replied calmly. “It was the Empress Dowager who personally sent me the invitation.”

The Empress Dowager smiled and nodded, confirming, “Indeed, it was I who sent the invitation.”

“Ah, I understand now,” Wu Rushi said, acting as if he had just realized something. “My apologies for the inappropriate question.”

Emperor Li shifted uncomfortably, his expression darkening. “I wonder, Minister Qiu, you’ve been absent from duty for a month... What is this? Just returned to the capital and already publicly defying the Empress?”

His tone rose slightly, hinting at anger.

If it were anyone else, they would have kneeled by now, but Qiu Che’s expression remained unfazed.

The room was deathly silent, with everyone watching this unexpected scene unfold.

Li Qingwu, holding Princess Pingyi, unconsciously gripped the lotus handkerchief in her hand, her gaze fixed on Qiu Che's slender figure.

She thought to herself that she must have lost her mind.

Otherwise, why would she still be thinking that only in moments like this could she look at the other person openly, without being judged or mocked by anyone?

Qiu Che stood, gracefully bowing, and said, “This humble official is guilty. The crime is for following my father’s order to go to the Gan Yu Temple for prayer and reflection, which is why I haven’t been on duty for a month. I ask the Emperor for forgiveness.”

In the corner, Qiu Che’s father involuntarily trembled.

The Emperor snorted coldly, “I see you do not take me seriously! Dare to oppose the Empress today, and tomorrow you will be opposing me!”

“Your Majesty,” the Empress Dowager’s soft voice intervened, “Let us not speak in such a way. I am fortunate to have met this young Mr. Qiu a few times at Gan Yu Temple... I believe he holds great respect for his father, and I do not think he is that kind of person.”

“Mother,” Li Si said, his anger intensifying as he heard his mother speaking on her behalf. His expression softened outwardly, but the tension in his voice was undeniable, “He may respect his father, but not once in a month has he sent a report to the palace. Is this not showing disrespect to me?”

Qiu Che seemed slightly surprised. "Your Majesty, I did submit a memorial."

Li Shi slammed his fist on the armrest, his voice sharp. "Nonsense! Are you saying that I, who deal with memorials daily, never saw yours?!"

The emperor was furious, and the entire hall fell silent in shock.

Qiu Che lowered her head obediently. "Your Majesty, forgive me. I would never lie. I did submit the memorial. What I meant is, whatever happened in between that prevented the memorial from reaching Your Majesty, I cannot know."

Her words carried an underlying meaning, and Li Shi’s anger momentarily paused. He instinctively glanced toward the position of the Prime Minister.

Wu Rushi, who had been enjoying the spectacle, was taken aback to see Qiu Che suddenly shift the focus onto him. His expression faltered, and he was about to speak when—

The Empress Dowager gently tapped Li Shi’s hand.

She had a radiant, beautiful face, yet at this moment, her expression was one that seemed capable of bringing disaster. She spoke softly to the bearded emperor, creating an odd contrast.

"Your Majesty, speaking of this, I happened to come across a memorial from the Prime Minister a few days ago. It was quite intriguing—ah, now that I think of it, it was signed by this Young Master Qiu."

Wu Rushi’s eyelids twitched. Realizing the Empress Dowager was implicating him, he quickly rose and bowed. "Your Majesty, I would never dare intercept a memorial. As the Empress Dowager says, I have never seen it!"

Li Shi furrowed his brow, his gaze moving between the individuals in the room.

After a moment, he waved his hand. "Enough, we will discuss this later. The piece 'Lehe' was approved by me. Master Qiu, do you have any objections?"

Qiu Che bowed again, about to speak, when a voice beside her interrupted.

"No objections to 'Lehe'."

Li Qingwu had been quietly observing from the side. She gently set down the princess from her lap, stood up, and walked elegantly to the center of the hall. She bowed to the emperor, then turned to Qiu Che with a nod. "Master Qiu, this matter, I too had agreed to."

Li Shi’s expression immediately shifted from dark to bright, and he chuckled softly.

Qiu Che turned her gaze to Li Qingwu.

"Thank you for your consideration," Li Qingwu said, her hair adorned with golden branches and her face serene and graceful. Every movement was poised and elegant. "But such rare fine wine—Master Qiu, you should sit first and savor it a little longer, won't you?"

The two exchanged a quiet glance.

This was the first time Qiu Che had formally stood face to face with Li Qingwu since her rebirth.

In fact, this was their first meeting.

It was much better than the last life, where they had become entangled without even truly knowing each other.

Qiu Che understood the meaning in Li Qingwu's eyes. Her gaze lingered briefly on the spot between Li Qingwu's forehead, perhaps for just an instant.

Qiu Che averted her gaze, lowered her head, and cupped her hands. "In that case, it was my rashness."

"Your Highness, please," Li Qingwu said.

The tense atmosphere in the hall finally began to ease.

Li Qingwu gave a slight nod and watched as Qiu Che returned to her seat. As the palace maids presented the guzheng, Li Qingwu took a seat on the intricately carved wooden chair at the center of the hall.

"This piece, 'Lehe,' is titled 'Lotus Shadow,'" Li Qingwu said softly. "It was played for the Emperor's grandmother's birthday, and I hope she enjoys it."

The Empress Dowager smiled. "Good—good! Your intentions are enough."

Li Qingwu lowered her gaze and placed her fingers on the zither strings.

The pure, clear zither sound echoed in rapid succession, lingering in the air, never ceasing.

It was clear that Li Qingwu was indeed worthy of her title as the most talented woman in the capital. With just a few strums, the tune was already filled with emotion.

As everyone in the hall became absorbed in the music, suddenly, a loud "clang!" echoed, and the melodious, gentle tune was abruptly cut short.

—The zither string had snapped.

Li Qingwu held her right hand, which had been cut by the broken string, but managed to smile through the pain. "I am fine."

Beyond her, she saw the furrowed brow of Qiu Che, the surprised expression of Wu Yiqi, the contemplative look of Wu Rushi, the knowing gaze of the Empress Dowager… and the emperor and empress, whose faces were dark with displeasure.

She lowered her eyes, stood, and bowed in apology, the blood dripping from her finger staining her gown.

On her pink palace dress, the bloodstains bloomed like a lotus in full bloom, creating an unexpectedly mesmerizing beauty.

It seemed to echo the name of her song, "Lotus Shadow."

Li Shi's face twitched, but he still had to maintain a benevolent smile in front of everyone. "Go change your clothes and return."

Li Qingwu hurriedly left the hall, as the onlookers exchanged knowing glances.

Qiu Che watched her figure vanish through the hall doors, her gaze lowering. As she thought, it seemed unavoidable.

Just like in the previous life.

Was Li Qingwu destined to fall victim to that aphrodisiac?

...

Not long after, the Empress excused herself due to illness and left the hall, her destination unknown.

Qiu Che seized the opportunity to apologize to the emperor, citing the need to relieve herself.

The emperor, already irritated by her presence, waved his hand in agreement.

Wu Yiqi, who had been drinking merrily, raised his hand and said, "I'll accompany you! I need to go as well!"

Qiu Che flung his hand off in disdain. "Why would two grown men need to go to the restroom together?"

...

Elsewhere, by the koi pond in the imperial garden, near the artificial hill.

Li Qingwu was breathing rapidly, feeling dizzy, and to her dismay, no one was around in the vast garden.

As she neared the pond, she suddenly heard a sound ahead.

She instinctively opened her mouth to call out, but before she could, a hand from behind gently covered her mouth.

Li Qingwu’s muddled thoughts immediately cleared, and her eyes widened in fear, almost losing her composure entirely.

Until a soft voice whispered in her ear, "Be quiet."

She recognized the voice.

—It was Qiu Che.

Li Qingwu’s tense body immediately relaxed, and the motion of biting down on the hand stopped abruptly.

As expected, it was Qiu Che behind her.

Qiu Che was taller than most women, and a little taller than Li Qingwu.

From this angle, all Li Qingwu could see were her teary eyes and her delicate, fair side profile.

She resembled the girl under the pear tree at Ganyun Temple, veiled and sitting peacefully.

Qiu Che was momentarily distracted, and then she thought to herself.

It’s you after all.

With her suspicions confirmed, Qiu Che felt a sense of relief as though a heavy stone had been set down.

Li Qingwu, however, was still unaware, her trembling voice asking, "...Qiu Che?"

After a long pause, Qiu Che quietly responded from behind her.

"Yes, it's me.”