Blood of Deception [ON HOLD]

Chapter Fifteen

Meiyue was summoned to her music class right after breakfast. Normally, this day was to be for her leisure but she wasn't surprised to be called out for another rehearsal. Her music tutor had been really insistent as the festival neared, mostly because Meiyue was catching up with the difficult piece at a pace much to her liking.

Xiaonu escorted the princess down the finely lit corridor where they finally stopped before a set of intricate folding doors. Then she excused herself away with a sincere cheer that sounded rather sarcastic.

Meiyue pushed the doors open.

At the other end of the room stood Huangli, her music tutor, dressed in another eccentric composition of skirts and inner blouse. She appeared to be talking with someone and turned as Meiyue entered. Two figures in refined hanfu robes gathered around the white guzheng on the raised platform where Huangli used to teach the other pupils. Meiyue didn't need to see the visitors' faces to recognize them. She shut the door with immediate displeasure.

"You've come at a good time, Meiyue," her tutor said energetically. Whenever she sounded eager Meiyue knew it wasn't going to be something she would like. She looked to the women standing next to her.

The twin daughters of the former Queen peered down at her from the dais as if she were some servant. Ever since at a young age, Meiyue shared a mutual opinion with them on the point of not wanting to breathe in the same room as the other. She wasn't sure why they, specialized in the instrument of lutes, were doing here touching her zither.

"What's the occasion?" Meiyue directed the question to her tutor. She tried to ignore a roll of eyes from Ruoyu, the younger of the twin while the elder one, Ruoqing, outright refused to acknowledge her.

Huangli, obviously failing to notice the tension, waved toward Meiyue to come forth. "I have exciting news for you," she said, and nudged the princess toward the twins. "You will participate in a duet with your sisters."

Meiyue whirled on her tutor. "Why?" she said, frowning. "I'm barely keeping up for my own performance."

Ruoyu scoffed. "As expected." Her sister gave her a supportive glance. They had a striking resemblance when it came down to contempt, something that wouldn't even cross your mind if you judged them by their appearance; round pale face with black innocent eyes.

"Don't worry," Huangli reassured. "It'll be something you already know. Here." She handed a piece of paper toward Meiyue.

The page spread out with musical notation. Meiyue took the sheet, her eyes skimming over the notes. It wasn't a complex piece she concluded, until her gaze landed on the head of the page. Leng Yue Guang, the title read, meaning 'cold moonlight.'

Meiyue turned to her tutor in disbelief. "You wouldn't let me play this, but you let them?" she said. It was her most favorite piece. She'd practically begged her to let her perform that piece instead.

"Your skill requires pieces of higher level. And that piece is more challenging to play with a pipa and an erhu than on a guzheng," her tutor explained. "Ruoyu and Ruoqing will be playing most of the part on their instruments while you accompany them. It'll be a spectacle."

Meiyue felt another fuel of frustration when she realized the sheet she was holding wasn't the actual notes but the background music. She gave it back to her tutor. "I'm busy," she said.

"I told you it'll be a waste of time trying to ask for her help, Huangli," joined in Ruoqing beside Meiyue's guzheng. She was still touching the instrument as if secretly admiring it. Meiyue instead admired her courage to be wearing the inner blouse of her hanfu so low that it exposed her cleavage. The coats and scarf around her shoulders were excessive ornaments.