Chapter Five: Between Four Hands

The creditors sent a new deadline: before the audition ended, Shen Yan was to put the tuning key in Gu Wei'an's hand. At last he understood. Wei'an's connection to the creditors was not improvised. He already knew about the tide gate. He had known someone would retrieve a key. Gu Chongshan's first audition began as scheduled the following evening. Six chairs had been arranged in the music room. Chongshan sat before the piano, Manyi and Wei'an on either side. Chengjun stood behind Xingyao. Minglan's hand was bandaged, but nothing else in her manner betrayed the previous night. "Where is the music?" Shen Yan asked. Chongshan tapped the Nightingale with his cane. "It will tell you."