Chapter 28: What Are You Playing?
Liu Sanyuan watched as Luzhu’s tender hand reached out.
Suddenly, he stepped back, hastily rolled up the scroll of poetry and tucked it into his embrace, smiling wryly. “Miss Luzhu, isn’t this inappropriate?”
The reason he hurried back home was to avoid running into obstacles. A masterpiece like the town and country poem was as rare as hen’s teeth, and people were clamoring for it like fish crossing a river. Although there weren’t many competitors at the Spring Wind Pavilion, he might not have obtained it elsewhere. Now that he had luckily acquired it, it naturally needed to be secured.
However, things took an unexpected turn.
Luzhu wasn’t frightening, but the person behind her was.
“Master Liu, are you serious about taking that half-step back?” Luzhu smiled charmingly, her eyes flashing with a hint of cunning.
“Miss Luzhu, gentlemen don’t take advantage of others’ preferences,” Liu Sanyuan attempted to negotiate.
“I’m just a girl. I’m not a gentleman,” Luzhu replied.
“This piece was a gift from Lord Ye.”
“Then you can also give it to someone else.”
“Why do you want this poem, Miss Luzhu? You’re not a scholar.”
“Stop pretending, Master Liu. You know in your heart that it’s not me who wants this poem, but my mistress.”
Liu Sanyuan’s expression stiffened.
This was what he feared.
Although he was the son of a prime minister, his status and background were inferior to Xiao Qianqian’s in every aspect. Others might not know Xiao Qianqian’s background, but didn’t he know it well?
This woman wasn’t just the head of the intelligence department, overseeing countless spies, but she was also a formidable cultivator who had shown exceptional talent in cultivation since childhood.
Most importantly, she and the current emperor had grown up together, with deep emotional ties, akin to siblings. Perhaps, if one dared to speculate, in the absence of an empress, that position might be reserved for Xiao Qianqian.
In his opinion, it wasn’t entirely deceptive to tell Ye Ning that Xiao Qianqian was someone important.
Was there anyone in the capital more important than the emperor?
“If Miss Xiao likes this poem, I can lend it to her for appreciation, but… it must be returned,” Liu Sanyuan said reluctantly, with pleading eyes.
“Let’s make it clear. After my mistress receives this poem, she intends to present it to the emperor. Young Master also knows how much attention the emperor pays to Lord Ye… With such a masterpiece of town and country poetry, how could the emperor miss it? Could it be that Master Liu wants to compete with the emperor for something?” Luzhu’s words were sharp, leaving Liu Sanyuan speechless.
“Fine.”
He sighed with reluctance, taking out the poem with a pained smile.
He handed it to Luzhu, his eyes full of attachment.
Alas, it hadn’t even warmed up yet.
Without bothering to inspect the item, Luzhu flashed away, disappearing from sight.
From this, it could be seen that she was also a cultivator with considerable skills.
—
Luzhu quietly returned to the Spring Wind Pavilion, as if she had never left.
Following the secret passage back to Xiao Qianqian’s room, she obediently stood to the side.
She saw the curtain hanging down from her mistress’s room and couldn’t help but chuckle.
Mistress had started again.
Every man who met her would inevitably go through this.
Xiao Qianqian looked at the vague figure behind the curtain, smiling faintly.
Her hands rested on the guqin, and she began to play slowly.
“Playing the zither?”
In his past life, Ye Ning was a lover of ancient culture, dabbling in calligraphy, poetry, and music, but his proficiency was average.
However, seeing Xiao Qianqian playing the zither aroused some curiosity in him.
Perhaps the music of this world held a unique charm.
He closed his eyes and listened carefully.
The melody of the zither rose gently, incredibly pleasant to the ear.
Xiao Qianqian’s skill in playing the zither was exceptional, with each note exuding an extraordinary vitality.
In Ye Ning’s perception, it was like seeing a meandering stream.
The stream was formed by thousands of musical notes, flowing gently and endlessly.
It was very exquisite.
However, after listening for a while, it was always the same melody.
It became boring.
The flowing water was peaceful and soothing, which could calm the mind.
But when it was always the same, repeating the same melody, the originally calm heart became restless.
Music was a complex thing.
Take playing the zither, for example. Accuracy was the most basic requirement.
Superb skill and flawless performance were bonus points.
However, these were not the most important factors. The most crucial factor was the music score.
Without rice, even the cleverest housewife couldn’t cook.
Even with excellent musicianship, playing ordinary melodies could hardly leave a memorable impression. At most, it’s just showing off skills.
Honestly speaking, Xiao Qianqian’s zither playing wasn’t garbage. In a certain sense, it was quite exquisite.
But the problem was the lack of variation.
It started as a small stream flowing, and then it was always that same small stream.
Without twists and turns, without changes, what’s the point?
There’s no room for imagination.
In terms of artistic conception, it fell short.
Unconsciously, Ye Ning frowned.
Although he was separated by the curtain, both Luzhu and Xiao Qianqian were cultivators.
Naturally, they could see Ye Ning’s expression through the curtain.
Seeing him frown, Xiao Qianqian’s zither playing abruptly stopped, and her brows furrowed as well.
But she didn’t speak.
Instead, Luzhu puffed up her cheeks and asked, “Young Master Ye, how would you evaluate my mistress’s performance of this piece, ‘Flowing Water’?”
Without hesitation, Ye Ning replied, “What kind of nonsense is that?”