Chapter Ninety-two: A True Music Lover

  Wu Er led Lan Ge and Zuo Er to the Light Cloud Pavilion, not far from Li Yun Qing's small courtyard. Although she felt a bit uneasy about her husband's affair with another woman, Wu Er still introduced them to the people they met along the way.

  "The master likes the whole family to sit together and have meals, so when it's time for you to eat, someone will come to call you all to go to the small pavilion outside to have a meal. Of course, if you want to eat in your own courtyard, the master agrees too." Since Zi Ruoye had lost her intimidating personality over the past year, these servants gradually came to genuinely like this mistress and unknowingly spoke many good words on her behalf.

  "Although the king had been promiscuous for many years, after marrying Yun Zhuzi, he never went to those places again. The king was extremely good to his wife." Although the beginning is somewhat different, but for the common people who do not understand the true situation, what they recognize is also what Wu'er recognizes, and the latter sentence is deeply felt by Wu'er.

  "This is the Light Cloud Pavilion of Master Lan. If there's anything, just call for someone to come down, and Wu Er will take her leave first." Wu Er has become more and more like a housekeeper, with every move and gesture being proper and dignified, and everything she says being worthy of praise.

  Lan Ge nodded slightly and stepped into the Light Cloud Pavilion. As soon as she entered, her eyes were drawn to a guqin in the courtyard. She quickly walked up to it and gently stroked its surface, what a fine instrument indeed.

  "What's with the zither?" Lan Ge raised her eyes and asked the maid beside her.

  "Return to Master Lan, this zither was placed here by the king." The maid glanced at the zither under the tree and thought to herself, why did the king bring out the precious Huwei zither? This was a gift from the emperor to the king... She said as she retreated, after all, Master Lan's things had not been put away yet.

  His calm eyes slightly rippled, and Lan Ge gently stroked the piano body until everyone in the yard left without him noticing.

  Zuo'er had been busy helping the servants in the Wang Fu until everything was over, only to find that her master was still staring at the guqin. Having followed Lang Ge for many years, even a slight movement could roughly guess his mood. Walking up front and seeing the guqin, she frowned, "Your Highness, this Prince is too much, how can he give you a guqin with a burnt tail?"

  Lan Ge, however, remained silent and walked to the front of Jiao Wei's guqin, sitting down with a hint of appreciation in her eyes. "Zuo Er, listen and you will understand," she said, her fingertips lightly plucking the strings, filling the small courtyard with elegant and serene music.

  The sound of the qin was light and ethereal, without any impurities. Every note played by the strings was a rare and beautiful sound in this world. Lan Ge's fingertips danced on the strings, her eyes flashing lightly. After finishing the piece, she finally raised her eyes to look at Zuo Er, "Among the four great qins of the world, yours is one of them."

  Zuo Er heard Lan Ge say that, and his eyes widened instantly. He thought the piano sounded great, but he didn't expect it to be such a powerful thing! One of the Four Great Famous Guqins, he didn't expect the prince to have one.

  "The prince, the king is really generous!" Zuo Er couldn't help but sigh, although they had heard others talk about how good Zi Ruoye was along the way, but after all, it was just hearsay. When he heard Yun Cong's previous identity and the ten-mile red wedding that Zi Ruoye had arranged to marry him, his heart was indeed shocked.

  After Lan Ge finished playing a song, he continued to gently stroke the body of the guqin. It was clear that he truly loved this instrument. Just then, Zi Ruoye happened to be walking in, and after telling Yun Xing to take a rest, she directly came to Lan Ge's small courtyard. As she walked halfway, she heard Jiao Wei's guqin sound, so she quickened her pace.

  "Just heard the sound of a piano outside, was it you playing?"

  Lan Ge had already noticed her presence when Zi Ruoye entered the courtyard. He looked up to see the person in front of him smiling at him, with no disdain or contempt in his eyes, nor the fear he often saw. Lowering his eyelashes, "This is a good zither. Leaving it here with Lan Ge might not be suitable."

  Zi Ruoye had never failed to detect the hint of estrangement in his tone, and she smiled disapprovingly. "A good piano should be paired with someone who understands music, of course. Just now, I heard the prince's piano piece, and I'm afraid the prince is quite proficient in music." As for this jiao wei, it had been placed in her room for a long time. This piano was once Liu Qingyue's beloved instrument, and as for why Zi Xuan would give it to her, perhaps it was a small compensation for Zi Xuan's guilt towards Zi Ruoye. However, ironically, after receiving the piano, Zi Ruoye hadn't even played it once.

  Missing things and thinking of people... Is there anything more bitter than this? The bitterness in Zi Ruo Ye's heart is probably even more bitter than Huang Lian. For the former master's deep love, she only has admiration. Now that things are no longer the same, the guqin placed in the house has lost its value, she thinks the guqin should be owned by someone who understands it, and she doesn't think of herself as someone who understands the guqin. Coincidentally, she heard that Lan Ge is actually a guqin enthusiast, so she sent her regards.

  "That's enough, Lan Ge. Xiao Er, see the guest off." He said as he carried Jiao Wei into the house, calmly saying "see the guest off" before ignoring Zi Ruo Ye again. He didn't like having too many people in his courtyard, and was used to only having Xiao Er by his side; he wasn't accustomed to the sudden appearance of more people.

  "Your Highness, the prince is not feeling well, so please return." Zuo Er said with a slight bow, the prince had always been like this, for things that interested him, he would have some slight reaction, but apart from that, there was no other reaction.

  Zi Ruoye was taken aback, "Is this being driven out?" Being driven out of one's own territory, although it wasn't the first time... She smiled nonchalantly, "If Lan Ge isn't used to dinner later, you can just eat in your own courtyard, no need to come out specially." Zi Ruoye didn't want to make things difficult for others. A man leaving his hometown and being a prince yet only able to be a concubine was already very humiliating, but Zi Ruoye didn't know that Lan Ge wasn't bothered by these things at all.

  Lan Ge walked into the house alone, carrying his guqin. As soon as he entered the house, he found a screen with a lotus pond and water lilies inside. The interior design was simple and unadorned, without any unnecessary complexity or the gold and silver decorations that were common in the imperial palace. He carefully placed the guqin on the table, sat down, and began to play again.

  Only when playing the guqin did he feel his mood subtly fluctuating... The green furnace emitted a wisp of smoke, and the elegant fragrance of sandalwood wafted around his nose. Lan Ge quietly plucked the strings of the ancient zither, as if about to ascend to heaven in a fluttering dance.

  As soon as Zǐ Ruò Yè walked to the gate, he heard a pleasant and moving piano sound coming from inside the house. He smiled slightly, took out his wine jug and started drinking, thinking to himself, "What a music enthusiast." On his way back, he returned to his own study. Back in his study, Zǐ Ruò Yè leaned against the chair, took out the secret letter from his pocket, and carefully read it again, but still couldn't find any special evidence.

  Apart from the fact that those official media outlets need to be transported as soon as possible, what has been on her mind the most is that person's self-proclaimed title, "Ben Zun". A martial artist? Zi Ruo Ye narrowed her eyes slightly. Isn't it true that the martial arts world never gets involved with the imperial court? Or is this just a smokescreen to make her think that someone from the martial arts world is also participating?

  Put the letter on the table at will, for this letter that has lost its timeliness, it really has no effect on them now.

  Shangguan Meng returned to his own courtyard and began studying the formation method, this was the only way he could vent out the anger in his heart, he didn't like hurting people and also didn't want to trouble Ziyue Ye.

  Looking at the Qimen Bagua formation he had set up, the stones inside began to move freely. The formation that used to be so interesting now seemed dull and unappealing. His small mouth pouted slightly, "Wife is a bad person... but Mochi likes Wife..." He couldn't use the formations his master taught him to scold his wife. From his pocket, he took out a small stone that had a faint crack on it, which miraculously healed. Seeing the stone unscathed, the small mouth that could hang a wine bottle also smiled slightly. In fact, as long as Wife returned safely, Mochi was already very happy.

  Thinking of putting down his own formation, he slipped into the house. When Shangguan Meng was studying formations, he would always set up a sign in the courtyard that read "Very dangerous, do not enter!" This was the method informed by Ziyue Ye. Over time, the people below went from initial confusion to accidentally entering the formation and being shocked, and they began to know that when Shangguan Meng studied formations, that small courtyard was off-limits.

  After Shangguan Meng entered his room, he pulled out a book from under the mattress. This was given to him by Shangguan Fei when Shangguan Meng entered the Wang Fu for the second time. He still remembered his mother's strange expression and eyes at that time. His mother said, "With this book, the mistress will definitely like Meng'er!"

  But what book is this?

  Shangguan Meng's small body was curled up on the bed, and she opened a book with "**Collection" printed on it. Her face was filled with a serious expression that one should have when facing unknown knowledge. If someone were outside the room at this moment, they would hear Shangguan Meng muttering to herself...

  "These two people's postures are really strange... Is it possible that they can only be pressed together?"

  "This is a bit difficult... Isn't there an easier way? What if the wife doesn't like it?"

  "But why take off your clothes?"

  Shangguan Meng knew vaguely about some things, but he wasn't entirely clear. He liked Zi Ruoye simply because of a pure liking. From the first time they fought together to the later encounter at the birthday banquet, although he didn't understand many things, he knew better than anyone else what color Zi Ruoye's heart was.

  The wife's heart... is transparent.

  When Zǐ Ruò Yè heard Shàng Guān Mèng's giggling words later, Shàng Guān Mèng, who always laughed or cried, said with a smile, but tears fell one by one. Only after her death did she understand why her heart had always been transparent.

  Digression

  It's half an hour late...