Chapter 315: Sudden Change On The Zither Strings
“This is the Duke’s Mansion’s Fifth Miss? Didn’t they say she was unlearned and incompetent?”
“It must be rumors again. I heard that the Duchess is extremely jealous, and she must deliberately spread such words. Otherwise, where would the Second Miss’s good name come from? With such a sister, the Second Miss really can’t be considered peerless grace.”
“That’s right, before, it must certainly be this reason, otherwise, the Fifth Miss’s good name would have spread out long ago.” Some Young Masters of a Noble Family were whispering to each other nearby. They were sitting behind Prince Yi, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Prince. At this time, several of them were stretching their necks to look.
Those who hadn’t yet been betrothed were already planning in their hearts to have their families propose marriage to the Duke’s Mansion when they went back, proposing for this Fifth Miss. Although this Fifth Miss is still young, with this appearance and facial features, everyone knows that in two years, she will certainly have peerless grace.
Ao Mingyu also looked a bit dazed. A glimmer of light flashed in his eyes. He knew Ning Xueyan was beautiful, but Ning Xueyan usually dressed plainly. Where would there be such careful dressing? At this time, he only felt that everything before his eyes was the slender figure.
“Third Brother, do you really like her?” Fourth Prince Ao Mingwan suddenly leaned over and whispered a sentence in his ear.
Ao Mingyu’s eye color tightened, and he turned his head to look at Ao Mingwan. The meaning in his eyes was unclear, but then he faintly said, “Fourth Brother, don’t you also want her?”
“Third Brother, she and your this one are not in harmony. Could it be that you will just let her be bullied?” Ao Mingwan looked askance at Ning Qingshan, the meaning of his words was self-evident.
Both of them were well-informed people.
“What do you want to say, Fourth Brother?” Ao Mingyu frowned and said with displeasure. Although he still maintained a gentle and refined smile on his face, his eyes flickered, and he was obviously showing a layer of anger.
“Third Brother, if I let go of Princess Muling, can you also let go?” Although Ao Mingwan’s eyes were still on the woman in the Main Hall, his attention was already focused on Ao Mingyu. The two of them knew each other’s intentions. At this time, they simply laid it all out. Princess Muling, because of her status, both sides had the intention of marrying her.
Ao Mingwan was generously expressing his giving up of the competition for Muling. These words sounded very magnanimous, as if for Ning Xueyan, even giving up the King of Yunnan, who was most useful to him, but what about the actual meaning? Some things are not just about looking at the surface, but at this time, it was excellent to use to express his attitude.
“You want to marry her as the Principal Wife?” Ao Mingyu’s gaze fell on Ning Xueyan, who was dancing. Her eyes were slightly pondering, and her complexion was a little difficult.
“Principal Wife? Third Brother is joking, but compared to Third Brother, who can’t even produce a Concubine, my Concubine position is also considered high.” Ao Mingwan’s face showed a look of anger. Fortunately, as a Prince, he still had at least the “patience.” He had already inquired clearly that this time, Noble Consort Ya planned to marry Ao Mingyu one Principal Wife and one Concubine. As for another concubine position, it would be left for a more suitable time later.
“Concubine and Concubine, aren’t they all concubines?” Compared to Ao Mingwan’s anger, Ao Mingyu seemed much calmer.
“How can it be the same? The Concubine is below the Concubine.” Angered by Ao Mingyu’s disrespectful attitude, Ao Mingwan was so angry that he almost couldn’t control himself and stood up.
The words they spoke were very light, and the others around them didn’t notice, but unfortunately, Ao Chenyi heard it all. He picked up the tea beside him and took a sip, resting his chin on one hand. Suddenly, he leaned towards Ao Mingyu, his handsome narrow eyes turning to look at them. He faintly curled the corner of his mouth and asked, “Nephews, what interesting words are you saying? Can you tell Uncle?”
Seeing them discussing Ning Xueyan so extensively and even discussing the problem of who she will marry, Ao Chenyi felt a kind of meaning that his own things weren’t hidden well and were being spied on. His own Princess Consort, how could they casually discuss her? The smile on his face became even more gorgeous and grim.
“Uncle… Uncle, I was joking with Fourth Brother.” Ao Mingyu hurriedly looked back, just meeting Ao Chenyi’s grim handsome face. Immediately, he accompanied it with a smiling face, being careful. He had just been talking with Ao Mingwan, and he had forgotten that he had such a person beside him.
“Joking?” Ao Chenyi raised the corner of his mouth, a smile slightly bloomed on his handsome, Asura-like face, but his eye color seemed to have the grim coldness of bloodlust. “You two are joking well, Imperial Brother has been watching you.”
The Emperor was watching them. Ao Mingyu and Ao Mingwan involuntarily looked up to the High Platform. Just facing the Emperor sitting above, the Emperor’s expressionless eyes fell down. Immediately, they did not dare to say more. Each looked at each other, and they already understood in their hearts that this matter was now based on each person’s methods.
To see who can embrace the beauty.
Before Ning Qingshan appeared, it drew praise from the whole audience, and she was very proud in her heart. She walked to the zither with a graceful figure, sat down, and just wanted to reach out. But she found that this zither was not the one she usually used. Not only was it not the one she usually used, but she had also never seen it before. Doubt immediately arose in her heart.
But she was already in the Main Hall, with the Emperor and Empress watching. It was impossible to change the zither at this time. She could only lightly brush the strings twice. The zither sound was not bad, so she didn’t say anything more and began to play. The zither sound rang out, leisurely and elegant, flowing like water. This zither was not worse than the one she usually used. Could it be that Noble Consort Ya had someone change it for her?
Thinking like this in her heart, she was slightly at ease and played with concentration. She raised her eyes and saw that the Third Prince was also staring at her, and immediately, two blushes appeared on her face. Indeed, he was listening to her playing the zither with concentration. Before, the few Candidate Ladies, Ning Qingshan also saw Ao Mingyu, he was just smiling and listening, and from time to time, he was talking to Prince Yi, and you could tell at a glance that he didn’t care much.
So, the Third Prince still cared about her the most. This cognition made Ning Qingshan’s technique even more agile. The music rippled like water, and her heart was also softened.
But, when Ning Xueyan appeared next, it all changed. Not only were other people’s gazes drawn to Ning Xueyan, but even the Third Prince’s gaze had always been on her, almost not looking at her at all. That gap made Ning Qingshan’s heart feel like it had been pierced several times with an ice blade, and she was trembling with pain from her heart to her whole body.
How could he look highly at Ning Xueyan!
How could he look at Ning Xueyan like that, with tenderness in his eyes.
It wasn’t the usual gentle smile that he always showed to others. It was a tenderness that overflowed from the bottom of his heart. Three years ago, this smile belonged to her, but three years later, it had become someone else’s. How could she be willing? She was not willing!
The hatred in her hand turned into viciousness, and she fiercely acted on the zither’s surface. Several of the zither strings above were fiercely suppressed. Ning Qingshan didn’t notice that there was an almost invisible scratch on the middle string. Her hand slightly exerted force, and the scratch split open, but it didn’t break. But when her fingers pressed on it, it cut her fingers. She was in so much pain that her complexion turned pale, and her fingers were scattered.
The sharp music passed through everyone’s ears. All the people’s gazes shifted from Ning Xueyan to Ning Qingshan, and they all frowned. What was going on with the Third Young Lady of the Duke’s Mansion? Could it be that she hadn’t fully learned this piece?
“She dares to use a piece that she hasn’t fully learned. She’s really shameless.”
“It’s not that she doesn’t know shame, it’s the crime of deceiving the Emperor. Clearly, she can’t play well, but she deliberately performs here. Isn’t it deceiving the Emperor!”
“That’s right, she can’t even play the zither well, and she still says she is a Talented Woman, this Talented Woman’s name is also fake!” Those Noble Ladies who had originally been jealous of Ning Qingshan becoming the Third Prince’s Consort, how could they miss such an opportunity? Of course, they greatly defamed Ning Qingshan, and unfortunately, the position where she was performing was also close to the positions of these Candidate Ladies.
Shameless, the crime of deceiving the Emperor, Ning Qingshan’s hand was trembling with pain, but she also knew that she couldn’t stop at this time. Gritting her teeth, she still ran her fingers across the zither strings. Helplessly, her hand was injured. No matter where her fingers slid, it was painful, and she was gritting her teeth. Her fingers seemed to be about to break, and the zither sound unconsciously slowed down.
When the zither sound slowed down, Ning Xueyan’s dance also slowed down. Fortunately, her dance wasn’t fast, and it was known for its gentleness, so it was also possible to slow down slightly. Everyone only saw that she was obviously cooperating with Ning Qingshan’s zither sound. During her actions, she had to slow down from time to time, and sometimes when she turned quickly, she would also deliberately stop.
Unfortunately, Ning Qingshan’s zither sound was not only slow, but it also sounded unpleasant. Those Candidate Ladies could all play the zither, and they knew at a glance that Ning Qingshan also had problems playing correctly. Their expressions became even more despised. Although they didn’t dare to speak boldly, they always had whispering privately.
The complexion of Noble Consort Ya sitting above changed, and the Emperor’s complexion also darkened. Although he didn’t say anything, his expression was already full of displeasure.
“Sister Consort, Ning Third Young Lady’s zither playing, it really makes people…” Consort Shu covered her lips with a handkerchief and smiled softly. The other Imperial Concubines who were on good terms with her, of course, also all wore mocking expressions, with unclear meanings, looking at the scene below, watching the show in groups of three or two.
Everyone knew that Ning Qingshan was going to enter the Third Prince’s Mansion. The Fourth Prince and the Third Prince were originally rivals. Consort Shu was watching a good show at this time, so of course, she had to add insult to injury.
“Younger Sister Ya, why don’t you let her stop?” The Empress’s dignified face showed a hint of displeasure. The zither sound was really played reluctantly, unbearable to listen to. Even those who were roughly familiar with music played better than her.
“Empress, maybe she is not in good condition today. Just now, a Palace Maid said that she was not feeling well today. Since she is not feeling well, she still has to force herself to perform for the Emperor and Madam. Just satisfy her this intention!” Hearing that they wouldn’t let Ning Qingshan perform further, Noble Consort Ya’s complexion immediately turned pale and hurriedly stopped her.
If she really hadn’t finished a piece, Ning Qingshan was driven down, that was a sign of being disliked by the Emperor. If even the Emperor disliked her, how could Ning Qingshan marry into the Royal Family again? The Emperor’s words were like gold, and by then, it wouldn’t be possible even for a concubine with a status, let alone a position of Concubine.
“Okay, it’s up to her. If she can’t hold on, let her go down.” The Empress thought about it and looked at Ning Qingshan below, revealing a few points of scrutiny.
Not feeling well? I’m afraid not. Previously, a Palace Maid had already reported the Candidate Ladies’ conditions, and they hadn’t said who was not feeling well, but since Noble Consort Ya said so, she of course had to give her some face, after all, she had no son…
The zither sound had changed. Ning Xueyan was trying hard to cooperate. Everyone only saw that between her long sleeves waving, the speed slowed down with the music, following the music. Everyone felt that the reason why Ning Xueyan slowed down was to match Ning Qingshan’s chaotic rhythm. No one saw the icy smile at the corner of her mouth. Ning Qingshan’s idea was actually like this. It was really poisonous.
This zither should be prepared by Ning Qingshan for herself!
