Chapter 7 Chapter 7 A Yan plays the piano for me~
Mu Congmo looked at him with a very firm gaze, and even someone with Gu Shiyan's personality could hardly remain unmoved.
This was the first person other than his master and his great-grandmaster to treat him like this. No matter how long the emperor's promise could last, Gu Shiyan was willing to believe it at this moment.
"Your Majesty has many concubines in the harem. It is not appropriate for a foreigner like me to live in the palace. If that day really comes, Your Majesty can just give me a house in the capital." Gu Shiyan's tone was a little gentler at this time.
"Ayan, where did you hear that I have so many concubines in my harem?" Mu Congmo couldn't help but defend himself when he saw that Gu Shiyan had wrongly accused him, a man who had always been a clean man.
"Since ancient times, every emperor has had three palaces and six courtyards. It's what is said in the storybooks. What? You don't have concubines in your harem? Even if you don't have any now, you will have some in the future." Gu Shiyan remembered that the current emperor ascended the throne at the age of sixteen, and it has been seven years now. How could he not have even one concubine?
"All the ministers in the court think that I am tyrannical, so they are reluctant to send their daughters whom they have raised with great care into the palace. Even if there are those who sell their daughters for power and fame, I look down on those mediocre women." Mu Congmo complained to Gu Shiyan in an aggrieved tone, trying to arouse the young man's sympathy.
"The royal family is extremely wealthy. According to information gathered by Hongting, there are already twenty concubines in the Huai Wang Mansion alone. Even so, there are still countless women trying every means to become one of them. Your Majesty, as the king of a country, is even more so. There are all kinds of women you want, it's just that the fate has not yet arrived." Gu Shiyan thought that Mu Congmo was sad because he had not met the person he loved, so he spoke to comfort him.
Hearing Gu Shiyan's answer, Mu Congmo had to suppress his thoughts and change the subject, "Ayan, this is your first time in Jiangnan. Why don't we go for a walk around? If you get tired, we can go back to the inn and rest."
Seeing that Mu Congmo had lost interest in continuing, Gu Shiyan didn't continue the conversation. "Why, do you think I'm so weak, Your Majesty? I've been walking for half an hour, but I'm not tired at all. Since Your Majesty is interested in continuing the walk, I'll certainly accompany you."
"Of course not. I just heard that Ah Yan has a habit of taking a nap after lunch, so I said a few words. Ah Yan is willing to accompany me to continue walking, I am very happy." Mu Congmo didn't use any fancy words, just the four words "I am very happy". He didn't call himself "I", but "I". At this moment, he was no longer the high and mighty emperor, but more like the brother next door.
When Gu Shiyan heard these four words, a ripple seemed to appear in the depths of his originally calm heart. He didn't even realize that Mu Congmo had already affected his emotions.
As they walked along, the Jiangnan water towns lived up to their reputation. Small rivers crisscrossed the landscape, and quaint stone arch bridges connected the people on both sides. From time to time, small boats paddled across the river, carrying the fishermen's hopes for a good harvest to the distant horizon.
The warm sun shines on the pink walls and black tiles, and the weeping willows by the river sway gracefully in the wind.
If one day I have nowhere to go, then I’ll come to Jiangnan, Gu Shiyan thought.
Suddenly, the sound of a piano came from afar.
When I first heard it, the sound of the piano was gentle, like moonlight shining on the river, shimmering with shimmering waves. The strings trembled slightly, and the sound was crisp and ethereal.
The piano sounds gradually become passionate, like the surging tide, and then it slows down, becoming soft and lingering.
Gu Shiyan was lost in thought for a moment, subconsciously following the sound of the piano. Seeing this, Mu Congmo had no choice but to follow.
As the sound of the zither grew closer, the two soon arrived in front of a brothel. Although it was located in a place with smoky willows and flower alleys, the name of this place was quite elegant. Smoky willows, painted boats, wind curtains and green curtains, this place was called Smoky Willow Painted Boat Square.
Gu Shiyan was completely absorbed in the sound of the piano, and when he found the source of the music, he walked straight in. He had never seen the plaque on the door, so naturally he had no idea where this place was.
Mu Congmo frowned slightly at this. He had originally wanted to find a chance to be alone with Gu Shiyan, but now he was in this brothel. But seeing that Gu Shiyan rarely showed such great interest in something, Mu Congmo didn't want to disturb him.
The two had never set foot in such a place before, so naturally they didn't expect that their first visit would be for such a reason.
After entering, this place was very different from ordinary brothels. The first floor was filled with various tables and chairs. Although the second floor was the same, there was an empty platform in the center of the second floor, surrounded by screens. You couldn't see what was going on inside, you could only hear the sound of the piano coming from it.
Seeing that the two men were dressed in luxurious clothes and their manners showed nobility, the owner of the building came over to welcome them.
"You two gentlemen look unfamiliar. Is this your first time here? The girls in our family only sell their art and not their bodies. Even His Royal Highness Prince Huai favors the girl Zi Ling who is performing now. However, Prince Xiang is interested and the goddess has no dream. Miss Zi Ling swore to die rather than obey. In the end, His Royal Highness Prince Huai no longer forced her and just came to listen to the music from time to time." The madam's face was full of pride when she talked about the charm of her girl, and she felt honored.
"Oh, look at my mouth. I couldn't hold back a few words. Gentlemen, please go upstairs and sit quietly."
Gu Shiyan had just finished talking about how people in the world chase after wealth and gain and flocked to Prince Huai. Now that he saw a girl who did not seek wealth and fortune and could play the piano well, he felt a little more curious.
The two of them went to the second floor and sat down. Seeing that Gu Shiyan was so interested in a woman, Mu Congmo felt a little jealous in his heart, but he did not show it on his face.
At this moment, a servant came over quickly, bringing a bamboo slip filled with the names and prices of teas. "What would you like to drink, gentlemen?"
Mu Congmo shoved the bamboo slips toward Gu Shiyan, signaling him to place his order. As an emperor, he was subject to tributes from all over the world, let alone a mere tea. But Gu Shiyan was different. Even though Yunliang Qianchi boasted a century of rich heritage, Jizhou was still a remote province, and it was unlikely they had ever had any good tea.
Gu Shiyan took the bamboo slips, glanced at them, and ordered a pot of Guzhu Purple Bamboo Tea. He had read in a book that this tea was a famous tribute tea, named because the tea leaves were purple when young and resembled bamboo shoots.
Mu Congmo had no objection to this, as long as Gu Shiyan liked it.
The servant retreated and soon brought back a pot of freshly brewed tea and two blue and white porcelain teacups.
Gu Shiyan was about to pick up the teapot to pour tea, but unexpectedly, Mu Congmo got there first, "A Yan, just sit down. This kind of thing is not worth you doing yourself."
Although it was just a small matter like pouring tea, Mu Congmo's movements were still dignified. The teapot in his hand was obviously just an ordinary porcelain, but in his hands, it seemed like glass from the fairy palace, and the tea was like nectar.
Mu Congmo saw the orange-yellow tea leaves in the cup and his face turned cold. The tea here was actually all last year's old tea. If it was just him, it would be fine, but now that Gu Shiyan was here, he naturally didn't want Gu Shiyan to drink such tea.
Gu Shiyan guessed what he was thinking, reached out and gently touched his hand, then took one of the cups of tea from him. The warmth of his fingers lingered on the back of Mu Congmo's hand. His heart was surging, but he couldn't show it on his face. He could only suppress his emotions, so much so that his face was a little distorted.
"The tea here is naturally not as good as the one in the palace. Your Majesty, don't mind it." Gu Shiyan's tone remained calm, and he quickly suppressed Mu Congmo's inner restlessness.
So he thinks I'm angry because I don't want to drink this kind of tea, Mu Congmo thought. This young man is just like that, without any desires or demands, yet it makes you want to present all the treasures in the world to him for him to choose from.
At this moment, Miss Zi Ling's zither music also stopped, the piece ending. Standing in the center of the stage, surrounded by screens, she slowly bowed, bowed to the audience, and said, "Today's piece ends here. According to the rules of this building, if any of you consider yourself an exceptional composer, you may challenge me to a competition. The winner may enter behind the screen to discuss Confucianism with me, and today's expenses will be covered by this building."
Although Gu Shiyan was interested in competing, the place was a mixed bag, and it would be bad to stand out too much. As for Mu Congmo, he had never been fond of these things. He only dabbled in them because talent was one of the six arts of a gentleman.
Mu Congmo felt his purse, ready to pay. But after a long while, he found nothing. Normally, secret guards would handle this kind of thing, but today, in order to be alone with Gu Shiyan, he dismissed all the secret guards under the pretext of protecting Lu Mingzhi.
This was especially true for Gu Shiyan. He thought that the emperor would not ask him to treat everyone, so he did not prepare any money.
In this case, participating in this competition was a must. Mu Congmo secretly regretted not even preparing the money. Losing face in front of Gu Shiyan was a small matter, but allowing Gu Shiyan to interact with Miss Zi Ling was the bigger issue. He was determined not to let Gu Shiyan be alone with that girl no matter what.
He knew that Gu Shiyan naturally looked down on ordinary women, but he was afraid that the woman would never look down on anyone else after seeing Gu Shiyan.
Just as he was deep in thought, Gu Shiyan had already spoken, "I don't have my zither with me. I wonder if I could borrow it, young lady."
Before Zi Ling on the other side of the screen could speak, the guests around her started talking.
"Hey, another one came saying they didn't bring their guitar. This is the eighth one this month."
"There are many people like this. They will do anything to get close to Miss Zi Ling."
"But this young man is so imposing and dignified, he doesn't look like a young man from an ordinary family."
"So what? He's just the son of an official family. No matter how noble his status is, can he compare to His Royal Highness the Prince of Huai? Miss Zi Ling has even been rejected by His Royal Highness the Prince of Huai several times."
But surprisingly, Zi Ling did not refuse Gu Shiyan's request. A maid in lavender clothes came out, holding a guqin in both hands, pushing open the screen.
She handed the zither to Gu Shiyan, then stood aside, ignoring everyone's surprised looks, waiting for Gu Shiyan to start playing.
Gu Shiyan thanked him, placed the zither on the table, and gently plucked the strings. After testing the pitch, he began to play. He chose "Eighteen Beats of the Hujia." As he moved, people's eyes seemed to see a vast desert, a sky filled with yellow sand, and cavalry charging into battle, with no one returning.
When the group finished, the whole restaurant was silent, and people were still immersed in this heroic and tragic elegy.
"Sir, please move behind the screen and have a chat." Zi Ling's voice suddenly came, breaking the silent atmosphere.
Gu Shiyan stood up and handed the zither to the maid beside him. As he was about to step towards the screen, he was suddenly grabbed by his sleeve by Mu Congmo. The latter looked at him with a slightly pleading look, "Ayan, can you take me with you?"
Gu Shiyan was also embarrassed to leave Mu Congmo here alone, so he asked Zi Ling for her opinion. After getting her consent, he and Mu Congmo went behind the screen together.
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