"Your Highness, Fourth Brother and Fourth Sister-in-law, don't you like venison?" Jiuzhu asked before everyone started eating.
"Maybe." Prince Chen rolled up his sleeves and started to work on the venison.
Prince An finally remembered what he had forgotten.
Forgot to invite fourth brother!
Just when he was about to send someone to invite his fourth brother to his courtyard, he saw Yun Yanze and Sun Caiyao walking out from the inner courtyard.
They exchanged glances and the atmosphere became awkward.
Yun Yanze saw his brothers sitting neatly around the table and saw the slightly awkward smile on Prince An's face. He naturally understood what was going on.
"Fourth brother, you came just in time." Prince Jing said, "Second brother is hosting a venison banquet, and we were just about to send someone to invite you two, and you just happened to come out. Please take a seat."
Sun Caiyao was worried. His Highness had always been aloof and reserved, but the princes treated him so badly...
"Thank you." Yun Yanze lifted his robe and sat down at the table.
In this situation, Sun Caiyao felt even more distressed. If it were the former prince, why would he have to wrong himself like this?
According to the order of the princes, Yun Yanze should sit above Prince Chen, but Prince Chen sat next to Prince An.
Princess Huai and Princess An spoke to Ming Jiuzhu attentively, their words were full of flattery.
Of course, the person they were trying to please was not Ming Jiuzhu, but Yun Duqing who was beside Ming Jiuzhu.
Yun Yanze looked towards Prince Huai, and seeing that he was absent-minded, he couldn't help but sneer in his heart. As the eldest son, is he really willing to be Yun Duqing's pawn?
"Meat, it's more fun to roast it yourself." Prince An followed Yun Duqing's example and rolled up his sleeves: "Today, none of us wants to be served. What do you think?"
"Okay." Prince Huai picked up the wine glass on the table and drank it all in one gulp: "Do it yourself."
A group of princes and princesses started grilling venison with great enthusiasm, but ended up with a pile of inedible barbecue. Fortunately, there were other dishes on the table to go with the wine, which barely saved their face.
Jiuzhu couldn't bear to see them ruining good things, so she put the roasted meat into King Chen's bowl. The aroma of the roasted meat reached everyone's nose.
Seeing the King eating with gusto, everyone's mood suddenly became unhappy. No one succeeded in eating the barbecue, why are you two not getting along?
Prince Chen didn't know that his brothers were glaring at him, or even if he knew, he would pretend nothing happened. If that was all, it would be fine. He ate the barbecue, put down his chopsticks, and moved closer to his princess to learn how to barbecue from her.
"Your Highness is amazing."
Oh, I just turned the meat over, what's so great about that?
"Your Highness has done a great job."
Tsk, the meat was overcooked after being brushed with a layer of honey.
"Your Highness, how come you can do anything right after learning it?"
Haha, that's impossible, unless he is bragging.
"Come, try it." Prince Chen picked up the roasted meat, blew on it, and fed it to Jiuzhu's mouth.
The charred venison was a bit dry, the seasoning was not evenly applied, it was too salty, and even a bit bitter, and the taste was not good.
“How does it taste?”
Jiuzhu looked at His Highness's expectant eyes and smiled.
The proud immortal man descended from the sky for her, and was stained with smoke for her. His hands holding the seal and whip were stained with smoke, and in the midst of smoke and fire, he just wanted to roast a piece of meat for her with his own hands.
After swallowing the venison, Jiuzhu smiled and nodded: "It's delicious."
"Then I'll continue to bake for you."
"Okay."
After a few drinks, Prince Huai was not drunk at all. He looked at Yun Duqing and Ming Jiuzhu who were almost sticking together, and sighed. When he and the princess got married, they were not as sticky as these two.
"Your Highness, let me pour you some wine." A palace maid held a wine pot and poured a glass of wine for Prince Huai in a soft voice.
When Prince Huai saw the maid, he subconsciously glanced at Princess Huai. Seeing that Princess Huai didn't notice, he said, "Go away. I don't need you to serve me here."
"Yes, I'll take my leave." The palace maid bowed and walked away holding the wine pot.
"The venison that Second Brother got today is really good." Jing Wang gradually figured out the trick of grilling meat and praised: "No wonder you specially called your brothers to join us."
Yun Yanze sipped his wine without saying anything. Sun Caiyao put the roasted meat in his bowl and said, "Your Highness, would you like to taste it?"
"It's a bit salty." Yun Yanze took a small bite and said, "You haven't done this before, it's already very good."
Sun Caiyao touched the place on the back of her hand that was burned by the oil and smiled.
Princess An threw the black and charred unknown object in her hand aside, roasted a piece of meat that was barely acceptable, and put it in Prince An's bowl.
Prince An swallowed the meat silently, not even daring to chew it.
"Come, today we five brothers gather together and drink a cup." Prince Huai raised the wine glass: "May... the deep friendship between brothers never forget the joy of gathering together today."
Prince Chen put down his chopsticks and picked up the wine glass: "Come on."
Five wine glasses clinked together.
The wine is the same, the wine glass is the same, but the mood of drinking is different.
The second cup, the prince and princess raised their cups. When drinking, the prince took the cup from Jiuzhu's hand and said, "She is not good at drinking, so I drank it for her."
"Good." Prince An praised: "Fifth brother, you have great courage."
Jiuzhu waited for Prince Chen to finish two glasses of wine, then picked out some meat and fed it to him to help him sober up.
But the way His Highness drank for her just now was so cool.
After a few rounds of drinking, the princes were already a little drunk. Sometimes they talked about their youth, and sometimes they put their arms around each other's shoulders and sang loudly, looking like real brothers.
"The food is cold. Bring us some new food." Princess Huai stood up and said to her brothers and sisters, "Let them make a fuss on their own. Let's go talk to the side."
Princess Jing and Sun Caiyao did not move.
Princess An and Jiuzhu stood up and sat at the stone table next to them with Princess Huai. The palace maids brought them some tea to relieve their greasy feeling.
Listening to the discordant singing of the princes, Princess Huai sighed, "It has been a long time since I have seen the five brothers gathered together like this."
Princess An glanced at Jiuzhu without saying anything.
Princess Huai chuckled and said, "We are just talking to each other right now, so we don't need to worry about what their men think."
"We women who marry into the royal family have to be careful about what we say and do. Now is a rare opportunity for us to be ourselves, so we don't have to worry too much." Princess Huai paused and looked at Jiuzhu: "Jiuzhu."
Jiuzhu was drinking tea with her head down. When she heard Princess Huai calling her, she raised her head and blinked at her.
"Thank you." There was some kindness in Princess Huai's eyes when she looked at Jiuzhu.
Jiuzhu looked at Princess Huai in confusion. What was she thanking her for?
Princess Huai laughed out loud: "They are singing, we can't just sit there and do nothing, I'll play a song for you."
The palace maid brought the zither over, and Princess Huai plucked the strings: "Back then, I played a piece of music at the flower viewing banquet hosted by the Empress, and was noticed by my mother, and eventually married into the palace."
"Qin, I haven't played it for a long time." The smile on her face faded a little: "If it doesn't sound good, you two should bear with me for a while."
The moment the music was finished, Jiuzhu unconsciously put down her teacup and sat up straight.
Even Princess Jing and Sun Caiyao, who were sitting next to their husband, turned their heads to look over here.
Princess Huai, who usually looks well-behaved and steady, plays a song that has a bit of spring vitality.
Listening to the music, Jiuzhu seemed to hear the spring breeze and see the grass growing and the flowers blooming.
When the song was over, Jiuzhu clapped her hands excitedly: "It sounds good, especially good. All things are growing and the flowers and plants are flourishing."
Princess Huai looked at Jiuzhu's sparkling eyes and gently stroked the body of the zither. She was intoxicated by the wine. If it were in the past, she would never have done what she did today: "This song was composed in my spare time and has never been named. Since Jiuzhu likes it, I will name it "Baozhu Huan"."
Jiuzhu was a little embarrassed: "Is this a bit inappropriate?"
"It's hard to find a good song that appreciates it. It's a blessing for this song to be liked by you." Princess Huai smiled and shook her head: "If it weren't for you, this song would be an unknown song."
When you first listen to this song, you will only feel coldness, sadness and loneliness. Few people can hear the joy behind the coldness.
When all things grow, it is silent; when flowers bloom, it is also cool and silent.
The growth and hope behind this cold and quietness are most easily forgotten and ignored.
Baozhu is happy, Baozhu is happy, this song makes Jiuzhu happy.
Princess An looked at Ming Jiuju who was smiling happily, and discovered the undisguised love in her sister-in-law's eyes.
As the eldest son's princess, she regards the most threatening prince's princess as her confidant, which is a rare sight in the palace.
It's a pity that everyone in the world praises the love between men, but how many literati write about the loyalty of women?
Princess An joined in the fun by playing a tune on her jade flute. Amid the praises of her sisters-in-law, she looked sideways at Jiuzhu and said, "Jiuzhu, do you want to sing a song?"
"I don't know many songs, and I don't know how to play such an elegant instrument." Jiuzhu hesitated for a moment and asked the palace maid of Zhangliu Palace: "Do you have a Xiqin?"
"Yes, please wait a moment, Princess."
Xiqin?
Princess Huai and Princess An were both a little curious. It was rare for a noble family's daughters to learn to play the Xiqin. They didn't expect Jiuzhu to be able to do this?
"My master often played music for me on the xiqin, and after a while, I learned it." Seeing their curiosity, Jiuzhu talked about her childhood: "Especially on summer nights, when cicadas were chirping, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, the music echoed in the valley, as if it came from the sky."
The palace maid brought the Xiqin, and Jiuzhu tested the strings with a bow. A strange creaking sound scared the drunken princes and sobered them up a little.
"The Xiqin originally had plucked strings, but like my master, I like to use a bow." Jiuzhu placed the Xiqin on his thigh and started playing.
The sound of the piano is melodious, as if there is a bird in the valley spreading its wings and about to fly.
However, after the bird flies away, there is unspeakable loneliness and sadness.
Princess Huai and Princess An, who were listening to the music attentively, were fine, but Prince Huai, who was drinking, suddenly had tears in his eyes and poured himself cup after cup of cold wine.
Prince Chen put down his wine glass, turned around and looked at Jiuzhu who was playing the Xiqin, listening to the sound of the zither attentively.
"Fifth brother, what are you doing standing there? Drink." The drunk Prince An reached out to pull Prince Chen's sleeve.
Prince Chen looked at him and ruthlessly pulled his hand off his arm.
Is he in a daze?
That was enjoying the music sung by my wife.
Prince Huai was still shedding tears, but none of his brothers went to comfort him. Even Princess Huai just glanced at him and then looked away as if she didn't see anything.
"This wine tastes more bitter the more I drink it." Prince Huai wiped his face with his sleeves. "Who played this song? It makes me feel uncomfortable."
After listening to this piece of music, he finally understood the situation in the poem "Snow on the River" that goes "No birds have flown away from the thousands of mountains, and no people have been seen on the thousands of paths."
"Brother, please keep your mouth shut." Even though he was drunk, Prince An remembered that he must not offend his fifth brother: "That's the song played by my fifth brother's wife."
"My fifth brother's wife is so young, how could she do such a thing..."
"The sound of the zither is meaningless, but the listener has a heart." Prince Chen interrupted Prince Huai and said, "It's not the sound of the zither that is painful, it's your heart that is painful."
What's so bitter about this song?
It is clearly a song of green mountains and clear waters, leisurely and peaceful. It is like an old man who has experienced many things in life and finally found a place of peace of mind, unloaded all the fatigue, and gained peace of mind and body.
"Where does the music come from?" As night fell, the sound in the harem became particularly clear.
Emperor Longfeng, who was walking with Empress Su, stopped and listened to the music coming from the wind: "It seems to be the sound of a harp?"
"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness Prince An is holding a roasted deer banquet in Zhangliu Palace, and the princes and princesses are all present." Liu Zhongbao replied, "The princes are singing, and the princesses are playing music. It's very lively. Do you want to go and see it?"
"No need. Let them play among themselves. If I go, they will feel uncomfortable." Emperor Longfeng listened attentively for a moment: "This piece of music is played well. I have heard this piece of music a long time ago."
"Your Majesty, please tell me what this song is?" Empress Su was curious: "It sounds very pleasant."
"When I was five years old, my grandfather celebrated his birthday. A musician played this piece of music on a harp." Emperor Longfeng lowered his eyelids. "Later, this musician attempted to assassinate me, but was shot dead on the spot by the Golden Armor Guards."
"assassinate?"
"Yes." Emperor Longfeng nodded. "Later, some people said that the musician was a remnant of the previous dynasty. Since then, no one in the capital has played this song anymore."
More than forty years later, this piece of music has been almost forgotten by musicians in the capital.
"It had been more than a hundred years since the fall of the previous dynasty. Could it be that the remnants of the previous dynasty had not given up yet?" Empress Su felt that if this was true, the descendants of the previous dynasty were quite stubborn.
"It doesn't matter whether it's true or not. No one cares." Emperor Longfeng sighed, "Many people died in the capital at that time."
The so-called remnants of the previous dynasty were nothing more than an excuse for my grandfather, when he was old, to eliminate potential dangers among the court officials for my father.
Unfortunately, what my grandfather didn't expect was that after his father ascended the throne, he acted foolishly without any worries and almost dragged the entire Dacheng Dynasty into the abyss.
When he was only five years old, he watched helplessly as the musician was shot to death and turned into a hedgehog covered with arrow feathers. The musician's eyes were wide open as he died, which made him remember the song clearly.
"The one playing the violin should be Jiuzhu." Emperor Longfeng smiled. Among the young generation, the only one who knew this piece of music and learned it was probably Jiuzhu, who did not grow up in the capital.
"You played it very well, didn't you?" Su Hou gently pushed him and said, "Don't mention this piece of music in front of the children. Don't scare them."
"If I really mentioned it, our son would definitely come to Taiyang Palace to make trouble with me." Emperor Longfeng laughed out loud: "This brat follows me and loves his beloved."
The roast venison banquet was over and the princes were already drunk. Jiuzhu walked up to Prince Chen and saw that although his cheeks were red, he was not like the other princes who were staggering on the table.
"Your Highness, are we going back?"
"Well, let's go back." The Prince stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked forward a few steps. Seeing that Jiuzhu didn't follow him, he turned around and looked at her: "Why don't you leave?"
Jiuzhu quickly followed and grabbed his sleeve: "Your Highness, are you not drunk?"
"Humph." Prince Chen raised his chin slightly: "How can this little bit of wine make me drunk?"
Jiuzhu took the opportunity to hug his arms. There was a faint smell of alcohol on him, but it was not unpleasant.
"Why is there no moon tonight?" Prince Chen suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky.
"It may rain soon." Jiuzhu answered him: "It is always easy to rain during the Qingming Festival."
"Oh." Prince Chen was silent for a moment: "So we can't watch the moon together tonight."
Jiuzhu looked up at him and he looked down at her.
Jiuzhu saw mist-like light in his eyes and a frown on his lips, making him look like a little cutie who felt aggrieved.
Oh, it turns out that His Highness is drunk.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
