"Your Highness, Fourth Brother and Fourth Sister-in-law, don't you like eating 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.
I forgot to invite my fourth brother!
Just as 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.
Their eyes met 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, and the princes were so slow to treat him...
"Thank you." Yun Yanze lifted his robe and sat down at the table.
In this situation, Sun Caiyao felt even more distressed. If it was the former prince, why would he have to put himself in such a difficult position?
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, with their hearts full of flattery.
Of course, the person they wanted to please was not Ming Jiuzhu, but Yun Duqing who was beside Ming Jiuzhu.
Yun Yanze looked at King 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 lead and rolled up his sleeves: "Today, no one wants to be served. What do you think?"
"Okay." King 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 to roast 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 managed to save their face.
Jiuzhu couldn't bear to see them ruining good food, so she put the roasted meat into King Chen's bowl. The aroma of the roasted meat spread to everyone's nose.
When everyone saw that Prince Chen was eating with gusto, their mood suddenly became unhappy. No one succeeded in getting the barbecue, why are you two not getting along?
Prince Chen had no idea that his brothers were glaring at him, or even if he knew, he would pretend nothing had happened. If it were just that, it would be fine. He ate the barbecue, put down his chopsticks, and walked closer to his princess, learning how to barbecue from her.
"Your Highness is amazing."
Oh, I just turned the meat over, what’s the big deal?
"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 learn everything in one go?"
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 very good.
“How does it taste?”
Jiuzhu looked at His Highness's expectant eyes and smiled.
The proud fairy man descended from the sky for her and dyed her with fireworks. The hands holding the seal and the whip were stained with oil and smoke, and in the midst of smoke and fire, he just wanted to grill 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 baking for you."
"Okay."
After a few drinks, King 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 King Huai softly.
When King 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 left with the wine pot in her hand.
"The venison that Second Brother got today is really good." Prince Jing gradually figured out the trick to grilling meat and praised, "No wonder he specially invited his 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 try it?"
"It's a bit salty." Yun Yanze took a small bite and said, "You haven't made these before, this is 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 unidentified object that was roasted black and charred in her hand aside, roasted a piece of meat that was barely presentable, and put it in Prince An's bowl.
Prince An swallowed the meat silently, not even daring to chew it.
"Come, today the five of us brothers gather together to drink a cup." King Huai raised the cup and said, "May... our brotherhood be so deep that we will not 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.
For the second cup, both the prince and princess raised their glasses. When drinking, Prince Chen 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 is very courageous."
Jiuzhu waited for Prince Chen to finish two glasses of wine, then picked out some meat and fed it to him to help him calm down.
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 scene. 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 gather together like this."
Princess An glanced at Jiuzhu and said nothing.
Princess Huai chuckled and said, "We are just talking among sisters-in-law right now, so we don't need to worry about what their men think."
"We women who marry into the royal family always 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 there to thank 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 servant 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 Queen Mother, and was noticed by my mother, and eventually I was 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 it."
The moment the music was completed, Jiuzhu unconsciously put down the teacup and sat up straight.
Even Princess Jing and Sun Caiyao, who were sitting next to their husbands, turned their heads and looked over here.
Princess Huai, who usually looks well-behaved and steady, plays a song that has a bit of springtime 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 alive 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, let's name it "Baozhu Huan"."
Jiuzhu was a little embarrassed: "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"It's hard to find a connoisseur for a good song. It's a blessing for this song to win your heart." 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 cold, sad and lonely, and few people can hear the joy behind the coldness.
It is quiet when all things grow, and it is cool and silent when flowers bloom.
The growth and hope behind this cold and silence 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 considers the most threatening prince's princess as her soulmate, which is a rare sight in the palace.
It's a pity that everyone in the world praises men's affection, but how many writers write about women's loyalty?
Princess An joined in the fun and played a song on her jade flute. Amid the praises from 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, nor do I know how to play such an elegant instrument." Jiuzhu hesitated for a moment and asked the palace servants 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 aristocratic daughters to learn the Xiqin, and they didn't expect Jiuzhu to be able to do it?
"My master often played music for me on the Xiqin. After a while, I learned it." Seeing their curiosity, Jiuzhu talked about her childhood: "Especially on summer nights, when cicadas and insects are chirping and the moon is bright and the stars are sparse, the music echoes 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 made them sober 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 a bird in the valley is 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 glass of cold wine into his stomach.
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 standing there for? Drink some wine." 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 his wife.
King Huai was still shedding tears in his tiger eyes, but none of his brothers went to comfort him. Even King Huai's wife 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." King Huai wiped his face with his sleeves and said, "Who played this song that makes me feel uncomfortable?"
After listening to this piece of music, he finally understood the situation described in the poem “Snow on the River”: “No birds have flown in the thousands of mountains, and no people have been seen on the thousands of paths.”
"Brother, please stop talking." Even though he was drunk, Prince An remembered that he must not offend his fifth brother: "That's the song played by the fifth brother's wife."
"Fifth brother's wife is so young, how could she be so..."
"The sound of the zither is unintentional, but the listener is thoughtful." 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, a leisurely and peaceful song. It’s like an old man who has experienced many things and finally found a place where he can feel at ease, unload all his fatigue, and gain peace of mind and body.
"Where does the music come from?" As night fell, the sounds in the harem became particularly obvious.
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 the Xiqin?"
"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness Prince An is holding a roasted deer banquet in Zhangliu Palace, and the prince and princess are all here." 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 well played. I have also heard this piece of music a long time ago."
"Your Majesty, tell me quickly, what kind of music is this?" Empress Su was curious: "It sounds very pleasant."
"When I was five years old, my grandfather celebrated his birthday. A musician played this piece on a xiqin." 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 have passed, and 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?" Queen Su felt that if this was true, the descendants of the former dynasty's remaining ministers would be 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 the hidden dangers among the court officials for my father.
Unfortunately, what the Emperor’s grandfather did not expect was that after his father ascended the throne without any worries, he acted foolishly and almost dragged the entire Dacheng Dynasty into the abyss.
When he was only five years old, he watched the musician being shot and turned into a hedgehog covered with arrow feathers. The other party's eyes were wide open when he died, which made him remember the song clearly.
"The one playing the violin should be Jiuzhu." Emperor Longfeng smiled. Among the younger 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?" Empress Su gently pushed him and said, "Don't mention this piece of music in front of the children. Don't scare them."
"If I really mention it, our son will 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." Prince Chen stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked forward a few steps. Seeing that Jiuzhu didn't catch up, he turned back to look at her: "Why don't you leave?"
Jiuzhu quickly followed and held 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 bask in the moonlight together tonight."
Jiuju looked up at him and he looked down at her.
Jiuzhu saw a misty light in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth were tense, making him look like a little cutie who felt a little aggrieved.
Oh, it turns out that His Highness is drunk.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
