After inquiring about Shen Ning's injuries, they decided to have some tea and chat first, since they weren't going to eat quickly.
Princess Chang Le asked curiously, "Was that Qin Zhuo just now? What did he want with you?"
Shen Ning: "I was just passing by when I saw Han Yin causing trouble, so I helped him out of the situation."
It's not convenient to talk about the matter of sending the knife.
Princess Chang Le: "I heard that Qin Zhuo saved you."
"yes."
Princess Chang Le: "It's really amazing. I've only ever heard of him killing and bullying people, but I've never heard of him saving anyone."
Qin Zhuo had a bad reputation, and Shen Ning had no intention of explaining for him. She only said, "He was probably in a good mood at the time and just happened to save me. Regardless of whether he is a good or bad person, he is my savior."
That makes sense. Princess Chang Le couldn't very well tell Shen Ning to stay away from her savior, as that would be ungrateful.
"And what about Han Yin? Why did he come?"
Shen Ning: "He said he was apologizing to me on behalf of his uncle, Lord Lin. But Lord Lin was wronged, so how could I accept his apology? We argued when I refused, but fortunately, Young Master Qin spoke up for me and helped me resolve the issue."
Princess Chang Le: "..."
Why did it sound like she didn't even recognize these people when they came out of Shen Ning's mouth?
Han Yin apologizes, Qin Zhuo helps?
------
Shen Ning had three long tables set up in the warm pavilion. Princess Chang Le and Shen Ning sat side by side in the middle, Du Yunzhi and Ye Feiyan were on the left, and Li Feibai sat alone on the right.
While Shen Ning and Princess Chang Le were chatting, Ye Feiyan and Li Shaobai were chatting about other things, with Du Yunzhi occasionally chiming in, so no one was left out.
The wine, dishes, fruits, and snacks were all served, but Princess Chang Le wondered, "It seems like something is missing."
Shen Ning immediately understood: "There's a zither nearby."
When Liu Ying returned, she immediately brought out the zither, and Mo Xue'er helped move the zither table.
Just as Shen Ning was about to get up and go over, Princess Chang Le stopped her: "You're injured, why are you playing the zither?"
After saying that, he got up and walked over, sitting down quite readily.
He raised his hand, stroked the zither, and a series of casual notes flowed out, followed by a musical piece.
It was a melodious and gentle tune, pleasant to the ear but interspersed with endless sorrow and longing.
Just as Shen Ning was wondering if Princess Chang Le was in a bad mood, the melody suddenly changed to a battle song of iron horses and golden spears, with the sound of zithers ringing out, swords flashing, and fierce fighting taking place.
Everyone listened intently, their eyes glued to the woman playing the piano with such absorption.
Finally, the music ended, the last note faded, the battle subsided, and the lingering melody echoed in the air.
"Clap clap clap!"
The group clapped and praised.
Shen Ning: "Fortunately, the princess didn't make me play. My zither skills are just as good as my archery skills."
Princess Chang Le, who was immersed in the artistic conception of the zither music, instantly broke down: "You really dare to say that."
Shen Ning's archery skills are indeed exceptionally good.
Ye Feiyan stood up: "With the princess's masterpiece before me, I dare not compete. I will only play a piece and make a fool of myself."
Ye Feiyan played an ordinary piece, melodious and grand, but not particularly captivating. However, they weren't competing; it was just for entertainment.
After Ye Feiyan finished playing, Li Shaobai put down his wine glass and said, "I won't argue with you about playing the piano. When I went to the south before, I met an old musician from a music hall and learned a local tune from him. I'll sing it for you."
He cleared his throat and began to sing in a low voice, in the language of the South. They couldn't understand a single word, but that didn't stop them from appreciating the beautiful imagery of the melody.
Of course, the most important thing is that Li Shaobai's voice is very clear and clean, and every word he sings has a unique charm. Moreover, he is handsome and pleasing to the ear and eye.
Shen Ning felt like she was getting drunk even while drinking tea.
Suddenly remembering something, I looked to the side and saw Princess Chang Le staring wide-eyed. But since everyone was watching, it didn't seem out of place.
The tune is short and finishes in no time, leaving listeners wanting more.
Ye Feiyan exclaimed in amazement, "I really didn't expect you to know this. You kept it well hidden. If Miss Shen hadn't been injured, you probably wouldn't have brought it out."
Li Shaobai said with a slight embarrassment, "I really like these tunes, but it's not good to show such hobbies to others. If my family knew, they would definitely scold me for not doing my job properly. It's just that the atmosphere is good today, so I'm showing off a little bit to satisfy my selfish desires."
Only after speaking did she realize that Princess Chang Le's identity was special, and she quickly begged for forgiveness: "Please keep this a secret for me, sister-in-law."
Shen Ning looked at Princess Chang Le, only to see her smile gently and say, "You let me hear such a beautiful melody, so keeping it a secret for you is no problem."
Shen Ning laughed too, laughing at herself for worrying unnecessarily.
Princess Chang Le is heroic and poised, able to take things in stride and let them go; why should she worry about these things?
Once the music started, the cold, hard atmosphere disappeared. After that, there was no need for anyone to perform. Everyone chatted and talked about all sorts of fun things, enjoyed the flowers, the breeze, and the scenery, and ate hot pot of mutton soup.
Considering Shen Ning's weak condition, they didn't stay long and dispersed after finishing their meal.
Du Yunzhi gave Shen Ning a lot of instructions and even wanted to stay, but Ye Feiyan couldn't stand it and half-dragged and half-persuaded her away.
After she left, Princess Chang Le secretly slipped Shen Ning a bracelet, an ordinary silver bracelet with a gemstone inlaid in the middle.
"This is a magical bracelet with three needles inside. Each needle is coated with a drug that can make someone momentarily unconscious. You can aim the petals at the enemy and press the gem to fire. It can be used three times in total."
This is to save her life.
Shen Ning grasped it: "Thank you, Princess."
Princess Chang Le sighed, "Thank you, but could you please stop calling me 'Princess' all the time? Call me by my name next time."
Shen Ning: "......"
Princess Chang Le suddenly looked at her: "You don't know my name, do you?"
Shen Ning blinked. Ah, this... was a mistake.
The flattery was well done, but unexpectedly, a slip-up occurred.
Princess Chang Le was so angry she wanted to hit her: "My name is Li Xuan, the Xuan in Xuanji Yuheng."
Shen Ning readily agreed: "Ah Xuan."
Li Xuan tapped her forehead a few times in annoyance, gritting her teeth: "I'll let you off this time because you're injured, hmph!"
Shen Ning touched her nose. A good child usually listens to a scolding, admits their mistakes and corrects them, and won't do it again next time.
After seeing Princess Chang Le off, Shen Ning thought it was finally over, but when she turned around, she saw Li Shaobai sitting there in a daze.
Liu Ying, who was serving nearby, whispered to Shen Ning, "Young Master Li seems to be drunk."
"?"
It was just fruit wine, and she didn't drink much. Du Yunzhi wasn't even drunk.
"Young Master Li?" Shen Ning walked over and saw Li Shaobai staring blankly in one direction, looking as if he were truly drunk.
"Go and call Young Master Li's attendants to help him onto the carriage, and find two more people to escort them."
Firefly: "I'll go right now."
Shen Ning adjusted her cloak and stood guard to the side, when suddenly a hand tugged at her sleeve: "Ah Xuan..."
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