Luthier (1)
The breeze twisted its body and leaned through the window lattice of Liuxiangju, spreading out a few wisps and slipping into the house, bringing a hint of coolness.
After opening their eyes, Xiao Lin and Mu You returned to the Liuxiang Residence in Tianling City.
I don’t know if it’s because Wu County is much farther away from Tianling than from Yunchong, or for some other reason, but this time the spinning was more violent than ever.
As soon as Xiao Lin landed, he couldn't control the churning in his stomach and vomited.
Fortunately, they were in the inner courtyard at the time, otherwise if the tea drinkers in the front hall saw them, their reputation would be ruined.
Mu You stood beside Xiao Lin and helped her to calm down for a long time before she calmed down a little.
Since Xiao Lin was speechless, Mu You took the initiative to speak for her: "Boss Chu, what's the story this time?"
As usual, Chu Mo slowly began to speak: "The final chapter of the original story, the princess and the zither player, their zither breaks and their love is torn apart, it is extremely sad. The zither player is timid, afraid of love like a tiger, and avoids the lover; the princess is alone in the world, wandering in a foreign land, suffering humiliation and torture. In the end, the beauty is unfortunate, and dies unjustly, and dies in depression on the road to the underworld..."
"Your mission is to bring lovers together, to help His Highness escape the abyss of suffering. Remember, there is still the ritual of tea and soup, which must be shared by both of you for the ceremony to be complete."
In fact, for Yu Muyou, every time Chu Mo said this pretentious opening, he had to spend a lot of effort to understand it, and most of the time he had to rely on Xiao Lin to explain it to him later.
Now, Xiao Lin was too exhausted from vomiting to do anything, so he had to rely on himself to do the reading comprehension.
"A cowardly musician, a princess who was to be married off to a foreign country, lovers finally got married, and both of them had tea..." Mu You tried his best to recall Chu Mo's words, leaving only these few fragmented keywords.
At this time, Xiao Lin had almost finished vomiting and felt a little better.
"Boss Chu, you said that the protagonist this time is the princess of our dynasty. So how can we get close to her?" Xiao Lin wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth, straightened up with difficulty, and spoke weakly.
It seems that Wan Mian’s story last time had a great impact on her, and she has become so cautious.
But it’s okay. The more detailed the questions, the greater the chance of success.
So Chu Mo arched his eyes and smiled, and said mysteriously: "Don't worry, I'll be there soon."
Xiao Lin and Mu You, confused, looked at each other and stood there.
At this moment, Chu Mo took out two pieces of malt sugar from somewhere and handed them to Xiao Lin and Mu You respectively: "After you finish eating, go to the front hall to help."
Ever since meeting Chu Mo, Xiao Lin always felt that he was a person who couldn't be weirder.
Whenever they asked about his origins, he avoided the question, and although the booklet he gave them didn't contain any details, he knew all the details.
Could it be that he had experienced it himself?
While Xiao Lin threw the malt sugar into his mouth, he cast a curious look at Chu Mo who was walking away.
Never mind, there will always be a chance to clarify things later. The important thing now is to get in touch with the protagonist of this story.
As usual, there was still a constant stream of tea drinkers coming to Liuxiangju.
Xiao Lin and Mu You, who hurried to the front hall, looked busy just cleaning the tea table, not to mention the constant shouting of bill payers, which made them breathless and sweating.
Amid the noise, a traveler with his left eye covered with a white cloth knocked on the door.
"Excuse me, is Mr. Chu here?"
The man had a soft and pleasant voice and a polite smile, so Mu You immediately went to greet him.
When Mu You looked carefully at the man in front of him, he was surprised to find that he was carrying a huge guqin on his back.
Even though he had doubts in his heart, he continued to ask, "Sir, what do you want to do with Boss Chu?"
"I have something to ask you." The man replied kindly.
"Boss Chu is in the back hall, please follow me." As he spoke, Mu You skillfully put the rag on his shoulder, dusted off the dust on his body, and led the man to Chu Mo.
Chu Mo was still holding an ancient book and reading it carefully at this time. When he saw the man coming, he closed the book properly, straightened his clothes and sat in front of him.
The man bowed to Chu Mo, then slowly took off the guqin from his body and placed it in front of him.
Only then did Mu You realize that this zither had no strings.
"Boss Chu, I have done as you wish..."
Before the man could finish his words, Chu Mo interrupted him with a wave of his sleeve. He turned around and said to Mu You, "Go, call Xiao Lin over as well. Let others do the work at hand."
Although Mu You was mumbling something, he still did as he was told. After a while, he pulled Xiao Lin, who was still working in the front hall, over.
"Don't you want to see him?" Chu Mo stretched out his hand and pointed at the man in front of him, "Isn't he here?"
Not only Xiao Lin and Mu You, the man was also surprised by Chu Mo's sudden words.
At this moment, Xiao Lin and Mu You hurriedly took the opportunity to carefully examine the person in front of them - no, wasn't this supposed to be the story of the princess and the zither player? This person clearly looked blind in one eye, how could he play the zither?
"You two... are looking for me?" The man was confused and asked first.
Xiao Lin and Mu You didn't know how to answer for a moment, so they could only look at Chu Mo angrily.
Chu Mo took a sip of tea and then made up a story: "They are both immortal children from heaven. They can resolve the troubles of the world and reverse the flow of time. They can help you correct your past mistakes and make up for the regrets in your heart. Why not give it a try?"
What nonsense is this? Xiao Lin and Mu You were both confused after hearing it.
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, the man chuckled and said softly: "I understand..."
As he spoke, the man placed his hands behind his back and asked Xiao Lin and Mu You with a smile, "Would you two like to hear a somewhat complicated story from me? It's about a great princess and her...best friend."
Things have come to this point, although Xiao Lin still has doubts, he nodded silently.
Then, the man opened his mouth and told his story——
According to legend, although the fourth princess in the palace, Li Chiyin, was still young, she was deeply loved by the Empress Dowager and had been passionate about zither music since childhood.
Any minister who entered the palace would recommend a musician if he wanted to please her. Li Chiyin was delighted to hear this, and the empress dowager was also happy, and she gave him a lot of gold and silver rewards.
As a result, this move has become a profit-making act known to all officials.
It happened to be the Empress Dowager's birthday, and the palace was bustling with activity.
I heard that the Empress Dowager wanted to invite a band to liven up the occasion, but even though there were actors and actresses in the palace, this time she wanted to listen to folk music.
Therefore, for this birthday banquet, she ordered to find a satisfactory band outside the palace to perform in the palace.
Li Chiyin was nine years old at the time, at the age of playing. She was trapped within the palace walls every day, and she always wanted to take a look at the people's lives outside the walls.
Everyone says that she is crazy about music, but few people have thought that what she prefers to listen to is the idle chats the musicians tell her after the music. These few words are a rare joy in her boring life.
The Empress Dowager's birthday banquet was naturally grand, with all the officials gathered together and the Ministry of Rites making great preparations. Gold and silver utensils were laid out on the table one by one, looking magnificent. In addition, the candlelight was brilliant, and the scene was very lively.
Because of the birthday party, Li Chiyin wore a lot of heavy jewelry.
These ornaments were indeed a burden to her as a nineteen-year-old child.
Amid the busy chatter of the maid, Li Chiyin sat obediently in front of the mirror for a long time. She only stood up after the last hairpin was inserted into her bun.
Looking around, Li Chiyin noticed the palace maids hurrying around her. She curled her lips slightly, lifted her skirt and tiptoed out of the bedroom.
Fortunately, there were many trees in the palace, and the petite Li Chiyin successfully avoided the gazes of the maids and eunuchs on the road and sneaked into the back garden.
When she was about to abandon her etiquette and sit down on the grass like a common man, her ears suddenly caught a melody.
She twisted her body to peek over and suddenly caught sight of a group of people standing in the back garden playing music.
Li Chiyin leaned out a little further, rubbed his eyes, and scanned the group of people. He was pleasantly surprised to find a figure that didn't fit in with the others.
In a group of tall and extraordinary people, the thin child was playing an out-of-tune sandalwood harp.
His arms were not long enough to make his movements seem more hurried, but fortunately it did not affect the overall rhythm, and the song remained melodious and pleasant.
Li Chiyin was lost in thought and only realized after the band stopped playing that what attracted her was not only the moving music, but also the boy who was not much older than her.
She didn't understand why such a young child didn't lie in her mother's arms and act like a spoiled child, but instead followed the band to the palace to practice repeatedly?
Perhaps he truly loves music! Li Chiyin thought so.
At noon, the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet officially began. Civil and military officials came to the court to congratulate her. The birthday gifts were dazzling and all kinds of rare treasures were a feast for the eyes.
The favored Li Chiyin was arranged to sit with the empress dowager. The endless praises did not bother her at all. Now, her mind was full of the musicians she had just seen in the back garden, especially the boy.
After the ministers presented their birthday gifts one after another, the birthday banquet reached its climax with the empress dowager waving her sleeves. Musicians and dancers entered the hall, and the emperor and his ministers drank fine wine together, clinking glasses and enjoying the sound of drums and music.
But Li Chiyin's gaze was fixed on the boy playing the piano.
She was full of curiosity about him. She wondered what kind of musical talent allowed a child of his age to play such a beautiful piece of music?
The more she thought about it, the more lost she became. She was so obsessed that she didn't even start eating, causing the delicious food in front of her to lose its appeal.
The birthday banquet lasted for a long time, and Li Chiyin finally got the chance to inquire about it.
"Grandma Empress Dowager, Chiyin likes the music played by these musicians. Can you let them stay in the palace for a while longer?" Li Chiyin held the empress dowager's elbow and swung it left and right, acting coquettishly.
The Queen Mother loved her very much and would not refuse.
She narrowed her eyes and replied, "If Chiyin likes it, she can certainly leave some of it. However, she has to make a living, and it's inconvenient for her to stay in the palace for too long. How about this, I give them some silver and ask them to play a few more songs for you?"
After she finished speaking, the Queen Mother waved her hand and asked the eunuch serving beside her to hand over some shining silver and bring it to the leading musician. After a few whispered negotiations, the musicians formed up again and started playing their instruments.
The beautiful tune sounded in his ears again, and Li Chiyin stared at the boy intently.
But under the comfort of the music, she gradually closed her eyes, and suddenly the scenery of mountains and flowing water appeared in front of her eyes. She was comfortably intoxicated in the beautiful mountains, waters and trees.
After playing a few more songs for Li Chiyin, the Queen Mother allowed him to leave.
Li Chiyin hurriedly followed and stopped the boy walking at the end of the team at the palace gate.
The group bowed to her under the guidance of the eunuch, but she didn't care. She simply grabbed the boy's sleeve and turned to the eunuch, saying, "Eunuch Wang, please take the others out of the palace first! This princess wants to talk to him about music."
Eunuch Wang was also a sensible man. He bowed and saluted, then led the other musicians away.
The boy did not know Li Chiyin's purpose. Instead, he was afraid and hugged Tan Qin even tighter in his arms.
His eyes were panicked, and he didn't know where to put his head. "Princess...Princess, what do you need me to do..."
Li Chiyin hurriedly shook her head, her face full of smiles: "This princess wants to ask your name."
"Your Majesty..." The boy couldn't help but glance at Li Chiyin a few times, then stammered, "Your Majesty's name is Jiang Yu..."
"How old is he?"
"It's the time of early childhood."
Li Chiyin rolled his eyes and continued to ask, "Then why did you follow those musicians?"
"I lost my mother and father when I was young. It was Master and his family who took me in. I am deeply grateful, but survival is difficult. Master cannot raise me for nothing. I must do my best for them, so I took my zither and traveled around early on."
After receiving this reply, Li Chiyin paused for a moment, thinking for a moment, and then asked, "This princess particularly likes the music of your group. Do you have any other plans in the near future?"
"Princess, I need to ask Master. I don't know..."
"No need to ask. You will all move into the palace soon. I will have someone arrange accommodation for you. From now on, I will listen to your music every day. I will also take care of all the other matters. You can go back and explain the situation to your master."
After saying that, without giving Jiang Yu any time to react, Li Chiyin turned around and left.
At this moment, Jiang Yu felt both happy and sad.
He was thrown off balance by the princess's sudden order, but he had to admit that this might be a good opportunity. If they could make their band famous through the royal family, their future lives would be easier.
After following the palace maid out of the palace, Jiang Yu, carrying the heavy sandalwood harp on his back, twisted his body and walked through the bustling crowd.
The band's base was some distance away from the imperial palace, so Jiang Yu walked forward sideways, his steps very steady.
When passing by a vegetable stall, he even took out copper coins from his pocket and bought some vegetables and fruits. If he hadn't brought a vegetable basket and had to carry it in his hands, he would have taken some more back.
Chewing an apple in one hand and holding the remaining fruits and vegetables in the other, Jiang Yu walked for a long time before reaching a courtyard.
"Master, I bought some food on the way. How about I cook a dish for everyone tomorrow?" Jiang Yu said to his master while wiping his juice-stained hands on his clothes.
"Aren't you going to the palace tomorrow? If you come back early, you can do it! If you are delayed in the palace, we can just go out and eat." The master replied to Jiang Yu with a smile and took the sandalwood zither from his back.
"You already know?"
"Yes, the palace has sent someone over here."
While Jiang Yu was still marveling at the efficiency of the palace, his master had already walked up to him, reached out his large hand and stroked his head, saying kindly, "I heard from the eunuch who brought the message from the palace that Princess Nianyin has taken a liking to your zither skills?"
Jiang Yu panicked immediately after hearing this and denied it repeatedly: "No, no, no, the princess only asked me to inform Master that you should go to the palace to play music for her. She didn't take a liking to my piano skills."
The master smiled but said nothing when he saw this, but this joke brought back his memories.
He looked at Jiang Yu, who had grown up a little, and slowly said, "When I first met you, you were only this young..."
As he spoke, the master gestured a few times in front of Jiang Yu's waist and continued, "At that time, I saw a child like you, this young, kneeling on the roadside begging, your face dirty. I gave you a few coins and you thanked me repeatedly..."
"Then I squatted down and asked you, and you told me that your father was killed by a wild beast while collecting firewood in the mountains, and your mother also died of illness not long ago. You were the only one left in the family. I felt sorry for you, and the band happened to need a hand in odd jobs, so I kept you by my side."
Jiang Yu had heard this story many times, but he still listened patiently to his master talk about their past.
"You're a clever kid, and you work very efficiently. We all like you very much. But then Duan Feng suddenly said he was going back to his hometown to find a wife and a son, and quit this job. I was just worried about finding a replacement musician, but you stepped forward and offered your services. Not only Duan Feng, but we were all very surprised!"
"Well, it took a lot of effort to get Duan Feng to teach you piano. During those early days, we all noticed that he deliberately took his anger out on you. He made you work during the week and practiced piano hard at night. You have a good temper, so you endured it all."
"But you really don't disappoint me, kid. After just a short period of learning, you've become quite good at playing the piano! You can even play on your own now, hahaha!"
The master said it easily, but only Jiang Yu himself knew how difficult it had been for him all these years.
With nowhere else to go and living under someone else's roof, he could only work desperately, fearing that he would be abandoned if he didn't do enough or didn't do his job well, which would destroy his hope of survival.
Fortunately, he had some talent for playing the piano, and with extraordinary effort, he was able to learn this craft. In this way, even if he was kicked out of the house, he still had a skill to earn a living for himself.
For some time afterwards, Jiang Yu would go to the palace with the band to perform for Li Chiyin, and Li Chiyin would appreciate his performance if he was pleased.
Perhaps it was the mutual understanding between people of the same age, or the mutual attraction between people with the same interests, Jiang Yu found that Li Chiyin was getting closer to him day by day. He no longer avoided her, and one day he opened his heart to chat with her about interesting things.
As a princess, Li Chiyin has been raised and pampered since childhood. Her eyes are clear and bright, her face is round and pretty, and her every word and action is full of the hope that Jiang Yu desires.
To him, she was like the moon, covered with a thin layer of clouds but still bright.
Unlike the arrogant sun, the moon hangs high in the sky, casting a soft silver light, hazy and blurred yet deadly and bewitching.
He was attracted and moved by her, but every night after leaving the palace, he restrained his growing love.
He kept denying himself, trying to give up the hidden plot.
Gradually, he invisibly denied his entire self and his entire future.
He was willing to live in the next life and quietly enjoy every minute with Li Chiyin.
In this way, eight years passed in a hurry. Even though Jiang Yu often followed his master to perform elsewhere, he would still go to see Li Chiyin as soon as he returned to Beijing.
Unlike before, Jiang Yu's figure has become slender in the past eight years. He no longer looks as hurried as he did when plucking the strings, but is now extremely elegant and dignified.
Like him, Li Chiyin also grew into a graceful and elegant woman, with graceful and appropriate gestures.
The only thing that remains unchanged between the two is the piano music they agreed upon.
He played and she listened, and they enjoyed a moment of indulgence and a moment of peace together.
What Jiang Yu didn't know was that when he lowered his head to play the piano, Li Chiyin gave him the same passionate gaze.
She understood the disparity in their status and the unbridgeable gap between them.
But she couldn't control her emotions, and she knew her fate as a princess. She could only engrave the appearance of the man in front of her in her mind and heart before she got married.
As a princess, she was a political vassal from birth.
We are sitting opposite each other, but our hearts are separated by the Milky Way.
That undercurrent of emotion that was difficult to express was hidden between the two of them...
"You're Jiang Yu, right?" Mu You boldly asked after the half-blind musician finished telling the story. "So, what happened to you two in the end?"
Jiang Yu was stunned for a moment, then he snorted softly, his expression gloomy: "Chiyin... Oh no, the princess, she committed suicide..."
"Why did she commit suicide?"
"I don't know..."
"Then why did you become like this?"
"To save her."
The more he listened to Jiang Yu's words, the more confused he became, and Mu You couldn't help but pout.
Xiao Lin stood aside, bypassing Mu You and going straight to the point: "Is there anything you want us to help you with?"
Her words were clear and crisp, like the voice of salvation.
After that, Jiang Yu raised his head slightly, his eyelashes trembling, and looked into Xiao Lin's eyes: "Please go back to my past, find that cowardly me, and then kill him for me..."
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