Chapter 96: Do you think it’s too late for me to learn now?
The boat sailed at a leisurely pace, and after a few days, they went ashore and took a carriage.
As a singer, Ji Yunshu rode in a car with Jin Shi.
In the carriage, Jin Shi sat in the main seat and brewed a pot of chrysanthemum tea. He poured a cup for Ji Yunshu and handed it to him, saying, "Try it. This is this year's new tea. The further north you go, the drier it gets, and it's easy to get a sore throat. Drink this to clear away the heat."
Ji Yunshu took a sip and found the faint floral fragrance mixed with a hint of bitterness. It was indeed quite good.
"It tastes good, even better than the ones in the palace."
Jin Shi almost choked on his tea and coughed before saying, "Ancestor, can you please not say such scary things?"
He was the son of a merchant, but the tea he drank was better than that in the palace.
If this word gets out, the Jin family will be finished.
Ji Yunshu didn't care: "What are you afraid of? Isn't this a very normal thing? If you want to drink chrysanthemum tea, you can process and dry the chrysanthemums. In three to five days, you can drink the freshest one. If the emperor wants to drink it, he has to wait for it to be presented as tribute. After going through layers of screening, the final selection may not necessarily be the best."
Jin Shi: "That's the truth, but there's no need to say it out loud."
Ji Yunshu sipped his tea and said, "I just said it casually. You don't have to react so strongly. When we get home, treat me the same way you treat the singer. Don't let anyone see that something is wrong."
Jin Shi: “That’s a little difficult.”
After spending the past few days together, he discovered that Ji Yunshu actually did not have the sense of superiority that those noble ladies had. She never showed any discrimination against a merchant like him, and was even not picky about food, drink, and expenses, and was very easy to serve.
But it was precisely because of this that he dared not neglect it.
Ji Yunshu raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you act well in your previous play?"
No one has ever questioned whether he is pretending to be a playboy.
Bai Ling sent people to check several times but found no flaws.
Jin Shi was so distressed that he said, "I'm not pretending."
Having lived in that environment since childhood, some things happen naturally.
But this does not include treating the wife of a prince from a marquisate as a singing girl.
Ji Yunshu leaned against the cushions and said with a smile, "It's not that difficult. Just forget about my identity. Don't worry, neither the Zhao family nor the Ji family will repay kindness with enmity."
Jin Shi was not worried, but Ji Yunshu's identity was there, how could he forget it?
He knew that Ji Yunshu's real purpose of this trip was to find someone.
The missing person who asked her to come and look for him in person was not only the emperor's confidant, but also someone very important to her.
If he didn't know that the father and son of the Ji family were both at the border, he would have suspected that it was one of these two people.
But no matter who it is, this person is extremely important and he dare not take it lightly at all.
He said solemnly: "I will do my best."
Ji Yunshu smiled and said, "We'll be arriving in Suzhou soon, young master. You should get used to it sooner rather than later. This identity has its advantages and limitations, and it all depends on you."
Jin Shi saw that she was very calm and composed along the way, without showing any anxiety at all, and he vaguely understood where her confidence in making this journey came from.
She is indeed a woman from a military family.
He nodded and said, "I understand. But since Madam has arrived in Suzhou, she must have to go out more often. Do you... need to learn something?"
He said this in a tactful way, and Ji Yunshu was stunned for a moment before reacting.
A singer, don't you have to be able to sing? Ideally, you should also be able to play an instrument.
In this regard, the original owner could indeed be considered unlearned. She came from a good family, her mother died early, her father and brother were not around all year round, and the empress dowager wanted to pamper her to the sky.
No one would force her to learn something she was not interested in.
Singing as a pastime is not a compulsory course for noble ladies.
In modern times, she loves listening to songs and can sing a few lines, but this is obviously not enough to become a professional singer.
She blinked and looked at Jin Shi: "Can't you just think I'm good-looking?"
She has disguised herself as Yan Lan's face. This face is not as pretty as Ji Yunshu's own, but it has a kind of charm that Ji Yunshu does not have. It is a naturally seductive appearance.
Ji Yunshu felt that this face alone could actually hold him up.
Jin Shi explained to her seriously, "It's not that I mean to embarrass Madam, but when you go out for social events, accidents are inevitable. Our Jin family is being watched again, and if you suddenly show up and any problem is discovered, all our efforts may be wasted."
What he wanted to say more was that once Ji Yunshu was found to have problems, he would be doomed.
Those people are doing things like confiscating property and exterminating families, so they must be very cautious and will not allow any accidents to happen.
Ji Yunshu had no choice but to say, "Then find someone to teach me everything I need to learn."
She is not tone-deaf and has a good voice, so it should not be difficult to learn.
Moreover, she felt that what she should mainly learn was not professional skills.
Living environment will leave traces on people, which will be reflected in their words and deeds.
Etiquette and rules are the key.
She definitely couldn't stay indoors when she went to Suzhou. If she didn't know anything and followed Jin Shi around, it would be easy for something to get into trouble.
Jin Shi nodded: "Singing is easy, what instrument can you play?"
Noble ladies all love to learn music, chess, calligraphy and painting. I heard that this one was taught by the Empress Dowager, so she should be able to do it, right?
Ji Yunshu smiled and said, "Do you think it's too late for me to learn now?"
Jin Shi: "...then forget it."
Many people start learning to play the piano since childhood. If they only learn the basics and can't perform well, it's better not to know how to play.
As for other instruments, there are not many that can be mastered quickly in a short period of time.
Ji Yunshu gave him some advice: "Just tell people that you liked me because I'm good-looking."
Jin Shi was speechless: "This is the only way."
The two of them rode in a carriage all the way, and Jin Shi gave Ji Yunshu some emergency training.
The key point is what the men and women in the brothel are like.
To Jin Shi's surprise, Ji Yunshu accepted the advice well and learned quickly.
Regarding some established rules, she only asked what they were about and never said much.
Jin Shi felt a little more at ease.
A few days later, they arrived at Xingqing, the capital of Suzhou.
It is true that this place is not as prosperous as the capital, but it is also the most prosperous city in the northwest.
Jin Shi went home to see his elders first, while Ji Yunshu was taken to his courtyard by his followers.
The architecture in the northwest is very different from that in the capital. The courtyards are all built with bluestone, and the Jin family's courtyard is even wider and more spacious.
It looks like it makes people feel relaxed.
Ji Yunshu was placed in the side room next to the main house.
Bai Ling helped her wash up.
Yin Ye looked around the furnishings in the room and sighed, "They say merchants have money and live as well as nobles. That's certainly true."
Ji Yunshu laughed and said, "A fallen noble is nothing but an empty shell. How can their food, clothing, and daily expenses compare to those of a wealthy merchant?"
To be honest, no matter where you are, money is the bottom line.
Yin Ye said, "Indeed, the food and supplies we have had along the way are no worse than at home."
Ji Yunshu smiled but said nothing. She guessed that Jin Shi was afraid that she would say something else about being better than the palace, so he probably restrained himself a lot along the way and didn't bring out his best things.
As the master and servant were talking, a sneer came from outside: "How shameless! A singing girl dares to compete with the Jin family in terms of expenses."
Ji Yunshu looked up and saw a woman who was graceful and charming in every move she made walked in.
Seeing the other person's beautiful eyes looking at her with caution, Ji Yunshu laughed.
"Who are you?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
