Chapter 116 The Emperor of Chu Changes His Mind
"Your Majesty, Miss Xue's piano skills are extraordinary. The music she plays is precise and flawless. I really don't dare to embarrass myself here." Ye Qingyu bowed slightly, showing her refusal.
When Miss Xue heard Ye Qingyu's words, her eyes instantly turned to the Little Prince of the Northwest. Was the Little Prince rejecting her? Although she had heard her aunt mention that he was devoted to martial arts training and was afraid that he would waste his youth, she declined the marriage proposal.
But in her heart, it would be hard to find another such outstanding young man from a noble family in the Great Chu State. If she could be with him for her whole life, she would be willing to wait for a few years.
Thinking of this, Miss Xue felt a pang of soreness in her eyes. She stood there quietly, her figure frail and delicate.
Seeing this, the Queen's face was filled with smiles. She looked at Ye Qingyu and said, "Qingyu, I have watched you grow up. You have been smart, clever, and well-behaved since you were a child. Since my son passed away and my daughter got married, Ruoxi is the only one in this huge harem who often comes to keep me company. In my heart, she is like my own daughter. Today, for my sake, will you please play a song for me?"
"Your Majesty..." Ye Qingyu secretly groaned inwardly, racking her brains to think of a way to politely refuse the Queen again. Just then, a hearty laugh was heard. It turned out to be the Emperor's arrival.
"Empress, who was playing the piano just now? I came here because of the sound of the piano." Behind the Emperor Chu came a group of palace maids, eunuchs and guards, walking towards him in a mighty manner.
"Oh, Your Majesty, you are here. What a coincidence! Ruoxi played the piano just now, and now it's Qingyu's turn. Please come and let Qingyu play a song. His piano skills are unparalleled." The Queen hurriedly led everyone to bow to Emperor Chu, performing the rituals according to etiquette.
"Qingyu, come and play a song. I want to hear your piano playing today." Emperor Chu looked at Ye Qingyu and ordered with unquestionable majesty.
Ye Qingyu felt extremely helpless. With the arrival of Emperor Chu, all the excuses he had prepared were instantly useless. He could only bite the bullet and respectfully reply, "Yes, Uncle Emperor, Empress, I apologize for your incompetence."
After saying this, Ye Qingyu walked over to the guqin, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down. Then, she lightly plucked the strings and began playing "High Mountains and Flowing Water," a piece symbolizing the encounter between soulmates. The sound of the guqin was like the gurgling of water, sometimes soothing and melodious, sometimes passionate and surging, captivating everyone present and making them feel completely mesmerized.
After the song ended, the Queen was still not satisfied. She smiled and said to the Emperor of Chu, "Your Majesty, Ruoxi just played the song 'The Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix'. I always feel that it seems to be lacking in emotional expression and technique. Why not let Qingyu play it again so that Ruoxi can learn it well. What do you think?" The Queen's words seemed to be talking about the song, but in fact, they contained a deeper meaning. The intention of matchmaking a marriage was self-evident.
"Hmm." The Emperor of Chu nodded slightly, his eyes swept over Xue Ruoxi and Ye Qingyu in turn, and finally looked at Qing Yi standing beside him. He said thoughtfully: "Qingyu, play a song for me. I also want to hear how you play "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix"?"
"Uncle Emperor..." Ye Qingyu couldn't help but look up at the Emperor Chu, his eyes full of rejection. He clearly remembered that Uncle Emperor had promised him not to mention the arranged marriage again, so why did he suddenly change his mind?
"Play it. I want to hear your "Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix" today." The order of the Emperor Chu could not be refused.
What else could Ye Qingyu do? Under the dual pressure of the Emperor and Empress of Chu, he could only reluctantly reach out his hand and pluck the strings again, playing the song "Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix" that should not have been played at this moment.
Qing Yi was indeed quite foolish if he could not see the intentions of the Emperor of Chu and the Queen at this moment.
It was clear that Qing Yi was not stupid, but rather an extremely intelligent person. Since he knew Xue Ruoxi's identity, he also understood the intentions of the King and Queen of Chu. They were trying to bring Xiao Ye and Miss Xue together.
But he didn't quite understand. Xiao Ye had clearly told him before that the Emperor of Chu had given up the idea of granting the marriage. Why was he acting like this now?
Xiao Ye wouldn't bluff or lie to him. Could it be that the Emperor of Chu had changed his mind? Isn't it said that the Emperor's words are golden? How could he go back on his word?
At this time, Qing Yi was observing the people in front of him. Xiao Ye was playing the piano seriously with a focused look, showing no emotion. The Queen was smiling, as if she had achieved her wish. Miss Xue was staring at the little prince of the Northwest with eyes full of admiration.
Chen Yan and Qing Feng stood there, both expressionless, as if none of this had anything to do with them. Qing Yi had a hunch that the Emperor Chu's gaze was always looking at him, intentionally or unintentionally, as if he was examining something.
When the song ended, Ye Qingyu stood up, bowed slightly and said, "Uncle Emperor, Madam Empress, my nephew's piano skills are poor, so I apologize for my poor performance."
"Hey, this song 'The Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix' is played so gracefully and melodiously that it makes people intoxicated. I believe that the talented man and beautiful woman in ancient times must have loved each other so much that they could have played this song." The queen smiled with admiration in her eyes.
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. I will not disturb the pleasure of my uncle and the Empress. I will take my leave first." Ye Qingyu pretended not to understand the meaning of the words and bowed to take his leave.
"Ruoxi, how does the little prince of the Northwest play the piano? Is he much better than you?" The queen looked at her niece with a hint of expectation in her eyes.
"Aunt, the young prince is extremely talented. I am certainly not as good as him. I hope the young prince can teach me more." Xue Ruoxi said softly.
"Your Majesty, why not let Qingyu stay in the capital for a while longer and give Ruoxi some guidance?" The Queen hinted at something, her eyes shifting back and forth between Emperor Chu and Ye Qingyu.
"Well, Qingyu, what do you think?" Emperor Chu looked at Ye Qingyu with a questioning look in his eyes.
"Uncle Emperor, my nephew has important matters to attend to and needs to leave Beijing immediately." Ye Qingyu replied seriously, expressing his refusal.
"Well, Ruoxi, Qingyu does have some important things I've given him to do. When he comes to Beijing next time, I'll ask him to teach you personally, okay?" Emperor Chu spoke in a low and majestic voice. Some people present were happy while others were worried, and the atmosphere became a little subtle for a moment.
Ye Qingyu's heart trembled when he heard this. Was the emperor just going to make the final decision on his relationship with Miss Xue? Although he didn't say it explicitly, who couldn't hear it?
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