As she was lost in thought and agonizing over her situation, she heard the cries of phoenixes and cranes, indicating that the various deities who had come to attend the banquet had arrived. Soon after, the hall was filled with the sounds of people chatting and exchanging pleasantries, and the Guangbi Hall became incredibly lively. Wenchang felt somewhat irritated, finding it rather boring to stay there, and decided to sneak home. However, she bumped into Shuangcheng, who was carrying a black lacquered zither inlaid with white jade. Seeing her stand up, Shuangcheng quickly stopped her, saying, "The ceremonial music performance is about to begin; you mustn't move around unnecessarily."
Wenchang had no choice but to sit down obediently. Shuangcheng laid the zither across her face and said, "The previous one wasn't good, so I'm giving you this one instead."
"This one is great. I've tuned it, and the tone is excellent."
“Today’s banquet is extraordinary, so naturally everything must be the best.” Shuangcheng didn’t explain further and simply changed her zither and left. Wenchang strummed the strings resentfully, thinking to himself that the princess was indeed well-educated and reasonable, deeply understanding the principle of “a craftsman must first sharpen his tools if he wants to do his work well.” It was a pity that she no longer had the mermaid pearl and could no longer play the Huaxu Melody of Dream Weaver. Otherwise, he would definitely weave a nightmare for her, making her completely give up on Muyan…
Despite the resentment lingering in her heart, she still obediently began tuning the zither. The newly acquired zither was extremely ordinary in appearance, with a black lacquered body inlaid with thirteen mother-of-pearl frets, ivory-white tuning pegs, and jade goose feet. It exuded a calm and dignified air. After testing a few notes, she found the sound to be melodious and extremely penetrating, a world apart from the zither she had just played. Her own zither was utterly incomparable. She loved the zither. Although she had initially learned it for Mu Yan, she had grown to love the instrument over time. Today, to be able to personally play this rare and exquisite zither was a truly precious opportunity. She couldn't help but put aside her previous unpleasantness and became quite conflicted. Should she just go through the motions and hold Yu Zhi back, or should she seize the opportunity to enjoy this rare and wonderful zither? Later, she realized that Mu Yan was easy to obtain but the precious zither was not. In any case, Mu Yan would refuse the Heavenly Emperor, and if she missed this opportunity, it would be difficult to play the zither again. So she calmed her mind and focused intently on testing the sound.
The order of the banquet performances was predetermined. To highlight Princess Yuzhi's talent, she was arranged to perform last, preceded by various songs and dances. Perhaps feeling it inappropriate for a princess from the Queen Mother of the West to take such an aggressive approach to marriage proposal in front of everyone, all the musicians were veiled. The glimpses of their beautiful faces amidst the music and dance drew praise from the immortals, adding an extra layer of intrigue. Wen Chang had been wanting to see Mu Yan's expression, but unfortunately, the musicians' seats were far from the banquet table, and on the side. She could only hear the guests and hosts conversing happily amidst the clinking of glasses. Occasionally, Mu Yan's gentle, deep voice drifted over, and although she couldn't understand what he was saying, it still made her heart pound.
As the banquet drew near midnight, Shuangcheng rushed in and went straight to Wenchang, asking, "Fairy, do you know the song 'Early Plum Blossoms'?"
Wen Chang nodded.
Shuangcheng breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Emperor Taihao suddenly requested a piece of music and only taught the zither player and flute player to play it together. Because it wasn't prepared in advance, I was a little worried when I was about to start. Since you know it, there's no problem."
Wenchang and the flute-playing celestial official followed Shuangcheng to the hall. After bowing to the assembled immortals, they sat down to one side and began to play. "Early Plum Blossoms" is a qin piece describing the blooming of plum blossoms in February: "When they bloom, they resemble snow; when they wither, they resemble snow; a marvel among flowers. Their fragrance is not in the stamens, nor in the calyxes, but permeates the very core. They capture the breeze of the stream and retain the moonlight over it, putting even the blood-red mountain peaches to shame. Even if they are sparse and faint, they still possess a unique charm." She loved this piece because on that quiet night, when she first met Muyan, the cool, refreshing fragrance of plum blossoms seemed to be Muyan's scent. She fell in love with the piece because of it, often playing it repeatedly when no one was around. Later, after being with Muyan, although she still played the piece often, she could no longer find that melancholy and cold feeling, and couldn't help but lament that she was successful in love but unsuccessful in playing the qin. Perhaps due to my restless mind today, amidst the anxieties of gain and loss, I unexpectedly rediscovered that feeling, bringing the melody to life. So much so that for millennia afterward, people would still occasionally mention that at a celestial banquet, Emperor Taihao requested a piece called "Early Plum Blossoms." The low notes were cold and solemn, the climax light and leaping, making the listener feel as if they were truly on the Er Yue Ridge, watching the plum blossoms sway in the wind, dancing like jade and silver—a truly exquisite piece. Moreover, the fairy playing the zither changed her hand gestures in a single piece, her left hand moving from the "Autumn Magpie Soaring in the Wind" and "Dragon Entering the Sea" to the "Butterfly Floating on Flowers" and "Birds Perching on Trees," while her right hand moved from the "Wind Startled Crane Dancing" and "Wild Geese Carrying Reeds" to the "Hungry Birds Pecking at Snow" and "Fish Swimming its Tail." The sight was dazzling, leaving the audience in awe.
As the song ended, someone spontaneously began to applaud. Wen Chang smiled smugly, then looked up and met the gaze of Emperor Taihao, who was sitting in the main seat in the distance. He glanced at her thoughtfully a few times before looking away.
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