Ignorance is bliss! Only with more knowledge can one develop a sense of awe. Qin Mu felt a pang of recklessness whenever he recalled his two previous actions. This served as another reminder of his own arrogance.
An individual's strength is always insignificant in the face of a nation, especially for someone as weak as himself. This operation also gave Qin Mu a direct understanding of the power of the Tang Dynasty's upper echelons, even if it was only a part of it. He couldn't understand how Li Shimin managed to stage a coup with so many experts and such complex relationships. However, he could also guess that Li Shimin had many supporters and his methods were sophisticated.
"Tomorrow, you should learn some etiquette from your aunt. I will prepare the tuition fee," Qin Qiong instructed.
"Do I need to prepare a separate apprenticeship gift?" Qin Mu asked. He knew that the so-called "tuition fee" was a gift for the teacher, but it was just an ancient custom, consisting of red dates and cured meat, with more symbolic meaning. Ordinary students would also receive tuition fees, since scholars often ate and stayed at their teachers' homes. However, Li Gang certainly wouldn't give any money, which was why Qin Mu asked if a separate gift was needed.
"Do you have anything good?" Qin Qiong asked. This was another problem. The apprenticeship ceremony couldn't be like other weddings and funerals, where one could compete to be generous and give a lot of things, could it? That's why Qin Qiong asked his son if he had anything suitable.
"No, the suitable ones are too cheap, and the good ones aren't quite right." Qin Mu thought for a moment about the Heavenly Mystery Tower's collection, then shook his head.
"Never mind, I'll prepare it together," Qin Qiong said, waving his hand.
"Thank you, Father."
Qin Qiong told Qin Mu to go and rest, and that he would prepare everything. Not long after Qin Mu returned to the courtyard, Aunt Zheng arrived in a flurry with a group of people. Without saying a word, she began to grope him with various items.
It's clear that they're measuring his body – head, shoulders, waist, and feet – using various objects to measure each part, and even drawing numerous marks on a piece of cloth using something like a stone.
They came and went in a hurry. The people that Aunt Zheng brought with her left quickly. Aunt Zheng was like a commander who could command with ease. With a wave of her hand, two middle-aged women came to Qin Mu again.
Qin Mu recognized the two women as Zheng Yiniang's personal maids.
"Young Master, we will now teach you manners!" the two said, and then began to earnestly correct Qin Mu's every move.
Under their training, Qin Mu realized how inappropriate his behavior was in their eyes. Walking and sitting were just the most basic things. The size of his lips opening when speaking, whether the corners of his mouth should turn upwards or to the sides when smiling, and how much they should move—all these had requirements.
Fortunately, Qin Mu possessed powerful memories, and his physical strength had greatly increased, so doing these things was quite easy for him. The difficulty lay in maintaining it. Maintaining this state felt extremely difficult and uncomfortable for Qin Mu.
The intensive training was originally planned for a day and a half, but Qin Mu accomplished it in less than half a day. Aunt Zheng left one person behind to supervise and remind him before leaving satisfied.
Like a machine, Qin Mu was manipulated for a long time, and he felt stiff. He thought he could relax a bit the next day, but unexpectedly, a group of people came from the palace early in the morning. A middle-aged palace maid said that the Empress had ordered them to come and instruct him on etiquette.
When people from the palace came, Qin Mu realized how many times stricter the requirements were between royalty and nobility. The tone of voice, the volume of one's voice, the specific part of a person one should look at, and even the angle of one's body and head movement were all strictly regulated.
After another long day of running around, Qin Mu felt more tired than ever before, yet he couldn't refuse such a kind offer.
"Tell me, all I want is to become an apprentice, why all this trouble? They even had to send someone from the palace to teach me." Lying in his chair, Qin Mu complained to Cheng Huaimo and the others who came to see him after get off work.
"Hehe! Of course, you don't need anyone from the palace to become an apprentice, but isn't there still that person here? You can learn now, and it will come in handy when you get married!" Cheng Huaimo said with a smile, gesturing towards the distance.
Qin Mu glanced at the elegant and languid figure on the sofa and couldn't help but swallow. The loose clothes couldn't hide the undulating curves. Qin Mu, who had personally measured her, knew how astonishing the size was.
At this moment, Qin Mu was very fond of his memory. The smooth feel of the hand was still fresh in his mind, and the warm feeling of his hand still seemed to linger in his hand when he unconsciously clenched it.
Thinking about all this, Qin Mu found himself looking forward to getting married soon, so that they could have more time to openly and legitimately be together.
Noticing Qin Mu looking at her, Princess Changning raised her head slightly, revealing a sweet smile, her eyes filled with undisguised affection.
Qin Mu felt a warmth in his heart and returned the gaze with fiery eyes. That intense gaze made Princess Changning feel her body burning, and her cheeks involuntarily flushed red.
Cheng Huaimo, feeling disgusted by the display of affection, rolled his eyes, gave Qin Mu a disdainful look, and then got up to stare at Yuchi Baolin. After all, Yuchi Baolin was eyeing his sister covetously.
"I'm going to chop off those dog paws!" Cheng Huaimo thought viciously as he looked at Yuchi Baolin's large hand landing on his sister.
As Cheng Huaimo walked over, he glared fiercely at Yuchi Baolin.
"What?" Yuchi Baolin asked, completely oblivious.
Cheng Huaimo felt like he was about to explode, but he couldn't lash out. After all, the relationship between Yuchi Baolin and his sister had already been accepted by both families. It was fine for them to secretly enjoy their little romance, but if he revealed it, it would be a bit embarrassing for his sister.
"Huai Dao! Take a look, is this a suona?" After teaching Qin Yuxin for a while, Cheng Lin took something out of the box she had brought and asked.
"Hey! You actually found it! Have you learned how to use it yet?" Qin Mu asked after taking a look.
"Of course I learned it! My mother had someone find it for me!" Cheng Lin said with a hint of pride. She was very happy to have found what she needed in such a short time.
"Once you learn how to use it, things will be much easier! You teach me how to use it first, and then I'll create the music." Qin Mu said with a smile, a smirk playing on his lips. He could imagine the Cheng family's house filled with the sound of suonas lately.
"Great! This instrument has a really special sound, with strong penetrating power, comparable to the deep, resonant sound of a bass drum," Cheng Lin said with satisfaction, nodding in agreement.
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu's smile widened, and he said with a smile, "I'm glad you like it."
Any instrument, well! The beginner's playing is awful! Cheng Zhijie must have suffered a lot. Thinking about this made him feel much better.
As for the suona, Qin Mu knew nothing about music. If he did know anything, it was only the ones played at weddings and funerals, which he had heard many times and could try to transcribe.
………………
Four thousand words tonight!!
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