Chapter 14 How could Xiao Zhuo, who cherishes beauty, possibly show any tenderness or compassion...?
Zhong Changjun, who was used to seeing all sorts of things and was usually unmoved by anything, couldn't help but lower his eyebrows and feel his heart jump with nervousness when he saw the woman in front of him doing this.
The emperor addressed him, saying, "Zhongchangjun."
Zhong Changjun understood, turned around and drove the cat away, taking it to another room.
As the door opened and closed, the sharp edges that had been prickly all over her body seemed to slowly recede, her breathing gradually calming. She abruptly withdrew her arms and said, "I apologize, young master, I have overstepped my bounds."
Xiao Zhuo didn't say much and sat down at the table.
"It is already past midnight, and the Buddhist temple is locked. We cannot go down the mountain today, so we will stay here for the night."
Yuan Chaolu was taken aback for a moment, then straightened up again and thanked him, "Thank you, young master. But this is your residence. Will my staying here disturb your rest?"
“It’s alright.” Xiao Zhuo observed her in the darkness.
Although her complexion had returned to normal, her subtle expressions betrayed her inner unease. Her eyes wanted to look around, but she was afraid of offending anyone, so she only glanced at them out of the corner of her eye. Her gaze finally settled on the paulownia wood zither under the window.
"May I ask if this zither belongs to you, young master? Its design is truly exquisite. You must be extremely knowledgeable in music and skilled at playing the zither?"
"Living in the mountains with nothing to do, I express my feelings with the zither, which is worse than nothing. Young lady, why don't you tell me about your childhood and why you are afraid of cats?"
She seemed surprised that he would ask that question, and a hint of astonishment crossed her face.
Yuan Chaolu's eyelashes trembled slightly: "It's embarrassing to tell you, young master, but the truth is that I was bullied when I was young and was locked in the woodshed with seven or eight stray cats for several days. I had a nightmare and dreamed about being injured by the stray cats again. When I woke up and saw your cat by the bedside, I thought I was still dreaming. If I have offended you, I hope you will forgive me."
If her fear was deliberate, then Xiao Zhuo had to admit that her disguise was indeed excellent.
Xiao Zhuo asked, "Miss, you say your surname is Zhou. Which branch of the Zhou family do you belong to? Is it the family of the Grand Secretary Zhou, or the family of the Censor Zhou?"
Yuan Chao appeared hesitant and said, "The capital is full of noble people, and the people you mentioned are not people a woman like me can associate with. I am just an unknown woman named Zhou, who came to the capital to seek refuge with relatives and await marriage."
"But..." she seemed to have reached a point she found difficult to talk about, and sighed, "These days, my fiancé is planning to break off the engagement, and the wedding will probably have to be called off. The relatives who are staying here also want to get rid of me. Although Luoyang is a prosperous city, there is no place for me to stay. Staying at home, I face a lot of gossip, so I came to this Buddhist temple to worship Buddha."
Xiao Zhuo asked, "How did they mistreat you?"
"They've neglected me. It's always like this when you're living under someone else's roof, suffering cold stares and ridicule... I'm not as talented or knowledgeable as the noble ladies of the capital, so they use that to make fun of me. They hope I won't stay in the capital. Even if I stayed in the mountains today, I'm afraid they wouldn't send anyone to look for me, cough cough..."
She covered her mouth and coughed lightly, her eyes reddening. "I understand why my fiancé wanted to break off the engagement. After all, an engagement arranged by our elders forces two incompatible people together. If it were me, I wouldn't want to either."
Xiao Zhuo: "So, you're unwilling to get married?"
"If I could, I would naturally not want to, but I have no choice in the matter."
She forced a smile, revealing dimples, and changed the subject: "I have been in the capital for a long time, but I have not made a single friend. You are the first person to treat me so gently. Even though I damaged the Buddhist scriptures, you did not say a word of reproach. May I ask how to address you, sir?"
Xiao Zhuo simply smiled and remained silent.
Was she this gentle when she was little? Unlike her more demure older sister, the youngest daughter of the Yuan family was originally more quick-witted and agile, but now she has become like this.
She then looked at the paulownia wood zither and smiled, "Young master's zither is truly exquisite. I have longed to have one since I was a child, but my family has never provided me with such an item."
Xiao Zhuo said, "If you don't want this marriage, why don't you tell your elders?"
"I certainly wouldn't dare, that elder is too..."
Yuan Chaolu hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "My family has strict rules and my elders are very authoritative. I am really afraid of offending them, so how could I dare to mention annulment? Besides, after the annulment, my situation will probably be even more difficult."
As they were talking, Zhong Changjun returned from outside, entered the room, walked to the bedside, and poured her a cup of warm tea. She was slightly surprised, thanked him softly, and accepted the tea.
The rising steam from the tea blurred her features.
Xiao Zhuo suddenly asked, "Did your family provide you with any formal education? Have you read the Four Books and Five Classics?"
"Huh?" She paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "Of course I've studied it."
When she lies, her eyebrows droop, and she pretends to be weak. Xiao Zhuo saw her expression and understood. He said in a low voice, "The zither you have your eye on is called Duan Hong. Its tone is clear and melodious, and it is famous throughout the world. It was made by a famous scholar from the ancient state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period. It can be called a peerless zither. If you want it, I will give it to you."
Yuan Chaolu had not expected the zither to be so valuable, yet he casually gave it to her.
"Thank you for your kind offer, young master, but how can you do this? I mentioned it casually, not that I wanted you to part with it..."
The moment she finished speaking, Xiao Zhuo interrupted her, saying, "I have plenty of zithers; I don't lack any."
Yuan Chaolu followed his gaze and saw that he had already stood up. In the flickering lamplight, his face was shrouded in shadow, and his eyes held a smile, but it was faint and unreal.
"Since this is given to you, you must study it well. Otherwise—"
"Miss Aju, think carefully about how you want to make amends to me."
Yuan Chaolu agreed, but only realized what was happening after he and Zhong Changjun had left.
She only casually mentioned the zither to strike up a conversation with him, to curry favor with him, and also to fabricate her past so that he would feel pity for her. How did it all come to her learning the zither?
The torrential rain fell from the sky, creating a white mist in front of the steps.
The world was pitch black, with only the candle in Zhong Changjun's hand emitting a faint light.
The Emperor said calmly, "Send someone to investigate tomorrow how the Yuan family has treated her."
Zhong Changjun keenly sensed the emperor's subtle displeasure and bowed, replying, "This servant understands." Suddenly, the emperor added another sentence.
"Go and find me a few more reliable teachers to teach her the Four Books and Five Classics."
Zhong Changjun remembered everything carefully and followed behind. He then heard, "According to the standards for the enlightenment of royal children, the classics should be explained in a simple way so that she can understand them."
Upon seeing this, Zhong Changjun felt a surge of emotions within him.
The fact that the second wife of the Yuan family was able to hold such a prestigious but leisurely position as a compiler in the new dynasty was all due to the old friendship between the Xiao family and Zhou, the eldest wife of the Yuan family, which was already a great favor from the emperor.
How did the Yuan family dare to bully the second young lady of the Yuan family?
Despite the myriad emotions swirling within him, he ultimately uttered only a respectful "Yes."
**
Zhong Changjun immediately carried out the emperor's order, and the next day, clean robes were delivered to the side room for Yuan Chaolu to change into.
Zhong Changjun bowed and said, "The Buddhist temple is a quiet place, and the young master does not like servants to attend to him, so he has not hired a maid for you. I hope you will understand."
Yuan Chaolu quickly stepped forward: "Not at all, not at all. I am only temporarily staying at Chanxu Temple. How could I trouble you, young master, to find me a maid? I am already extremely grateful to have you personally teach me the zither."
Upon hearing these words, a subtle smile appeared on Zhong Changjun's thin face.
Yuan Chaolu felt a strange sensation that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Zhong Changjun said, "Then the young lady should tidy up the room a bit, and the zither lesson will begin soon."
Yuan Chaolu hummed in agreement, returned to the table, and sat down with her robes drawn up. Her blue skirt spread out on the floor like water. Just sitting there, her graceful figure made one feel that she was truly worthy of the peerless ancient zither in front of her.
After a stick of incense had burned, Yuan Chaolu's unease was confirmed.
The teacher who taught the zither was someone else, not the Prince of Yan.
A man with a jade crown and wide belt walked slowly into the house. He was about thirty or forty years old, elegant and refined, with a demeanor as majestic as a mountain and as expansive as a river. As he walked, the jade pendant hanging from his waist swayed gently with his steps.
The visitor gently placed the zither on the table, his gaze lingering on Yuan Chaolu for a moment before turning to Zhong Changjun and smiling, "Who has such great influence that they would trouble His Majesty..."
He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, as if realizing he had misspoke, and raised his hand to cough lightly, covering up the rest of his words.
"I am truly grateful that you have invited me to teach you the zither."
Yuan Chao's smile froze slightly, but he maintained his composure and said softly, "May I ask who this gentleman is...?"
Zhong Changjun then introduced, "This is Lord Lu, a Doctor of the Imperial Academy."
The man's gaze swept over the broken zither on the table, and he frowned, saying, "He actually gave you this zither? When I asked him for it, he refused outright."
Seeing that Yuan Chao looked puzzled, the man said, "My name is Lu Xuanmo."
When Yuan Chaolu first entered Luoyang, he often walked among the pawnshops, pawning and selling things. His name was widely known.
Lu Xuanmo, a renowned scholar, was considered the most romantic figure of his time. He was the younger brother of the current Empress Dowager. Unlike his elder brother, who held a high position in the court, or his nephews, who were busy scheming in the imperial court, he was only fond of nature. It is said that his song "Remembering the Pine Waves" could stop the waves of the Luo River. Many powerful and wealthy people spent thousands of gold coins, but none of them could win his favor and have him play a song for them.
However, her whereabouts were unpredictable. The Prince of Yan actually went so far as to enlist the help of such an elusive figure for her sake.
Lu Xuanmo said, "The young master you mentioned also learned the zither skills from me."
"So it is Lord Lu. I am truly honored to receive your guidance today."
“It’s not that you’re incredibly lucky,” Lu Xuanmo casually plucked a few notes, his gaze falling on her with a meaningful look, his tone playful, “it’s that young master who invited me here. He owes me a favor because of you. Little lady, you should be thanking him.”
Lu Xuanmo didn't say much and began his lecture.
About an hour later, Yuan Chaolu's fingertips ached terribly, and the smile that had been on her face vanished coldly after Zhong Changjun left.
She had no interest in learning the arts of playing the zither or the lute.
Touching this musical instrument feels more like being subjected to torture, as if adding layers of shackles to oneself.
She had thought that the Prince of Yan's personal instruction would give her a chance to get close to him, so she smiled and agreed. Little did she know that the person who came was actually her uncle.
Lu Xuanmo was said to be unrestrained and free-spirited, but in reality he was excessively wild. After teaching her for only a short while, he picked up the jade pot he carried and began to instruct her while drinking wine.
Unfortunately, this person is also her future uncle, so she has to make a good impression on him.
Her elder sister had told her to study poetry and literature diligently in order to gain the favor of the heavenly family, but she found those poems and prose difficult to read and boring...
Thinking of her older sister, her previously loose and limp knuckles slowly tensed up again, and she continued to practice her finger techniques diligently.
Well, at least the Prince of Yan spent a lot of money to invite Lu Xuanmo, or he owed the other party a huge favor.
It's good enough if he puts effort into caring for me.
Lu Xuanmo finally spoke, saying calmly, "Let's end today's zither lesson here."
Yuan Chaolu, whose face originally showed a hint of weariness, immediately smiled upon hearing this, "This student will see you off, sir."
As the two walked outside, they saw Zhong Changjun coming towards them.
Lu Xuanmo smiled and said, "Miss, you seemed distracted and unsettled during class today. Were you dissatisfied with my teaching? Such neglect is disheartening to me. I must pass this on to you, sir."
Yuan Chaolu's smile vanished instantly.
Lu Xuanmo called Zhong Changjun to his side and whispered something in his ear. Zhong Changjun looked at Yuan Chaolu, his brows furrowed, and nodded repeatedly.
After Lu Xuanmo bid him farewell, Zhong Changjun went straight to the main room deep in the courtyard.
That was the residence of the King of Yan.
Soon after, Zhong Changjun returned with a summons: "The young master summons you."
Zhong Changjun's handsome face, which was always kind and gentle to her, now revealed a hint of coldness.
"Please bring your zither, young lady, as the young master wishes to check your studies."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Chaolu broke out in a light sweat on the back of her neck. She said "Good" and, carrying her zither, went out of the house with Zhong Changjun.
Upon reaching the Prince of Yan's room, Zhong Changjun gestured for her to stop and wait.
"Please wait a moment, young lady. The young master is currently discussing matters with someone."
A gentle breeze wafted by, causing the pine trees to rustle softly.
This quiet and secluded house, located in a Buddhist temple, is inconspicuous. However, at this moment, it is filled with important ministers of the current dynasty.
As everyone was discussing matters, the stern-faced man sitting to the emperor's left, the founding duke Jia Li, rose and presented a letter with both hands, informing him of the border war situation.
"Your Majesty is unaware of what happened this morning. It was truly absurd that the letters from the King of Roulan and the King of Gaoche arrived at the post station one after the other, and the two envoys met in Luoyang."
The emperor had the Grand Minister of Works read the letter aloud to him, while he toyed with the teacup in his hand. The sunlight streaming in from outside framed his face, illuminating his serene and composed expression.
He smiled and said, "The surrender documents were sent faster than the battle reports. I overestimated them. After a few defeats, they became more and more eager to serve, even wanting to become vassals and acknowledge me as their sovereign and father."
Jia Li smiled and said, "It is His Majesty's brilliant strategy."
Grand Minister Cui Ming said, "I would also like to see what it will be like when the Roulan Kingdom comes to pay homage to Your Majesty and calls you 'Father'."
He unfolded the letter, glanced at it, and said, "This King of Gaoche is more astute than King Roulan. Seeing the situation was unfavorable, he sent a letter early on, wanting to submit to Daqi, fearing that the war would spread to his own side. As for King Roulan, the letter said that he wanted to discuss the matter of ending the war in detail, and also said..."
Cui Ming carefully observed the emperor's expression before speaking the rest of his words: "I wish to send a daughter for a marriage alliance."
The emperor asked, "Are there any unmarried members of the imperial clan in the court?"
Cui Ming lowered his head and took a sip of tea. He looked at Jia Li across from him for a long while before raising his head and carefully saying, "Old King Roulan has truly been blinded by greed. His intention is naturally that the princess should be matched with the emperor."
The Emperor chuckled lightly: "That's an excellent plan. He can keep his daughter for himself, but he'll definitely give me more territory."
His voice was clear and cheerful today, clearly indicating that he was in a very good mood. He said, "Although the King of Roulan is willing to submit and has presented me with seven towns, they are places where Han and Hu people live together, with different customs, making them difficult to manage. I plan to build those places into important military towns and disperse and relocate some of the Hu people there. This needs to be handled properly to prevent any riots. I need a capable person."
Jia Li pondered for a moment, "In the Northwest, the Helan family is most familiar with all the forces. Perhaps after the war, we could send Helan Yi there..."
The Emperor raised his hand: "Helan Yi is good at fighting, but he lacks the skills to manage such a complex situation."
Jia Li exchanged a glance with the person beside him, and Situ Cuiming said, "That General Lü Zhao..."
The emperor said, "Lu Zhao is too old and too mature. He is inflexible and will not be suitable."
The people inside the room suggested several candidates, but the emperor rejected them all. The atmosphere inside the room, which had been warm and friendly, gradually became tense. At this moment, Zhong Changjun came from outside to report.
"My lord, Miss Aju has arrived."
The emperor finally spoke: "You and your group should discuss this carefully and select those who are capable of managing their subordinates and are flexible. Present the list to me on a chosen day. Go."
Jia Li and the others rose and respectfully took their leave.
Upon reaching the entrance of the palace, the group saw a beautiful young woman in a green dress holding a zither, waiting outside. She gave them a graceful bow, her skirt swaying as she brushed past them.
The ministers stopped in their tracks and exchanged glances.
The Grand Marshal coughed lightly, smiled and bid farewell to everyone, then took the lead and left. The rest of the people also tacitly kept silent, refraining from discussing the unspeakable matter.
The door was closed, cutting off the view of outsiders.
Yuan Chaolu carried her zither inside. As she entered, she brushed past a young man. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she seemed to see the solemn military officer she had seen two months ago in the Buddhist temple in Lintao County.
The man was tall and had a cold face, almost exactly matching the person in her memory. However, she was backlit and only caught a quick glance. When she tried to look again, the palace doors had already closed.
So much has happened in this period of time. Let alone the encounter two months ago, even if Chaolu were to recall the face she saw five days ago, she would probably only have a blurry image left in her mind.
The officer I met at the Buddhist temple must be in the northwest; he wouldn't be in the capital.
The shadow cast by the Helan family was so deep that she is now easily frightened at the slightest disturbance.
Yuan Chaolu breathed a sigh of relief, looked up, and saw the Prince of Yan sitting there leisurely, watching him.
He was in a very good mood today, probably because he had encountered something pleasant in his official duties. He had a slight smile on his face, and his eyes were as clear as spring water as they were bathed in sunlight.
"Come here, come over here."
Yuan Chaolu walked to the table, slowly put down the zither, and only when he got closer did he realize that what he was playing with in his slender hand was a ruler.
"What did you learn in your piano lesson today?"
Yuan Chaolu raised her head and met his gaze. His eyes were deep at the corners and long at the ends. Even though he was ruthless, there was a hint of affection in his smile.
Do you remember what I told you last night?
“I remember.” Yuan Chaolu lowered her eyes and said softly, “Young Master said that if I don’t study the zither properly, I should make amends.”
He said, "It's good that you remember. First, recite the passage from 'The Treatise on the Qin': 'Those who wish to cultivate themselves must first rectify their hearts.' If you can't answer it, this ruler won't be as gentle with you as I am."
His voice was languid, as if he genuinely pitied her, which made her heart tighten slightly, as if someone had gently pinched the back of her neck.
He was by no means the kind of person who would show mercy to women.
As he spoke, he opened her palm. Yuan Chaolu instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but he forcefully pulled it in front of her.
“Miss Aju, please don’t be offended. I am just as strict when disciplining my disobedient younger brothers and sisters in the clan. I have been extremely lenient with you.”
His breath brushed against the back of her ear so lightly that it sent a sudden, subtle shiver down her spine.
Without even looking, he knew he was watching him.
She regretted it; in truth, she didn't really want to get close to the Prince of Yan.
A note from the author:
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That's how the emperor started taking girls around.
There's a red envelope dropping in this chapter, mwah~
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