“Hey, it has nothing to do with background. Aren’t there plenty of people from good families in our harem? The Empress and Consort Jing back then, and Consort Ning, Consort Ke, Consort Rong, and Consort He now, which one of them didn’t come from a prominent family?” Fen Dai said.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
In the evening, His Majesty came to Zhenxia Pavilion.
During the meal with Consort Mei, Consort Mei mentioned Consort Duanyi a few times.
"Sister Chen is really efficient. She only mentioned it this morning, and she had people set up by noon."
Shu Chengfeng chuckled: "Are you praising her? It's rare to see you mention anyone like that."
"It's not just me praising you; everyone here has been praising you all day. They all say that Your Highness manages the harem very well. Everything about you is wonderful," said Consort Mei.
"Haha, that's true. At first, I was thinking of covering for her. After all, with her temper... I didn't expect her to pick it up so quickly," Shu Chengfeng said.
"Yes, Sister Chen is a remarkable person."
"As for her, I admire her for her shrewdness. She does everything openly and beautifully. Her painting skills are unmatched in the harem. Although you can paint, you are far inferior to her. Consort Xia used to paint well, but compared to her, it was a completely different story."
"Her calligraphy is also very elegant. I am not as good as her. I have seen many women in the harem, there were many in the late emperor's time, and there are many now. But there is not one with her character. Sometimes I think she was born to be in the harem."
"By the way, her horsemanship is also exceptional. Back in Menghai, I was no match for her."
Consort Mei was extremely surprised: "Your Majesty, are you... serious? Is Her Highness's calligraphy really better than yours? You're not very good at painting either, so that means Her Highness is better than you in calligraphy, painting, and horsemanship?"
That's a fool of a man; he just blurted it out.
The palace maids were all astonished.
"Hahaha, I have no choice but to admit defeat," Shu Chengfeng laughed.
Yan Nangui was at Zhaochun Palace when he sneezed a few times.
The seventh princess patted her on the back: "Mother, Mother, are you sick?"
"No, I guess he got yelled at." Yan Nangui rubbed his nose.
"If anyone dares to insult my mother, I'll tell my father!" The Seventh Princess said, hands on her hips.
"Okay, okay, just tell me what you want?" I've been pestered by my daughter for a long time.
"I want to learn the zither! Fourth Sister plays the zither, it sounds so beautiful! I want to learn too!" The Seventh Princess shook her head as Yan Nangui returned.
Yan Nangui sighed, "Study, study, study! Even those useless things are worth learning. Learn whatever you like. But don't let it interfere with your calligraphy practice." Whether you learn other things or not is up to you. If you don't master the basics, you'll just be illiterate. That's absolutely unacceptable.
"Thank you, Mother! You're the best!" the Seventh Princess said happily.
"Ideally, you could say 'ideally' ten thousand times a day. Whoever satisfies you is the best." Yan Nangui rolled her eyes.
The next day, Yan Nangui ordered the Imperial Household Department to send over a zither.
It just so happened that Yunji was on his way to the Imperial Household Department when they met. He told His Majesty about it when he returned.
"A zither? What would you need that for?" Shu Chengfeng asked in surprise.
"They say the Seven Princesses are going to study here," Yun Ji said.
"Can that girl really sit still?" Shu Chengfeng didn't believe it.
"Perhaps she just suddenly got excited. Anyway, she's a princess; if she can't sit still, she won't study." Yun Ji understood perfectly.
So in the afternoon, Shu Chengfeng hurriedly went to the back.
Sure enough, as soon as I entered Zhaochun Palace, I heard the sound of a zither, but it was extremely unpleasant to listen to.
He was about to go in when suddenly the music changed.
It's a very simple piece of music, like a mountain stream.
It was played so smoothly that it couldn't possibly be someone like the Seventh Princess, who was just starting out, who could play it. So where did they find someone to teach her?
Shu Chengfeng stepped inside.
The person playing the piano didn't stop either.
Upon entering, His Majesty was stunned. The one playing the zither was... Yan Nangui.
The seventh princess was still listening with her face in her hands.
As the song ended, the Seventh Princess clapped her hands happily: "Me too! Me too!"
"You...you can actually play the piano?" Shu Chengfeng stared wide-eyed.
"Yes, I have studied them." It's not surprising that noble ladies have studied music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; the original owner of this body had also studied them.
"I just praised your calligraphy and painting to Consort Mei yesterday, and today you've given me a zither?"
"Are you so idle that you're talking about me with other women?" Yan Nangui glared and immediately got angry.
"Tsk, look at you. She just praised you for doing a good job, so I just said it without thinking. I only said good things about you, how could I talk about private matters? Don't be angry, don't be angry, we're in front of the children." Shu Chengfeng chuckled.
Yan Nangui rolled her eyes at him.
"Come, Mother, sing another song." Yan Nangui rolled her eyes at His Majesty and snatched the song away.
So they played him a song with a murderous aura.
Shu Chengfeng was both amused and exasperated: "Just play it properly."
Yan Nangui was probably itching to play, so he touched the strings and started playing properly.
This piece isn't difficult; it's melodious and pleasant to listen to.
Although the seventh princess didn't understand, she listened very attentively.
Shu Chengfeng also sat down and listened quietly.
This melody is like autumn waters brimming with affection, yet it is not about romantic love.
It's more like the sorrow of parting between close friends or confidants.
The melody of "Wild Geese Return South" played softly, growing more and more familiar. As the last note faded, even Jiang Xiang shed tears.
"This piece is good, but don't let it be too melancholic. It's best not to play it again," Shu Chengfeng said.
"Mother, I want to learn." The Seventh Princess stood up.
"Go ahead and learn. Your mother will find you a teacher in a music academy to guide you through the basics," Yan Nangui said.
The seventh princess ran off happily.
"Why are you suddenly playing such a sad tune? What's making you so upset?" Shu Chengfeng pulled Yan Nan back up.
“No, that’s just how the music is. I just played it.” She sighed. “Don’t you know my past?”
"I do know, but not in detail. I wonder if, when you were a young girl in love, you also had a handsome man you liked?" Shu Chengfeng asked deliberately.
My intention was simply to make her happy.
Yan Nangui rolled her eyes: "I was tricked into marriage at fifteen, and became a divorced woman at seventeen. Back then, who did I like more than you?"
"Tsk, why are you saying all this, woman?" Shu Chengfeng frowned.
"Oh, you don't like hearing this anymore? You didn't say that when you asked me about my brother-in-law the other day," Yan Nangui laughed.
Seeing her smile, Shu Chengfeng smiled too, but still tapped her on the head: "Alright, don't talk nonsense."
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has sent word, summoning Your Highness to come over," Shuanzi said from outside.
"I will go with you," Shu Chengfeng said.
"Okay, I'll change my clothes." Yan Nan went to wash her hands and changed her clothes. The two of them went to Ruining Palace together.
Upon hearing that His Majesty had also arrived, the Empress Dowager was somewhat surprised, assuming that Yan Nangui had done it on purpose.
Naturally, I was displeased.
The two went in, paid their respects to the Empress Dowager, and then sat down.
"I am called Consort Duanyi. Does the Emperor have time for me?"
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