Chapter 19 actually touched Gu Zhan, but perhaps he's just not good with words? ...
Shen Mi was almost completely flustered. The decision to go on stage to save the day was one she had agonized over for a long time, and she hadn't made any mistakes until the end of the performance. After accidentally making eye contact with Gu Zhan, she didn't even dare to raise her head again. How could she possibly attract the attention of this Tangut envoy?
Then she felt someone gently pat her forearm. When she looked up, Gu Zhan glanced at her, seemingly to comfort her.
Her lips moved as if she were about to speak, but Gu Zhan first looked at the Tangut envoy sitting opposite her and calmly said, "Your Excellency is joking. In Daqi, the zither is the music of gentlemen, and zither players are always highly respected and are honored guests of the emperor. Tonight, we are using the zither as the finale to express our desire for harmony between Daqi and Tangut. If Tangut shares this sentiment, they can send musicians to Bianjing to learn from each other and be educated in the music and etiquette of the Central Plains, following the example of the 'envoys to Tang' of the previous dynasty. In this way, the two countries can exchange goods and services, and it will surely become a beautiful story in a thousand years."
Gu Zhan's words thwarted the Tangut envoy's attempt to humiliate the Great Qi, without deviating from the core purpose of the Grand Court Assembly or damaging the dignity of either side.
Although the Tangut envoy was displeased, he was speechless for a moment. He laughed a few times, raised his cup to Gu Zhan, and said, "I have long heard that His Highness the Crown Prince of Great Qi is upright and courteous. Indeed, seeing is believing. Today, I would like to toast you as well!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Mi picked up the wine pot on the table, poured wine for Gu Zhan, and then handed it to him.
Gu Zhan accepted the drink from her hand without changing his expression, and without refusing to refuse the Tangut envoy, he drank it all in one gulp.
The banquet was nearing its end. The matters to be discussed had been settled in the morning. The banquet was merely a series of verbal exchanges between the two sides, a back-and-forth that left neither side gaining the upper hand.
Shen Mi sat quietly beside Gu Zhan throughout, refilling his wine when necessary. However, based solely on Gu Zhan's words and reassuring gestures, she couldn't help but suspect that Gu Zhan knew that the so-called guqin player was her, which made her uneasy.
But even when she and Gu Zhan left the main hall to pay their respects to the Empress and take their leave at the Kunning Palace, Gu Zhan didn't seem to show any unusual behavior.
She thought it was just a false alarm, but Gu Zhan suddenly whispered in her ear, "We've been married for almost two months, and I didn't even know you were skilled at the guqin?"
Shen Mi felt a chill run down her spine. He...recognized her after all?
She immediately panicked, wanting to tell the whole story of what happened in the side hall, but she was afraid of implicating others. After hesitating for a long time, she looked up at Gu Zhan and said, "I did not intend to show my face or seek the limelight. It was just a temporary measure."
Gu Zhan glanced down unintentionally and saw himself reflected in her clear eyes, but he didn't interrupt her.
"I want them to know that even if they can defeat my father and brothers on the battlefield, the Great Qi is not without its own strength. However, I failed to inform Your Highness and Your Majesty in advance, which is ultimately my fault. I am willing to accept Your Highness's punishment." After saying this, she lowered her eyes again.
Gu Zhan said calmly, "There's no need for that. This matter is over, there's no need to mention it again."
Shen Mi had thought that Gu Zhan would blame her, and she had already thought about how she should apologize if Gu Zhan punished her. However, she never expected that Gu Zhan, who valued rules and face, would take this matter lightly. For a moment, she did not know how to respond.
Gu Zhan also withdrew his gaze from her and walked half a step ahead of her on the palace path leading to Kunning Palace.
Shen Mi recalled Gu Zhan's words to the Tangut envoy at the banquet earlier. He had indeed acted tactfully, protecting the dignity of the country while also saving face for her. She had heard so much about Gu Zhan when she was still unmarried, so it seemed that Gu Zhan might indeed be a good man.
She couldn't help but ask Gu Zhan, "If it weren't me who was harassed by that Tangut envoy today, but that musician who was originally responsible for playing the zither, would Your Highness have protected her?"
Gu Zhan paused upon hearing this.
The performer was indeed unrelated to him, but would he defend her? He wasn't sure.
"What's done is done, there are no hypotheticals." He did not directly answer Shen Mi's question.
Shen Mi's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, settled down. She didn't respond to Gu Zhan's question. She really shouldn't have asked so many questions. Gu Zhan's actions were out of public interest, and perhaps it was the same for everyone.
The falling snow slowly covered the palace path, and the palace servants had not yet had time to sweep it away. Shen Mi followed closely behind Gu Zhan, stepping in his footprints one by one.
When they arrived at Kunning Palace, several of the palace ladies were also there. Princess Wei had just served the Empress a calming soup. When she saw Shen Mi, she smiled and said, "Sister Shen usually doesn't go out of the East Palace and rarely speaks with me and my sisters-in-law like Chi Ying. As her sister-in-law, I only learned today that Sister Shen's zither skills are actually at the national level."
Shen Mi's smile froze on her face.
If she remembered correctly, Princess Wei was not present when she was in the hall just now, so how did she know that?
Moreover, the fewer people who know about this matter, the better. Gu Zhan also said that this matter should not be mentioned again. However, the Princess Consort of Wei brought it up in front of so many people today, which is like digging a pit for her to fall into. Especially since there is a Lady Rongguo present, who loves to talk about these things with others after meals. If she hears about it, I'm afraid that in a few days, the whole of Bianjing will know about this matter.
Therefore, Shen Mi made up her mind to deny it outright: "Sister-in-law is joking. How could I know anything about playing the zither? My father and brothers are all military generals. I know nothing about these refined literary interests."
Princess Wei placed the jade bowl on the table beside her, stepped closer and stroked her hand, and said with a smile, "We are all family, why are you hiding your talents from us, sister? Although I was not in the palace at the time, I was actually outside the palace when I was amazed by the lingering sound of the zither. I thought it was a musician from a music academy and even wanted to invite her as an honored guest of the mansion. Later, when the maidservant next to me saw you changing your clothes, I realized that it was Sister Shen."
Upon hearing this, the Empress couldn't help but look at Shen Mi, "Is this true?"
Shen Mi clasped her hands together, intending to apologize and explain to the Empress, but Gu Zhan unexpectedly reached out and stopped her. He bowed to the Empress and mentioned that an accident had occurred to a musician from the music hall, and Shen Mi had no choice but to step in. How could he not understand the implied meaning in the Princess Consort's words? He and the Prince of Wei had always been at odds in court. If the Empress really blamed Shen Mi for this incident, and it got out, his reputation would also be used against him by those with ulterior motives.
Gu Zhan wanted to appear closer to Shen Mi in front of the Empress, but since her given name was simply "Mi," he had never called her that affectionately before. He couldn't recall her nickname for the moment, so he could only say, "Mother, she had told me about this beforehand, but the situation was urgent at the time. As the Crown Prince, I had to consider the big picture and not worry about small gains or losses, so I didn't have time to tell you and Father. Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened in the end."
To the Empress, Gu Zhan was her "own son," and she had always favored him. Her questioning of Shen Mi earlier was intended to give her a warning, since the matter would affect the face of the imperial family if it got out. Seeing that Gu Zhan was willing to protect her, she didn't dwell on it. She just looked at Shen Mi and said, "It's good that you are proficient in the zither. If you have time in the future, it would be good for you to come to the palace and keep me company."
Shen Mi glanced at Gu Zhan, then lowered her slightly shrugged shoulders and said to the Empress and Princess Consort of Wei respectively, "Your Majesty and sister-in-law are too kind."
After she finished speaking, she saw that although the Princess Consort of Wei still had a smile on her face, she was completely different from before. This confirmed her guess. The Princess Consort of Wei had brought up this matter not just to embarrass her, but clearly to set a trap for the Prince of Wei and Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan calmly scanned everyone present, realizing that the matter had been brought up publicly tonight by the smiling tiger, Princess Wei. If he tried to cover it up, the truth would eventually come out. It would be better to strike first and spread the news, creating a situation favorable to the Crown Prince and preventing Prince Wei from gaining any advantage.
Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, he entrusted the matter to his subordinates. After settling everything, it was already past midnight. Therefore, he did not return to Qingluan Palace to rest as he had promised Shen Mi before returning to the palace.
Shen Mi was still looking through the sheet music under the lamp while waiting for Gu Zhan. It was past midnight and he still hadn't appeared. She couldn't help but smile bitterly as she looked at the bowl of hangover soup on the table and asked Danju to heat it up again before sending it to the Qin Zheng Hall.
Oh well, I should have gotten used to it by now.
Gu Zhan's plan was indeed one step ahead of the King of Wei. After the Dangxiang envoy left the capital, Consort Shen's performance in the palace moved the entire audience. The fact that she and the Crown Prince were jointly protecting the national sanctity quickly became known throughout the city. The Emperor learned the details from the Empress and was overjoyed, praising Gu Zhan.
People in the capital had already heard the news and sent flattering gifts to the Eastern Palace after court. Gu Zhan didn't even look at the gift list. After glancing at it, he said, "Send them to Qingluan Palace. She knows what to do with them."
After all the gifts and the gift list were delivered to Qingluan Palace, Shen Mi noticed the zither among them at a glance. With just one look, she knew that it was made of the finest paulownia wood.
Her fingertips lightly traced the body of the zither as she asked Sun Cheng, "Is this His Highness's intention?"
Sun Cheng assumed she was referring to the gift list and nodded in agreement.
Shen Mi was suddenly touched and gently curved her lips into a smile.
Actually, Gu Zhan is just not good at expressing himself, right?
A note from the author:
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Thank you all for your support! I'll probably start paying for content next week, and then I'll be posting daily updates!
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