Chapter 25: Palace Banquet (1)
"If only I had your awareness and character!" The girl beside her was so serene and calm that she envied her and couldn't help but sigh.
She and Mr. Qu had a quarrel, and it was nothing to do with the maid. Chu Qingluo smiled softly and asked suddenly, "Mr. Qu once said that my temperament was not suitable for learning the zither, and he even kicked me out of the side hall. So, do you still want it?"
"Sir... is that really what you said?"
Meng Ying'er suddenly felt incredible. After thinking it over, she shook her head and replied solemnly, "Then I don't want it. I don't want to be disliked by the master..."
The master actually kicked Qingluo out of the side courtyard. No wonder she hadn't come to the master for advice in a few days. It turns out there's a rift between them...
Although Mr. Qu was usually a bit strict, he was not unreasonable. The girl frowned and thought deeply, still curious about what had caused Mr. Qu to be so unhappy. "Are all the words you just said true? Did Mr. Qu really say something harsh and expel you from the side hall?"
She lowered her eyelashes in guilt and told the maid frankly, "I asked the princess to add the names on the list, and this action angered the master."
"So it was you, Qingluo, who persuaded the princess..." Finally understanding why this delicate look had angered the master, Meng Ying'er suddenly came to her senses and sorted out the cause and effect. "The master felt that you had acted on your own and broken the rules of the mansion!"
"I have to say, you really understand the gentleman." Chu Qingluo smiled calmly and stopped talking to the girl.
She must have known what kind of temper Mr. Qu from the Music Bureau had, but she just deliberately did it to provoke him.
Knowing the whole story, the maid didn't blame him, but only cautiously reminded him: "The master hates students having evil thoughts and ruining the justice of the mansion. You have violated a great taboo. It would be strange if the master is not angry."
"You must never do this again. If the master gets angry and tells all the other students about it, you will have no place to stay in this mansion."
I thought that after Meng Yatou was told about this, she would say a few words for the master and blame her, but I didn't expect that the girl would persuade her kindly and not pursue the past.
"I just wanted to go so badly, I didn't know that Master cared so much about it." She raised her eyebrows slightly, blinked her bright eyes at the girl, and her eyes were filled with some regret. "Ying'er, don't tell anyone, I beg you to do this..."
Thinking of how the master got drunk in the stone pavilion this morning, Meng Ying'er hesitated for a moment, then suddenly opened her mouth: "So, the master is because of you..."
"I'm just a student. Even if you care, it wouldn't be because I'm drunk. You think too highly of me."
Chu Qingluo knew what the girl wanted to say, but she flatly denied it and responded in a nonchalant manner.
Little did the girl know, Mr. Qu had already fallen into Yunluo Tian's net. Ever since the first day he entered the mansion, when he had no intention of seeing her secret, she had wanted to imprison his heart and make him follow her closely.
Meng Ying'er felt that what she said made sense. How could a man like the master, who had no interest in other things, get drunk for a girl? She couldn't help but lower her eyes and sigh, "It seems that the master is really upset because of the palace banquet..."
In the following two days, everyone practiced their piano diligently and had no time to care about the rumors that were circulating. The matter of her secret meeting with Master Sheng was also left unresolved.
But the mansion rules were still in place, and the girls did not dare to get close to Master Sheng for fear of angering him.
Two days had passed, and the Music Bureau finally welcomed the day of banquet and music performance.
Along the long and winding palace road, Mr. Qu walked at the front, and several musicians followed behind him. From time to time, they looked around and marveled at the grandeur of the palace.
The palaces with carved railings and jade bricks are like jade buildings, solemn and luxurious.
However, she had already seen every corner of the imperial city. The scenery was no longer the same as before. One more look would make her feel as if her heart was being cut by a knife.
Chu Qingluo walked slowly, the blood-stained mountains and rivers, the desolate scene once again emerged in his mind, the pain spread to every part of his body, but he could not get back the good old days.
This was originally the palace of Long State. She wanted to take back everything she had lost and make sure they... died without a burial place.
Her sleeves were lightly clenched with her bare hands, and she calmly followed the elegant figure into the hall. She saw that the palace maids in the hall had already filled the cups of sake for the soldiers present, and then stepped aside.
Princess Mu Xiao sat leisurely, and offered a few glasses of wine to the soldiers around her. When she saw a pure figure like snow entering the hall, her eyes could not be moved away, and her eyes were filled with joy.
Across the hall, on the other side sat an unruly man, his posture erect and resolute, radiating an air of majesty and indescribable dignity...
It must be the national defense general Sun Chong.
Although this man had made many military achievements for Daning, he was greedy for beauty and liked beautiful girls. He indulged in licentiousness and indulged in women for many years.
Seeing the beautiful zither girl brought by the Grand Master of Music, the general was immediately stunned and his eyes fell on several women without any concealment.
"Are these girls the Qin Ji that Mr. Qu brought here?"
Qu Hanjin bowed respectfully, his words and actions expressing his elegance: "Indeed, General Sun and the princess can enjoy themselves to their heart's content. The Music Bureau will present a few songs for the celebration banquet."
After the master retreated to the corner, the noble ladies in the hall, led by Miss Xu, sat quietly, listened to the slow and leisurely tunes, and then played the melodious piano together.
The pleasant sound of the piano lingered and lingered in the ears of the soldiers in the hall, intertwined with the sound of clinking glasses.
She had practiced this piece for many days, and even without learning it, she could still play it flawlessly. Chu Qingluo lowered her eyes and listened to the music, trying her best to keep her head down so that Sun Zhong wouldn't see her beautiful face.
The sound of the piano tells of the calm wind and flat sand, and the flying geese traveling thousands of miles. It is like the ethereal clear spring in the mountains, or the gentle breeze blowing through the twigs, magnificent yet graceful.
She stroked it calmly, her eyes falling on Miss Xu's strings. Her phoenix eyes revealed an imperceptible coldness, as if she was plotting something.
When the song ended, all the musicians bowed their heads in greeting, and applause broke out everywhere, especially the great general, who kept clapping and laughing.
"Wonderful, wonderful!"
Sun Zhong looked straight at the zither girl that Mr. Qu had brought with him, his expression of favor written on his face. He smiled meaningfully at the Grand Master of Music and said, "The music is beautiful, and the lady is also very beautiful. Mr. Qu is very lucky..."
The gentleman standing in the corner of the hall did not answer.
Everyone present knew that General Sun was outspoken and never thought about what he said. Mr. Sun did not pay attention to it and followed the general.
But Princess Muxiao couldn't stand the slander and quickly stood up to defend the master: "The general has been away from the battlefield for a long time and hasn't returned to the palace for some time. I don't know that Mr. Qu has always been clean and self-disciplined, which is very different from the officials in the court."
Sun Zhong was displeased upon hearing this. With his eyes narrowed, he asked meaningfully, "My Lady, are you saying that this general is not chaste and is flirting with women everywhere?"
"That's not what Mu Xiao meant. Why would you apply that to yourself, General?"
Mu Xiao replied in a solemn voice, still retaining some respect for the general, but he would not allow anyone to say anything wrong about Mr. Ren.
The figures on both sides of the banquet were in a stalemate. Qu Hanjin saw the situation and stepped forward to pay his respects, then bowed gracefully.
"General and Princess, there's no need for you to quarrel over Qu. They've always supported each other on the battlefield. It's not worth it to ruin their relationship over such a trivial matter."
Mr. Qu is indeed a man of tact. He eased the embarrassment at the palace banquet with just one word. No wonder His Majesty admires him.
Sun Zhong lowered his gaze and looked at the silent musicians, his greed stirring.
"Excuse me, sir, can you give one of the women to this general?" Sun Zhong narrowed his eyes slightly, unable to hide his lustful heart, and after a few moments he solemnly swore.
"I will definitely treat her well!"
A hint of coldness flashed across Qu Hanjin's usually humble and modest face. He remained silent for a moment, then followed up the general's question and asked, "Which girl from my school has the general taken a fancy to?"
Then he quietly watched several beautiful figures entering the hall. Sun Zhong looked around and saw the pretty faces of all the women in front of him, but he only saw one girl with her eyebrows lowered, and he could not see her face clearly.
Curiosity was growing stronger, and the general raised his hand and pointed, signaling her to stand up straighter: "You, raise your head and let me see."
However, Sun Zhong had not expected that the moment the girl raised her eyes, her rosy face was like a lotus weeping in the dew, her hair was like mist and clouds, and she was extremely bright and beautiful.
After just a glance, the general felt that all the beauties in the world could not compare to her.
"Come and serve me. If you serve me well, I will reward you handsomely."
Sun Zhong didn't know where Mr. Qu found such a beautiful woman, so he would never let her go. He chuckled and raised his sleeves to let her serve him.
The dim eyes turned cold again. Qu Han looked at the delicate figure unconsciously and saw that she was calm as usual. She seemed not to be frightened by General Sun's behavior and looked very composed.
She seemed… fearless.
But no matter what she was thinking, she could not leave the service. He looked back respectfully and replied calmly: "I think I am trying to spoil your pleasure, General. This Qin Ji is the most frail and sickly girl in the academy."
"She caught a cold a few days ago and also had a headache. If she gets sick again and infects the general... Qu can't bear the consequences."
Although he was greedy for sex, he still had to save her life. If this woman really got a strange disease, it would be a waste of time.
Sun Zhong showed disdain on his face, and the joy he had just felt disappeared without a trace.
"This woman is so beautiful, is she really so unlucky?"
"Cough cough cough..." Seeing this, Chu Qingluo covered her lips and coughed weakly, which made the general beside the desk even more disgusted.
This delicate girl was unapproachable, but other women might be acceptable. Sun Chonghui looked at the other Qin Ji and said with ulterior motives, "Well, then, let's change a girl. Who among you is willing to serve this general?"
The few people standing in the hall were silent, each of them seemed to have their own thoughts. Some were unwilling, while others were willing.
General Sun is a great general who guards the country and holds the power of a large army. If you gain the general's favor, you will have endless glory in this life.
However, the idea of clinging to someone only lingered in their hearts, and no one dared to respond boldly, simply because the young lady Xu in charge had not spoken yet, and the gentleman was watching from the side, so they did not dare to stand up easily.
After a long silence, a man suddenly walked forward with a cold and arrogant demeanor and a complacent air.
It turned out to be Xu Anyao, the legitimate daughter of the Xu family.
How could she let go of the opportunity to climb up the social ladder right in front of her? Miss Xu smiled gracefully and introduced herself to Sun Chong.
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