Anping introduced the Zhao family to the emperor: "This is the Zhao family I was talking about. This family is no ordinary family, especially their youngest daughter, who is extremely cute."
Jiang Bai watched Anping and the emperor talking and felt a little curious.
Previously, it was said that the Emperor and Princess Anping did not have a good relationship. The Emperor tolerated Princess Anping several times and indulged her in doing those outrageous things, all because of the Empress Dowager.
But now it seems that these two really have a good relationship.
The Emperor said gently, “If Anping likes it, then the Zhao family must have something special about them. There aren’t many people who can win Princess Anping’s favor.”
After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi: "I heard that Zhao Xile's guqin performance at the Imperial Academy's selection competition for female scholars was renowned, and that piece was composed by Madam Zhao."
Jiang Bai lowered her head and smiled: "Your Majesty flatters me. It was just something I made up when I had nothing else to do."
"Haha—" The emperor chuckled slightly.
His tone was already gentle, but he seemed genuinely amused by Jiang Bai, and his voice rose a little: "Now I understand why Anping likes you all."
"You're not playing by the rules. Since you made this up out of boredom, why don't you give me another one right here and now?" The emperor seemed to be deliberately making things difficult for him, or perhaps unintentionally.
However, Anping did not speak up for Jiang Bai this time; instead, she looked at her with expectation.
Zhao Yi glanced back at Jiang Bai, who raised her head slightly and smiled, "Then this humble woman will make a fool of herself."
"Bring me my zither," the emperor commanded.
Zhao Xile looked at her mother with some excitement. In fact, her mother was an excellent musician, but she had always been so low-key. It was the emperor who had a good eye and knew that her mother was the real expert.
Jiang Bai stopped being modest. This was an excellent opportunity. Since the emperor had summoned the Zhao family to the palace because he admired them, and with the princess's introduction, it would be bad if she acted coy.
She lifted her skirt and sat down in front of the guqin, the strings reflecting a dazzling light under the golden palace.
"This is a fine instrument!" Jiang Bai exclaimed inwardly.
Having come from the apocalypse and witnessed too much devastation, she was filled with a sense of cherishing and admiration upon encountering such a wonderful thing.
The emperor noticed Jiang Bai's mood and asked with some curiosity, "What's wrong, Madam Jiang? Why do you look so worried?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai composed herself and said, "I only feel that this ancient zither is an extremely rare and precious object."
"Madam Zhao has excellent taste! A fine zither deserves a fine melody, please." The emperor gestured with his hand.
Jiang Bai put his hands behind his back and gently poked holes in the strings of the zither.
The music played a cacophony of notes, like pearls of all sizes falling onto a jade plate.
This is a sad piece of music, but at the end of the piece, the melody suddenly changes and becomes cheerful, as if the previous gloom and predicament have suddenly become clear, giving people a sense of hope and relief.
As the melody played, everyone in the hall was drawn into Jiang Bai's emotions until the music abruptly stopped, leaving no one in a state of shock.
Applause came from above, and the emperor's gentle tone seemed to carry more emotion, "I was truly captivated by this piece of music."
"However, this melody doesn't seem to be from our Central Plains." Since ancient times, tunes from different regions have had their own unique melodies, but the emperor had never heard such a tune before.
Jiang Bai coughed lightly and replied, "This tune was made up by a woman, and I don't know where it's from."
The emperor chuckled twice: "Such music is truly rare in the world, so this zither is yours."
Jiang Bai stood up: "This..."
"Your Majesty, this is your zither, I dare not accept it."
The emperor waved his hand: "There are plenty of good things in the world. I can get whatever I want. This zither is perfect for you."
Jiang Bai was also happy; this was a good thing.
She glanced back at Zhao Yi, whose gaze was slightly cool, but whose lips curved into a smile and whose eyes were full of admiration.
"I heard that your Zhao family is in the medicinal cuisine business in the capital?"
"Your Majesty, that's correct." Zhao Yi bowed.
"Medicinal cuisine... is indeed quite good. How is your family's medicinal cuisine business in the capital?"
Jiang Bai hadn't expected the emperor to ask such a question, so he answered truthfully: "The Zhao family hasn't been in the capital for long, but they have already established a firm foothold."
"Send some to the Imperial Hospital in a few days." The emperor's casual remark brought Jiang Bai a pleasant surprise.
The emperor's intention was undoubtedly to establish a connection between the Zhao family and the palace. In that case, wouldn't her medicinal cuisine shop be on par with those imperial merchants?!
Zhao Yi also understood the emperor's implied meaning.
The two men knelt down and bowed, saying, "We will certainly offer the best medicinal herbs to the palace."
"Hey, this is a legitimate business," the emperor said with a smile.
Jiang Bai noticed that although the emperor was not old, he was not impetuous at all. He always spoke in a very gentle and peaceful manner, which gave people a sense of closeness.
However, she also understood that as an emperor, using too gentle methods would not secure his throne. The fact that no one dared to act recklessly in front of the emperor meant that he was far from knowing what he was seeing.
Just as Jiang Bai was pondering, a person rushed in in a panic, "Your Majesty! The Empress Dowager has suddenly had an asthma attack, and the Imperial Hospital can't do anything about it. You must go and take a look!"
The person speaking was truly an old eunuch who had served the Empress Dowager to the very end.
The emperor gave Princess Anping a look and then headed to the Empress Dowager's palace, while Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi stood in the main hall, caught in a dilemma.
Anping knew that the emperor wanted her to handle the family's affairs, but she was worried about the Empress Dowager, so she said a few words to the others and then left.
Just as he reached the door, he suddenly turned around: "Madam Zhao, please come with me."
Jiang Bai nodded, said a few words to Zhao Yi, and then Zhao Yi took the child and left the palace to go home.
The palace was extremely large, and the main hall was some distance from the Empress Dowager's palace.
Anping and Jiang Bai rode in a carriage, hurrying towards the Empress Dowager. The sound of the carriage wheels scraping against the ground filled the entire palace road.
Jiang Bai noticed Princess Anping's anxiety and comforted her, "Your Highness, the Empress Dowager is blessed with good fortune; everything will be alright."
"If that's the case, that would be best." Princess Anping sighed.
"To be honest, my aunt hasn't been feeling well this year." She then said angrily, "I don't know what those people in the Imperial Hospital are doing; they can't even take care of the Empress Dowager's health!"
Jiang Bai suddenly felt that the people in the Imperial Medical Academy were always on edge, risking the extermination of their entire families at the slightest provocation.
Princess Anping looked at Jiang Bai: "You should know why I brought you along."
Jiang Bai nodded: "The princess wants me to go and take a look at the Empress Dowager."
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