Great Zhou World
As dusk fell, lanterns lit up from the eaves of Zuixianlou. Ning Yangyang tightened the plain silk binding around her chest. The bronze mirror reflected a young man with refined features, his neck accentuated by the raven-blue sleeves. She dipped her fingertips in charcoal powder and dabbed it on her Adam's apple before pushing open the door and stepping into the bustling city. The two Nangong sisters, both dressed in plain clothes, followed behind her. Following the thoughtful guidance of the system, Ning Yangyang finally found the world's most famous bar—no, restaurant.
"Could you add a one-click fast-forward feature next time? All the storylines in the previous world took place at the Immortal Cultivation Conference, but this time it took a week to go by."
"It was you who ruined the storyline last time. I will never take the blame for you again."
This was the first time for all three of them to visit this elegant place. From the second floor of the tavern drifted the sounds of stringed instruments, mingling with the aroma of peppercorns and distiller's grains. Ning Yangyang imitated the swordsman at the next table, rapping her boot heels against the wooden steps. "Boss, three bowls of Toupingxiang, please, please. I want the third-year Jiazi cellar." Ning Yangyang, imitating the description in the system PDF, acted like a regular customer.
The sound of the abacus behind the bamboo curtain suddenly stopped. The shopkeeper with a goatee raised his eyes from the account books, and the dim candlelight flickered in his eyes.
"Have you come to the wrong place, sir? The Jia-zi cellar will only last until the next year."
The jade token in her sleeve was hot from cold sweat, but Ning Yangyang smiled. "The cellar was newly opened the other day. Could the shopkeeper be drunk?" After the secret code was exchanged, a smile suddenly broke out in the old shopkeeper's wrinkles. His finger, like a withered branch, pointed to the west wing. "The best meal is reserved for you. Please go over there."
"System, I'm just here to eat, drink, listen to music, and find a good seat, why are you acting like I'm a spy?"
"This is called advanced mystery." The system hereby solemnly declares.
Beneath the west window sat a young woman clutching a ruanqin, her fingers wrapped in blood-soaked gauze. She plucked the strings with an odd, almost guitar-like rhythm. And though she was clearly a woman, her eyes flirted with flirtatious expressions, occasionally casting Ning Yangyang a flirtatious glance. The wine rippled in the glass, reflecting the seven revolving lanterns hanging from the beams.
Suddenly, someone overturned the wine table. Amidst the shattering sound of porcelain cups, Ning Yangyang looked up and saw the face of her old acquaintance, feeling guilty. "You're still here drinking and listening to music? Aren't you planning a marriage?" Xiao Yuhuan, still wearing the bamboo hat he'd taken from Ning Yangyang a few days ago, tried to hide his stubbornness. "Go back, I'll be your sparring partner. Play the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, one by one."
The wine Ning Yangyang had been eyeing had already spilled two miles away. Before she could even get close to the glass she was about to grab, she was dragged out of the room by the arm. "No need, I can handle it." Xiao Yuhuan's hurried steps came to a screeching halt as Ning Yangyang said this.
"Then play a song." Xiao Yuhuan had some understanding of Ning Yangyang's abilities. He had assumed she was a decent talent and had already established connections for her. In front of his uncle, he made it clear that he and her were in love. However, even if 40% of the people were bribed, the remaining 60% remained. Ultimately, it was uncertain; he still had to rely on his own efforts.
"No problem." The original owner might have shied away from this opportunity to shine, but Ning Yangyang had managed to maintain a good relationship with the system this time. A human playing couldn't possibly be as good as a machine. Ning Yangyang had never played the guqin, but she had seen others play it, so she had a fairly complete repertoire. "System, a piece of 'High Mountains and Flowing Water,' thank you."
"Wait. Can the onlookers stand a little further away? This is definitely not the time to steal my skills." Ning Yangyang was surrounded by people, her breathing becoming rapid and her fists and feet unable to move. She was actually afraid that her little trick would be discovered.
When the first overtone resonated, Ning Yangyang was still in a daze, her hands still hanging in the air. As for the second sound, Ning Yangyang was already ashamed, how could she still bring herself to do it? Everyone waved their hands and sighed in unison, "Gunman."
"Host, you ordered the song yourself, but you don't even know when it will be filmed."
"Who has nothing better to do than listen to the sound of flowing water in the mountains? I'd better go back and practice."
Who could have guessed that the current Crown Prince would be so free, spending his days either drinking and listening to music with Ning Yangyang or personally performing for her? However, it must be said that Xiao Yuhuan was indeed a talented art student, especially his superb qin skills, which were truly admirable.
"Well, it's really good." Ning Yangyang smiled and nodded in praise. "However, I'd rather learn a classic piece like 'High Mountains and Flowing Water'. Or, what's the name of the piece you're playing now? I'd like to know."
Xiao Yuhuan smiled slightly and replied, "This is a piece of music I just improvised. I haven't had time to name it yet."
"Oh? Improvisation?" Ning Yangyang looked at him in surprise, her admiration for his talent growing even stronger. "Is this piece difficult to learn?"
Ning Yangyang's gaze fell on the guqin before her. Its antique body exuded a faint woody fragrance. However, just listening to the melodious, gurgling sound of the qin had already made her feel drowsy, let alone playing it herself. Her eyelids drooped as if weighed down by a heavy burden, and she couldn't even discern how many strings the guqin had.
Nangong Xi, standing by, was naturally accustomed to these arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She had also heard of the Oiran Contest. However, with only three days left before the competition, what could Ning Yangyang learn? This undoubtedly presented a dilemma. Nangong Xi knew she couldn't offer Ning Yangyang much practical help in this regard. All she could do was replace Ning Yangyang's incense with the refreshing one, hoping it would slightly alleviate her drowsiness. This was her small contribution.
"Nangong Xi, why don't you go for me. You should have learned these things since elementary school." Ning Yangyang pulled Nangong Xi's sleeve and said coquettishly.
"I'm just a commoner, how could I possibly be qualified to participate?" Nangong Xi's words were laced with caution, a tone only she herself knew. Although the Regent held immense power, as the saying goes, "Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger." The current situation was the most dangerous, not to mention that her younger sister was a blunt person.
Ning Yangyang looked at the heroine whose luck had been taken away from her. Under normal circumstances, she would have at least achieved fame in the Oiran Contest, and precisely because of this fame, she would have attracted so much competition at the auction. She possessed all the qualities of a heroine, but there were always some perverts who upheld the principle of torturing others, simply wanting to turn them into their own canaries. Ning Yangyang thought of her brother and felt a surge of hatred.
"Yo!" Xiao Ziyi's voice was filled with sarcasm and disdain. "When did this good-for-nothing person become so hardworking? He even started to perform music, chess, calligraphy, and painting?"
It was obvious that Xiao Ziyi came back from the palace with a lot of anger, otherwise why would he run to Ning Yangyang to pick a fight as soon as he returned to the mansion?
He hurried past Ning Yangyang and plopped down on a chair, sitting opposite her. However, there seemed to be an invisible barrier between them, completely avoiding the awkwardness of looking at each other.
"I won't tell you who signed up." Xiao Ziyi raised the corner of his mouth slightly, revealing a playful smile, "But, I think you can give this spot to Miss Nangong."
After saying that, his gaze fell on Nangong Xi beside him, and a hint of barely perceptible interest flashed in his eyes.
On weekdays, Xiao Ziyi especially likes the koi in the pond. Today, since she has some free time, she naturally wants to come over and play with them, and by the way, play with this interesting Nangong Xi.
Nangong Xi lowered her head so low that it practically touched the ground. She seemed to want to hide herself, to avoid being noticed by anyone. She could smell the fragrance of the grass beneath the bluestone bricks and hear the laughter of the koi playing in the water.
However, despite her low profile, she still couldn't escape Xiao Ziyi's eyes. He observed Nangong Xi with great interest.
Nangong Xi prayed secretly in her heart, hoping that this person would treat her as air and not disturb her again.
"Don't you think I'm stupid if there's a Crown Princess?"
Xiao Yuhuan was somewhat surprised to hear this. It was clearly just a superficial marriage, so why did it feel like they were truly in love? Or was she just coveting the status of Crown Princess?
"This title is much more honorable than that of a princess. Maybe one day my brother will have to bow respectfully to me when he sees me." Ning Yangyang stroked the strings. They were clearly on the piano, but there was always a distance between them, just like someone was separated by several years of time.
"I've been really busy with work lately. Unlike some people who can't wait to run here and flirt with others as soon as they get out of bed. They really don't know what they're talking about!" Xiao Ziyi said pretentiously, closing his eyes exaggeratedly and shaking his head gently, as if he hadn't slept for several nights in a row and was extremely tired.
Ning Yangyang, who was sitting nearby, saw all of this and secretly sighed in her heart: "This Xiao Ziyi is really a good actor. She can reveal her little thoughts so blatantly in front of so many people." She looked at the peacock opposite with its tail spread out, and the little white rabbit standing next to it without noticing anything, and couldn't help but worry about the little white rabbit's safety.
However, at this moment, Xiao Ziyi was completely immersed in his own world, his attention completely attracted by Nangong Xi. Only Nangong Xi's voice came from underground, although it was light, but it gently tickled Xiao Ziyi's heart like a feather.
"I can give it my all." Nangong Xi's voice was calm, but to Xiao Ziyi, it seemed to carry a hint of teasing. Of course, all this was just Xiao Ziyi's own fantasy.
"See you tonight then." Xiao Ziyi's lips curled up slightly, revealing a satisfied smile. He felt like a successful hunter, his prey firmly under his control. Seeing that the fish was full, his goal had been achieved, so he turned around and left, leaving the group behind.
The darkness of night finally swallowed up all traces of the day, leaving only a cold moon hanging in the air, thin as a cold blade. Frost coated the long bluestone street, casting a dim glow. A few lanterns, like tired eyes, trembled and shimmered yellow before the closed doors.
Ning Yangyang looked at the sheet music Xiao Yuhuan had written for her and the recording the system had just intercepted with a fearless look. "Are you sure you know when the recording will begin?"
"No need to enter, it's a seamless switch. Don't worry, haven't you read the original plot? This competition was originally organized by the emperor to disgust Xiao Ziyi and plant a spy for him. I guess Xiao Yuhuan and Xiao Ziyi are colluding to push me up to take the blame and disgust the emperor. This is a battle for my connections."
"Then don't be too obvious. The original owner seemed to have handed in a blank paper and left."
"Amazing!" Ning Yangyang didn't hesitate to praise him, but she didn't stop adding the sleeping pills. "You can't sleep well, huh? I'll let you sleep until tomorrow afternoon." Ning Yangyang solemnly handed the pot of tea to Nangong Xi.
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