Chapter 100 Except for her, everyone else is a master!
Although Xiao Mingzheng's words did not reveal much emotion, it sounded as if he was worried that something might happen to Zhong Min and that it would affect his external security. However, Zhong Min could hear the concern in this, and for a moment, a faint joy emerged in his heart.
Zhong Min didn't try to avoid the strange feeling that had been brewing within her more than once. Well, it wasn't a big deal. A rich, powerful, tall, handsome man, practically perfect aside from his less-than-perfect personality, would take a different view of her. I'm sure no woman, let alone her, wouldn't be secretly delighted. After all, it satisfied everyone's deep-seated vanity.
It's just vanity, not anything else. There's no need to take it too seriously. She successfully convinced herself once again, and felt relieved.
In the evening, Xiao Mingzheng went to Ning Zhiyuan's residence, and Zhong Min naturally followed him. Xiao Mingzheng would never leave Zhong Min alone again, especially since the guards around him would have to follow him. If they only relied on the guards in the official residence who only cared about eating and not caring about other people's protection, no one would know if they disappeared.
After going there, I found out that Ning Zhiyuan didn't invite anyone else. This is a good thing. If it was a large-scale banquet with many people and many things to do, the difficulty of protection would naturally increase. In this way, a lot of trouble was saved. No matter what, Ning Zhiyuan would not let anything happen to Xiao Mingzheng in his house when he was entertaining Xiao Mingzheng alone.
The dinner was not overly extravagant, but it was obvious that Ning Zhiyuan put a lot of effort into it. Both the dishes and the dining location were extremely particular. The most special thing was that Ning Zhiyuan personally played the piano to liven up the atmosphere.
It was the first time that Zhong Min witnessed how charming a man could be when playing the piano. No wonder the ancients, regardless of gender, age or status, would regard learning piano, chess, calligraphy and painting as the most important things as long as they had the conditions. For them, this was the true self-cultivation, not a skill or a tool for making a living.
In comparison, modern education has really regressed. It is all about test scores and test scores. Even though there have been waves of quality education craze, the most fundamental purpose is still to get extra points to get into a good school and pave the way for future career.
Zhong Min watched with great interest, the lingering, lingering beauty of the music even after the end. Honestly, after witnessing Ning Zhiyuan's qin skills, I can't say much about other aspects of his playing, but I'm truly impressed by his personal refinement. The gentleness he exudes daily, whether genuine or not, is undoubtedly a natural result of his musical training.
As for Xiao Mingzheng, it was obvious at first glance that he was similar to her, a person who was tone-deaf, and had no artistic talent at all. Of course, he was a very good chess player, much better than her, who could only tell a few jokes to entertain herself.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but glance at Xiao Mingzheng beside her. She was really curious and wondered what the effect would be if Xiao Mingzheng went up to play a song.
But just as he looked towards him, Xiao Mingzheng seemed to have eyes on the back of his head, and immediately turned around to look at Zhong Min who was caught red-handed.
Zhong Min suddenly felt a little embarrassed, smiled unnaturally, and then looked away, just in time to meet the gaze of Ning Zhiyuan, who had just finished playing the piano and sat down.
Ning Zhiyuan had obviously seen the casual exchange between Zhong Min and Xiao Mingzheng, but he didn't point it out. Instead, he smiled at Zhong Min, then looked at Xiao Mingzheng again, his voice soft and gentle, "Zhiyuan, I apologize for this. I hope I didn't spoil His Majesty's mood."
"Prime Minister Ning is too modest. I am truly enlightened today by being able to appreciate such lingering music." It was the first time that Xiao Mingzheng heard Ning Zhiyuan playing the piano. He had always heard that the Right Prime Minister was extremely talented, and it seemed that his reputation was well-deserved.
Everyone also knew that Xiao Mingzheng was not a person who spoke politely, so even he said this, which naturally represented his recognition of Ning Zhiyuan in this regard.
"Thank you, Your Highness. It is an honor for me to play a song for you." Ning Zhiyuan raised the wine glass in his hand, drank it first as a gesture of respect, and then said, "Your Highness, please feel free to do as you please!"
Seeing this, Xiao Mingzheng also picked up the wine glass in front of him and took a sip. He was never a heavy drinker, and Ning Zhiyuan had figured out his habits. This man's rapid rise to prominence was no accident. Perhaps one day, Ning Zhiyuan would be the one to truly become a threat to him.
Zhong Min naturally had no idea what Xiao Mingzheng was thinking, but seeing that the two of them seemed to be getting along like friends, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly at their ability to disguise themselves. Alas, it wasn't easy. Putting aside their political stances, even if Xiao Mingzheng and Ning Zhiyuan couldn't be friends, they shouldn't be enemies. But now, they were clearly divided, appearing friendly on the surface, yet secretly at odds with each other!
"Min'er, I wonder if you still like the song just now?" Ning Zhiyuan shifted his attention to Zhong Min without knowing when. He has never been shy about his interest in Zhong Min, whether in front of Xiao Mingzheng or other people.
When Zhong Min heard this, she had no idea what Ning Zhiyuan was planning to do. Why did he drag her into this for no reason? But since the Prime Minister had asked, it was impossible for her, a maid, to pretend not to hear. Moreover, Ning Zhiyuan had helped her once in the palace that morning.
"Your Excellency's words truly humiliate me. Your Excellency is a respected figure, and I am already extremely proud to be able to attend your hearing. How can I have the right to say anything else?"
Zhong Min was polite for a moment, then praised, "Besides, I don't understand music, so I can't say what an expert would say, but it sounds really beautiful, and it really makes people feel that the sound lingers in the ears. I think if the Prime Minister were not an official, he would probably be considered the best in the world just for his zither skills."
Flattery and nice words cost nothing and won't cost you anything. Zhong Min, seeing that Ning Zhiyuan had helped her today, naturally wouldn't be stingy with these unnecessary nice words. Moreover, she wasn't talking nonsense or making up stories. Ning Zhiyuan's piano skills were indeed first-rate, and she just exaggerated them a little bit.
Hearing Zhong Min's words, Ning Zhiyuan couldn't help but laugh, his expression extremely cheerful: "It's rare for Min'er to praise me so much today, it really makes me feel a little flattered. However, in front of the prince, I dare not claim to be the best in the world. If Min'er had heard the prince play the piano, she would surely understand."
"The prince can also play the piano?" Zhong Min was really shocked by Ning Zhiyuan's sudden revelation. She said to Ning Zhiyuan with great suspicion: "Your Excellency, you must be mistaken. I have served the prince for some time, but I have never heard him play the piano!"
Not to mention playing the piano, he has never even seen the shadow of a piano. As a master, even if he deliberately concealed it, it is really hard to understand.
"Min knows everything. Back when the prince was still a prince, he once gave an astonishing performance at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. Even Mr. Geng, the world's recognized number one zither player, praised him highly. It's a pity that Zhiyuan was just an unknown commoner at the time and never had the chance to hear it in person. It's truly a lifelong regret."
Ning Zhiyuan looked at Xiao Mingzheng as he spoke, and his expression seemed to be filled with regret.
Zhong Min saw Ning Zhiyuan's expression, which seemed to indicate that he was very eager to hear Xiao Mingzheng play the piano. He probably was just concerned about Xiao Mingzheng's status; otherwise, he would have invited him long ago. But was Xiao Mingzheng really as good as Ning Zhiyuan said?
Zhong Min couldn't imagine what Xiao Mingzheng would sound like when he played the piano, let alone the impressive level Ning Zhiyuan had claimed. If it weren't for his status, she would have really wanted to have Xiao Mingzheng play for her. But how could a dignified prince listen to a mere servant? Wouldn't that break the rules and bring her into trouble?
When Xiao Mingzheng heard the conversation between Ning Zhiyuan and Zhong Min, the expression on his face did not change at all, as if the person Ning Zhiyuan was talking about was not him.
"I haven't played the zither in years, and I'm already rusty at it." He replied indifferently, as if he were talking about someone else's family. "Now I can only listen to it, but I really can't play it myself."
Zhong Min couldn't help but laugh when she heard this. It wasn't like he was doing manual labor, so why was he exerting so much energy? However, she kept quiet. She was deeply curious: why had Xiao Mingzheng not even touched the zither in all these years? Gradually, she felt that Xiao Mingzheng was becoming more and more of a mystery, and she wondered how many untold secrets he held.
Like her, Ning Zhiyuan naturally would not ask Xiao Mingzheng for any other reasons. Seeing this, the prime minister was very smart and immediately changed the subject naturally.
Time passed quite well. Just as the dinner was about to end, Zhong Min saw Xie Feng walk in. He was secretly waving and winking at her from the side, as if he had something to ask her. Seeing this, she took the opportunity to quietly retreat.
"What's the matter?" After pulling him aside to a less conspicuous place, Zhong Min said to Xie Feng, "Why are you calling me so urgently? Did something happen?"
Xie Feng lowered his voice and spoke quickly to Zhong Min, "Just now, the secret guards reported that a large number of archers were ambushed on the road back. Although we can't tell who sent them, they are probably not from the court. Moreover, we can be sure that their target is the prince."
"It came so quickly. It's only the second day and the forces from all sides can't hold back any longer." Zhong Min's eyes lit up when she heard this. For her, the more difficult it was, the more her blood boiled. After all, she was born to do this job.
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