dognovel Chapter 346 The Scorched Tail Appears
Chapter 346 The Scorched Tail Appears
Shi Wanxia frowned, feeling utterly disgusted with Xiao Lin.
But now was not the time to dwell on it. She turned her gaze back to Su Mingyuan and strode toward the artificial hill.
"Young Master Su, I apologize for disturbing you," Shi Wanxia said softly.
Su Mingyuan looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He closed the book, stood up, and bowed: "You're too kind, young lady. May I ask what brings you here?"
"I just saw you reading here, young master. You must have some insights into the way of governing a country."
"I am but a humble woman, and I would like to ask you for some guidance, sir," Shi Wanxia said with a smile, her eyes full of sincerity.
Su Mingyuan was slightly taken aback, then a look of delight appeared on his face.
Normally, everyone laughs at him for being a bookworm, and few people are willing to talk to him about academic matters.
Unexpectedly, a woman took the initiative to ask me for advice today, and I immediately started talking.
The two hit it off as they talked, and Shi Wanxia took the opportunity to probe: "The court is now beset by internal and external troubles. I wonder if you, sir, have any ambition to serve your country?"
Su Mingyuan's eyes were firm: "Of course! It's just that I'm just a scholar, full of knowledge but with no opportunity to use it."
Shi Wanxia was secretly delighted: "If you don't mind, young master, I would like to provide you with an opportunity to showcase your talents."
Su Mingyuan looked at her in surprise: "What do you mean, young lady?"
"To be honest, I am Shi Wanxia, the Minister of Works appointed by His Majesty. I hope to share the burdens of His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince and seek the well-being of the people."
“If you are willing, young master, you can join us and achieve great things together.” Shi Wanxia looked at him intently.
Su Mingyuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly knelt on one knee: "I, Su, am willing to follow you, young lady, even through fire and water!"
Shi Wanxia quickly helped him up, overjoyed.
Just as we finished dealing with this issue, another problem arose on the other side.
With a loud "bang," the wine cup shattered on the ground.
Xiao Lin stood there drunk, pointing at Cui Zhihao: "You little guard, how dare you block my way!"
It turned out that Xiao Lin had drunk too much at the banquet and was staggering around, almost bumping into a noble lady.
Cui Zhihao reacted quickly and pulled the noblewoman away, but in doing so, he offended Xiao Lin.
Choi Ji-ho said coldly, "Your Highness is drunk. Please have some self-respect."
"Self-respect? Hahaha!"
Xiao Lin laughed loudly, "You, a mere guard, dare to lecture this young master? Guards, beat him!"
As soon as he finished speaking, several guards surrounded him.
Choi Ji-ho gripped his sword tightly, his eyes wary.
Seeing this, Shi Wanxia quickly stepped forward: "Young Master Xiao, this is Princess Zhaohua's banquet. Aren't you afraid of losing face for the royal family by causing such a disturbance?"
Xiao Lin narrowed his eyes, staring at Shi Wanxia: "You brat, don't think you're so great just because you have the Crown Prince backing you up! Today I'm going to teach this ignorant fool a lesson!"
Just as things were about to escalate, Shen Yanzhou and Princess Zhaohua rushed over.
"Xiao Lin, haven't you caused enough trouble?!"
Shen Yanzhou coldly retorted, "To lay a hand on me, the Crown Prince, is to disregard the royal family?"
"Besides, this is a court official, Cui Zhihao!"
Although Xiao Lin was arrogant, he didn't dare to really oppose the Crown Prince.
He glared hatefully at Cui Zhihao. He couldn't afford to offend the Cui family of Qinghe. He turned and left.
The storm finally subsided, but Shi Wanxia realized that in this complex capital city, there was still a long way to go to gain a foothold and attract talent.
But she was not afraid; instead, her belief became even stronger.
The vermilion gates of the Dong'an Prince's Mansion were wide open, and carriages lined the outside of the hanging flower gate like dragons.
Shi Wanxia followed behind Crown Princess Lin Chuying, her embroidered shoes stepping over the fallen crabapple petals on the bluestone steps. Suddenly, she saw a white parrot in a gilded cage under the eaves fluttering its wings and calling out in a clear voice, "Greetings, Your Highness, Crown Princess!"
The back hall was already filled with the fragrance of incense, and twelve bamboo screens divided the hall into elegant rooms.
Lin Chuying's moon-white dress, adorned with silver-threaded lotus patterns, swayed gently with her steps, causing the noble ladies present to curtsy and bow in respect as she passed by.
Shi Wanxia stood obediently to the side and behind, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Princess of Dong'an on the head seat covering her mouth with a handkerchief and smiling faintly. The nine-phoenix hairpin with pearls in her hair made the fine lines at the corners of her eyes look like they were plated with gold.
"This humble servant and my daughter greet Your Majesty!" Princess Zhaohua curtsied, the jade bracelet on her wrist clinking softly.
This princess, who had recently come of age, was plump and beautiful, but the peony hairpin she wore at her temple was so vibrant that it seemed to overshadow all the spring scenery in the room.
Lin Chuying gently lifted her hand to help the two up: "Your Highness, you are too kind. Today is Zhao Hua's birthday, and you are also the host; there is no need for such formalities."
Before she could finish speaking, Shi Wanxia felt a gentle tug on her sleeve—the Crown Princess's slender fingertips, hidden beneath her wide sleeve, subtly squeezed her palm.
This is a signal for her to be more alert.
As expected, the Princess Consort of Dong'an did not lose her composure despite the Crown Princess's words. Instead, she personally lifted the brocade curtain, revealing a sandalwood couch in the main seat of the inner room: "Your Majesty is of immeasurable value. If you do not find my arrangement presumptuous, please take a seat."
Lin Chuying smiled gently, then suddenly pulled Shi Wanxia's wrist: "I brought Lady Shi along to keep me company, so let her sit with me."
Shi Wanxia was startled by this sudden action. She caught a glimpse of Princess Zhaohua's tightly clenched handkerchief and realized that her "unconventional" behavior might have offended some people.
Once the seating arrangement was set, the maids filed in, presenting silver cups with lotus scroll patterns.
As Shi Wanxia gazed at the amber-colored tea in her cup and listened to the lively chatter around her, she suddenly felt a tightness in her neck.
She subconsciously reached for the brocade pouch at her waist, where the amulet that Cui Zhihao had secretly given her the day before was hidden.
The image of Brother Cui, usually so humble and self-possessed, with his ears turning red that day, is now vividly recalled.
"Gentlemen!"
Princess Dong'an suddenly stood up, her jade pendants jingling, "I apologize for disturbing everyone at my daughter's birthday banquet."
"We're all bored sitting here idly. I recently acquired a fine new zither, the long-lost Jiao Wei style."
She gestured, and two burly men carried a vermilion wooden box inside. The moment the lid was opened, a collective gasp filled the room—the crackled body of the zither gleamed with a ghostly light, and the scorch marks at the tail resembled dragon scales.
Lin Chuying's fingertips trembled slightly, causing ripples to spread in the teacup.
Shi Wanxia could see it clearly: the slight drooping of the Crown Princess's eyes was exactly the same as when she listened to the zither at home that day.
At that moment, Lin Chuying leaned against the window frame, listening to the distant strains of "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate," and softly said, "If I could see Jiao Wei, my life would be without regret."
"Since this is a family banquet, then all the ladies present should showcase their talents."
Princess Dong'an smiled broadly, "Whoever wins first place will receive this zither."
Shi Wanxia's heart sank.
Although she held the title of princess, she was a native modern person and had no idea how to play the zither!
He had never even touched a piano, and knew absolutely nothing about playing the zither or the flute.
Just as he was feeling uneasy, he suddenly heard the noblewoman sitting next to him sneer: "This Jiao Wei Qin was made by Cai Yong himself. Ordinary people might not even be able to read the sheet music, let alone just anyone can play it!"
Lin Chuying picked up her teacup and took a sip, her voice gentle yet sharp: "I believe that the zither expresses the heart; if one can express true meaning, what does it matter if one's technique is somewhat rusty?"
Her gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Shi Wanxia. "Miss Shi, would you be willing to give it a try?"
As if struck by lightning, Shi Wanxia nearly knocked over her teacup.
She felt like she was being stared at by everyone, but she could see a hint of expectation in the Crown Princess's eyes.
Memories suddenly surged up—three days ago, she caught Lin Chuying secretly playing the zither in a side hall of the East Palace. Half of the string was broken, and the tune was out of tune, but the Crown Princess's eyes as she looked at the broken string were clearly more distressed than if she had lost her soul.