"Princess, the prince is waiting for you on the Moonlit Terrace."
Song Jinyu had just finished her work in the pharmacy when Mi Cui came to invite her to the Moonlit Terrace. Just thinking about this place made her feel a bit shy. She shook off the faint shyness in her heart and stepped up the stairs at a leisurely pace.
Suddenly, a melodious and deep sound of the qin came floating over, clear like splashing jade and tremulous like a dragon's chant. The sound of the qin surrounded the Moonlit Terrace, winding and passionate. The low - pitched parts were gentle and euphemistic, extremely captivating.
Is he in a good mood today? Thinking like this, Song Jinyu's mood also soared, and she quickened her steps.
When the piece ended,
The man on the Moonlit Terrace waved to her. "Come here..."
"I've only seen your excellent chess skills and wonderful calligraphy before. Now, would you like to learn the qin?" Zhongli Mingye looked at Song Jinyu with a smile.
Learn the qin?
Song Jinyu pulled a long face. "I don't have much sense of music. I'm afraid I won't be able to learn it."
"Although my qin - playing skills are not said to be extremely superb, there is no one in the capital who can match me." The faint certainty in his words made Song Jinyu a bit dazed.
Seeing that she was unmoved, Zhongli Mingye continued to "entice" her. "If you learn it well, how interesting it would be for us, a couple, to play together?"
His eyes became more and more lingering.
So that's it! Song Jinyu really felt uncomfortable all over under the gaze of those phoenix - like eyes.
She had no choice but to obediently walk up to him and sit down behind the Jiaowei Qin with him.
Looking down at the strings, she didn't know where to start. "First, you need to use four fingers to play the qin..."
"You can play with the back of your fingernails or the flesh of your fingertips. Distinguish them by the fingernail and flesh. The light and clear ones, the light and turbid ones. Use techniques like mo, tiao, gou, and ti to get the main sound, and da, zhai, pi, and tuo to get the responding sound."
Song Jinyu, "..." Although the sound of the qin was wonderful, she didn't understand a single word he said.
Seeing that she didn't understand, Zhongli Mingye placed his hand on her delicate hands. "Come, I'll guide you..." His voice brushed past Song Jinyu's earlobe,
Making her blush deeply, and her heart also beat faster.
The one teaching the qin was also deeply moved. Smelling the osmanthus fragrance on the beauty, he was a bit dazed. After a moment, not hearing any movement from the "qin teacher" behind her, Song Jinyu looked back at him. The man was looking at her intently.
In those burning eyes, Song Jinyu shrank back. She felt a strange flutter in her heart. She wanted to get up, but he grabbed her.
"My love... why are you in such a hurry?"
He gently bit her pink earlobe, which made Song Jinyu let out a low cry. "You... don't act rashly."
Unfortunately, her words had no persuasive power at all.
She grabbed the hands around her waist, and unexpectedly, the belt was just undone.
"..."
He had promised to teach her to play the qin!
Zhongli Mingye hugged her and fell onto the carpet. His phoenix - like eyes stared at her delicate red lips. Suddenly, he kissed her deeply.
In front of her, he was always so unable to control his emotions. Since that was the case, then he might as well indulge himself!
Song Jinyu regretted it. Why was she so obedient? Now, the two of them were lying in each other's arms on the Moonlit Terrace with disheveled clothes.
When they went back later, they would have to tidy up again.
Sure enough, when a man and a woman learn the qin together, it's easy to develop a flirtation. The opera scripts are really right!
She thought bitterly that she would never learn the qin from Zhongli Mingye again. But then, she was distracted by the man beside her. Her body and soul were both taken away by him.
Xiao Xueyi stood in front of the long - closed Bright Moon Tower. "How much longer will it take to regain its former glory?"
"Since Concubine Xue is in the palace, the prince doesn't need to worry."
Zhongli Mingye said in a deep voice, "I don't care what she does. But... she must never act on her own initiative!"
"Yes!"
"As long as the queen is around for a day, the crown prince will be more secure."
This was the first time spending the Mid - Autumn Festival in the palace. Although it was a bit novel, Song Jinyu missed Liuzhou City even more. On a night like this,
By the lake in the Prince Yu's Mansion in Liuzhou, she had poisoned Zhongli Mingye.
"When I'm free, I'll take you back." Seeing her homesick look, Zhongli Mingye comforted Song Jinyu gently.
"Okay!"
Fortunately, the imperial cuisine at the banquet was very delicious, so Song Jinyu temporarily put aside her homesickness.
There was still a blush on Concubine Xue's face. She shyly whispered something in the emperor's ear, which made the emperor burst out laughing on the spot. The others at the banquet didn't seem to find it strange.
Song Jinyu sighed inwardly. This was exactly what it meant to be infatuated with a beauty. Concubine Xue and the emperor were the perfect example.
According to He Yi, Concubine Xue was very powerful. Several times it seemed that she was about to fall out of favor, but a few days later, she managed to please the emperor again.
Falling out of favor and regaining favor were as common as daily meals to her, and the emperor was simply unable to let go of her!
In the palace, the queen said nothing, and the other concubines just turned a blind eye. There were some inexperienced low - ranking concubines who made things difficult for Concubine Xue.
Within a few days, not only did they not get any benefits, but they were also punished by having their monthly stipends deducted.
Gradually, Concubine Xue became extremely popular in the palace, and no one dared to oppose her. The queen and the noble concubines disdained to care about her, while the other concubines didn't dare to.
"Concubine Xue is pregnant. I'm extremely happy!"
The emperor looked at Concubine Xue with satisfaction. "After she gives birth to a son, she will be promoted to the rank of noble concubine."
As soon as these words were spoken, the queen was in a daze. Concubine Qing and the others were filled with envy and hatred, but they were helpless. Song Jinyu had just finished a bowl of cherry custard. Seeing that she liked it, Zhongli Mingye gave her his own bowl.
Perhaps Concubine Xue was the concubine who was promoted the fastest in the history of the Xia Dynasty. Song Jinyu was lost in thought.
Zhongli Mingye gently tugged at her sleeve. "What are you thinking about?"
While raising his glass to Prince Cheng from afar, he secretly watched the woman beside him gobbling up the food. A smile slipped from the corner of his lips as he recalled the wonderful time on the Moonlit Terrace last night. He didn't know why he had lost control. He didn't stop until she cried and begged for mercy.
When he was free, he still had to teach her to play the qin properly.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, Song Jinyu avoided his eyes. "Concubine Xue is really in favor!"
"The most important thing is for you to give me a child soon..."
"..."
This man! What was he talking about? Song Jinyu ignored him and continued to eat. With Zhongli Mingye around at this banquet, she didn't have to worry about anything.
Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as she thought to stay out of trouble. Concubine Qing covered her mouth and laughed. "The relationship between Prince Yu and his princess is really good. What are you two so happy about in public?"
The two who were named looked at each other. Song Jinyu smiled slightly. "Just now, the prince said that today is a wonderful day with happy events one after another. We should drink a big cup of wine." After saying that, she raised the wine in her cup and glanced at Zhongli Mingye. The latter readily stood up. "Your son congratulates Father Emperor!"
Seeing that the two were in harmony, and since the emperor was in a good mood today, he drank a cup of wine with them. The crown prince's gloomy eyes kept shifting between the couple. His crown princess had just passed away not long ago, and he was in a depressed mood.
The emperor pitied the crown prince and invited him to join the family reunion.
Concubine Qing felt embarrassed and sat down awkwardly. She glanced at the queen.
The queen smiled. "Prince Yu and his princess can be regarded as a model of a harmonious couple in our Xia Dynasty. When it comes to the demeanor of a proper wife, truly no one can match."
Could they please not mention her? She just wanted to enjoy her food quietly.
Song Jinyu forced a smile. "Thanks to Father Emperor's holy grace, I naturally dare not have a discord with the prince."
Suddenly, her hand was pinched. Zhongli Mingye was looking at her sideways, a bit dissatisfied. What did she mean by "thanks to the holy grace"? They were clearly in love with each other.
"Interesting!"
Prince Cheng looked at Song Jinyu. "With such words, even the queen doesn't know what to say."
Ming Ruyi looked at Song Jinyu thoughtfully. She really never let herself suffer a loss. The emperor and the queen were also married by the edict of the previous emperor, and their relationship had been discordant recently. Was she scolding the queen for not respecting the edict of the previous emperor?