Chapter 283 - Ninghua, I Believe in You!

Bu Fengyun’s expression didn’t change much, but a trace of hesitation flashed in his eyes. He looked towards the pale-faced Bu Tinghe and suddenly said with a smile, “Your Majesty, Tinghe is not a commodity. This marriage represents the friendship between the two countries. It does not involve any exchange of interests, so how can I bargain?”

Hearing him show the white feather, Baili Qingcang’s expression eased up. Although Da’an was not afraid of the Great Yue Kingdom, he did not want to resort to wars if they could coexist peacefully. After all, he was already an old man and did not have the original ambition. “Then I’m relieved. Although there was some misunderstanding between them, Tinghe is a good girl, and she is a good match for the Third Prince.”

As soon as these words came out, the tense atmosphere immediately became relaxed. “Haha, I’m very happy that Your Majesty is satisfied with Tinghe. The Third Prince is a handsome man and a good child. When my elder brother learned that Tinghe was about to marry him, he immediately decided to give her six cities as dowry without any hesitation. It can be seen that he is very optimistic about their marriage.”

“Well, that’s good. Prince An, quickly take a seat.”

Shen Ninghua’s face was expressionless. She held the teacup and quietly watched this scene. This Prince An seemed firm and upright, but in reality, he was flexible. This made sense. As the Great Yue Emperor’s trusted brother, he made his daughter the Princess and doted by the Emperor. He was definitely not a simple man.

Prince An looked at Shen Ninghua. His eyes were shining. “This must be Princess Zhaohua, right?”

Shen Ninghua looked up coldly. “Greetings, Prince An.” She spoke politely, but she had no intention of standing up to salute.

She was conferred the title of Noble Princess Zhaohua. Her rank was the same as a Royal Prince, the same level as Prince An’s. Therefore, it was enough for her to be polite in words. If she really got up to salute, it would be a blow to the prestige of Da’an.

The corners of Prince An’s mouth twitched and he seemed to smile. “I’ve long heard of Princess Zhaohua. Now that I see you, you really live up to your reputation. Tinghe praised you for your profound skills in music in her letter to me. There was a musician in my mansion who begged me to bring him here to learn something from you. Someone, invite the musician in.”

Shen Ninghua’s eyebrows moved slightly as she looked at the man who was slowly walking in.

He was dressed in white, holding a qin instrument in his arms. His fingers were exceptionally slender, glowing with a jade-colored light, more than half an inch longer than those of an ordinary person.

“Musician Cunxin…”

“I haven’t heard any news about this master for a long time. He’s actually in Great Yue Kingdom?”

Hearing the words “Musician Cunxin”, Shen Ninghua’s gaze fell on the man’s face. He tied up his hair with a jade hairband. His forehead was full and smooth, and his two eyebrows slanted to his temples. His slanted eyes were clear like water. His nose was straight and his mouth was well-shaped.

This man could no longer be simply described as handsome. Just seeing him stand there quietly made people feel as if time had calmed down, as if no matter how much life changed and time passed, he would still be dressed in white unstained.

Even Lin Feiran, who had always managed to appear the clearest and most innocent, became as filthy as dust in front of this man.

Shen Ninghua blinked her eyes and felt her mind shake violently. This feeling…

Baili Junyi had already come back to his senses. Under the cover of the table, he held Shen Ninghua’s hand. There seemed to be some sweat in his palm.

Shen Ninghua held him back slightly and became wary of this Musician Cunxin. His presence alone could affect a person’s mind. He was not simple.

Musician Cunxin slowly walked to the center of the hall and knelt down. He placed the qin in front of him and bowed respectfully to Baili Qingcang. “Greetings, Your Majesty.” His voice was crisp like pearls falling onto a plate, carrying a unique tone and rhythm which were exceptionally pleasing to the ears.

“As you were.”

Musician Cunxin picked up the qin and turned to face Shen Ninghua. “I’ve long heard of Princess Zhaohua, so I took the liberty to come, hoping to have a chance to learn something from you.”

Shen Ninghua raised her eyes and looked into his clear eyes. She smiled and shook her head. “I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. I only take music as a hobby and I haven’t studied it deeply. I don’t dare to make a fool of myself.”

“Sorry for making things difficult for you.” Cunxin nodded slightly, revealing a faint smile that was as light as a thin cloud in the sky.

Such a smile caused the surrounding people to be unable to bear it. Some people tried to persuade Shen Ninghua.

“Musician Cunxin came all the way from afar. Princess Zhaohua, why don’t you play a tune as an exchange?”

“Yes, just as an exchange. Winning or losing does not matter. Don’t let Musician Cunxin down.”

“Helping him fulfill his wish is also a virtue.”

Musician Cunxin was still smiling faintly. When he heard the words around, he occasionally showed a grateful look.

Shen Ninghua’s eyes were still as calm as water, completely ignoring the words around.

Prince An suddenly said, “My lords, you are right. Princess Zhaohua, I don’t want to make things difficult for you, but Musician Cunxin was accidentally hurt by a poisonous snake. Although he was detoxified, his eyes were injured. There isn’t much time left for him. His greatest wish in life is to be able to get a friend on music.”

What?

Shen Ninghua also followed everyone’s gaze and looked at Musician Cunxin with shock. Such a man with clear eyes was actually blind…

Cunxin was not affected at all, and the smile on his face never changed from beginning to end. “Although my eyes are injured and I can’t see the outside world, my mind is much clearer than before. Since I cannot see external things, I can concentrate on playing the qin even more. With music as a companion, I am not lonely.”

Looking at the man who was tranquil like the moonlight, Shen Ninghua, who had always been determined, felt sorry for him as well. But he himself seemed not to care at all.

Prince An looked at Shen Ninghua. “Princess Zhaohua, on the way here, he vomited blood several times because his body was unable to bear the fatigue. I’m afraid his conditions are getting worse. I don’t know if there will be another chance to find another person who can compete with him in the future.”

Shen Ninghua looked up at Prince An. “Your Highness, why do you insist on him competing with me?”

“I am just doing this out of kindness. I don’t want to see his painstaking efforts go to waste. What other thoughts could I possibly have? Princess Zhaohua, you are way too skeptical.”

Shen Ninghua suddenly laughed and sneered coldly. “Then I owe you an apology.”

As she spoke, she looked at Cunxin in the field. “Master, do you know that at your level, every time you play, you have to consume your vitality. Your body is already very weak. If you force yourself to play, you will only die faster.”

“Of course I know. But if I can’t continue playing music, what’s the difference between life and death?”

“Alright, since that’s the case, I’ll make a fool of myself.”

Baili Qingcang looked at the chief eunuch beside him. “Bring over the Lvqi qin from my storeroom.”

Very soon, qin tables, mats, incense burners were placed at the center of the hall, and Shen Ninghua and Cunxin sat on both sides of the hall.

Someone wanted to guide Cunxin to sit down, but he shook his head and refused. Instead, he walked towards the qin table and put the qin down precisely. He did not look like a blind person at all.

Shen Ninghua was shocked and admired Cunxin even more. Although he could not see, his ears were much more sensitive. Just as the eunuch came in and put down the table, she saw his ears move slightly. He must be able to judge the location and distance of the table through his hearing. This ability was already close to that of a genie.

Shen Ninghua gently caressed Lvqi. Her aura calmed down. “How do you want to compete?”

“Sorry to force you to compete. It’s just that I always feel regretful if I don’t listen to you playing a tune. So let’s compete in the way you like.”

Shen Ninghua smiled. She didn’t understand why such a proud man would become an associate of Prince An. “Then let’s play a tune together. With your skills, there shouldn’t be any problem, right?”

“Alright.”

The two of them sat behind the qin tables and closed their eyes at the same time. The hall was unusually quiet, waiting for the competition between the two to begin.

The corners of Prince An’s eyes trembled slightly, and the light in his eyes kept flashing. He was in a good mood when he thought of the musicians in his mansion who lost their mind after competing with Cunxin.

Although he had already decided to give up on Baili Junyi and turn to support the child in Tinghe’s belly, he still wanted to vent his anger. Didn’t Baili Junyi and Shen Ninghua devote their lives to each other? What if Shen Ninghua became a fool or a madwoman? Hahaha…Just thinking about this scene made him feel extremely relieved.

Bu Jinglan watched from the side, his mind constantly fluctuating. He had long heard of Musician Cunxin and seen him compete with others. After the competition, those ordinary musicians all lost their mind. Some even went crazy. No matter how excellent Shen Ninghua’s skills were, it was impossible for her to win. But for some reason, he felt uneasy.

Shen Ninghua and Cunxin seemed to have some kind of tacit understanding. After a moment of silence, they raised their hands to stroke the strings. There seemed to be a water-like ripple suddenly reverberating in the hall as the tune played by the two echoed. Just one sound caused everyone’s minds to fluctuate and their emotions to become unstable.

Baili Junyi was shocked. The killing intent in his eyes suddenly turned serious. Cunxin knew how to use inner strength to play the qin. This was no longer a simple competition. This was no different from murder. If Ninghua’s state of mind was stable and there were no flaws, she would be fine. But once there was a flaw, the tune would take advantage of it and completely destroy her mind.

No, he couldn’t let them continue competing.

He suddenly raised his eyes and was just about to stop the competition when he saw Shen Ninghua open her eyes and look at him. There was a faint smile and certainty in her eyes. She was as calm as a lake without any ripples, but the smile and warmth on her face could be clearly seen.

She wanted him to believe in her?

He slowly loosened his clenched fist and nodded slightly. He thought. “Alright, Ninghua, I believe in you!”