82 A Story and A Song

Zhou Sheng had just been making jokes about all the stuffy, old men gathered around in the garden with Princess when he heard Cheng Ru's words.

It felt as if an arrow had been shot at him even though he had been lying down.

Oh, he knew why Cheng Ru did that.

He could practically see the hatred rising in her eyes and he wasn't oblivious to the discontent the people in the imperial court felt for him because His Majesty favoured him.

However, he hadn't paid mind to all the whispers and murmurs.

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He had felt that as a person who had lived his life in the modern-day and contended with people standing at the apex of their profession - heavyweight politicians, business tycoons etc, he didn't need to pay attention to the jealous mutterings if ancient people.

He had also felt a faint inkling after talking to princess that since both of them had somehow entered other people's body in this world, maybe, this would keep happening to them.

Though he hadn't discussed with Princess the fact that he wasn't the original Li Rong in the last world, he wanted to talk to her about how both of them had again reunited in this one.

However, he was afraid to talk about it with her since she was still hurting from losing Zixi and he didn't want to pressure her into talking.

Looking at Cheng Ru's expression, he knew she was waiting for him to fall into a pit.

How mundane!

These petty tricks we're nothing inform of the metaphorical wars he had waged against his business competitors in the last world.

With a smile, Zhou Sheng replied, "Miss Cheng, this song portrait the feelings of a person for their beloved. This commoner has to really praise the Cheng Clan for raising such a talent. It's just that it is too bold to let everyone know of your heartfelt affections."

His words clearly implied that the young maiden was too bold and was somewhat lacking in virtues.

First of all, playing in front of all the nobility wasn't something that was prestigious in itself and secondly, she was somewhat lacking in virtues to show her feelings for the monarch in front of everyone in such a shameless manner.

Ning Fu hand thought that the mere slip of a boy would be audacious enough to talk back and humiliate a girl from a noble family. He wondered what the boy was thinking to give such a sarcastic reply.

Meanwhile, Cheng Ru felt stifled after hearing Zhou Sheng's words.

She wanted to rain hell on the said boy but since the person she wanted to marry was present, she didn't make an issue out of it.

With a disdainful glance at Zhou Sheng, she flicked her eyes and asked, "Why don't you play us something?"

At her words, Zhou Sheng wanted to refuse clearly but then thinking about it for a moment, he readily agreed.

This was as good as a time to talk to princess indirectly and see if she was open to discussing things.

He was already worried about her. He didn't want her to go into depression because of what had already happened.

Everyone stared at Zhou Sheng stood up from his seat and walked towards the guqin.

With a bow towards the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, he faintly said, "This commoner will show his negligible skills to all the exalted people present. This one heard this song a long time ago and this song has remained with me since then."

Zhou Sheng and Cheng Ru exchanged polite words but everyone could see the metaphorical swords being drawn.

When everyone hears those words, there was a flurry of whispers and nobody kept their volume low - intentionally, making sure to raise their voices in a way that Zhou sheng could hear them.

"Isn't he someone who had just joined the army before His Majesty took a shine to him? What gives him the confidence to play a song in front of Imperial might?"

Another civil official retorted, "He has been goaded by the Cheng girl so easily. It doesn't seem he has the brains to see through people's schemes. He won't have a bright future in the Imperial Court."

"It's really true that the commoner's really don't realise the immensity of heaven and earth. Has he thought that if he performs poorly, not only will he be shamed, even His Majesty will lose face because of him."

Zhou Sheng could see their provocative eyes and how they wanted to shake his confidence with their malicious words, but he treated all this as air.

The Empress Dowager frowned as she saw the farce by the Left Prime Minister's daughter.

If her conclusion was right and her son was in love with this boy, wasn't it akin to slapping the face of the Imperial family if Zhou Sheng couldn't play the guqin.

More importantly, if he was shamed, her son would also feel the pain of watching his beloved being humiliated in such a way in front of the entire nobility of the capital.

She turned towards her son and whispered, "Your Majesty, can Zhou Sheng play the guqin? I don't think he is learned in the art."

With a smile, His Majesty answered, "Zhen has full confidence in him. He wouldn't start anything that he couldn't finish. It's just that Zhen is curious as to what song he will play."

Zhou Sheng washed his hands in incense and started, "This song is called 'All Alone'. It is a song that depicts the sorrow of a person left behind when his beloved died."

The words brought a hush.

Everyone had heard about widows weeping and singing for their husbands or young maiden's lamenting for the passing of the person in their heart.

But it was the first time they heard about a man singing a song because his beloved had died.

Zhou Sheng's voice had a soothing tone to it and then he started plucking the guqin strings while singing.

Every pluck of the string was precise and left behind a lingering note.

"Be silent my heart, Don't cry.

The bitter tears cannot be shown.

Who would have thought that,

I would be the one left behind.

Who would have thought,

we would part like this and lament our destiny.

I find no joy in the moonlight

God knows where she is.

What does my future hold except darkness?

She had said I was the light in her world,

but she never knew that she was my world,

from the day I saw her to the day she died

When I look around,

I find myself longing for her presence and her voice.

How long do I have to wait until the day I see her again?

Why did she forbid me from following her in death as I had followed her in life?

Others say that it was due to her love

But I think that even in death,

she is so cruel to me.

This is the price for my foolishness.

How will I ever wash off this taint?

Does she be me for what happened?"

Zhou Sheng's voice was hypnotising and everyone could almost picture the figure of the man lamenting the death of his beloved.

Their hearts moved thinking about a man loving his wife to such an extent. Normally, males followed the doctrine of having three wives and four concubines but for a man to not be able to forget his beloved was beyond their expectations.

The female side of the banquet was more affected by the song than the female side.

They couldn't help but admire the man for his undying devotion and wondered if they could ever meet a man who would only have them in their heart.

Zhou Sheng knew they his words must be painful to hear for princess but he just wanted her to know that Zixi had never forgiven himself all his life for her death and that he had loved her just as much as she had loved him.

Maybe, this could help princess to let go of the past and think about herself.

After all, if Zixi had also followed them into this world, he wouldn't have kept quiet.

Princess looked exactly the same as she had in the last world and Zixi wouldn't have let princess carry on in such a lackadaisical manner - she derived no joy from life and was just living as if trying to achieve something and be done with it.

.Meanwhile, Ning Fu put down his wine cup.

When everybody had been busy listening to the song, he had observed His Majesty and Zhou Sheng.

There had been a smile on the monarch's face when the song hand even started playing but as the song continued with the accounting tine, His Majesty had gone rigid in his seat.

The eyes had gone wide and His Majesty seemed to have slight trouble breathing or looking away from Zhou Sheng and when the song had ended, the monarch had turned his eyes away while furiously blinking them - as if trying to net let tears fall down his face.

When Ning Fu turned his attention towards Zhou Sheng, he saw that the other person had a hint of guilt in their eyes and there was a faintly apologetic look hidden behind a shallow smile on his face.