But I couldn't be angry, and I couldn't help but smile. She was the Empress Dowager.
Let her say what she wants. When it comes to her being tired, what else can she say? In her entire life, she had always cared about her status and position. As a person, Gu Dong Gu Xi was the most pitiful person.
If I bicker with her, if I bicker with her, won't it be easier for her to vent her anger on me? If bicker, then wouldn't I be what she calls a lowly status?
It doesn't matter if others look down on me. I don't care if I look down on myself.
Resisting the rage in her heart, she finally stopped speaking and instructed the other concubines to carry out their duties. They had to ensure that Lu Yao became the empress in full glory.
After saying that, he told us to go back, and everyone greeted him before coming out.
I heaved a sigh of relief before heading out to find my aunt. Lu Yao also came out and said smilingly, "Wan Yi, accompany me to see the red crabapple blossoms. How are they?"
"Alright." I followed.
It was still the same high red apricot behind the little courtyard where we had lived. We walked side by side, with all the ladies of the palace standing guard outside.
She smiled and said, "It's really unexpected. We share a room and we don't want to enter the palace. But now, one has made Wan Yi [1] and needs the emperor's favor, while the other wants to be the queen."
I don't want to be a queen, Zhiqiu," she said in a muffled voice. It's so fast, almost a year has passed in the blink of an eye. Zhiqiu, don't worry, I don't love him, I don't love him at all, and he also doesn't love me at all. He loves you, and no matter what I am, we are still good sisters.
I looked up into her serious eyes, full of determination.
I wanted to comfort her, but I didn't know what to say. I reached out and took her hand.
She was a little ashamed as she said, "We'll be good sisters. Don't take the words of the empress dowager to heart. She's my aunt, so she naturally favors me."
"Luyao, isn't this too difficult?" The more she wanted to be calm, the more she pushed herself to the top.
She giggled, a hint of hurt in her eyes: "It's not difficult, you'll have to think of it when you enter the palace. "Who told me to be born in the Lu Family, who told the Lu Family to have only one daughter, destined to become an empress? If I were to be unchallenged by others, I would be able to enjoy myself a little." She placed a hand on her chest, closed her eyes and said, "Here, I once remembered a lot of freedom, a lot of reckless happiness, here, once, I was young and frivolous, indulging myself to secretly like the people I liked."
"Luyao." I said sadly, "If you're not happy, shout it out."
"Fine, I'll listen to you. From now on, you are my sister. We two are sisters, and we're living a happy and happy life. We won't bully anyone, but no one can bully us." "Then she began to scream shrilly." "Ah …"
You're really impolite, ah. I followed her and shouted loudly and forcefully, wanting to shout out all the grievances in my heart.
"Is the Empress unhappy?" he asked me quietly when I returned.
"I'm happy, I'm very happy. I have a good sister, we will always be good sisters."
But for some reason, she said softly, "Empress, you have a kind heart. There are no true sisters in the palace."
"No, there's one. It's me and Luyao." I said loudly.
She lowered her head and respectfully said, "Please forgive me, Empress. Your servant spoke too much."
But, sister, how did it turn into a fight to the death?
It was Her Majesty who gave me the task of overseeing the musicians, so I had to do it well and have all kinds of musical instruments when my aunt came to the Palace of Music.
Uh, that lead violinist is actually related to me, so when he saw me, his face twitched.
I faintly smiled and my mood immediately turned good. "Senior Brother, ah." The more afraid I am to see me, the more often I will come.
"I don't dare." He exhaled through his nostrils.
"Don't mispronounce." If you don't dare to call me that, then forget it.
"Zheng." The zither strings snapped.
I couldn't help but laugh even louder. "Don't worry. After all, you haven't just entered the palace to become a musician."
I really don't know what he's nervous about. It's not like he isn't familiar with me, but he still has to play the solo for the banquet on the night of the sealing.
He rolled his eyes at me, opened and closed his mouth, silently scolded me without daring to let his aunt behind me see, the snow-white robes, the long, narrow hair, and the tiny, squinting eyes were easily captivated.
But I knew his little secret, and he was not so infatuated. He just squinted his eyes and watched with the cunning of a little fox.
"Senior Brother, let's play the autumn wind!"
He opened his mouth, but there was killing intent in his eyes. He wanted to pounce over and pinch my small neck.
I really am not afraid of him, teasing him is like teasing a ferocious dog.
If I'm not wrong, this song is a mistake. However, there is an adult in the palace who is full of flattery and a smile, "It's rare to see Lady Wanyi like it. Phoenix Cry, this is your honor."
"Master Zhang, I don't know much about other musical instruments. Please take care of it."
"This is this subject's honor. Empress, don't worry, this subject will do well."
The senior played for a while, but I always felt that his playing was unsatisfactory and was too irritating. Actually, he had intentionally angered him just now, so that he wouldn't be so nervous. In the end, his performance wasn't as good as before.
I went back to the palace to write a zither music. Empress Dowager's side had already placed an order for the second song, Autumn Moon Night, and Pear Blossom Snow. These two songs were a little long, and the volume of the melody had increased a little, so it wouldn't be very easy to remember it.
There was a lyre, playing and writing to make it smoother.
Unknowingly, the moon had already lit up, and his aunt had come in to withdraw the evening meal. "Empress, it's already getting late. Why don't we rest early?"
Without looking up, I said, "In a little while."
She paused before saying, "Empress, the Emperor is currently in the Righteous Imperial Palace and has not summoned any palace concubines to serve him."
What does this have to do with me? I raised my head to look at her, and only then did she lightly sigh and say, "Empress, why don't you go to the Zhenghua Palace and take a look at the emperor?"
I shook my head and said very lightly, "Aunty, you can leave for now. I'll call for you if anything happens."
She sighed softly but didn't say anything else. She carried the supper down, and I knew what she meant. This is undoubtedly a good opportunity for me to go to the Zhenghua Palace. Even though I have recovered, I can still take care of him, but I don't want to get close to him.
For many things, once a question was raised, it would form a knot in the heart.
He buried his head and changed his tone, feeling that he had gone too far.
Deep into the night, the palace at the far end of the lake, that is the Zhenghua Palace, it is still brightly lit. I blew out the candle and stood at the window, blowing the night wind.
What if I really am a chess piece? If... I hope there are no ifs. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine as he gathered his clothes and felt his way to the bed to take off his shoes.
The two bright cat eyes in the dark looked at me, and I touched his head. "Can't you sleep with the ball?"
He licked the palm of my hand and, without making a sound, lay at my feet with me.
The next day, he was still thinking of bed very early in the morning. The white fog was still accompanied by a refreshing fragrance, and as he walked out of the white jade bridge, he didn't even get to the right path.
What a coincidence, he had met her neither earlier nor later.
I bowed, and he snorted coldly and walked away without a word.
Maybe he was the one who told me to come and find him last night.
I went to the Palace of Music to find my senior brother, who respectfully told me that he had gone to Merlin with the guqin in the early morning.
I let my aunt take a harp from the Palace of Music and carry it to Merlin.
The green of the Plum Blossom Pavilion's tree was still sleeping in the morning light, and it was very quiet. It was indeed a good place, the air was good, and the most important thing was the incomparably pleasant deep green silence.
As they walked in, they could hear the faint sound of a zither. As expected, this was the most beautiful place to listen to the zither. It was unknown if it was more pleasing to the ear than the noisy palace banquet, but aside from the few seats in front, one could only see people playing the zither from the back.
I held the zither and asked the palace maid to wait for me here. I took a light step forward and saw that my senior was wearing snow-white clothes. He was sitting cross-legged in the midst of the thick green smoke, and the zither music he played was extremely beautiful and light.
He was playing Pear Blossom Snow.
I sat down cross-legged under a plum tree and followed his tune, gently strumming the strings.
As if playing alone, the zither music instantly became clearer and brighter. He saw the night was tight, the thousands of trees and pear blossoms blooming, his little lover softly complaining, the skylark intoxicated with the pear blossoms, recklessly waving them around in the cleanest white, snow-white pear blossoms, the water moved beside the lake, the clouds stopped, the wind quieted. Just like that, the beauty of the world brought with it the feeling of a fairyland.
When the song ended, he let out a sigh of relief and felt the elegance from it. He opened his eyes wide and the mist dissipated, but the green was still thick. He looked at me with a smile and raised his pretty eyebrows.
"Why not?" The sound of the zither was truly capable of bringing away worries. At this moment, it was extremely tranquil. It no longer thought about anything else, and the joy of casually walking away could be achieved just by flipping and dancing the fingertips.
It was as if he didn't know when he was tired. The duo's melody wasn't too fast, it was a step slower.
It was as if all the lost time had been chased back to him.
"Nice play." The shout was so loud that it echoed for a very long time.
Senior Brother and I stood up to greet him, but we sat for too long with our feet slightly numb. We supported ourselves on the tree to stabilize our bodies. He, dressed in light blue, was leisurely walking over with Zhang Xibao in his hand.
"Your majesty." I called softly.
He approached with a smile on his face, "I've listened to the zither for so long, but this is the first time that I've felt so moved to be in love with someone."
I was a little surprised that he could actually understand what she was saying. Zhang Xingbao said, "Your majesty, Wan Yi's zither music is famous in the capital. I heard that her name is Yangjing, and she is extremely famous by the Thousand Li Lake."
When he heard this, he let out a laugh, "I was there at the time. I used a bowl to knock out a sound, suppressing the talented person on the spot. How can I not recruit this kind of talent into the harem?"
"The Emperor is so far-sighted." Zhang Xibao looked at me with a smile. "Lady Wanyi is truly talented, but Xibao is only slightly skilled in the art of zither, chess and painting. She's never proficient in them."
He said softly, "Why did Zhiqiu and the zither master come here to play?"
The soft voice was even fainter than the wind.
"The emperor doesn't know. The fifteenth day of May is the grand day of the empress. If Esteemed Empress Dowager wants to make the most beautiful steps, she'll have to hand over all aspects of palace music to Wanyi. Wanyi is a diligent person who works hard at everything and always wants to be the best. She must have come to this quiet place to practice her zither." Zhang Xibao winked at me.
I knew that he was in a bad mood, whether he was smiling or not, and I could see it with a single glance.
He took a few steps forward and looked into the depths of Merlin. The wind blew through the green leaves, and his eyes looked far away, like broken bits of broken light.
I always felt like he was looking at something, thinking about something. And I can't get into that.
When he came back to his senses, he was still as cold as the new moon. He bent down and touched the strings of his zither with his fingers twice. "Don't tire yourself out," he said.
"Thank you for your concern, your majesty."
He took Zhang Xibao to the Plum Garden to admire the plum blossoms. My senior brother and I lost our interest in playing the zither, so we went back to our own places.
"Your Highness, Minister Yang, please see Your Highness." The reason was to ask at the door of the study room.
With a shake of my hand, I forcefully drew a long hook on the word.
"Empress …" she cried worriedly.
"Let him in." Let me see what that heartless person wants to say.
Sitting in the main hall with a veil pulled down in front of him, he came up to me and bowed. With a soft and ingratiating voice, he said, "Greetings to Lady Wan Yi."
I impolitely said, "Minister Yang, why have you come to the palace to invite me over?"
"The Empress's body is severely injured, and this subject has found the nourishing wild ginseng outside the palace, the thousand-year-old Snow Toad …"
"Minister Yang is too polite, there's nothing in the palace. Take these back to the Yang Mansion." Now that I thought about it, if I could beg him on my knees for a little bit of alms, my mother wouldn't have left me, and I wouldn't be alone now.
"Empress." He did not get angry, but lowered his voice and said, "Before, this subject was blind, so I hope that the Empress can forgive me. It's just that the Empress's status in the palace is rather controversial, so this subject …"
I'm Wan Yi today, so I showed him that it didn't matter if I was rude to him. I'm the Yun Zhiqiu of the past, and after he insulted me and my mother, he said not to hate him.
Without waiting for him to finish speaking, I coldly said, "The reason is because I am tired. See the guests out."
These ugly people, they make me sick.