Kiyomi Tsuki et son renard

Chapitre 49

After washing up, Xiri went to bed fully clothed. Only one candle remained in the room, its faint light flickering as she fell into deep thought.

Before leaving, she guessed that she might not be able to return, so she left a note explaining that she would be out of the city for a few days so that Tian Shuang and Tian Yong would not worry. However, she knew that even though she left a note, Tian Shuang and Tian Yong would still come looking for her, because she had not explained why she was leaving the city, and they would definitely worry.

Sigh... There's no time to worry about anything now. We've come this far, there's no turning back. We can only deal with whatever comes our way and take it one step at a time.

But... for some reason, she felt no fear at all at this moment. She wondered if it was because Long Ming was there. It seemed that whenever she was in danger, he would always save her... Thinking of him, an indescribable joy welled up within her. Recalling the moments since she met him in Suzhou, she couldn't help but smile.

Just then, someone knocked on the door, followed by Minglu's voice: "Brother Yu?"

Xi Ri suddenly sat up in bed, and when he looked up, he was surprised to find that a piece of tile above his head had disappeared.

Outside the door, Minglu's voice came again: "Yu-di, are you asleep?"

………………

Looking up at the roof again the following day, there was no one in sight, but the removed tiles clearly resembled someone's masterpiece.

With doubts in mind, I got up and opened the door.

Outside the door, the moon shyly hid behind the clouds, only vaguely revealing its outline. A cool night breeze brushed against my face, carrying a slight chill.

Minglu stood alone outside the door, holding a guqin in his hands. Seeing Li Yu open the door, he said, "It's still early, and I think Brother Yu shouldn't be asleep yet. I suddenly felt like asking Brother Yu to play a piece. Would that be alright?"

Xi Ri had no reason to refuse, after all, she couldn't tell Ming Lu that men and women shouldn't be alone in a room, could she? If she refused Ming Lu, she would only make herself seem more guilty, so she simply let him in and then excused herself later by saying that she was tired.

He immediately laughed and said, "Your Highness, what are you saying? It is my honor to hear you play the zither. Please, Your Highness." He then stepped aside and invited Ming Lu into the room.

Minglu entered the room, looked around, and placed the zither he was carrying on the table. His fingers traced the headstock of the zither, as if he also cherished it. He then stepped aside slightly, gesturing for Li Yu to try it out.

Xi Ri stepped forward, gently plucked the strings a few times, and the sound of the zither was clear, crisp, and full. She exclaimed, "What a fine zither!"

Minglu smiled and asked, "Brother Yu, do you know what kind of zither this is?"

Xi Ri, by the dim candlelight, carefully examined the guqin and discovered an inscription inside that read: "The essence of paulownia and catalpa combined."

He exclaimed in surprise, "Could this actually be Lü Qi?!"

Minglu nodded and smiled, "Exactly."

Xi Ri was greatly surprised and touched the body of the instrument with great care. What he touched was no longer an instrument, but a treasure.

"Luqi" is said to be a zither played by Sima Xiangru, a famous scholar of the Han Dynasty.

Sima Xiangru originally came from a poor family, owning only four walls, but his poetry and prose were extremely famous. The King of Liang, having heard of his reputation, commissioned him to compose a poem, and Xiangru wrote "Ode to Jade" as a gift. This poem was exquisitely written and possessed extraordinary charm. The King of Liang was extremely pleased and reciprocated by gifting him his prized "Green Silk" zither. "Green Silk" was a renowned zither passed down through generations, with an inscription inside that read: "The essence of paulownia and catalpa combined."

When Sima Xiangru acquired the "Green Jade," he treasured it like a priceless gem. His superb qin skills, combined with the "Green Jade's" exquisite tone, made the "Green Jade" famous for a time.

Once, Sima Xiangru visited a friend, and the wealthy Zhuo Wangsun, who had heard of his reputation, hosted a banquet in his honor. As the wine flowed freely, the guests asked Xiangru to play a piece. Xiangru had long heard of Zhuo Wangsun's daughter, Wenjun, who was exceptionally talented, a master of the zither, and greatly admired him. Sima Xiangru then played the zither piece "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate" to express his love for her.

After listening to the zither music, Wenjun understood its meaning and blushed with excitement, her heart filled with longing. She was captivated by Sima Xiangru's literary talent and, to repay this "encounter with a kindred spirit," she secretly went to his residence that night, and they became husband and wife. From then on, Sima Xiangru's pursuit of Wenjun through the zither became a timeless tale of love and romance.

Unexpectedly, such a guqin was in Minglu's hands, and now she was fortunate enough to play it.

"What would you like to hear, Your Highness?" Xi Ri asked softly, her heart itching with desire as she touched the strings of her zither.

In the darkness, a single candle burned in the room. Though its light was faint, it was enough to illuminate their faces. Minglu gazed at Li Yu's profile, lost in thought...

After a long pause, he replied in a low voice, "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate."

Xi Ri's fingers trembled as she touched the strings of the zither. "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix" was the perfect instrument to play this piece. However, at this moment, the person playing the zither and the person listening were not the same. She was not Sima Xiangru, and Ming Lu was not Zhuo Wenjun.

She suddenly looked up at Minglu and saw that his eyes were as dark as midnight, staring at her through the dim candlelight. There were inexplicable emotions in them that she could not understand or see clearly, and a sudden tension rose in her heart.

She lowered her head to look at the piano, trying to avoid that gaze, and whispered, "Okay."

Phoenix Seeks Its Mate

Phoenix, oh phoenix, soaring through the nine heavens, roaming the four seas in search of your mate.

The winds and clouds obscure the sun and moon; I gaze at my own reflection in the high hall, feeling sorry for myself.

Suddenly, a dazzling beauty appears, captivating all who see her; a jade-like woman emerges from the Xiao and Xiang rivers.

Her talent is worthy of poetry, her affection is worthy of holding hands; her charming smile makes even the brightest pearl lose its luster.

The phoenix sings a clear song that leads to the azure sky, its wings fluttering as it approaches the fragrant silk, where mandarin ducks ripple on the green waves of the Jade Pool.

The sound has not yet faded, I lightly follow the fragrance, I wish to go but cannot return to my hometown!

Although the music had faded, it seemed to linger, echoing in their ears for a long time. At this romantic and beautiful moment, suddenly a person stumbled in through the door. The two looked up and saw it was Fu Jin.

Fu Jin steadied himself in a disheveled manner, straightened his clothes a few times, and complained, "Minglu, the threshold of your mansion is too high."

Minglu asked, "Why are you here so late?"

Fu Jin smiled nonchalantly, "I couldn't sleep at night, and suddenly I heard a sound from beyond the heavens. I followed the sound of the zither and came here. I didn't expect it to be Brother Yu playing the zither here."

No one invited him in, but he didn't stand on ceremony and came in to sit down, even pouring himself a cup of tea and taking a sip.

Minglu raised an eyebrow and said, "Is that so?"

Fu Jin immediately replied, "Of course!"

Looking at Minglu's expression, Xiri thought to himself: Could it be that Fu Jin had arrived a long time ago?

Fu Jin had indeed arrived long ago, but partly because he had angered Li Yu earlier that day, and partly because he had no good excuse, he lingered outside Li Yu's room, hesitating whether to stay or leave. Just then, he saw Ming Lu approaching with a zither, and he immediately hid in the shadows, feeling guilty, and did not show himself.

Why did he feel guilty? Perhaps even he himself didn't know at the time. He only knew that he didn't want Minglu to see him like this. Just as he was annoyed by his own abnormal behavior, he heard the sound of a zither coming from inside the room.