Kiyomi Tsuki et son renard

Chapitre 82

Before she could think any further, Suoge seemed to have noticed her arrival, and suddenly stood up and turned to look at her.

At this moment, the two faced each other from a distance, and Xi Ri's heart suddenly began to pound uncontrollably.

She hated this feeling of not being able to control or manage herself.

She silently reminded herself that she could do it, she definitely could do it!

Having composed herself, she did not lose her composure this time. Under Suoge's gaze, she took small, steady steps and walked peacefully, normally, and calmly to Suoge, bowing and saying, "I have met Prince Xi before."

Seeing that she covered her face with a face mask, Suoge did not ask any further questions, only saying, "Get up and take a seat."

A servant pulled out a rattan chair from beside the bamboo table to help Xiri sit down, and poured a cup of tea for her. Xiri took the tea, looking relaxed, and placed the cup aside without drinking it.

Suoge waved his hand, and the servants waiting outside the pavilion immediately retreated to a distance of fifty paces from the bamboo pavilion.

Xi Ri gently moved the teacup on the table, seemingly admiring the exquisite painting on the celadon. He then heard Suo Ge speak, "Regarding the Mid-Autumn Festival, on behalf of my younger sister, I thank Miss Tian."

"How should I thank you?" Xi Ri asked, raising an eyebrow.

Suoge's lips curled slightly, a smile that wasn't quite a smile, but rather a hint of sarcasm. He said, "I've heard that Miss Tian enjoys playing the zither. This 'Burnt Tail' zither was something I acquired by chance a few years ago. What does Miss Tian think?"

Following Suoge's finger, Xiri noticed an ancient zither on a zither table in the corner of the bamboo pavilion. A thought struck her: "Jiaowei"? Legend has it that "Jiaowei" was a zither personally crafted by Cai Yong of the Eastern Han Dynasty. This zither has quite a history. It is said that when Cai Yong was "fleeing for his life on the rivers and seas, far away in Wu and Yue," he rescued a piece of paulownia wood from a fire that was not yet completely burned and had an unusual sound. Based on the length and shape of the wood, he made a seven-stringed zither, and indeed, its sound was extraordinary. Because the tail of the zither still bore scorch marks, it was named "Jiaowei" (meaning "scorched tail"). "Jiaowei" became famous throughout the world for its melodious tone and unique craftsmanship, becoming one of the four most famous zithers.

I had heard of this famous zither but never seen it before. Now it was placed just a few steps away. How could any zither enthusiast not be itching to play it!

Xi Ri glanced at "Jiao Wei" out of the corner of her eye, but didn't get up. A fierce internal struggle raged within her: a lover of the zither would die for a famous instrument, let alone one that every zither enthusiast in the world dreamed of. Judging from Suo Ge's words, she only needed to nod her head for the zither to be hers. But… sigh… "Jiao Wei"… that was "Jiao Wei"! A dull ache gripped her heart, and she hesitated, no longer able to bring herself to reveal it. She could only grit her teeth and silently curse Suo Ge: he was utterly despicable, using "Jiao Wei" to lure her.

"I've heard that Miss Tian's musical skills are unparalleled in the world. I wonder if I might have the honor of hearing a piece from her today?" Suoge suddenly asked.

This was clearly an attempt to entice her. Once she touched "Burnt Tail," how could she bear to let go? She couldn't help but glance at "Burnt Tail" again, seemingly unintentionally, but in reality, she was deeply tempted.

The "Jiaowei" zither is as famous as the "Luqi" zither in her third brother's mansion, and together they are known as the four great zithers. They are extremely rare and priceless. She has already played the "Luqi" zither, and if she could play the "Jiaowei" zither, she would truly have no regrets in this life.

But……

Xi Ri gritted her teeth, composed herself, and said, "Your Highness is too kind. My zither skills are mediocre, and I dare not show off in front of Your Highness." She refused, not out of modesty or prevarication, but directly and without reservation. She had not come here today for romantic escapades.

On the surface, things seemed calm between her and Soge, but in reality, they both knew that the rift between them could not be resolved with just a few words.

Suoge raised an eyebrow and said, "Even a fine zither needs a kindred spirit. Whether this zither is worthy of you, Miss, will only be known after trying it out."

This was clearly an underestimation of her! Whether or not the "Burnt Tail" was given to her depended on whether she was worthy of it! Even though she knew Suoge was trying to provoke her, it still infuriated her. It wasn't arrogance; from childhood, since she began learning the zither, no one had ever questioned her talent, and now, all who heard her playing were captivated. Unable to suppress her resentment, she suddenly stood up, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Since that's the case, then I'll humbly accept."

Soge gracefully raised his hand and said, "Please."

Xi Ri thought to herself: "You brat, Suo Ge, today I'll let you hear my zither skills and see if I'm worthy of your famous instrument!"

If the golden hues of an autumn bamboo forest evoke a sense of elegant languor, then in this season, amidst such gentle scenery, the soothing sound of the zither transports one to a tranquil countryside, a place of boundless beauty and boundless tranquility… like gazing at distant mountains and flowing waters, or observing nearby houses and bridges… butterflies flutter, grasses grow green, a scene of serene peace and open tranquility. It seems… the past carnage has been washed away here, the past heroism has been tempered, the past desolation has been swept away, and the past gloom has been replaced by a gentle, serene beauty.

He had heard this melody before...

Sometime later, Soge had closed his eyes, recalling something...

Three years ago, in the winter when the snow covered the earth, he secretly returned to the capital and then left in a hurry. When he passed through this place, he suddenly heard someone playing the zither in the woods. He listened intently, and just one piece of music captivated him. He quickly sent someone to inquire, only to be told that it was a young man who had already headed towards the capital.

A year later, he returned to the capital to report on his official duties and intended to buy this land to build a villa. He often came here to admire the bamboo and enjoy tea, and also made many literati and scholars. Occasionally, he would recall the zither music he had heard here and think that if he met the young man who played the zither that day, they would surely become friends. However, two years passed, and the young man never appeared, disappearing without a trace. He could only say that perhaps they were not destined to be together.

I never expected to hear such music and this piece again today. Could it be that the boy who played the zither that day was her?

I had heard that Tian Xiri's zither skills were unparalleled, but I never imagined that it would be the young man who played it in the bamboo forest that day. If it weren't for the fact that only that young man had ever played this piece, if it weren't for the fact that few in the world could match such musical talent...

He opened his eyes, staring at the woman playing the zither, his mind momentarily dazed. She was Tian Xiri, the most beautiful woman in the capital, the one he had once hurt by refusing to marry. Unlike two years ago, her eyes, once shy and timid, now held a cold, unfamiliar intensity. He had once thought it was a pretentious act, a trick that disgusted him from the bottom of his heart, but now he suddenly felt something was different. Her attitude towards him, like his, was nothing but perfunctory; she, too, loathed him from the bottom of her heart.

He suddenly remembered the letter Tian Xiri had given him two years ago...

Back then, he achieved early success and made outstanding military achievements. In addition, he was flattered by many people as soon as he returned to the capital, so he inevitably became somewhat arrogant.

That night, at the palace banquet, he was the main character. He had previously guessed that the Emperor seemed to intend to arrange a marriage for him. An arranged marriage was an honor, but he didn't like it and couldn't help feeling some resistance.

That night, as soon as he arrived at the palace, an attendant eagerly handed him a stack of letters, each with a different color and scent. He was quite surprised to receive so many letters from young ladies of noble birth, and after the initial surprise came a touch of annoyance. He initially didn't want to pay them any attention, but Minglu's words piqued his interest.

Tian Xiri... He had only been back in the capital for a short time, yet he had already heard of her. She was the most beautiful woman in the capital, possessing both beauty and talent. She was also the Empress Dowager's favorite niece, the Emperor's brother-in-law's proudest daughter, and the current Emperor's cousin... She came from a prominent family and had outstanding character, but he had heard that she was somewhat arrogant.

The undisguised jealousy in Minglu's eyes piqued his curiosity, and in front of Minglu, he opened the letter—the only time he had ever been interested in reading a letter a woman had given him.

I remember feeling a cold laugh after reading it. All because of one sentence in the letter: "Who else could you love besides me?"

What arrogance! What a haughty and disdainful woman! Does she think she can be so arrogant just because she's the daughter of the Emperor's brother-in-law and the Empress Dowager's favorite niece? She wants to be as domineering as Empress Chen, but unfortunately, he's not Emperor Wu of Han, who would tolerate such a woman and keep her in a golden house. The thought of those words in the letter filled him with utter disgust for Tian Xiri.

But now that I think about it...

Although Jiaowei is famous for her tone, only she can play it to such a high level.

Is the girl playing the piano today really the same boy from back then?

"Am I worthy?" Her voice suddenly rang out beside me.

He looked up at the sound, and suddenly, he spat out the tea in his mouth straight at her.

Seeing that the other person was covered in tea stains from his spray, he was not only slightly embarrassed, he had never been so rude in front of others before... but how could he be blamed?

After Xi Ri finished playing the zither, seeing his thoughtful expression, she thought her time was ripe. She said something to grab his attention, and just as he looked up, she suddenly ripped off her face covering, revealing the mask she had worn in Suzhou. She planned to blow the prepared "Ten Miles of Spring Breeze Fragrance" while he was still stunned. However, in her haste, her fingertip grazed the mask as she pulled off the face covering, and half of the mask was accidentally torn off. The "Ten Miles of Spring Breeze Fragrance" she was about to blow was also blown back by Suo Ge's sudden spitting of tea. Xi Ri hurriedly held her breath, but it was too late.

To be honest, it's a good mask, but if only half of it is on the face and the other half is dangling to one side, trembling slightly with each breath, that scene... no wonder Sog spit out his tea on the spot.

This time, it was Xi Ri's turn to be stunned. Poor Xi Ri, thinking about how she had been poisoned by "Spring Breeze Ten Miles of Fragrance," felt a pang of sadness. She hadn't even noticed that half of her mask had fallen off. She stared at Suo Ge, utterly bewildered: Why? Why was this? Her most prized creation, she thought, completely ineffective in front of him? Even the worst person to see this mask before (that scoundrel Long Ming) had turned pale and remained stunned for a long time. Yet he had actually spat out his tea, and not only that, he even seemed to be suppressing a smile, looking at her with a mixture of wanting to look but being too embarrassed to. Why? Why was she such a failure? This mask was specially made for him; he should at least have turned pale and stunned for a moment, if not screamed and rolled on his back in terror. How could he find it funny?!

As he was lost in thought, he suddenly saw Soge's finger trembling as he pointed to his face.

She instinctively reached up to touch her face, and was shocked! Half of her mask had fallen off! How could this be!