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Zhao Wang realized he had just boasted, and if he disagreed now, it would be a slap in the face. After pondering for a moment, he said, "It's not impossible to invite someone out, but I ask Lord Jun to wait a moment longer."
Zhong Xue chuckled lightly, "If it's a good tune, naturally it can wait."
Bringing Ji Xun out of prison would take time; waiting for him to tidy up, then entering the palace and preparing to perform—all of this required time. If there were any delays in between, it would take even longer.
Ji Xun had not wanted to come in the first place, but due to the king's orders, he had no choice but to leave his cell. He couldn't help but wonder what exactly was happening. Because of this, others waited for over an hour before he finally arrived.
Zhong Xue was determined not to give up until he saw Ji Xun, but while he could wait, others might not be able to. Everyone else anxiously looked outside, wishing that Ji Xun would arrive immediately.
Most people were eager to go home, but since the king was still there, who dared to leave first? They all sat there stiffly waiting, feeling as if their necks were stretching.
It was nearly midnight when Ji Xun finally arrived. He looked much thinner than before, yet his expression remained as calm and detached as ever, as if nothing mattered to him.
"One can lose their head and shed blood, but one must not lose their integrity," had always been his motto. It was commendable that he could maintain his usual demeanor at this moment. Dressed in white like snow, he stood tall and elegant, with a gentle and composed expression that exuded an air of nobility.
Upon seeing him, Zhao Wang revealed a hint of joy on his face. "Is the Crown Prince feeling better?"
"Still well," Ji Xun replied with a slight bow, seeming to have lost the previous intimacy in his demeanor.
Zhao Wang sighed inwardly and instructed him to play the qin.
Ji Xun sat down on the floor, and after a moment, a clear and melodious sound began to resonate. Listening to the music felt as if one were living in a grand mansion with servants fanning them, surrounded by endless singing and dancing at banquets. There were leisurely boat rides on water and hunts across vast plains with horses; people flattered you endlessly while living a life of luxury and wealth. Then suddenly, the music shifted, and all those prosperous scenes vanished—gold and jewels turned into stones, sycophants departed, leaving only a desolate graveyard before one's eyes. The ancestral temple lay in ruins; everything became an illusion, leaving only a handful of yellow earth for the world to remember.
After finishing his performance, many in the hall shed tears sorrowfully. It was as if they were part of that tune themselves—wealth would eventually fade away, leaving only faint memories of past glories tinged with melancholy.
Zhong Xue secretly laughed, thinking that among Zhao Wang's sons, the smartest was undoubtedly Ji Xun.
His thoughts were probably known only to him. Sooner or later, the Zhao Kingdom would be his to control. These fools could only see the mountains of jewels before them; in their eyes, there was only wealth and power, with not even the slightest sense of crisis. They even believed he was trying to bring fortune to the Zhao Kingdom.
After Ji Xun finished playing a piece, he rested his hands on the guqin, his expression calm yet tinged with a hint of sadness.
Zhong Xue laughed heartily and praised, "The Crown Prince's music is truly exquisite; listening to it makes me want to learn." He then stood up and bowed to Zhao Wang, saying, "I have a request for Your Majesty."
"Lord Jun, please speak."
"I wonder if Your Majesty would allow the Crown Prince to teach me how to play the guqin at the Embassy for a few days?"
"This..." Zhao Wang hesitated.
Ji Yan quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, this matter is highly inappropriate. The Crown Prince is still in disgrace and should not serve the envoys."
Zhong Xue smiled and replied, "Young Master, you are mistaken. Learning the guqin is a pursuit of the highest realm in life. I won't be in Handan City for long; surely you wouldn't deny me this small favor."
Ji Yan considered Zhong Xue as an ally; they had been friends for a long time and he did not wish to offend him, so he chose to remain silent.
Zhao Wang also felt pity for his son and did not want him imprisoned again, so he agreed. He immediately issued an order for the Crown Prince to temporarily stay at the Embassy to teach Chengyang Jun how to play the guqin, promoting friendly relations between the two nations.
It was because this matter took too long that he returned so late. Upon hearing this news, San Chun was so delighted that he nearly jumped up, grabbing Ji Xun's hand and repeatedly asking, "Where is he? When will he come?"
"Tonight, I will send someone to pick him up tomorrow. We can discuss anything then."
He yawned, climbed into bed to sleep, and San Chun helped him take off his shoes and outer garment. Zhong Xue smiled and said, "You are starting to feel more like my wife."
Does it feel that way? San Chun wasn't sure; she just considered it a reward for his hard work. When she married him, it was under pressure, but if she had truly been unwilling, no one could have forced her. In the end, she had developed feelings for Zhong Xue.
She liked him, gradually and little by little, this affection deepened over time. She had truly fallen in love with him.
Many people tried to win over Zhao Wang but failed, yet he resolved it with just a few casual words. Zhong Xue's ability to understand people's thoughts was indeed unmatched.
A music teacher managed to leave others speechless and forced Zhao Wang to let his son out. Although there was compassion and love for his son involved, without Zhong Xue's assistance, he wouldn't have been able to navigate the situation.
Seeing Ji Xun again stirred mixed feelings in San Chun. As the saying goes, the world is ever-changing; she had transitioned from being his wife to Zhong Xue's lady, leading to today's awkwardness.
Ji Xun wore white clothing, a faint smile on his lips, and when he looked at her, there was a hint of joy in his eyes.
"I didn't expect to see you here."
San Chun lowered her head and replied, "I asked Chengyang Jun to save you. Your health isn't good; you need proper care."
He hesitated for a moment. "You and him..."
"I am now married to him."
He was taken aback for a moment, then sighed, "This is fine, this is fine. It saves me from worrying about you until the day I am buried."
These words seemed to be a form of self-deprecation, mixed with a deep sense of loss, along with some comfort and reassurance. The blend of emotions transformed this gentle and composed young man into someone resembling a sickly beauty with slightly furrowed brows.
San Chun suddenly felt very sorry for him but didn't know what to say in apology. She could only stammer, "You won't die. I've already found Yuzhen; he will come to the Embassy soon."
Ji Xun forced a bitter smile. "What does living mean to me anymore?"
San Chun also smiled, though her expression was somewhat bitter. "It's just a pity that life is unpredictable and plays tricks on us. Some things don't happen just because we want them to. I feel guilty towards you and will make it up to you; I only hope you take good care of yourself."
Ji Xun replied, "Don't worry, I will think of ways to live well, even if it's for you. I will persist in living on."
San Chun's heart grew heavier; he was living only for her, just to prevent her from feeling too guilty.
As they spoke, Zhong Xue suddenly entered from outside, followed by Kazama, who was holding a Yaoqin.
Seeing the distance between the man and woman in the room shrinking to the point where not even a needle could fit between them, Zhong Xue immediately spoke with a sour tone, "Are you two done? If you're done, can the Crown Prince teach This Lord how to play the piano?"
Ji Xun smiled; seeing someone else get jealous of him was indeed a pleasant feeling, especially when that person was the all-powerful Chengyang Jun.
He asked, "Lord Jun really wants to learn the piano?"
Zhong Xue snorted coldly. "If I didn't want to learn the piano, do you think I'd come looking for you? Do you think I'd want to watch you flirt with my wife?"
Watching the increasingly thick atmosphere in the room, San Chun couldn't help but shake her head. She knew that with Zhong Xue present, it was impossible to have a few more words with Ji Xun today.
She said, "You all continue your conversation; I have something to attend to."
Neither of them spoke or looked at her, as if she didn't exist, their eyes only on each other.
She sighed; these two had been at odds for a lifetime, and she never expected them to still be so childish now.
Once outside, her mind was filled with thoughts of Ji Xun's illness. This Yuzhen would surely come knocking when the time was right; when would that be?
She instructed someone to wait at the doorman's place, telling them to bring in any man around fifty years old who appeared at the Embassy door.
Because of her words, countless old men had been brought into the Embassy.
Finally, on the third day after Ji Xun entered the Embassy, Yuzhen was brought in.
This master was truly remarkable; it was unclear how he had gotten wind of the news from five hundred miles away and rushed over. As soon as he entered, he sniffed and said, "Girl, you promised to treat me to some good dishes!"
San Chun was overjoyed and quickly had the kitchen prepare several dishes to entertain him.
Yuzhen was a gourmet; ordinary dishes simply wouldn't satisfy him. Fortunately, Zhong Xue also had good taste in food. His chefs were sourced from various countries and were the best, which allowed this master to enjoy quite a few bites.
Seeing that he had eaten enough, San Chun asked, "What made you think of coming here today?"
"People come out naturally, but I refuse to go to the prison to see anyone."
He put down his chopsticks and asked, "Who do you want me to see?"
"In the front hall practicing the piano, please follow me."
San Chun led Yuzhen to the front hall. He initially thought Zhong Xue was just pretending to practice, but who would have thought that he was actually practicing? He started learning from the basics of music theory and was very focused on each aspect.
However, he never had much of a musical talent. In the past, in order to accompany Yan Dan, he worked hard to learn the xiao (a traditional Chinese flute) for several years. In the end, he could only play a few simple tunes, and they were quite unpleasant.
San Chun had heard him play the xiao a few times before and thought it was already an extraordinary skill. But unexpectedly, the sound of his piano was at least ten times worse than that of the xiao. Even before reaching the front hall, they could hear a harsh sound, like two bronze weapons grinding against each other, sending chills down their spines.
Yuzhen smiled and said, "Is this the sound of that young master's piano? Quite interesting."
San Chun hurriedly replied, "Ji Xun's piano skills are unmatched; he couldn't possibly produce such a sound. This is Lord Chengyang's piano sound."
Yuzhen nodded and said, "Using sound to convey character, this Lord Jun is indeed impressive; his future achievements will surely be remarkable." (To be continued.)
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