Chapter Eight: Night Banquet

  As night falls, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse.

  Ningzhou City had long fallen asleep in the twilight, with few pedestrians on the streets. However, the Ningzhou City Governor's Mansion was brightly lit, and the grand hall was filled with music and dance, the sound of guessing fists and following orders never-ending.

  This was because Ningzhou City Governor Zhao Xianglin was hosting a banquet in the government office for Ji Qingchen, the ninth prince of Great Yan who had just returned to the country. As the governor of Ningzhou City, he was a powerful figure in the Ningzhou officialdom and was able to host Ji Qingchen in his own government office, which not only represented the congratulations of the Ningzhou officials for the safe return of the Ninth Prince to Yan, but also got the instruction from Ningzhou Governor Xue Zhong. The intention was to ease the tension between the Ninth Prince and General Liu Donglou of Ningzhou through this banquet.

  Because this banquet has a special meaning, apart from the governor of Ningzhou, Zhuge Jin, all the other officials who attended the banquet were real powers in the military and political circles of Ningzhou, as well as the heads of various aristocratic families in Ningzhou. The scale of the banquet was also very grand and luxurious.

  Among the military representatives was Ningzhou General Liu Donglou, who had a conflict with Ji Qingchen outside the city in the morning. However, Liu Donglou seemed to have no interest in this banquet and remained silent with a gloomy expression since he took his seat, as if he was extremely unwilling to attend tonight's banquet, and it was possible that there were other hidden reasons for him to come to the banquet.

  Ji Qingchen sat in the uppermost position of Liu Donglou, naturally taking in the expression of this third person of the Great Yan military. However, he only let out a slight sigh in his heart and shifted his gaze to Zhuge Jin beside him. Compared to Liu Donglou, the great god of war of Yan, he was more interested in this official who could guard Ningzhou. Liu Donglou and the supporters of Ningwang of the Ning state's Liu family, no matter how much they valued talent, even if their relationship had eased a bit, it was still impossible for them to be used by him. Since that was the case, there was no need to pretend to get along with the other party, lest he arouse suspicion in his father's heart as soon as he returned to Yan, thinking that he had an unusual relationship with the border generals as soon as he returned.

  And this is also the reason why he dared to offend Liu Donglou under Ningzhou City.

  So Ji Qingchen ignored the cold attitude of Liu Donglou after understanding the purpose of Zhao Xianglin's banquet, and the relationship between the two was still very cold, with a bit of chill in the air between them.

  It was the performance of Zhuge Jin on the side that made Ji Qingchen a little surprised. Through just a few conversations, he had already discovered that the historian in front of him was not simple. Apart from having uncommon governing abilities, he found that Zhuge Jin was also extremely smooth and transparent in his dealings with others. He seemed to be gentle with people, but in reality, he was absolutely a ruthless character who hid needles in cotton.

  Just as Ji Qingchen was chatting with Zhuge Jin, the banquet had already passed halfway.

  At this time, Zhuge Jin suddenly heard that Zhao Xianglin said, "I heard that there is a beautiful girl in your house, who is good at singing and dancing, and also likes to play the piano. Since today is a banquet for the ninth prince, and there are so many Ningzhou officials and clan leaders here, why don't you call her out to let us take a look?"

  Zhao Xianglin's expression stiffened, and he was somewhat incredulous at Zhuge Jin's proposal. His gaze fell on Zhuge Jin's face, only to find the latter smiling confidently at him. It seemed that in an instant, he understood something, his complexion suddenly turning a bit pale. However, he still forced himself to suppress the anger in his heart and shifted his gaze to the Ninth Prince, Ji Qingchen, accompanying it with a smile: "Your Highness, my family indeed has several songstresses, but their dance is coarse, and their musical skills are even more unrefined, making them unsuitable for refined gatherings. I fear they would not meet your expectations, please forgive me."

  The Great Yan has been established for 800 years, and before the Spring and Autumn period, it was a country of true etiquette and music. Therefore, until today, the custom of liking singing and dancing has not changed, and all the ministers of the Great Yan like to keep several song girls at home as a hobby.

  Ji Qingchen was unclear what Zhuge Jin meant, but he only used a simple sentence to make Zhao Xianglin, the governor of Ningzhou City, so angry that he couldn't bear it. He suddenly felt a little curious in his heart. However, he also found that Zhuge Jin proposed such a request at this time, obviously with the intention of using his own identity to pressure Zhao Xianglin, and suspected of wanting to use his own identity as a gun. His heart was slightly displeased, so he didn't speak up, but instead shifted his gaze to Zhuge Jin, wanting to see how Zhuge Jin would respond.

  Zhuge Jin seemed to have expected Zhao Xianglin to say this, and with a faint smile in response to Ji Qingchen's curious gaze, he calmly said to Zhao Xianglin, "Lord Zhao is too kind. The Ninth Prince has been away from the country for ten years and has just arrived in Ningzhou City today, so he doesn't understand the local customs and beautiful women of Ningzhou. Lord Zhao says this, but naturally, he won't make things difficult for you again. However, which family among those seated in the great hall doesn't have a few songstresses? Who wouldn't know about the dance skills and musical talents of Ningzhou's songstresses? So, Lord Zhao, your words seem to be somewhat self-aggrandizing!"

  "This——" Zhao Xianglin was choked with rage, he didn't expect Zhuge Jin to speak so harshly. Seeing that everyone in the hall had shifted their gaze towards him, he knew that Zhuge Jin had already said what needed to be said, and if he wanted to refuse, he would only offend the Ninth Prince and the officials of Ningzhou. He could only glare fiercely at Zhuge Jin, then reluctantly stood up and spoke a few words to the butler beside him. The butler nodded and left.

  In an instant, a piece of ancient zither music floated into the hall, and the people drinking couldn't help but be shocked, concentrating their energy on the sound of the piano.

  Ji Qingchen's eyes widened in surprise the moment he heard the sound of the guqin. His mother was skilled at playing the guqin and loved music, which had instilled in him a strong interest in music from a young age. At seven years old, he had been sent to another country as a hostage, where he spent ten years diligently practicing his guqin skills. Now, his level of proficiency on the guqin was already at the master level. Therefore, when he heard this songstress's guqin sound faintly entering his ears, he discovered that her guqin skills were quite impressive.

  The Guqin music floating in the hall is very beautiful, like a small stream of spring water, with a sense of melancholy, like the secluded orchid in the valley, and also with a heroic spirit, like a hero.

  Ji Qingchen knew that being able to play a piece like "Returning Home" with such complexity and nuance, making people infatuated, was indeed not easy.

  It's not just about the skill of playing the guqin, but also about the player's mood and feeling, because the guqin is an instrument that can make people intoxicated with its sound and feel as if they are on the scene.

  So at this moment, he had an impulse to meet the singer who played the piano.

  "Clang——" When the last note fell, except for Ningzhou General Liu Donglou and Ji Qingchen, who had already woken up, the rest of the people in the hall were still immersed in this beautiful and melancholic piano sound.

  "Hmph!" Liu Donglou saw the dazed expressions of everyone in the hall and let out a cold snort, then closed his eyes to meditate again.

  Ji Qingchen glanced at Liu Donglou, who was standing in the first position, and didn't say a word. If they didn't mention the unpleasantness that had occurred between them outside Ningzhou City today, then as far as Liu Donglou was concerned, Ji Qingchen still held him in high esteem. Although he wasn't clear about Liu Donglou's true abilities, he knew his own senior brother Mu Feng's capabilities, and Liu Donglou was able to hold down the fort in Ningzhou, leading a hundred thousand troops against his senior brother Mu Feng, making it difficult for the country's hundred thousand iron cavalry to head south into Ningzhou. With this ability alone, he could look down on the great halls of Yan, and the titles of Great Yan Divine Gun and Great Yan Tiger General were well-deserved.

  "Bang Bang Bang——"

  At this time, Zhuge Jin had also come to himself and began to applaud, expressing his admiration for the zither player. As a jinshi, he was quite proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, so he naturally liked this piece very much.

  The people in the hall saw this and didn't dare fall behind, and they all started applauding.

  In an instant, applause filled the hall.

  "Lord Zhao, I don't know what to call the young lady who just played the piano. Could you please let her come out and meet us? Since she has such exceptional piano skills, surely her dancing must be extraordinary as well! Why not have her perform another dance for the Ninth Prince and all the nobles to enjoy?" Just as the applause died down, Zhuge Jin calmly said to Zhao Xianglin.

  Zhao Xianglin was infuriated by Zhuge Jin's words, but Zhuge Jin's words also made him unable to refute, and he could only ignore the seemingly smiling Zhuge Jin, forcing a smile as he said to Ji Qingchen, "Since Your Highness likes it, I'll let Meng Yan dance for Your Highness to add to the excitement."

  Ji Qingchen had wanted to meet this woman with exceptional piano skills, and now that Zhao Xianglin asked, he nodded slightly in agreement. Zhao Xianglin bowed his head to accept the order, said a few words to the butler beside him, and the butler left the hall with small steps.

  Suddenly, a 28-year-old girl slowly walked into the hall.

  As the girl slowly walked into the hall, everyone in the hall involuntarily shifted their gaze to the girl, and even several people couldn't help but exclaim when they saw her face.

  Because this girl is really beautiful.

  The girl walked into the hall with a gentle pace, her long green dress fluttering in the wind, and she seemed like an immortal fairy descending from heaven, with an ethereal aura.

  Upon seeing the beauty of the young girl, the people in the hall finally understood why Zhao Xianglin treasured this songstress named Mingyan and didn't dare to openly show her off. A woman with such beauty and talent, if she didn't have power or status, ordinary people indeed wouldn't dare guarantee that they could keep her by their side.

  When Ji Qingchen saw Ge Jie Mianyan, his face did not reveal the same greedy gaze as everyone else, but instead used an appreciative gaze to quietly watch the girl. As she walked closer, he discovered that she had a round goose egg face, black shiny eyes, rosy cheeks, and an ethereal yet cold aura surrounding her. Her complexion was crystal clear, her skin as white as snow, with a small dimple on her cheek, slightly revealing her shyness, which made her look extremely beautiful. Additionally, she wore a high-collared long dress in emerald green, with a white-based strawberry-patterned cloak draped over it, subtly exposing her snowy-like bosom. The hem of the skirt only covered her knees, and a same-colored waistband cinched at her waist, accentuating her slender figure.

  The songstress Meiyan walked into the great hall, ignoring the greedy glances on everyone's faces. She handed her guqin to a maid beside her and bowed to Ji Qingchen, Liu Donglou, and Zhuge Jin before beginning to dance gracefully in the hall.

  With the soft music of the guqin, the songstress Meiyan began to dance in the hall, her steps light and airy, her long green sleeves fluttering. For a moment, she seemed like a celestial maiden descending from heaven. Ji Qingchen gazed quietly at the girl dancing in the hall, his mind somewhat dazed, for at this moment, memories of the past floated up again in his heart. Outside the capital city, on the high mountain slope, Princess Anle's dance posture once again appeared before his eyes.

  "Bring me my lute!" Suddenly, he was moved in his heart and shouted loudly.

  The crowd in the hall was stunned, and Liu Donglou and Zhuge Jin beside him were also puzzled as to why Jiucheng suddenly wanted a zither. Only Ye Qingchen, sitting at the lower end of the table, knew what his nephew was up to, and he let out a soft sigh, lowering his head without speaking. Zhuge Jin was also an astute person, and after a brief moment of confusion, she immediately realized what Jiucheng wanted the zither for, so she promptly instructed the maids in the hall to bring the guqin to Jiucheng's side. Jiucheng didn't mind the crowd's gaze; he took the guqin from the maid with one hand and swept all the wine and dishes off the table in front of him with a wave of his sleeve, placing the zither on top. He began to play, and beautiful music flowed from the instrument, filling the hall. The crowd, still reeling from Jiucheng's sudden and unbridled move, only then realized that the Ninth Prince had such talent, and they shifted their gaze to the singer Meiyu in the center of the hall.

  Ge Ji Mingyan's body suddenly shook violently the moment she heard the sound of the guqin being played by Ji Qingchen.

  As a songstress who has been immersed in music and dance for over a decade, she naturally had a standard for judging the highs and lows of musical notes. When she heard the notes emanating from Ji Qingchen's guqin, she guessed the extent to which his piano skills were refined. Moreover, when she heard each note transmitted into her ears and merged into her body, she found herself jumping out of high-difficulty movements that she had never done before. At this moment, a long-forgotten sense of intimacy rose in her heart, as if the person playing the guqin was not a stranger she met today, but an old acquaintance who had reunited with her after a long time.

  The sound of the guqin fell, and with the last note, the dance of the tea smoke settled in front of the case of the Ninth Prince, Ji Qingchen. Suddenly, she raised her head, facing the Ninth Prince who was about the same age as herself, but whose piano skills were even more exquisite, and whose identity was noble. At this moment, there was no humility on her face when facing the dignitaries, only a faint intoxication and a subtle admiration that flickered between her eyebrows.

  Ji Qingchen finished playing a piece, slowly raised his head, and only then discovered that the girl who had been dancing in the center of the hall had somehow appeared before him. Facing the admiration in her eyes, he showed no expression, naturally handing over the guqin to her, and smiled faintly, saying: "Miss, your dance is exquisite, your piano skills are superb, but unfortunately, you lack a famous zither. If fate permits it, I will give you a famous zither when we meet again." After speaking, he ignored the ambiguous smile of Zhuge Jin and the ashen-faced Zhao Xianglin, and walked out of the hall with large strides under the astonished gaze of the crowd.