Gu Mingyue’s tone was casual, as if chatting about everyday matters, but in her heart, she was eager to know Gu Qianying’s trump card.
She thought that the First Madam, being approachable, would surely tell her.
Under normal circumstances, the First Madam would have told her, but after Gu Qianying’s subtle hint, the First Madam began to view Gu Mingyue and her mother as outsiders.
“I rarely inquire about Qianying’s affairs.”
Gu Mingyue frowned.
Was the First Madam guarding against her?
“First Madam, Mingyue remembers that at Grandfather’s birthday banquet last year, Sister played a piece called ‘Autumn Wind Song’ for Grandfather, which pleased him greatly. Mingyue believes Sister’s zither skills are superb, unmatched by anyone. I imagine today Sister will achieve fame with her music.”
At this point, Gu Mingyue changed her tone and added, “It’s just that I don’t know…”
A voice interrupted her. “Then I shall thank my sister for her kind words. If Sister achieves fame, she will also promote me more in the future, so that I too can gain renown through my zither skills.”
Gu Qianying spoke at the opportune moment.
Gu Mingyue’s expression stiffened. When had she ever needed Gu Qianying’s promotion?
“Thank you, Sister.”
Gu Mingyue felt quite displeased, but outwardly, she had no choice but to smile and say it.
“No need for thanks. After all, your zither skills are truly…” Gu Qianying put on an expression of utter disdain, and finally added, “As long as you don’t bring shame to the Gu Mansion.”
With that, Gu Qianying, without even looking at Gu Mingyue’s expression, knew how displeased she must be.
Gu Mingyue, being such a proud person, would surely be infuriated by her mockery!
In her past life, Gu Mingyue had treated her terribly, a fact she would never forget even in death.
In this life, she would do whatever it took to make Gu Mingyue miserable!
As expected, Gu Mingyue was on the verge of exploding. Her pleasant words were merely intended to please the First Madam so she could pry for information.
But Gu Qianying was so immodest and even mocked her poor zither skills.
Ah, ah, ah, she was infuriated!
Gu Qianying couldn’t be bothered to look at Gu Mingyue’s face. She lightly twirled her teacup, her thoughts drifting to Nangong Mo, who had given her the digestive pills.
In her past life, she had never heard of Nangong Mo getting married.
In this life, she wondered if Nangong Mo would still wander the world with his retainers as he did in her past life, living a solitary life?
“Sister, my zither string is broken. May I borrow your Ice Jade Zither?”
Her thoughts interrupted, Gu Qianying looked towards the voice and saw Gu Yumei standing before her, holding a zither with a broken string.
Gu Qianying’s delicate eyebrows knitted slightly as she looked at Gu Yumei, remaining silent.
Gu Mingyue chimed in from the side, “Sister, Fourth Sister is so clumsy that she broke her own zither string. Originally, I wanted to lend her my zither, but after Fourth Sister, I would be next. I fear I won’t be ready in time and might panic. I thought, after me, Fourth Sister could borrow your Ice Jade Zither and then return it in perfect condition. I believe Sister can manage.”
Gu Mingyue’s display of sisterly affection made it appear as if she were helping her fourth sister solve a problem and also saving face for the Gu Mansion. After all, among the young ladies of the Gu family, if someone failed to perform and instead became a burden to the Gu Mansion, it would be extremely embarrassing for the Gu Mansion.
In front of everyone, if Gu Qianying refused to lend her zither to her fourth sister, outsiders would only say that she, as the eldest sister, was both heartless and disregardful of her own reputation.
“Take it.”
Gu Qianying handed her zither to Gu Yumei.
Gu Yumei was momentarily taken aback by Gu Qianying’s easy compliance. After a brief pause, she quickly said, “Thank you, Eldest Sister.”
Gu Mingyue had expected it to take more effort to make Gu Qianying hand over the Ice Jade Zither, but she hadn’t anticipated it would be so easy. She cursed inwardly, “Hmph, fools are just fools, how can they compare to me!”
Lu Zhu was very reluctant to lend out the Ice Jade Zither, but since her young lady had spoken, she couldn’t say anything. She just couldn’t understand why her young lady would help Gu Yumei.
The First Madam, like Lu Zhu, was also puzzled. Gu Yumei was raised in the Second Madam’s quarters and naturally sided with the Second Madam’s faction. Her zither string breaking now, rather than sooner or later, indicated her intentions, which the First Madam understood. She had intended to speak up and stop her daughter from lending the zither, but her daughter stopped her with a glance.
Gu Yefeng shared the same thoughts as the First Madam. However, as a man, he felt it was inappropriate to comment on such a trivial matter concerning women, so he remained silent.
He figured his little sister must have her own plans.
Gu Qianying’s expression was calm as she watched Gu Yumei take the stage with the Ice Jade Zither.
If she guessed correctly, Gu Yumei, at Gu Mingyue’s behest, had deliberately broken her zither string and used it as an excuse to borrow her Ice Jade Zither. The outcome, as expected, was that her Ice Jade Zither would naturally be ruined.
As anticipated, Gu Yumei casually played a tune called “Quiet Night Melody.” Towards the end, she applied sudden force, and the string of the Ice Jade Zither snapped.
Gu Yumei’s performance was mediocre, and being a concubine’s daughter, she didn’t attract much attention from the crowd. People merely felt it was a pity for the zither she held, which looked excellent in appearance and craftsmanship.
When Gu Yumei returned the zither, she feigned an apologetic demeanor. “Eldest Sister, I’m sorry. My clumsiness caused me to accidentally break the string of your Ice Jade Zither. I hope Eldest Sister won’t blame me. It was unintentional.”
Gu Yumei’s attitude was sincere and humble, making it difficult for anyone to hold a grudge against her.
Gu Qianying remained silent, choosing not to hold Gu Yumei accountable for breaking the zither string. However, she glanced at Gu Mingyue, whose lips curled into a sinister smile.
“You dead bitch, with your string broken, how can you still showcase your talent?”
Gu Mingyue, in a rather good mood, stepped forward with her ancient fragrance zither and played a piece called “Phoenix Seeking Mate.”
She had practiced this piece at home for many days, and moreover, this musical score was rarely played by the daughters of other noble families.
This demonstrated her considerable skill, and her beautiful music drew enthusiastic applause from those present.
The Empress was very pleased with Gu Mingyue.
Daughters from the Gu Mansion were bound to be exceptional. If such a talented young lady were bestowed upon her son as a concubine, it would be a good arrangement.
With this thought, the Empress bestowed some precious jewelry upon Gu Mingyue.
Gu Mingyue was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.
As she returned, Gu Mingyue glanced at Gu Qianying, a flicker of provocation in her eyes, so quick that no one noticed.
“Hmph! How can Gu Qianying, this foolish woman, compare to me?”
The title of the foremost talented woman in the capital was surely hers!
The Empress’s generous gifts to Gu Mingyue drew the envy of other ladies present.
Gu Mingyue reveled in the feeling of being showered with favor.
Apart from her status, she felt she was no worse than Gu Qianying, the legitimate daughter.
Meanwhile.
Seeing that no one else was performing, the Empress was about to conclude the event. However, at that moment, Gu Qianying, holding the zither with its broken strings, slowly walked to the center of the hall. She gave a slight bow to the Empress and, without uttering a word, began her performance.
A zither with no strings should be unplayable, yet Gu Qianying managed to play a piece called “Ambush from Ten Sides” without any strings.
The music was passionate and uplifting, stirring the hearts of the audience.
At this moment.
Gu Qianying, clad in simple attire, accompanied by the zither’s melody, became the sole focus of attention.
“Good, good, good!” The Emperor, who had been quietly listening to the music, immediately clapped his hands in approval. The others, recovering from the shock of the resonant music, were filled with excitement.
Especially those court officials who had followed General Gu on campaigns and had long since retired from military service. Their excited hearts remained stirred by the impassioned melody.
Even more thrilling was the reappearance of the long-lost “Stringless Skill.” This was the lifelong pursuit of many music lovers throughout the ages.
The Stringless Skill, which allowed a zither to produce sound without strings, utilized skillful technique and profound cultivation. Throughout history, only Princess Nanyin of the previous dynasty possessed this playing method, becoming the unparalleled Zither Queen.
“Stringless Skill? The long-lost Stringless Skill? I… I’m not mistaken, am I? It’s so shocking, so unexpected…”
“To witness the Stringless Skill in my lifetime, I have no regrets.”
Music lovers marveled in awe.
The princes present looked at Gu Qianying with entirely changed expressions – admiration, shock, and brilliance, leaving them speechless.
Nan Rongqi stared at Gu Qianying, a strong possessiveness in his eyes.
If he could marry a woman like Gu Qianying, he wouldn’t feel he was at a disadvantage.
Not far away, Nangong Mo, whose gaze had never left Gu Qianying, clenched his fists tightly on the armrests of his wheelchair.
He, who had never possessed a strong desire for competition, felt it rising within him at this moment.
His Qianying would undoubtedly become a star admired by all in the future, and how could he be content with his current state, falling behind others?
His cold eyes swept over the princes who desired Gu Qianying.
He felt that only by becoming stronger could he better protect her and prevent others from harming her.
Gu Mingyue’s handkerchief was almost torn apart. She glared fiercely at the figure descending from the stage.
“How could this be!”
“How could Gu Qianying, this bitch, possess the Stringless Skill?”
“Damn bitch, damn bitch!”
Gu Mingyue’s expression twisted with hatred.
…
Gu Qianying became the most dazzling candidate for “Best Imperial Consort.”
After her meteoric rise to fame with her music, many suitors sought her hand from the Gu Mansion, but they were all driven away by her elder brother, Gu Yefeng.
In Gu Yefeng’s own words, his little sister’s ideal husband must be the finest man in the world. “Well… he’ll have to defeat me first!”
The Emperor, appreciating General Gu, doted on his granddaughter and valued her highly. Furthermore, due to her exceptional talent, he bestowed upon Gu Qianying some of his favorite calligraphy, paintings, and priceless musical scores from his palace.
The Gu Mansion was wealthy, and Gu Qianying, as the legitimate daughter of the Gu Mansion, naturally did not lack jewelry or money.
After the young ladies from various mansions had finished their performances, the banquet also reached its conclusion.
At this moment.
General Gu stroked his beard, a smile on his face, as he boasted to his colleagues about his beloved granddaughter.
“My granddaughter is truly remarkable, possessing the same spirit as I did in my youth. What do you think, if my granddaughter were to lead troops into battle with me, how would she fare?”
Leading women into battle had never happened in any dynasty.
However, the colleagues seated beside General Gu dared not contradict him. They could only bow and agree, saying, “Miss Gu would undoubtedly be as valiant and victorious in battle as her brother, Young Master Gu.”
General Gu nodded. “Yes, that’s precisely what I believe.”
Everyone: “…”
Gu Qianying’s mouth twitched incessantly as she listened to General Gu’s self-praise, like a vendor hawking their wares.
Since her rebirth, the most comforting aspect was that her grandfather, General Gu, her mother, and her brother were all still alive.
Although the experiences she had gone through were both similar and different from her past life, the only constant was the love her family showered upon her.
For this love, she was determined to protect it at all costs.
The palace maids were changing tea for their masters, preparing handkerchiefs, and helping their masters to rise.
As Lu Zhu helped Gu Qianying to stand, someone accidentally bumped into Lu Zhu, nearly causing her to fall. Gu Qianying grabbed her, “Are you alright?”
Lu Zhu shook her head. “Your servant is fine.”
A brocade handkerchief fell in front of Gu Qianying.
Lu Zhu didn’t see it, but Gu Qianying picked it up.
The handkerchief carried a faint fragrance and was embroidered with a few lotus flowers.
Gu Qianying raised the handkerchief to her nose and sniffed. Her expression changed slightly.
At the same time.
Near Nangong Mo, a small palace maid accidentally knocked over a teacup in front of him and was kneeling on the ground, crying and begging for mercy. “Ninth Prince, this servant meant no harm. Please spare this servant.”
Nangong Mo, without raising his eyes, took a clean white handkerchief from Bai Qi and wiped his hands. “It’s alright, you may rise.”
The palace maid’s action was accidental, and as the Ninth Prince, he had no reason to hold it against her.
Bai Qi draped an outer robe over Nangong Mo and pushed him, preparing to turn away.
The small palace maid, who had committed the offense, was lost in the crowd. Suddenly, a jade-like hand grasped her, pulling her out.
“Wait a moment!”
Bai Qi stopped. Nangong Mo looked towards the sound and saw Gu Qianying holding the small palace maid who had just made a mistake, pushing her to the ground.