When the prince is reborn, he will only hit me if he doesn't hit the wall!

As the banquet time was approaching, the young men and women took their seats one by one.

After a short while, the eunuch Fu Yue announced: "The Queen has arrived——"

All the guests bowed their foreheads to the ground and paid homage.

Xuan San hesitated for a moment, glanced at Xu Xinyue who was prostrating on the ground, and also knelt on one knee and bowed his head in worship.

Along with the queen came a young girl.

It was not until the Queen opened her mouth and allowed everyone to stand up that Xu Xinyue could see the girl's appearance clearly.

The thin eyebrows are light but not dull, on the contrary, they match the pair of amber eyes that are as smooth as water lychees. The ends of the eyes are slightly upturned, matched with the upturned nose and red lips. When she turns around and looks back, she looks very elegant and scholarly.

She was dressed in soft purple satin and kneeling to salute. Every fold and curve of her clothes looked like a meticulously painted work, perfect and exquisite.

Even though she was treated favorably by the Queen, she was neither surprised nor happy, and sat gracefully, looking like the daughter of a noble family who was brought up in a strict manner.

Even Qin Lingruo couldn't help but lean over to Xu Xinyue and whisper in admiration: "She is indeed a wonderful person. No wonder Master Yu treats her like a treasure and keeps her in the mansion, rarely attending banquets. I'm afraid there are not many young masters in Kyoto who can match her beauty."

He added, "If she acted more flamboyantly, the title of the most beautiful woman in Kyoto would probably not belong to Xu Mingxi."

Xu Xinyue only raised her lips and said, "Kyoto is not short of beauties, and there are always new waves that surpass the old ones."

When a star falls, there will be a more dazzling new star to replace him, and this has been the case throughout the dynasties.

"Hmm... Yueyue has a point."

The whispers stopped, and the Queen looked at the girl with a kind look and said:

"Today, I have invited a distinguished guest, Yu Qianyue, the youngest daughter of Grand Tutor Yu, who has been living in seclusion for a long time. I have heard that Miss Yu is proficient in poetry, calligraphy, and the six arts. Today, I have the opportunity to see her talent."

Yu Qianyue was neither humble nor arrogant. She stood up and half-knelt, bowing her head slightly, and was modest and polite. Her voice was as sweet as a yellow oriole out of a valley: "Your Majesty, I am just passing my free time in the boudoir. I have learned some poetry, books, theory and music in my spare time. I can't be considered to be proficient in everything."

The Queen raised her hand and lightly touched her arm, indicating that she didn't need to be so polite. She raised her eyebrows and said kindly:

"Alas, Miss Yu, you are wrong. I have heard that Miss Yu is very good at playing the qin. There are thousands of qin pieces handed down in the world, and there is nothing that Miss Yu has not played before."

"Even if it's the 'Liushangyin' that was once famous in Kyoto, Su Wen is no problem at all."

Everyone present was shocked. They had heard that "Liushang Yin" was created by a famous official in the palace school some years ago. The style of the music was known for its profound layers and grandeur. It was also said that the fingering requirements were extremely strict and few people could play it.

The technique is very demanding, it is rarely performed, and it is almost rare in the market.

Since that famous person retired from the world, no one has mentioned him again.

The one that is circulated in the world is the second version of the score after it has been revised.

Even the second edition is rare and has very high requirements for the player.

Master Yu truly loved his daughter dearly, and it was unknown how much effort he had put in to find this rare and precious music score for her.

I don’t know how much money I spent to hire a training master to teach her, which led to Yu Qianyue’s current reputation.

Qin Lingruo whispered to her again: "Is this song so wonderful?"

Xu Xinyue tilted her head: "I'm not sure... the name sounds familiar..."

Listening to everyone talking about how rare and exquisite this song was, Xu Xinyue always felt like she had heard people mention it often somewhere.

But where exactly it was... I couldn't remember for a moment.

She looked at Yu Qianyue and said calmly, "People have spread rumors that your servant Yu Liushangyin also knows a thing or two."

Someone at the women's table said, "Ms. Yu is too modest. If you rank second in this song, no one else can be ranked first."

"Indeed."

The Queen agreed and gently took Yu Qianyue's green jade fingers, "What a beautiful hand, with distinct joints and slender like a bamboo. I can tell from the look that it is suitable for playing the zither."

The Queen continued, "It is not easy to have a basic understanding of it. I have never heard of it before. Today, I am able to enjoy the Fuchun banquet and have a feast for my ears."

Having said this, Yu Qianyue no longer had any reason to refuse.

She responded respectfully, "My humble servant is humble."

The Queen raised her eyebrows and said, "Bring me my 'Qi Wutong'. How can a good hand be without a good zither?"

Soon, Fu Yue presented the "Qi Wutong" and gently placed it in front of Yu Qianyue on the field.

Yu Qianyue's eyelashes drooped slightly. After adjusting the sound, she plucked the strings of the zither with her slender hands. At first, it was soft and slow, just like the sound of jade pearls in summer and the sound of pine waves in thousands of valleys, so clear and graceful.

It cleanses the mind and makes one feel refreshed.

The jade fingers fly and dance on the strings. The wonderful fingering and the top-quality piano are so natural and sound like a gift from heaven.

The climax gradually rises, the melody floats in the air, it seems as if you are in the Phoenix Palace of the Jade Pool, listening to the singing of hundreds of birds.

But Xu Xinyue was stunned when she heard it.

This song...why did she remember that she seemed to have played it before?

But she didn't care. There are so many songs in the world, and it's not like only one person can play them all.

While selecting the preserved fruits in front of him with a silver stick, he lowered his head and listened carefully. When he heard the middle song, he felt that something was wrong.

The song seems to have changed and is not quite consistent with my memory.

He muttered in a low voice, "She seems to have played it wrong."

Qin Lingruo got closer, biting a snack, and tilted her head curiously, "How did Yueyue know?"

Xu Xianyue stuffed a Luju preserved fruit into her mouth and chewed it while mumbling, "I've heard of it, so I know it."

She was being conservative, more than just hearing it.

A light sneer came from behind, and the voice said in a sarcastic tone: "Princess Rong, please don't brag. Only fragments of this Liushangyin have been circulated over the years. I'm afraid you were not even born when it disappeared from the world."

"It is unlikely that a merchant family like yours can come into contact with it."

The tone was sarcastic and harsh.

Xu Xinyue turned slightly and saw that it was Yang Xue.

Xu Xinyue was not very familiar with her, but she had seen her standing behind Zhou Qiong'er when they were arguing just now. She presumably was there to help Zhou Qiong'er win the argument.

Xu Xinyue had no intention of arguing with her. She gave her a contemptuous look, held down Qin Lingruo who was about to retort, straightened her body, pretended not to hear, and peeled another orange. She continued to chat with Qin Lingruo about other topics.

Yang Xue had anticipated all sorts of responses from Xu Xinyue and was ready to retort, but she didn't expect Xu Xinyue to ignore her completely and not say a single word in response. It was like punching cotton. The anger in her heart got stuck in her throat, and she felt depressed and couldn't get rid of it.

Just then, the empress finished her music, and she exclaimed, "As expected of you, the daughter of Grand Tutor Yu, you are well-known in Kyoto. After this piece of music is over, no one can surpass you. You can be called the most talented woman in Kyoto."

Yu Qianyue kowtowed and thanked him: "Your Majesty, I am so ashamed to accept your praise."

Yang Xue rolled her eyes and raised her voice, "Empress, there is actually more than one person in Kyoto who can play 'Liushangyin'. There is another person who may be even better than Miss Yu."

The Queen was slightly displeased by Yang Xue's interruption, but she remained patient, lowered her voice, and casually replied, "Oh, which lady is it?"

Yang Xue raised her voice: "Your Majesty, it's Princess Rong."

Xuan San frowned and glanced towards the source of the sound.

The Queen had never expected Yang Xue to say Xu Xinyue's name. She paused and asked, "How did you know that Princess Rong would play this song?"

Yang Xue made no secret of it: "Just now, off the stage, I heard Princess Rong mutter something, saying that there was something wrong with this piece of music, and that Miss Yu played it wrong, etc. She also made a lot of subtle comments and suggestions. I think she knows this piece of music by heart and has a high level of attainment."

Qin Lingruo couldn't listen any more: "How could you hear Yueyue's comments just now? It's all fabricated."

The argument about playing a piece of music was a very common thing, a very trivial matter, but Yang Xue exaggerated it and put Xu Xinyue directly on the cusp of public opinion.

It's simply too much!

Qin Lingruo wanted to say something, but Xu Xinyue pulled her sleeve and motioned her to sit down.

The queen knew that Xu Xianyue was Hongyu, and it was not impossible for Hongyu to learn the zither music. She also intended to create an opportunity for the two to get to know each other.

The Queen asked, "Princess Rong, is what she said right?"

As soon as Yang Xue opened her mouth, Xu Xinyue guessed that this would happen.

Just now I was still thinking about how to get in touch with Yu Qianyue, but now making friends through music seems feasible.

Xu Xinyue stood up and said, "Reporting to Her Majesty, Miss Yang has exaggerated a little bit——"

Yang Xue was dissatisfied: "You just clearly--"

Xu Xinyue didn't even look at her and continued, "I have only limited skills, so I wonder if I can learn from Miss Yu."

Yu Qianyue showed no sign of anger, and even had a hint of interest in her eyes. She smiled and said, "I'd like to hear more about it."

Qin Lingruo was a little unsure. She didn't know whether Xu Xinyue really knew this song or was just forcing it.

After all, the difference between “heard” and “played” is not small!

She turned around and asked Xia Xueyao, "Yaoyao and she have known each other since childhood. Does Yueyue really know this song?"

Xia Xueyao was not sure either: "I only heard her say when she was young that the owner of her family's paper shop taught her how to read and write, play the zither, chess, poetry and music, but I have never heard that the Xu family hired any famous zither teacher for her!"

"Even if there is, it was hired by the eldest wife for Xu Mingxi. I know a little bit about Yang's temper. I'm afraid she won't be willing to let Yueyue study with Xu Mingxi..."

Qin Lingruo's eyes widened, and she exclaimed in surprise: "He is just a professor who owns a paper shop? How can he be called a master!"

He turned and looked at Xu Xinyue who had already entered the arena with concern: "Yueyue is too reckless... Most likely she felt that she was bullied and couldn't swallow this..."

But now that things have come to this, there is no room for maneuver.

Qin Lingruo was just anxious off the court, thinking about how to help Xu Xinyue end the situation so that she wouldn't be so embarrassed.

Xia Xueyao thought for a moment and then said, "It's hard to say. When she was in Prince Rong's mansion recently, perhaps Prince Rong had collected this song for her? Or maybe he had invited a master to teach her? Did Yueyue learn some from him?"

Qin Lingruo frowned: "But even if that's the case, how long can I learn?"

Xia Xueyao hooked her fingers, feeling uneasy at what Qin Lingruo said: "I don't know about that..."

The two men clasped their hands and looked at Xu Xinyue worriedly.

Xuan San, who was standing by, followed Xu Xinyue's slender back as she walked onto the stage step by step, until he saw her kneeling steadily beside "Qi Wutong".