Forced to die for his loyalty, he was reborn in the arms of the cold and cruel regent!

The eldest prince's smile froze on his face. He obviously didn't expect Shen Mengyao to reject him so directly.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes, but then he returned to his gentle and elegant appearance, and smiled softly: "My lord, you worry too much. This wine is the best wine. There is nothing else. It is just a token of respect from this prince."

Shen Mengyao smiled slightly, with a hint of alienation and indifference in her smile. She shook her head gently, and said in a gentle but firm tone: "I appreciate the kindness of the First Prince, but I have always had a low tolerance for alcohol. I am afraid that I will lose my composure after one glass. If I lose my composure, I am afraid that it will disturb the pleasure of the Queen and the First Prince."

When the eldest prince heard this, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes. He looked at ***, then turned to Shen Mengyao, but still did not force it. He put the wine glass back on the table and said, "The princess's talent and courage are really admirable."

Shen Mengyao said calmly, "Your Highness, you are too kind."

*** watched coldly from the side, a meaningful smile on her lips. She clapped her hands gently, signaling the musicians to continue the performance.

As the sound of stringed instruments rang out again, the atmosphere in the hall seemed to have returned to its previous harmonious state, but Shen Mengyao knew that undercurrents were surging beneath the calm, and every moment could be the eve of a storm.

Suddenly, there was a bustling noise outside the door, and a voice was hazy and a little drunken: "I don't know which musician you invited, the sound of this piano is really wonderful, can you let me play it? I'm willing to pay a high price."

Such words are full of insult.

*** unconsciously raised the corners of his lips: "Oh? Princess, it's your honor that someone appreciates your piano playing so much."

Shen Mengyao knew that the other party wanted to see her angry and embarrassed expression, but the more he wanted to do so, the more she couldn't let him succeed.

Her eyes dimmed slightly, but regained clarity in an instant. She did not directly respond to ***'s provocation, but slightly opened her red lips, with a barely perceptible sarcasm in her tone.

"*** is right. It is indeed a blessing for Mengyao to be appreciated by a noble person. However, the sound of Mengyao's piano is played for a kindred spirit, which cannot be measured by gold or silver. If there is such an elegant person who only listens to the melody and does not care about the source, Mengyao will teach him everything she knows and enjoy the beauty of the world together. However, the person outside the door is probably only familiar with worldly things and does not understand melody. How can he be qualified to say 'let'?"

After these words, *** was speechless. Her beautiful face instantly became gloomy and ugly, but she couldn't get angry because it also raised their status invisibly.

The eldest prince laughed: "You are really eloquent and impeccable."

***'s gaze was as sharp as an ice blade as it swept across Shen Mengyao's face, but he paused slightly when he saw her calmness.

She took a sip of the wine in the glass, as if she was suppressing her inner emotions, and then she chuckled, breaking the silence in the room: "Your Highness, you are wrong. Everything in the world has its price, let alone someone as talented as you. People outside the door may be offended, but they are also mesmerized by the sound of your piano, and it was an unintentional mistake."

Shen Mengyao smiled calmly, with a trace of calmness in her eyes: "*** is right, everything in the world may have a price, but emotions and interests cannot be measured by money. Mengyao is just a woman, I dare not boast of my talent, I just want to find two or three close friends to appreciate the beauty of the world together. As for the noise outside the door, Mengyao believes that a true gentleman will understand what respect and elegance are."

*** was speechless for a moment after hearing this. She narrowed her eyes slightly and said sarcastically, "How can you be so ashamed to say you are a gentleman when you are dressed like this and act like you are trying to please others? You are really a laughing stock!"

Shen Mengyao was not annoyed. She sat on the ground, gently raised her slender fingers, and left a series of beautiful piano sounds.

At first, the sound of the piano was like a clear mountain spring, gurgling, clear and pure.

As the fingers pluck, the melody becomes passionate, like a violent storm and waves crashing on the shore, but it suddenly takes a sharp turn and returns to tranquility. The ups and downs of emotions are extremely wonderful.

She stopped playing the zither, raised her eyes and smiled calmly: "What *** said, Mengyao should reflect on herself. However, clothes are only superficial, and true elegance and character come from the purity of the heart. Although Mengyao is not from a famous family, she also knows the principle of 'coming out of the mud without being stained, washing in the clear water without being coquettish'."

*** was almost mad at her calmness, but on the surface she still maintained a trace of calmness and rationality: "The princess plays the piano very well, but now I don't need it anymore, so you can leave."

"Xiao Qi..." Shen Mengyao frowned and reminded.

*** laughed and pretended to be dumbfounded: "What Xiaoqi?"

"You..." Shen Mengyao was not surprised by the humiliation just now, but now she is very anxious: "Princess, why are you pretending to be stupid? I have already done what you asked. When will Xiao Qi be returned to me?"

*** curled her lips and said, "This princess is not in the mood right now. Let's talk about it another day. If you continue to pester me, I might just kill him out of itchiness."

Shen Mengyao was furious for a moment, but she didn't dare to anger the boss, so she had to bow and leave.

The moment she closed the door, her eyes were slightly red, but she held back her tears and looked back to think about countermeasures. There was no one around her to help, so was she only able to ask Qi Suian for help?

She wanted to change back into her clothes and leave first, but unexpectedly, she met a few dandies in luxurious clothes as soon as she walked into the corridor.

The leader looked her up and down and said, "You are the one who played the piano just now, right? The music you played was truly wonderful and you are not bad looking either. I have never heard of you before. What is your name? I will definitely come here often in the future."

Shen Mengyao's face changed, she frowned and stepped back.

"You misunderstood. I'm not a singing and dancing girl."

She originally wanted to leave from the other side of the corridor, but as soon as she stepped back, a young man in a green robe blocked her way.

"Hey~ It's better to share happiness with others than to enjoy it alone. Why don't you want to perform with us? Do you look down on our status?"

After these words were spoken, the other people looked at them eagerly.

"Gentlemen, you are too polite. I am just an ordinary woman. How could I deserve your favor? What I played just now was only at the invitation of the queen to add some elegance to the banquet. I have no intention of performing for a living, nor do I have any intention of currying favor with you. I hope you will forgive me." Shen Mengyao's words were gentle but firm. She knew her current situation very well. She could neither confront them head-on nor show weakness easily.

When the green-robed young man heard this, a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes, and he seemed not to let her go easily: "Oh? An ordinary woman? Can an ordinary woman have your talent and courage? I'm afraid you are pretending to be noble and playing hard to get."