“Your Highness.”
Everyone in the hall quickly bowed together.
Sui Heng sat himself down at the top. He was busy patrolling the arena for tomorrow’s martial arts competition in the morning, without caring about the situation on this side of the cultural competition. There was Chen Qi guarding around, so there was no big trouble.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he returned, he heard Xiao Yaozi complaining loudly.
He raised his eyebrows and asked, “Could it be that Daozhang didn’t win the championship?”
That’s the question.
Xiao Yaozi’s face immediately reddened.
“This humble Daoist… subordinate could have won.”
Xiao Yaozi had to defend himself with a few words.
He briefly recounted the situation of the morning chess match, with others passing by and emphasizing how Jiang Yun tricked and humiliated him, causing him, an old horse, to lose the top spot.
Finally, he angrily said, “Don’t know where this Chu Yan came from. He has a good appearance, but in fact, he is extremely cunning and has a heart of snakes and scorpions. He was clearly proficient in the game of chess, and in order to disrupt this subordinate, he deliberately played blindly at the beginning so that this subordinate would mistakenly think that he did not know how to play! He was also aggressive and did not uphold military ethics. In the end, even though he completely won, he still forced this subordinate to admit defeat to him and publicly humiliate this subordinate as well. It is shameful for this subordinate to play against such a person!”
Chen Qi frowned and secretly gave him several glances, urging him to shut up quickly.
However, Xiao Yaozi was in a fit of anger and did not receive any hint from Chen Qi. He was determined to speak out about the great shame and humiliation he had suffered today and let Sui Heng find justice for him. It would be best to punish that Chu Yan severely!
He continued to be mad. “Such a person is not worthy to appear at the Spring Banquet. This subordinate thinks that Your Highness should order someone to expel him from the competition and cancel his qualification!”
Xiao Yaozi finished speaking angrily and found that the hall was particularly quiet. Chen Qi, Xu Qiao, and two other generals from the Qinglang Battalion who had followed Sui Heng back all looked at him with strange eyes in silence.
Xiao Yaozi couldn’t understand.
Why do these people have no sympathy for him at all?
At this moment, a cold laugh burst out from above.
“Military Advisor, the person you found not only have poor skills, but also poor character.”
Chen Qi knelt down to apologize.
“This minister acknowledges his mistake.”
Xiao Yaozi looked up in a daze and met Sui Heng’s sharp and bold eyes. Although he was smiling, but his eyes were cold and without any warmth. He didn’t understand what he had done wrong, but under the pressure of the other person’s gaze, his knees softened uncontrollably, and he kneeled down to the ground.
Sui Heng swept another glance at the musician, who stood silently in the corner, like air.
“So, in today’s literature competition, the Military Advisor didn’t even get a single champion for Gu?”
Sweat oozed from Chen Qi’s back.
He could not discern this matter and could only feel ashamed, and said, “This minister has failed to fulfill His Highness’s trust.”
There was a moment of silence in the hall.
Chen Qi said again, “In today’s five categories of literature competition, the three categories of music, chess, and calligraphy and painting were all won by the Little Young Master next to Your Highness, Chu Yan.”
Sui Heng’s eyebrows were originally slightly furrowed, but upon hearing this, his eyebrows suddenly raised again.
Unexpectedly, he asked, “Did he take it all?”
“Yes.”
Chen Qi’s eyes quickly turned, and he said, “This minister doesn’t know. It turns out that the Little Young Master Chu Yan has such amazing talents, and this minister has been recruiting people everywhere like a headless fly. This minister overlooked it.”
“This matter can’t be blamed on the Military Advisor.”
On one hand, Sui Heng found it somewhat rare. On the other hand, he pondered.
After all, the two of them slept together every day, and he didn’t even realize that his gentle and tender little lover was hiding such great abilities.
Chen Qi knew that he had already expressed his intended meaning, so he maintained a pleading posture and stopped speaking.
Xia Yaozi’s heart stirred up a wave of turbulence.
What Little Young Master Chu Yan?
Is that Chu Yan actually a person next to the Crown Prince of Sui? Why has Chen Qi never told him anything?
And if that Chu Yan is really from the Crown Prince’s Mansion, why did he deliberately confront him today? Xiao Yaozi secretly glanced at Chen Qi, hoping to get an answer, but Chen Qi was too busy to pay attention to him.
After a while, Sui Heng smiled and said, “Military Advisor Chen, get up ba.”
“This minister thanks Your Highness for forgiveness.”
Chen Qi breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stood up.
Xiao Yaozi was about to climb up together, but was stopped by Sui Heng.
Xiao Yaozi couldn’t understand.
Sui Heng sneered, “As Gu said, Gu doesn’t care about idle people. Today, Gu is in a good mood and won’t kill you. Go as far as you can, don’t let Gu see you again.”
Although Xiao Yaozi was unwilling, compared to this unwillingness, life was more important. He responded in fear and quickly got up and retreated.
Sui Heng glanced at Chen Qi again.
“Gu doesn’t want to see such a thing for the second time.”
His voice was already cold.
Chen Qi’s heart trembled, and he said yes with his respectful voice.
Even after Sui Heng got up and left, the chill lingering above his head still couldn’t completely dissipate.
“Military Advisor.”
In the corner, the quiet musician called out.
Chen Qi’s face darkened, and he asked, “Didn’t you say that there’s no one else in the world who could play the song ‘Feng Qiu Huang’? How can you miss it?”
His hard-earned plan for several days was shattered, and at this moment, his chest was filled with suppressed anger.
“Yeah, I’m also curious. How could he possibly play ‘Feng Qiu Huang’…”
The musician murmured, even though the competition had been over for a long time, but he was still filled with shock and confusion.
Chen Qi was somewhat impatient.
Because of this Chu Yan, he once again experienced the feeling of losing control.
Chu Yan.
Who exactly is this person?
As the saying goes, there are specialties in the arts, and it takes a lot of time and effort to learn and study any skill that you want to become proficient in. His talent was mediocre, and he only achieved success in writing when he was nearly thirty years old. He relied on countless days and nights of hard work to burn the plaster and follow the sundial. However, even a literary genius like Yan Qi was only good at writing, and his achievements in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were not high. He was just like ordinary noble children, practicing from childhood.
However, this Chu Yan, who was still very young, can actually excel in so many literary skills at the same time.
This is such terrifying strength, such terrifying talent.
**
There were only two matches in the afternoon, and Jiang Yun casually strolled around before returning to the palace to rest.
Gao Gong still cooked hot chicken noodles soup, while Ji An immediately sent someone to boil hot water and prepare the bath stuff.
After eating and bathing, Jiang Yun changed into a clean robe and sat under the window to read as usual.
Sui Heng came back late in the evening. He entered the room and went straight to the couch, then picked the person up and placed him in his arms.
He hasn’t seen him for a day, and he misses him so much. He couldn’t help but reach out and scratch his little lover’s beautiful and delicate nose and ask, “Did you have a good time today?”
He’d just come in from outside, all chilled, and his fingers were cold. Jiang Yun leaned over him and nodded. “It’s alright.”
The familiar light lotus fragrance lingered in his nose, and Sui Heng said in a loud voice, “Bring it in.”
Jiang Yun turned his head and saw two palace attendants walking in while carrying a zither table with incense burners and a seven-stringed ancient zither on the table. The palace attendants arrived at the center of the hall, arranged the zither table, and then lowered their heads and retreated.
Jiang Yun didn’t understand what he meant.
Sui Heng smiled. “Gu heard that today Ah Yan was playing the song ‘Feng Qiu Huang’ and stunned the whole audience. Even the seventy-something-year-old Master Qu was willing to admit defeat, but Gu didn’t have the chance to listen.”
“How about Ah Yan playing a song for Gu?”
Jiang Yun said, “I’m a bit tired.”
“This won’t do.”
Sui Heng was particularly domineering and said, “Everyone else had listened, yet Gu hadn’t. You must play for Gu.”
Jiang Yun said, “Can we exchange it for something else?”
“No, Gu has to listen to ‘Feng Qiu Huang’.”
Sui Heng raised his eyebrows lightly and said, “The song ‘Feng Qiu Huang’ is a seeking love song. You refuse to play it for Gu, do you not like Gu?”
Jiang Yun had already guessed his intentions.
After a moment of silence, he said, “I can only play for a short while.”
Sui Heng remained silent and directly carried the person to the back of the zither table and said, “Play it, Gu will just listen on the side.”
His tone carried a chill that he himself had not even noticed.
Jiang Yun was very sensitive to it.
Jiang Yun looked up and saw his face which was full of exploration.
“Play ah.”
He relentlessly urged.
Because the room was warm, Jiang Yun was only wearing a thin robe, but the zither table was placed directly opposite the door, and the cold wind passing through the room made him feel a bit cold.
But he didn’t want to entangle himself with Sui Heng about these trivial issues, so he lowered his head, slightly adjusted the zither column, and began to fiddle with the strings.
The gurgling melody quickly sounded.
Sui Heng sat directly on the opposite couch, propping his chin and quietly observing his little beauty, who was caged in the candlelight. He looked at his pursed lips, elegantly fiddling with the strings, more elegant and beautiful than usual.
Like a beautiful piece of porcelain.
Jiang Yun played the first section of ‘High Mountains and Flowing Water,’ but he played it in a rather perfunctory manner, so although the chamber echoed, it was still a very light and pleasant melody, and there was no special emotion in it.
Sui Heng naturally couldn’t hear it.
Sui Heng narrowed his eyes lightly, thinking and judging.
He was thinking, Is he really just an unnamed beauty who was abandoned by his parents and escaped from the Chen Kingdom’s imperial carriage? Can an ordinary family really raise a genius who is proficient in all aspects of zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and music and can excel in all aspects at the Spring Banquets?
He really likes him, to the point where he can’t extricate himself.
But he is the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince of a country, and at the very least he has a brain.
Chen Qi’s words were not explicitly stated, but he already understood the profound meaning behind it. Of course, there is no need for Chen Qi to remind him too much, he will also have doubts.
Jiang Yun played for a while, but when he saw that Sui Heng still didn’t speak or ask him to stop, he could only ask himself, “Can I stop now?”
Sui Heng ruthlessly replied, “No.”
“Continue playing.”
Jiang Yun pursed his lower lip and could only continue to play.
He playing it more perfunctorily.
Sui Heng said, “Play again.”
“You played it wrong.”
Jiang Yun didn’t expect that even a martial artist knew music theory, so he stopped and replayed the previous section.
Ji An and Gao Gong stood outside in confusion.
Gao Gong whispered, “What is His Highness doing?”
Why does he make the young gentleman play the zither as soon as he comes back? He has never noticed that His Highness likes to listen to the zither before.
Ji An shook his head with a look of incomprehension.
“Maybe because he saw the Young Master won the first prize in the music category, he is happy.”
Gao Gong couldn’t help but speak for Jiang Yun. “The Young Master didn’t even eat a few mouthfuls of food at night, how exhausting it is to play like this?”
The two were talking when Sui Heng suddenly walked out with a gloomy face.
The two of them were so scared that they stepped aside.
The sound of the zither in the room continues.
Although Sui Heng came out, he unreasonably asked Jiang Yun to continue playing without stopping.
Ji An tentatively asked, “The hot water is ready, may Your Highness take a shower?”
In return, Sui Heng gave him a gloomy look.
Ji An shut up in fear.
Sui Heng walked to the courtyard alone while listening to the sound of the zither in his ears and thinking about things in his heart, then feeling frustrated for no reason.
At this moment, Shi Fang and Fan Qi walked in.
Upon hearing the sound of the zither, Shi Fang was also taken aback, but he dared not speak too much.
Sui Heng called him over and calmly asked him to explain what Jiang Yun had done today in details.
During Shi Fang’s report, Fan Qi went to the front to find Gao Gong, wanting to ask if there was still any noodles left.
He’s a little hungry.
Through a curtain, he vaguely saw Jiang Yun playing the zither. The little vixen looked sickly.
Fan Qi thought of something.
He hesitated for a moment and stumbled over to Sui Heng’s side.
Sui Heng had finished his questioning and was lost in thought.
Seeing him ducking and dodging, he asked in a deep voice, “What is it?”
Fan Qi didn’t know whether to say it or not, but in the spirit of loyalty to His Highness, he still said, “That… he… seems to be sick.”
What a mess.
Sui Heng didn’t have the patience to take a glance at him.
Fan Qi pointed to the room and said, “This deputy general saw it, he… vomited blood.”
Sui Heng paled and he stood up.
