The Evil Prince and his Precious Wife: The Sly Lady - Chapter 187

Chapter 187

Su Nanxiang stood up, walked to the center of the square, and curtsied to the Emperor . "Your Majesty, the summer resort banquet is only held once a year . If we just eat and drink, it will be rather boring . Please allow me to play the zither to add to the fun . "

"Good!" The Emperor nodded approvingly . The Mountain Resort was far away from the Imperial Palace, so the imperial musicians and dancers didn't follow him here . The summer resort banquet was actually a little boring . It couldn't be better if someone wanted to put on a show .

An insidious, malicious smile flicked across Su Nanxiang's lips, as she said, "I think it will be monotonous if I play the zither alone . So I want to invite a young lady to play the vertical bamboo flute . We can play a tune together . Your Majesty, what do you think of it?"

"I give you permission to do that!" The Emperor waved his hand, giving his seal of approval .

"Thank you, Your Majesty . " Su Nanxiang gave a curtsy, with a malicious smile hovering on her lips . Her eyes swept over other young ladies and finally settled upon Murong Xue . Then she said smilingly, "Miss Murong, please come forward and play a tune together with me . "

On hearing this, Murong Xue, who had been just reaching for the fruits on the table, paused and knitted her brows . There were so many young ladies in the square . Why did Su Nanxiang choose Murong Xue to play instruments with her? Obviously, she was brewing a plot . Murong Xue gave a firm refusal, "Sorry, Miss Su . I can't play the vertical bamboo flute . "

Su Nanxiang didn't get angry at being refused . She looked at Murong Xue with a smile and said, "I've heard that Marquise used to be the first talented woman in the capital, and was thoroughly accomplished in lyre-playing, chess, calligraphy and painting . You are her daughter . It's impossible that you can't play the vertical bamboo flute . . . "

Murong Xue gave a brittle laugh . The original owner's mother, Lady Shen was indeed thoroughly accomplished in lyre-playing, chess, calligraphy and painting, but she passed away when the original owner was four years old . So she didn't have the chance to teach her daughter anything although she was such a talented woman .

Su Nanxiang knew what Murong Xue didn't learn anything from Lady Shen, but she still asked Murong Xue to play a tune with her . Clearly, she wanted to make Murong Xue look dumb . . .

'I just came here to avoid summer heat . I haven't done anything to provoke Su Nanxiang . Why does she try to make me look bad?' Murong Xue thought .

Murong Xue lapsed into silence . Su Nanxiang twisted her lips into a sardonic smile . She knew clearly that Murong Xue couldn't play the vertical bamboo flute . The reason she invited Murong Xue to play a tune with her was because she wanted to humiliate Murong Xue .

Su Nanxiang said, "Miss Murong, His Majesty has acceded to my request . If you refuse to play the vertical bamboo flute, it means that you are defying His Majesty . "

A cold smile formed onto Murong Xue's lips . 'Defying His Majesty? Su Nanxiang is trying to pin labels on me . If I refuse her, she will certainly make a mountain out of a molehill and advise His Majesty to punish me and my family . In order to play a tune with me, Su Nanxiang has racked her brains in scheming . All right, I will satisfy her request, but . . . ' Murong Xue thought to herself .

"I really can't play the vertical bamboo flute . Can I use other instruments?" she asked .

"Yes, of course . " Su Nanxiang nodded, as a small, unobtrusive and sardonic smile curved her lips . Murong Xue would lose face, no matter what instrument she used .

"Thank you," Murong Xue said indifferently . She stood up, walked to a big tree, picked a green leaf and wiped the dust off it . . .

"I'm going to play the zither . Miss Murong, please listen carefully!" said Su Nanxiang with an air of superiority . She put her slender fingers on the strings, and then gently twanged them . A melodious sound of the zither was wafted to everyone's ears .

Refreshed by the music, the whole audience gasped with admiration . Su Nanxiang played the zither well . Could Murong Xue join the melody?

Everyone looked sideways at Murong Xue, who slowly lifted the leaf to her lips and skillfully played it . The beautiful music rang out and joined the sound of the zither, sounding melodious and dulcet . . .

Su Nanxiang slightly raised an eyebrow in surprise . She hadn't expected that Murong Xue could chime in with her melody . But anyway, she was confident of her ability to beat Murong Xue at music .

She looked at Murong Xue, a flicker of scorn in her cold eyes . Then she swept her slender fingers rapidly over the strings of the zither . The music swelled and quickened into an exciting rhythm . The sonorous tune got people's adrenaline pumping . . .

Murong Xue curved her lips into a sardonic smile . 'This piece of music is only suitable for the zither . It can't be played by other musical instruments, such as the bamboo flute and the vertical bamboo flute, because it's too high-pitched . Su Nanxiang chose this piece of music to play because she wants to make me look bad . I won't let her plan work . . . ' she thought to herself .

Murong Xue's eyes turned cold . The tune she played suddenly changed into an ethereal melody . Everyone felt as if they were a cloud floating freely in the sky or a lark flying in the breeze and drizzle . They felt completely relaxed and joyful .

The people present looked at one another, speechless . The tune Murong Xue played was beautiful, but it was obviously different from Su Nanxiang's tune . . .

Murong Xue snorted . No one stipulated that she should play the same tune as Su Nanxiang . It was clear that Su Nanxiang wanted to humiliate her by completely defeating her in music . It would be stupid if she continued to play the same tune with Su Nanxiang . . .

Looking at Murong Xue who was holding the leaf and playing the tune, Su Nanxiang uttered a snorting laugh . 'I have never heard of anyone using a leaf to play a tune on official occasions . Murong Xue is the first to do so . Although her music is pleasant to the ear, her playing is primitive, rough, and disorganized . How dare she present such a performance in front of everyone? Isn't she afraid of being laughed at? She can't compare with me in music . Murong Xue is sure to lose this game . . . ' she thought .

Su Nanxiang gave a mocking smile, and was about to make an ironic remark about Murong Xue's rough performance when a bird flapped into the square .

What was going on?

Su Nanxiang frowned and was preparing to ask what happened . Just then, lots of beautiful birds fluttered their wings and flew into the square, whirling over Murong Xue's head . . .

Under the guidance of the tune Murong Xue was playing, the birds gathered together and automatically flew into various formations, such as chevron, circle and square . Then, with the rhythm of music, they hovered above the square .

The graceful formations, beautiful combinations, and perfect movements shocked everyone . The guards, maids, eunuchs and palace attendants all stopped and looked curiously at the birds flying in formations . . .

A few bold birds left the formations and gently fluttered down onto the hands of the Empress and imperial concubines . . .

The Empress and imperial concubines were taken aback . The birds stood obediently without any sign of attacking . So they gradually set their mind at rest and stared at the birds on their palms with curious eyes . The birds were all immersed in the beautiful music with their eyes closed . They held up their talons, flapping their wings gently . . .

There was a beautiful bird with bright feathers standing on the table in front of Ouyang Shaochen . The bird fluttered its wings, pivoted gracefully and circled over his head, proudly showing its beautiful dances . . .

Ouyang Shaochen's obsidian-like eyes swept over the birds lightly and finally settled upon Murong Xue who was playing music with a leaf . In the golden sunlight, black strands of her hair and her light purple skirt were fluttering in the breeze . She looked like a pretty fairy maiden, catching everyone's eye . . .