Chapter 40: Compassion of the People

Editors: Snowy, Divine

Qin Jiu just realized that while she was talking to Yan Yu, several people had finished their performance on stage and now it was finally Zhaoping’s turn to perform. 

Yan Yu didn’t respond to Zhaojun. His mind was not present as he was still thinking about Qin Jiu’s words. When he saw that Qin Jiu was silent, his eyebrows twitched and he asked again, “Where did you get that feeling?”

Qin Jiu smiled softly and answered slowly, “A woman’s instinct.”

In fact, how could Qin Jiu have known whether Su Wanxiang liked Yan Su or not? However, she knew that if she wanted to make Yan Yu believe her, she should refrain from speaking a harangue as it would make him more suspicious of her. If she told him a story to prove that Su Wanxiang didn’t like Yan Su, Yan Yu would refute it too.

Only this ambiguous “woman’s instinct” was the most effective way to convince him.

Because Yan Yu was a man, he did not have the instinct of a woman.

Sure enough, Yan Yu  frowned slightly and went silent. After a moment, he ordered Zhaojun to open the cotton curtain on all the doors, and she hung them on the hooks.

As soon as the curtains opened, they saw the high platform outside. Princess Zhaoping, Yan Shuixuan, was standing on the stage.

Zhaoping was wearing the peony dress that Qin Jiu gave her.

This peony dress was different from Su Wanxiang’s, but they looked exactly the same. Because a different person was wearing it, its charm changed.

Su Wanxiang was thin and weak, so the dress looked more floating on her body.

However, Zhaoping was slender, so the dress looked graceful on her body and made her more beautiful.

And, if you looked carefully, you would notice that the peonies on Zhaoping’s dress seemed to be more real than Su Wanxiang’s dress. With the wind blowing, it gave people the illusion that these peonies were swaying with the wind too.

Yan Yu’s eyes glanced over Zhaoping’s dress. His eyebrows jumped, and with a strange light in his eyes, he looked at Qin Jiu and said, “This must also be Miss Qin’s masterpiece!” Not in an inquiring tone, but in an affirmative tone.

Qin Jiu smiled, “Couldn’t His Highness Anling have sent his sister one too?”

“He could have, but not this one.” Yan Yu’s attractive eyes stared at Qin Jiu’s face, and he sneered coldly, “Miss Qin really put a lot of thought into it.”

“Thank you!” Qin Jiu answered shamelessly.

The people were somewhat surprised at Zhaoping’s appearance.

There were quite a few Princesses in the Dayi Dynasty, but most of them were very rude and arrogant. People who married these Princesses were trampled on with torture. And this generation, Emperor Qin only had one Princess Zhaoping. Although she was beautiful and favored, she was very gentle and quiet, and not bossy at all. Although Zhaoping was single now, she had married Xie Dichen before, so she was not an unmarried woman. This, however, didn’t stop young royal men from admiring her. But ever since she divorced Xie Dichen, she rarely showed up these three years.

Today, the rarely seen Princess showed up at the Snow Festival, and people were excited.

Zhaoping didn’t talk. She took a bamboo flute from her sleeve and began to play.

The prelude of the song startled the crowd.

Princess Zhaoping was playing the piece called “Compassion of the People”.

This music piece was the one that Bai Suxuan played at Mirror and Flower lake. At that time, there was no Snow Festival in Lijin yet, but because of her song, winter snow fell and Plum Forest’s flowers bloomed. Later, there was a Snow Festival.

This piece was familiar to all the people in Lijin. But in the past three years, this piece was no longer played at the Snow Festival, and people only played it in private.

No one expected that Zhaoping would play this song in the Snow Festival.

The most surprised one was Qin Jiu.

Because she knew that Zhaoping was not good at playing musical instruments; Zhaoping could only play a few simple songs. However, she played this piece extremely well, no one could tell how many times she had practiced.

The clear flute sounds surrounded Mirror and Flower Lake, the low melody and the slow tune revealed helplessness and sorrow, evoking unspeakable sadness. All these emotions came from the song.

This music piece seemed to be able to evoke the deepest sorrows in a human heart, letting a person unable to suppress their sadness.

Durian was listening to the music and his tears were long welled up in his eyes.

The four beauties, Cherry, and Lychee were also moved by the music.

Yan Yu’s lazy smile on the corner of his lips slowly disappeared. He sat on the couch, his entire being became silent. He held his cup still for a long time, as if he was afraid to disturb the mournful flute.

Only Qin Jiu’s face was expressionless as she held a tea cup with a smile on her lips. The light inside the shelter was dim, and the mole on her left eye corner was glowing in the shade.

Zhaoping finished her song, Yan Yu squinted at Qin Jiu, feeling this woman was heartless and cold like stone. No wonder she was from the Heaven Sect.

Qin Jiu picked up the cup in front of her and finished the wine. Then, she asked Yan Yu with a smile, “Which one do you think would win: the Princess or Miss Su?”

Yan Yu turned the wine cup and said slowly, “I’m afraid Zhaoping will lose. Although the flute was very touching, she didn’t choose the right song.”

Qin Jiu was silent, and looked towards the platform outside with no expression.

Emperor Qin’s Palace musicians were sitting there, and one of them was Xiao Lebai from four famous musicians.

Qin Jiu’s lip slowly sneered coldly, cold as an icicle.

Even if Zhaoping would lose, Su Wanxiang wouldn’t win either.

Perhaps it was time to let the people in this country listen to a different kind of music.

She glanced at Durian, it was time for him to show up in front of the people.

Qin Jiu whispered, Yellow Hair on Durian’s shoulder jumped up and down, fluttering his wings and flying to her. Qin Jiu held him and touched the feathers on his head, smiled and asked softly, “Do you want to hear Durian play?”

Yellow Hair Yellow Hair tilted his head and answered, “I do!”

Qin Jiu tapped Yellow Hair’s head, “Go and tell everybody that Durian is extremely skilled at playing.”

Yellow Hair was about to obey and go when his black bean eyes suddenly stared at Yan Yu. He jumped onto the table with his fluttering wings, stepped on the peony ‘Yao Huang’, knocked over ‘purple noble’, and finally jumped onto ‘blue dragon’.

Earlier, these peonies were watered with wine by Yan Yu and almost withered, and now, Yellow Hair kicked them down from the table.

Fat Yellow Hair stood on blue dragon’s withered flowers. The flower branch trembled up and down as Yellow Hair copied Qin Jiu’s tone, “In fact, Your Highness is the most beautiful one. This ‘blue dragon’ can’t compare at all.”

Yan Yu was suddenly teased by a bird. He had always been shameless, but this time he actually felt embarrassed. However, before he could respond, the bird had already flown away.

Ran faster than a rabbit.

The competition on the stage had almost come to an end and everyone was waiting to see who would win this time.

Everyone was silent. But someone inappropriately broke the silence.

“No good, no good, I’ve heard much better music.”

The voice came from the high platform, and everyone looked up for the speaker, but there was no one there except for the musicians.

Who was the speaker?

People were wondering, and then they heard a voice, “Where are you looking at? I am right here.”

People’s eyes moved down towards the voice, and they saw a parakeet standing on the high platform.

It was a beautiful parakeet with a red beak, white feathers on its body, and yellow feathers on its head like a crown. He held his head high and proudly walked on the platform.

The crowd was overwhelmed.

(DL Scanlations)