Chapter 50 Ingenious Ideas

Chapter 50 Ingenious Ideas

He provoked Xue Qingning, and she suffered as a result.

Shen Nanzi glanced at Xie Yan, who was still looking back at her with a hint of surprise and a sense of anticipation.

"I never imagined that Princess Jing would put in such effort, secretly practicing behind my back, just to celebrate Father Emperor's birthday."

"I have never seen Princess Jing's eight elegant arts before. It is quite exciting to be able to see them today."

Shen Nanzi chuckled dryly, truly convinced of their superiority.

One dug the hole, the other handed him the shovel.

She was so afraid of making a fool of herself that she really wanted to curse!

The Emperor stroked his beard, a look of anticipation on his face. "The Princess Consort of Jing is also skilled in music. I have been looking forward to this day."

Shen Nanzi gritted her teeth, gripping the jade cup with both hands, almost crushing it. They really hadn't let any of her go, and they were still extremely eager for her to leave.

Where is Xue Qingning's gentle and refined nature, or her intelligent and virtuous heart?

This person is clearly just like Xie Yan, vindictive and vengeful.

Consort Wei simply gazed at her silently, a hint of worry in her eyes. She lightly covered her face with a handkerchief and transmitted her voice to the Emperor.

"Even if Princess Jing were to present a song, it would be difficult to rival the Second Princess. I have never heard of Princess Jing being able to do such things."

The Emperor smiled, his eyes filled with even greater anticipation, "Then present it!"

Shen Nanzi's mind raced; where was she going to find a song to compose on the spot?!

Help!

The room was as quiet as a deserted night, and everyone's expectant eyes were fixed on her.

It seemed he was destined to embarrass himself in front of everyone today. With a hardened heart, he prepared to get up.

"Father,"

Then Xie Yu suddenly stood up, waved his arm, and said to the person above him, "Your subject can't wait any longer, I must be the first to present the music."

Without waiting for the emperor's permission, Xie Yu nimbly turned around and leaped lightly from behind the food table into the hall.

Then, a jade-colored xun appeared in his hand. He strolled to the center, and the sound of the xun flowed slowly from his fingertips.

For a moment, a deep and resonant ethereal sound filled the hall.

His graceful dance steps seemed to transport everyone back a thousand years.

The sturdy and ancient city walls stand amidst a sky filled with yellow sand.

A simple, honest man, his face weathered and his lips dry, leads a camel, accompanied by the sound of camel bells, through the boundless desolation.

He swallowed hard, praying to God for a drop of water so he could walk out alive.

He missed his family, his wife and children, and his childhood playmates.

However, his feet were blistered and his mouth was dry.

The camel fell before him in the endless yellow sand, as if it had sucked away the last string of his heart.

He fell to the ground, reaching out to take one last look in the direction of his hometown.

He closed his eyes, resigned to his fate.

Yellow sand, carried by the wind, covered his face, giving him a heavy feeling.

Just then, a "meow" sound suddenly came out.

The voice carried boundless vitality, as if telling him to open his eyes and not give up.

Hope lies ahead.

Giving up means the end, and the end means never being able to return to one's homeland or see one's elderly parents who are eagerly waiting for one's return.

His wife and children waited anxiously for his return, while his friends waited for him to come home so they could drink good wine with him.

He could even feel the kitten licking his lips, urging him to continue.

A surge of power welled up within him, and he closed his eyes, crawling on the yellow sand.

Dragging their heavy bodies, they headed towards their hometown.

Just as he was climbing and lost all sense of time, he smelled the rich fragrance of fresh grass.

There seemed to be the fragrance of flowers ahead, and he felt as if he had been given a powerful dose of medicine.

Open your eyes and look ahead.

Less than ten feet from his body, a clear spring appeared before his eyes.

He laughed, staggered over, scooped up the spring water, and put it in his mouth, the sweet taste sliding down his throat.

As the sound of the xun faded, everyone slowly opened their eyes.

It felt like a journey through a thousand years had come to a perfect end.

From what they had just witnessed, everyone gained a profound understanding: the current era is truly wonderful.

They not only drank from that sweet spring, they were living in a paradise on earth.

Just as everyone was feeling sentimental, a small black and white kitten in the main hall started meowing.

It walked slowly through the hall, its tiny body brimming with boundless vitality.

Beside it, Xie Chengze held a small wooden sword. His small body moved nimbly and lightly, yet when he swung the sword, he carried power.

With each rise and fall, he is like a little knight-errant, full of vigor.

The people, who had just awakened from the desolation, seemed to see hope like a spring of water.

As the surrounding music began, Shen Nanzi, holding a bouquet of flowers, moved with light steps. Her embroidered skirt fluttered, and her breathtakingly beautiful face made her seem like a celestial being descended to earth to celebrate the birthday of an emperor.

At this moment, the atmosphere reached an unprecedented climax.

Inside the main hall, gasps of amazement rose and fell.

I don't know if it was Xie Yu's amazing xun sound or the surprise of the kitten from the dream appearing in reality.

They were still amazed by the young prince's fluid swordsmanship, or captivated by the endless beauty of Princess Jing.

It's like there are too many eyes to look at, and I don't know which one to look at first.

"My goodness! The Sixth Prince's performance of the song first has unintentionally created such a beautiful scene. It's truly a stunning piece."

"Yes! It seems like it was arranged this way on purpose."

"What a perfect closed loop! It's so moving! My eyes even welled up with tears; I thought that man would die with regret!"

"Why does it feel like Princess Jing offered herself, but then again, it seems like she didn't?"

"Does that mean the Princess Consort of Jing was holding those flowers too?"

"Wow!"

Amidst gasps of surprise, everyone witnessed this scene.

The kitten followed the young prince closely. When the young prince stopped, the kitten walked up to the emperor and squatted down.

The young prince knelt down and bowed, and the kitten followed suit.

"Congratulations to my grandfather for never growing old. When I turn fifty, I will be able to kneel here to celebrate your birthday."

The child's voice, full of childlike innocence, was sincere and not at all perfunctory.

It wasn't a blessing that had been recited a thousand times in the palace, but a sincere hope spoken on the spot.

"Your Majesty, I also wish you peace and prosperity every day, and that this country will last for thousands of years."

Shen Nanzi personally presented the flowers in her hand to the emperor.

Just as the emperor reached out to take it, two bright yellow birds flew out from among the flowers.

Fluttering their wings, they landed before the emperor, and the miniature scrolls hanging from their mouths quickly unfurled.

The scroll, with its red border and yellow mounting, bore the inscriptions "May the empire be forever secure" and "May the nation be prosperous and the people at peace."

This ingenious design made the emperor beam with joy, overwhelmed with delight, his eyes filled with surprise.

"Excellent, truly wonderful, Princess Jing, you have indeed put in a lot of effort."

Shen Nanzi handed the flowers in her hand to Consort Wei with a smile and said, "I know you like flowers, so I specially gave them to you."

Consort Wei accepted the flowers, inhaled their fragrance, and looked at Shen Nanzi with affection in her eyes. "Today, thanks to His Majesty's favor, I am also obliged to accept your gift."

The Emperor said, "I'm glad you like it. These flowers are really beautiful. There must be dozens of varieties, right?"

Shen Nanzi: "Yes, Father, I have specially picked fifty kinds of flowers, each one different."

"To have collected fifty kinds of flowers at this time of year is truly remarkable," Consort Wei exclaimed, her eyes never leaving the bouquet, clearly delighted.

The Emperor looked at Xie Chengze, who was still kneeling, and said kindly, "Get up quickly and let your little kitten be held by your grandfather."

"Yes, sir!" Xie Chengze imitated the guard's tone as he got up from the ground, his little voice eliciting laughter from everyone.

"The little imperial grandson is so cute!"

"He is also handsome, not inferior to Prince Jing at all, and perhaps even more so."

“Prince Jing, how could a child born to a woman of such heavenly beauty as Princess Jing not be beautiful?”

Looking at the scene of deep affection between the grandmother and granddaughter in the hall, Xue Qingning clenched her hands tightly under her sleeves. Her calm face began to falter, and a hint of jealousy was revealed.