GTB Chapter 62
by VolareThe Empress Dowager’s question left everyone in the room looking at each other in confusion.
Most of the ladies, young masters, and aristocratic sons only knew the name of theImperial Son-in-Law, Jiang Jiuche, but had no idea who Jiang Yuan was, let alone who Jiang Yuan’s daughter was.
However, following the Empress Dowager’s gaze, everyone guessed that she was asking about the lady in blue, and understood that she was asking about the Mahjong’s younger sister, the princess’s sister-in-law.
After all, many people had noticed that Jiang Jiuchu had entered the banquet with the princess, and had already guessed her identity.
Moreover, at the opposite banquet table, many aristocratic sons were captivated by Jiang Jiuchu’s beauty from the moment she appeared, their gazes intentionally or unintentionally falling on her, waiting for Jiang Jiuchu to display her talents so they could present her with the flowers in their hands.
Urged by her mother and under the gaze of the entire audience, Jiang Jiuchu stood up in astonishment.
She was shocked, not expecting the Empress Dowager to call on her in such a setting, giving her a feeling that something bad was about to happen.
She didn’t walk to the center of the room, but stood directly at her seat and greeted the Empress Dowager in the upper seat, “This subject, Jiang Jiuchu, greets the Empress Dowager.”
The Empress Dowager looked at Jiang Jiuchu, her face full of kindness, “This is your first time attending a palace banquet, isn’t it?”
“Replying to the Empress Dowager, this subject is attending a palace banquet for the first time.” Jiang Jiuchu didn’t quite understand what the Empress Dowager meant by asking this.
The Empress Dowager nodded, looking very satisfied. If she had been less than satisfied and had many concerns after inquiring with Shí Qingya that day, now, looking at Jiang Jiuchu in person, she felt inexplicably fond of her.
“Well, your Jiang family has only been in Kyoto for a year, so you must not be very familiar with the people present. Why not take this opportunity today to add some talent to this Hundred Flowers Banquet and get to know everyone better.”
Jiang Jiuchu paused upon hearing this, knowing that getting to know everyone was just an excuse, and the real reason was to have her display her talents, probably because they were afraid that her talents were not good enough to be worthy of the Seventh Prince!
“As the Empress Dowager commands, but this subject’s talents are slightly lacking, so I hope the Empress Dowager will not be offended.”
As soon as Jiang Jiuchu finished speaking, Madam Ye whispered beside her, “Chuer must show your skills seriously, and don’t play any tricks. The Empress Dowager has already inquired about everything about you with your sister-in-law.”
Jiang Jiuchu was startled, and the idea that had just popped into her head was exposed by her mother. She had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk to the zither table in the center of the room and sit down.
Oh well, she’ll just play the zither! Today, the most people are playing the zither, and there are many who play it well, so she’ll just follow the crowd!
She thought, what should she play?
In any case, she couldn’t play “Brocade-like Splendor,” “Magpies and Phoenixes Ascend the Branches,” nor could she play “Beautiful Flowers, Joyful People, Good Spring, Good Match,” or “Dignified and Virtuous, Kind-hearted and Kind.”
Then she would play “Distant Mountains Stand Alone,” “Water Flows Freely,” “Wind Blows Ten Thousand Miles,” and “Geese Fly in All Directions”!
She was not suitable to be a prince’s consort in the first place. Surely, the Empress Dowager, at her old age, having striven for a lifetime, was the smartest woman in the world, and would be able to hear that her zither music, like her, was simply not suitable to be a prince’s consort.
Moreover, the position of Crown Prince was now just a formality, and the Seventh Prince was also a prince. The Empress Dowager doted on the Seventh Prince so much that she might have some ideas for her beloved grandson.
If that was the case, then someone like her would be even more unsuitable. After all, to let her manage the three palaces and six courtyards like an Empress, sorry, she didn’t have that temperament or that brain.
Jiang Jiuchu’s wandering thoughts only flashed by in the blink of an eye.
She gently caressed the strings, her fair fingers lightly plucked, and a clear and ethereal zither sound rang out softly.
As the zither music grew louder, it seemed to grow wings, passing through this magnificent palace, floating towards mountains and rivers, flying towards the blue sky and desert, free and unrestrained.
Her zither skills were superb, and everyone present was drawn into the music, evoking the longing in their hearts.
Even those who were fighting for power and profit couldn’t help but set aside the clouds and, for that moment, saw something other than fame and fortune.
But there were two people present who were never drawn in by the zither music from beginning to end.
Fan Yuwan had no intention of listening to the zither. From the moment Jiang Jiuchu stood up, she knew that this Jiang girl was the one chosen by the Seventh Prince.
Looking at Jiang Jiuchu playing the zither in front of her, her eyes were full of scrutiny, as if she wouldn’t let go of even a single strand of her hair.
What did the Seventh Prince see in her? Was it this face? A hint of jealousy gradually floated in her eyes.
And the one who was equally uninterested in listening to the zither was Shí Yuanchen. His eyes widened in disbelief, staring straight at Jiang Jiuchu. How could it be her? It was actually her?
The person he had been searching for for so long had actually appeared before his eyes like this, and was still the Jiang family’s legitimate daughter, the Mahjong’s younger sister? The Seventh Brother’s chosen imperial consort?
Why was it like this? His love at first sight was actually the person chosen by the Seventh Brother. No, he knew her first, the Seventh Brother chose his love at first sight.
Shí Yuanchen resentfully and angrily looked at Shí Yan. Seventh Brother was too unkind. If he had brought him along to choose the portraits in the first place, then he could have easily had his wish fulfilled.
Shí Yan felt Shí Yuanchen’s unkind gaze, turned his eyes to look at him, and frowned slightly, not understanding what was wrong with this Eighth Brother of his again?
He faintly shifted his gaze and looked back at the people in the room, a thought suddenly occurring to him. That night, this girl was carrying a package, could she have been running away from her wedding?
After all, with this kind of temperament, she didn’t look like someone who would be submissive, but why did she obediently carry the package back?
Could it be that after meeting those people, she was afraid and retreated?
At this time, Shí Yan mistakenly believed Shí Qingya’s exaggeration and truly believed that Jiang Jiuchu was a free-spirited and unruly personality.
And she really liked silver, after all, her great gratitude was only worth five hundred silver pieces, the kind that would take back even a single extra piece.
A hint of interest gradually appeared in his eyes. This kind of personality was more interesting than being well-behaved and following the rules, at least it could give him something to amuse himself in his boring days.
The final notes gradually faded away, and the crowd slowly recovered their minds that had been drawn in. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor hurriedly took the lead in applauding, and the people below also nodded in agreement, all recognizing her superb zither skills that could lead them to travel through mountains and rivers.
However, those who didn’t know the inside story thought that Jiang Jiuchu was just simply showing off her talents as the Empress Dowager had said. Those young masters who had been waiting to give flowers earlier stood up one after another and walked to Jiang Jiuchu’s front, their faces red as they placed the flowers in their hands on the zither table.
Jiang Jiuchu, who was dressed in a cool and elegant manner, made these flower-giving young masters not dare to say a word, but only glanced at Jiang Jiuchu when they put down the flowers, and then quickly turned around and returned to their seats.
It was impossible to count the exact number, but it was obviously much more than the Four Great Talented Women.
Jiang Jiuchu was stunned for a moment. Did she… also have this part?
After reacting, she learned from those ladies and politely thanked the people who came to give flowers, but only the last three young masters were left.
The three young masters who were thanked felt that they had been treated specially, and were instantly overjoyed, feeling that they must have won Jiang girl’s favor.