In the back courtyard of the Wei Residence, inside a fragrant boudoir.
The underfloor heating was burning brightly, providing a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Jiang Yuechu sat on a soft couch.
On the rosewood table in front of her were various exquisite pastries.
She didn't stand on ceremony.
Although she had taken that boy You Wujiang to taste local delicacies on their journey back to the capital, none could compare to the exquisite fare at the Wei Residence.
She picked up a chestnut flour cake and put it in her mouth.
It melted in her mouth, sweet but not cloying.
Wei Qing rested her chin on her hands, lying across the table, staring intently at Jiang Yuechu.
"What are you looking at?"
Jiang Yuechu swallowed the pastry and took a sip from her teacup.
"I can't get enough of you."
Wei Qing said with a giggle, "I heard the servants in the residence say that everyone outside is now spreading rumors that the Demon Suppression Division has a new Silver Robe Inspector, who is green-faced with fangs, eight feet tall, and cut down the Taihu Lake Lotus Cultivation Demon King with a single saber strike at the Ink Dot Realm."
"I never expected... it would be you."
Jiang Yuechu's mouth twitched.
Good heavens.
Why didn't they say she had three heads and six arms?
Sure enough, rumors are incredibly harmful... "But then again..."
Wei Qing grabbed Jiang Yuechu's arm, "Our Lord Jiang is clearly so beautiful."
"If those gossips saw you, their eyeballs would probably pop out."
Jiang Yuechu turned her body, avoiding the other person's restless hand, and changed the subject.
"When I entered earlier, I heard the old gatekeeper say that you've been feeling tired these past two days, not seeing anyone, and even too lazy to leave the house."
"But your complexion doesn't look like you're ill."
"So, who upset our Young Miss Wei?"
At this, she paused, half-jokingly saying, "If someone bullied you, tell me, and I'll chop them down for you."
"Oh, no..."
Wei Qing sighed deeply, slumping onto the table like a puddle of mud.
Her chin rested on the tabletop, and her usually lively eyes were now filled with a sense of utter despair.
"It's my father."
"Duke Wei?"
Jiang Yuechu raised an eyebrow.
In that case, forget it... If she chopped down Duke Wei, let alone Wei Qing, Wei He would probably rush back from the Region to kill her.
"It's not entirely my father..."
Wei Qing irritably ran her fingers through her hair, messing up her neatly styled bun.
"It's Prince Jing."
Jiang Yuechu's movements paused.
"Who is Prince Jing?"
"...You don't know?"
Jiang Yuechu rolled her eyes: "If it were some demon king, perhaps I'd know, but there are as many nobles in Chang'an City as there are cattle hairs. Who has the leisure to remember who is who?"
"…"
Wei Qing was choked up.
She wanted to retort, but then she felt that these words, coming from the mouth of this Silver Robe Inspector, were inexplicably reasonable.
She sighed, leaned forward, and lowered her voice.
Her expression also became somewhat mysterious.
"This Prince Jing... is the younger brother of the current Your Majesty."
"But then again..."
Wei Qing looked around, and even though this was her own boudoir, she subconsciously lowered her voice.
"Our Your Majesty was adopted by the Empress Dowager back then."
"And this Prince Jing is the Empress Dowager's biological son, truly born from her womb after ten months of pregnancy."
Jiang Yuechu's eyes flickered slightly.
Without explicit explanation, one could already discern something unusual from the intricacies of the situation.
The adopted son sat on the Dragon throne.
But the biological son became a prince.
"What happened back then... *cough cough*, in short, after Your Majesty ascended the throne, this Prince Jing, to avoid suspicion or perhaps to save his life, held no official positions in court, had no real power, and certainly no military authority."
"But in Chang'an City, and even throughout the entire Guannei Dao, who doesn't know that Prince Jing has a reputation for wisdom?"
"Not only is he proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but he also enjoys associating with scholars and refined gentlemen. In this Chang'an City, where nobles gather, he is considered a top-tier figure."
Jiang Yuechu nodded thoughtfully after listening.
So, he was a wealthy, leisurely, and exceptionally charming noble prince.
"So?"
"How did such a renowned figure make you so worried?"
"Could it be... he's taken a liking to you?"
"…"
Wei Qing was stunned at first.
Then her fair, pretty Face instantly flushed crimson, and she reached out to gently pinch Jiang Yuechu's soft flesh at her waist.
"You really want me to get married... are you tired of me? You can't wait to marry me off so you can have some peace and quiet to yourself."
"Cough cough..."
Jiang Yuechu was caught off guard by this sudden attack.
"Look at what you're saying. If you really got married, I'd lose a good place to freeload. Why would I do that?"
After some playful banter between the two, the somewhat dull atmosphere in the boudoir dissipated considerably.
Wei Qing leaned back on the table, sighed, and then finally got to the point.
"Actually, it's not a big deal."
"This Prince Jing, who usually enjoys elegance, recently sent out invitations to host a 'Floating Goblet Banquet' at his residence."
"He says it's to entertain the capital's nobles, but it's actually just a roundabout way of winning people over."
At this, Wei Qing pouted, a look of disdain on her Face.
"You know, the situation in the imperial court is delicate right now. Although His Majesty doesn't say anything, how could he not be wary of this Prince Jing?"
"How shrewd is my father?"
"He avoids such muddy waters like the plague; how could he possibly wade into them himself?"
"But it's still a prince's Face. If he doesn't go, it would seem too arrogant."
"And so..."
Wei Qing pointed to her own nose, a bitter expression on her Face.
"This unlucky task just fell to me, didn't it?"
"Letting me attend the banquet on my father's behalf fulfills the etiquette without taking a stance."
Wei Qing continued without waiting for her to speak, "If it were just drinking, that would be fine. Even in a drinking contest, I might not be afraid of those dissolute Young Masters."
"But this Prince Jing, when he's full and has nothing to do, loves to indulge in romantic and artistic pursuits. At the banquet, there will inevitably be poetry and song gatherings."
"Although I'm not proficient in composing poetry, I can string together a couple of lines to get by."
"But playing the zither..."
She let out a long sigh, completely deflating.
"…"
No wonder this girl suddenly started practicing the zither back in the Region.
So that was the root of it.
Jiang Yuechu chuckled, "No wonder you started practicing in the Region. So you knew about this back then?"
Wei Qing gave her a big eye-roll, saying exasperatedly:
"I heard that for this banquet, not only are the Young Masters from various families, but even the talented young ladies are all eager to make an impression in front of Prince Jing."
"My father, after all, was once a third-rank Grand Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and he has always been highly regarded in the capital..."
Wei Qing covered her Face, her voice muffled through her fingers, carrying a hint of despair.
Jiang Yuechu understood.
"I thought it was some earth-shattering matter. So, it's just about playing the zither."
Wei Qing suddenly looked up, her Face full of resentment.
"What do you mean 'just playing the zither'?"
Jiang Yuechu shook her head.
She really couldn't help with something like this.
"Relax."
Jiang Yuechu reached out, uncharacteristically gently patting the young girl's messy hair.
"You are the daughter of Duke Wei, representing the Wei family."
"Since Prince Jing intends to win people over, he naturally won't let you be embarrassed."
"Even if you just go up and strum a few notes, as long as it makes a sound, the people below will applaud."
Wei Qing sniffed.
She thought about it carefully.
It seems... that makes sense?
"Really?"
"Really."
Wei Qing grumbled for a long time before finally getting up from the table.
The gloom on her Face had dissipated quite a bit.
She grabbed a osmanthus cake and took a big bite, "That's true. Anyway, if it sounds terrible, they're the ones who suffer, not me..."
Suddenly.
Wei Qing's chewing stopped.
She stared at Jiang Yuechu, her clear black-and-white eyes suddenly lighting up.
"Wait..."
Wei Qing swallowed the pastry in her mouth, grabbed Jiang Yuechu's hand, her eyes full of hope.
"I remember... you can play!"