Chapter 122: If You Do Not Provoke Trouble, I Shall Be All the More Fortunate

It was him!

When Qiao Qingyun had been managing the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, he had already expressed his affection for her and had been by her side at every waking moment. Now, his status was even equal to her own, and this was…

"Haha, rise. Who would have thought the two of you were hiding your identities so well? I didn't even recognize you!" The Emperor laughed and nodded. Having realized their true identities from the beginning, he had lowered his guard.

However, the Empress, as if seizing an opportunity, feigned concern. "Aren't these… aren't these the two bodyguards who were by Princess Qingyun's side? How did they suddenly become a Young Master and Princess of the Lu Kingdom? Could it be…"

Though she did not finish her sentence, the implication was lethal. After hearing the Empress's words, the gazes of the crowd toward Qiao Qingyun shifted.

"Your Majesty, the Empress is mistaken. Before I knew my true heritage, I was sold into the slave market, where I was rescued by the Princess. She showed me immense grace and treated us with the utmost care. We only discovered our true lineage half a month ago and had to depart in a hurry, without even a moment to bid the Princess farewell."

After speaking, to demonstrate his loyalty, Zhong Shi immediately knelt before Qiao Qingyun, and Hongying followed, offering her a formal kowtow.

"Princess, Zhong Shi has returned. Please, do not be angry."

Qiao Qingyun smiled, took a sip of tea, and said lightly, "I thought you two had gone off on such a wild adventure that you didn't want to come back. To think you returned to your roots only to run right back here—why bother? Get up, I never intended to blame you."

The woman's lighthearted words dissolved the crowd's suspicions. Here, regardless of who you were or how noble your status, if you were linked to treason, even those in high positions would be dragged down.

"Yes."

Zhong Shi stood up properly. The siblings instinctively moved to stand by Qiao Qingyun's side, but the Emperor stopped them with a shout.

"Wait, Young Master, Princess, your seats are over here."

There was no trace of dissatisfaction on the Emperor's face, but his tone was filled with vigilance. He couldn't help but feel that these two were trying to snatch his niece away! He had to be on his guard.

"We are used to being by her side."

Zhong Shi's simple, airy remark once again caused a stir among the crowd. They had not expected Qiao Qingyun to be so fortunate that even the people around her held such noble status.

The songs and dances continued, but this time, the organizers had paid a hefty price to invite a musician from outside the palace who was rumored to have exquisite skill.

Soon after, as the performance concluded, Qiao Qingyun and the others were already feeling drowsy. Having watched such performances day after day and month after month, how could they not grow weary of them?

Seeing Qiao Qingyun looking as if she might fall asleep right where she sat, Zhong Shi smiled, the corner of his mouth curling up in a way that deepened Yuan Zaichun's hostility toward him. Zhong Shi had spent much more time with Qiao Qingyun than he had; given that, it was not impossible for the two of them to have a chance.

Just as Zhong Shi was debating whether to go over and offer his shoulder for Qiao Qingyun to rest her head on, a silver-haired man walked into the hall. With one hand, he plucked the strings, and the lingering resonance of the ancient zither filled the hall, causing Qiao Qingyun to open her eyes almost instantly.

Now, this was getting interesting.

As she opened her eyes, she was drawn to Jian Li’s head of silver hair. He was a famous musician from the Zither Pavilion. If one wanted him to play in person, the price was not only exorbitant, but one also had to agree to his conditions; otherwise, one would never even catch a glimpse of his face.

As it happened, Qiao Qingyun had once managed the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, and Jian Li had visited once, so they had met briefly.

At this moment, Jian Li sat in the hall dressed in silver-white, causing many of the noble daughters present to blush, as if they were ready to pledge their lives to him on the spot. Immersed in the enjoyment of the music, Qiao Qingyun closed her eyes to savor the beauty until the sound stopped abruptly, bringing her back to reality.

However, Jian Li never liked to interact with others; he turned and left immediately. The subsequent dances were even more uninteresting, and unable to bear it any longer, Qiao Qingyun used the excuse of being drunk to slip away from the banquet.

When she arrived at the lakeside alone, before she could even look at the goldfish in the water, she heard sharp and biting words from a distance.

"You are nothing but a musician! Even with all your talent, aren't you still just an entertainer? If you agree to marry into our family, you won't have to fear such things! Your Zither Pavilion could even rise to greater heights!"

"My thanks to this young lady for her favor, but Jian Li has no desire to marry into a family. Besides, I am merely a lowly musician; I dare not harbor such delusions."

Qiao Qingyun peeked out and discovered it was Miss Chen Jiajia, daughter of the Minister of Works, known for her arrogance and overbearing nature. She was closing in on Jian Li, who was hampered by the zither he held. However, the murderous intent in his eyes could no longer be concealed. He had gathered his strength in one hand, his gaze fixed on Chen Jiajia as if he would prune the weeds and eliminate the roots should she take one more step.

"Hahaha, I wondered who it might be. To think it was Miss Chen, forcing a musician to marry you? What is the meaning of this?"

Qiao Qingyun appeared just in time, dressed in white, standing beside Jian Li in a way that seemed quite fitting. The woman strode forward, and Chen Jiajia, looking as if her secret had been exposed, averted her eyes. "You… what are you spouting nonsense about?"

"Whether I am speaking nonsense or not, Miss Chen knows best in her own heart. However… I recall that Miss Chen has quite a few male concubines in her residence. Don't tell me you are so desperate to add Jian Li to the count?"

The subject of keeping male concubines was something a young lady should never discuss; if it were to spread, her reputation would surely be ruined.

"You!"

"What about me? It seems Minister Chen’s household education is not very good. You see me, yet you offer no greeting. I suspect Minister Chen might be implicated by you."

As Qiao Qingyun spoke, a flash of cold light crossed her eyes. She stepped in front of Jian Li; though she was not as tall as he, her imposing aura was immense, and she did not falter in the slightest.

"Princess… Princess, greetings."

"Mhm, greetings. As long as you don't cause trouble, my greetings will be even warmer."

The woman's half-smile made a chill run down Chen Jiajia’s spine, and she turned and fled.

Qiao Qingyun gave a cold huff. "Empty-headed fool."

She turned her head to look at the handsome man standing behind her—who could help but be moved?

"Ahem, I didn't expect to see you here, Musician Jian Li. Do you still remember me?"

Jian Li’s eyes held a smile as he nodded. "I remember. We had a brief meeting at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion."

"Indeed. But Musician Jian Li, you should visit the palace less often in the future. This is a place of trouble. If I hadn't noticed and happened to pass by just now, I fear it would not have been easy for you to escape."

Jian Li, who had been contemplating murder to silence her, now wore a different expression. He smiled and nodded, appearing entirely submissive to Qiao Qingyun's wishes, which made the woman feel quite uneasy and she offered an awkward smile.

"Princess!"

A call came from the distance. Qiao Qingyun looked up to see Zhong Shi rushing over. He immediately stood by her side, asking anxiously, "Why didn't you tell your subordinate when you were leaving?"