Chapter 27

A melodious and graceful tune slowly drifted from behind the curtain, which was as thin as gauze.

Zhao Hongrun turned his head to look, but through the gauze-like curtain, he could only vaguely see a graceful figure, with hair like a waterfall and a dress like a rainbow. Her posture while playing the zither was slightly lazy, exuding a sense of tranquility and gentleness in her every movement.

This scene made Zhao Hongrun unable to resist the urge to lift the gauze-like curtain and glimpse the true appearance of this ethereal woman.

However, he did not act rashly, but instead stood with his hands behind his back, listening quietly.

It felt as if this Miss Su was playing a gently flowing stream, with a steady current and a smooth course. The melody remained consistent from start to finish, evoking a sense of tranquility and peace.

But behind that tranquility and peace, there was a sense of confusion about where the stream would lead, especially as the melody gradually faded at the end, as if the stream had no end.

After the piece ended, the room became silent.

Miss Su did not speak, seemingly waiting for Zhao Hongrun's evaluation, while Zhao Hongrun remained silent, unsure of how to begin.

'What on earth was that?'

Zhao Hongrun frowned. Although the melody made him feel as if he was seeing a stream with no end, what was the point of it?

"Hey, why aren't you saying anything?" The young maid Lü'er, seeing Zhao Hongrun frown and remain silent, felt a bit annoyed.

"What should I say?"

"You should naturally praise Miss for her excellent performance," Lü'er said matter-of-factly.

'But the problem is, her performance was just average... Even the sixth prince wouldn't be impressed, let alone a random court musician.'

Muttering to himself, Zhao Hongrun nodded and said, "Hmm... It was okay."

Behind the curtain, Miss Su frowned upon hearing this. She had played with great care, but to receive only an "okay" as an evaluation left her somewhat dissatisfied.

However, if Miss Su knew that Zhao Hongrun was comparing her to the sixth prince Zhao Hongzhao and the court musicians, she would likely be flattered.

"From this, it seems that this young sir is quite knowledgeable about music, isn't he?" Miss Su said coolly.

'Is she angry?'

Zhao Hongrun found it somewhat amusing and replied casually, "I occasionally practice. If Miss Su would like to listen, I can play a piece for you. But I have one request."

"What request?"

Zhao Hongrun pointed at the gauze-like curtain and said with a smile, "If I win, I request that Miss Su remove this curtain. I'm not used to talking to someone through a curtain."

'If... I win?'

Miss Su's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. "Very well, as you wish. ...Lü'er, bring this young sir my zither."

"Yes." Lü'er went back and forth behind the curtain, bringing Miss Su's zither to Zhao Hongrun.

In the brief moment when she lifted the curtain, Zhao Hongrun caught a glimpse of Miss Su's true appearance, which was indeed breathtaking. Unfortunately, the time was too short to take a closer look.

"Hmph! I don't believe you can play better than Miss."

Lü'er said indignantly.

Zhao Hongrun smiled faintly and did not argue. Seeing the wine and water on the table, he sat down cross-legged and placed the zither on his lap.

"Pling pling—"

"Pling—"

After tuning the strings, Zhao Hongrun began to play with a calm expression.

What moved Miss Su was that Zhao Hongrun was playing the exact same piece she had just played, note for note.

'How could this be...'

Miss Su was startled. The piece she had played was one she had composed herself in her free time, and no one else should have known it.

This left only one explanation.

'He... He memorized my piece from start to finish?'

Miss Su found it hard to believe.

But the facts proved her guess was correct. The "Young Master Jiang" played her piece exactly as she had.

'No, he changed it...'

Miss Su listened closely. She felt that Zhao Hongrun's playing gradually sped up, as if the originally calm stream was becoming more turbulent due to the terrain.

As Zhao Hongrun's playing speed increased, it seemed the stream had merged into a river, the water becoming more turbulent as it rushed downstream.

Miss Su couldn't help but worry whether her beloved zither could withstand such intense playing, fearing the strings might break.

However, the strings did not break, but her heart remained unsettled. Zhao Hongrun's rapid playing made her feel that something significant was about to happen at the end of the river.

'What could it be?'

Miss Su clenched her fists, her whole body tense.

At this moment, Zhao Hongrun's playing speed continued to increase, and the music gradually reached a climax. When the music reached its peak, he suddenly pressed all the strings with both hands.

"Bang—"

A loud sound marked the end of the piece.

'Is this... a waterfall?'

Miss Su's mind conjured the image of the turbulent river water cascading over a waterfall, a magnificent and awe-inspiring sight.

After several deep breaths, Miss Su finally exhaled and softly instructed, "Lü'er, lift the curtain."

"Eh?"

Lü'er glanced at Zhao Hongrun, who was smiling, and slowly lifted the curtain.

At this moment, Zhao Hongrun finally saw Miss Su's true appearance. Her features were exquisite, her skin as white as snow, truly a beauty.

Gazing at this heavenly beauty, Zhao Hongrun instantly forgot all the other pretty faces he had seen, like the handsome eunuchs and the lovely princesses.

He felt as if he had been reborn, completely refreshed.

While Zhao Hongrun greedily memorized her beauty to avoid being influenced by other less appealing faces, Miss Su stared at him in shock, her eyes wide.

'He... He's so young... No, no, Young Master Jiang can't be described as young. He's just a child...'

Because Zhao Hongrun was in the stage of his voice changing, his voice was slightly hoarse. Miss Su had initially thought he was in his thirties, but upon lifting the curtain, she saw a boy who looked only fourteen or fifteen.

"You... You are Young Master Jiang?"

"I am Jiang Run," Zhao Hongrun replied with a smile.

He had chosen the surname Jiang after careful consideration.

First, he could not use the surname Zhao, as everyone knew it was the imperial surname of the Great Wei dynasty. Second, Zhao Hongrun had considered using the clan name Ji, as it was an ancient clan name of the Great Wei imperial family, and there were people with the surname Ji. However, in the capital of Daliang, if someone associated the surname Ji with the imperial family, Zhao Hongrun might be exposed, which would be very disadvantageous for him.

Thus, he chose the surname Jiang, as it was also an ancient surname, and there were many people with this surname, making it less likely to expose his identity.

He removed the character "Hong" from his name, which represented the imperial lineage, and kept only the character "Run," thus calling himself Jiang Run.

Miss Su opened her mouth, somewhat surprised, and asked, "Young Master Jiang... How old are you?"

"Fourteen, if you don't mind."

'Fourteen...'

Miss Su felt a bit complex. To think that a fourteen-year-old child could not only replicate her self-composed piece but also improve it, left her feeling humiliated.

"When did Young Master Jiang start learning the zither?"

"Probably around seven or eight," Zhao Hongrun replied.

By "seven or eight," he meant the age when he was forced to attend the imperial academy, where princes were taught not only literature but also music, calligraphy, painting, etiquette, and manners. The academy had specialized instructors and officials for every aspect, which is why princes were often considered the most hardworking children in the Great Wei, with almost no childhood to speak of.

"Six years of study..." Miss Su calculated in her mind, finally feeling somewhat relieved, as she had not studied the zither for more than six years.

But to her surprise, Zhao Hongrun added nonchalantly, "Not six years, just half a month."

"Eh? Are you lying?"

Miss Su pouted in surprise.

As if reading her thoughts, Zhao Hongrun smiled and said, "I had no interest in music, so I didn't continue. I just learned enough to get by. ...Actually, I hate playing the zither; there are too many rules."

"...Hate playing the zither? Then why did you play for me? Was it because I played so poorly?"

Miss Su felt a bit dejected, thinking that after years of practice, she couldn't match someone who had only studied for half a month.

"Oh, no, that's not it. It has nothing to do with you. I just wanted to see you."

"Eh?"

"There's a servant downstairs who told me you are the most beautiful in this pavilion, so I wanted to see... Well, compared to your music, your appearance is far superior." Zhao Hongrun stared at Miss Su, nodding in approval.

"..." Even though she knew he was just a fourteen-year-old boy, Miss Su still blushed under his intense gaze.

His eyes were so fiery, as if he hadn't seen a woman in years.

This was only to be expected.

Although the palace was filled with beautiful concubines, they were the emperor's women, and Zhao Hongrun couldn't just stare at them. Excluding the concubines and the maids who dared not show their faces, his choices were limited to the handsome eunuchs and his half-sisters.

Neither option was ideal.

After being stared at for a while, Miss Su could no longer bear it and asked, "Why... Why are you staring at me, Young Master Jiang?"

She had hoped he would be a bit more restrained, but Zhao Hongrun answered bluntly.

"Because you are beautiful."

"..."

Miss Su's beautiful eyes widened, and she blushed.

'Is this... Is this being flirted with by a fourteen-year-old boy?'

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