At the beginning, I was a rich female prisoner

At this moment, Lin Dengyuan's eyes revealed a look of disappointment that was difficult to conceal. He stared at Yu Yunxin silently, then slowly raised the wine glass in his hand and drank it all by himself. Then, he silently picked up a crab ball with chopsticks again, gently put it into his mouth, and chewed it carefully to savor the delicious taste. Seeing this scene, everyone followed suit, picked up the crab ball and tasted it, and they all felt that the taste was extremely delicious.

"Father, these delicious foods, fine wines and teas were all carefully prepared by my princess who took great pains to prepare them! Look, she has been busy these past few days and has lost a lot of weight." Nangong Lin turned to look at Emperor Cheng and said with a distressed look on his face.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Cheng looked at the delicacies on the table and smiled, "Princess Yu has really put a lot of effort into this banquet! These delicious wines and delicacies are just like the delicacies enjoyed by the gods in heaven, which makes people intoxicated. Even the most ordinary bean can be skillfully cooked into such a rich and diverse dish by her."

The Queen Mother also echoed, "Yes, the Emperor is right. I think this beef and tofu is particularly tender and delicious, and every dish is cooked extremely delicately and deliciously!"

Hearing the Queen Mother's praise, everyone chimed in and expressed their approval. For a moment, the entire banquet was filled with laughter.

At this moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out: "So these were all made by elder sister! Elder sister, you became a cook when you arrived at Prince Yu's Mansion, but your cooking skills are really good." The person who spoke was Yu Yunxuan. While she was speaking, she did not forget to glance proudly at the red dress with gold thread that she was wearing.

Yu Yunxuan spent a lot of money to buy this dress at Linglong Pavilion today, just to shine at the banquet. However, at this moment, she found that although the clothes worn by Yu Yunxin and Prince Yu were also made of gold thread, the embroidery and patterns were more exquisite than hers. This made Yu Yunxuan feel a little jealous.

She gnashed her teeth secretly, thinking: This Yu Yunxin is really extraordinary, not only is her cooking skill extraordinary, but even her dressing style is so unique and charming. No, I can't let her outshine me!

So, Yu Yunxuan made a prompt decision and decided to take the initiative to try to win back the game. She raised her jade hand, picked up the wine glass, and toasted Yu Yunxin with a smile: "Big sister, I have seen you today, and I know that there are always better people than you. Your cooking skills and taste make me feel ashamed! Come on, come on, I will toast you a glass!"

Yu Yunxin raised the corner of her mouth slightly. She understood what Yu Yunxuan meant. "Thank you for your compliment, little sister. You are a concubine's daughter, but the clothes you wear are very gorgeous!" After saying that, she slowly raised her wine glass.

The two clinked their glasses and drank them all in one gulp. Under Yu Yunxuan's deliberate guidance, the atmosphere was different. Some ladies glanced at Yu Yunxuan, but the food on the table was more important than gossip. After a while, they began to taste the delicacies. For a moment, the whole banquet scene, which was originally bustling with people, turned to the food.

"Shut your stinky mouth! This is a palace banquet, don't embarrass the Minister of Justice!" Yu Tinghai glared at Yu Yunxuan fiercely and scolded in a low voice.

After hearing her father's rebuke, Yu Yunxuan's smile instantly disappeared, replaced by a trace of loneliness and grievance. However, when she heard the words of the Eastern Palace Crown Prince Nangong Sheng, the haze in her heart immediately dissipated, and a bright smile bloomed on her face again.

"I heard that Second Miss Yu is not only good at singing, but her voice is as beautiful and moving as the sound of nature. I wonder if Second Miss Yu would be willing to sing a song for us here?" Nangong Sheng said with a smile, a hint of hatred in his eyes.

Yu Yunxuan was overjoyed. She had never thought that she would receive the attention and invitation of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. She immediately stood up and walked lightly to the center of the hall. She responded with a smile: "Yunxuan is very honored to sing a song for the Queen Mother, the Emperor and the Queen. I wish you all a good time."

At this moment, Yu Yunxuan's heart was filled with joy and excitement. She knew that this opportunity was rare and she had to seize it. So, she took a deep breath, adjusted her state, and prepared to conquer everyone present with the most perfect performance. Just as Yu Yunxuan was about to start singing, the queen suddenly interrupted her: "Wait!" The queen's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty, as if the whole palace was shrouded by her voice.

Everyone's eyes turned to the Queen, who said with a faint smile: "I heard that Lord Yu's concubine, Wang, is quite accomplished in playing the piano. If we can let the Second Madam accompany Yunxuan, it will surely add a lot of interest and create a fairy tale on earth." After saying that, the Queen's beautiful and deep eyes looked straight at Yu Tinghai and Yu Yunxuan, mother and daughter.

The Queen's words were like a thunderbolt, catching Yu Tinghai and Yu Yunxuan off guard. They had never expected the Queen to suddenly make such a request, and they couldn't help but complain in their hearts. However, in front of everyone, how could they easily reject the Queen's proposal? In desperation, they had to bite the bullet and agree.

At this moment, Yu Tinghai's forehead was covered with a layer of fine beads of sweat. He knew that although his second wife was somewhat knowledgeable in music, she was far from being "quite accomplished" as the queen said. If she really had to play the piano accompaniment in public, she would probably not be able to do it. Yu Yunxuan was so nervous that her palms were sweating, and her original confidence disappeared at this moment. She was worried that her mother's accompaniment mistakes would affect the performance and thus disappoint the queen's expectations.

Faced with such a sudden change, both the father and daughter were in a dilemma. They stared at each other with wide eyes, not knowing how to deal with this crisis. Time seemed to freeze, the whole scene became unusually quiet, and even the air seemed to be filled with a tense atmosphere.

At this moment, Wang Yuanxiang was enjoying the delicacies she had never tasted before. These delicacies exuded an alluring aroma, making her salivate. She carefully picked up a piece of exquisite dessert and put it into her mouth, and immediately felt an unprecedented delicious taste. However, just as she was enjoying the food, the queen interrupted her enjoyment without any warning.

The queen smiled slightly and said softly: "Yuanxiang, I heard that you are quite accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Can you play a song for me today?" Hearing the queen's words, Wang Yuanxiang couldn't help but be a little surprised.

She raised her head and looked at the queen, with a hint of doubt and uneasiness in her eyes. She hesitated for a moment, then replied softly, "Queen, I have never been exposed to the art of playing the zither, so how can I play it? However, Princess Yu is an expert in this art, and the music she plays is melodious and beautiful. Why not ask Princess Yu to accompany me with a song?"

The Queen was a little displeased when she heard this, "What right does a concubine have to ask Princess Yu to play the zither?"

Yu Yunxin originally just wanted to quietly savor these delicacies, but she didn't expect that fate would play tricks on her and she would once again be dragged into the spotlight. She sighed in her heart, knowing that it would be difficult to remain calm tonight.

She looked calm and composed, and she put down the chopsticks in her hand gracefully. She was about to stand up slowly and bow slightly to everyone present.

"Wait a minute!" Old Lady Lin finally couldn't hold back her inner impulse and shouted, "Wang Yuanxiang, you are just a concubine. What qualifications do you have to ask Princess Yu to accompany your daughter? Today is a grand banquet held by the palace. Why are you here to join in the fun when you know nothing about court etiquette? It would be better to let Miss Yu perform on stage and sing a song!"

Yu Yunxuan gracefully walked to the center, her beautiful eyes fixed on the Crown Prince, and she said softly, "Since Your Highness wants to hear me sing, I will perform a song for you."

The palace musicians respectfully handed over a guqin, and Yu Yunxuan sat lightly on the central stage. She stretched out her slender jade fingers, and just as she touched the strings, the guqin made a "clang" sound. The sound was deafening, as if it would pierce the eardrums of everyone present, and everyone in the audience couldn't help but cover their ears.

Eunuch Liu, who was sitting next to Emperor Cheng, couldn't help but say, "Second Miss Yu, please stop it! Such a good banquet has been ruined by this noise."

Yu Yunxuan stopped playing the piano, frowned and said, "There seems to be something wrong with this piano. Can we change it?"

"That's just nonsense! I got this zither from a respected old zither player when I went out last time. I have kept it in the palace and wanted to give it to Princess Yu at a suitable time." Nangong Sheng looked at Yu Yunxin beside Nangong Lin with a gentle look and said softly. Then, he slowly stood up, walked to the central stage, and played it twice. The sound of the zither was clear and pleasant, like the gurgling water, melodious and touching.

Yu Yunxuan muttered in a low voice, her tone full of confusion and disbelief: "How is this possible? Why can't I play it?" Her eyes were fixed on the strings, as if she wanted to find the answer from them, but she got nothing.

The prince standing by could no longer suppress his inner anger. His eyes were wide open and he shouted, "You can't play the piano at all and you are embarrassing yourself here. Get out of here right now!" After that, he turned to look at the pianists beside him and ordered them to wipe the piano clean.

Then, the prince sat down in front of the zither and prepared to play a piece of music. He confidently said to everyone, "Why not let me play a piece of music for you and let Miss Yu dance a piece of music, which can also add some fun to today's banquet."

At this time, Nangong Lin suddenly stood up, his voice calm and firm: "Your Highness, this is probably not appropriate. Xin'er is my princess after all, and I should let the princess and I entertain everyone together." He looked at Yu Yunxin with a smile, and a hint of imperceptible cunning flashed in his eyes.

When Yu Yunxin heard this, she suddenly felt a surge of anger. She glared at Nangong Lin fiercely, cursing in her heart: "Nangong Lin, what are you doing? If you want to be in the limelight, just do it yourself, why do you have to drag me into it?" She gritted her teeth secretly, but couldn't get angry in public, so she could only bite the bullet and nodded, indicating that she was willing to dance for everyone.

Nangong Lin's voice, as clear as a mountain spring, slowly floated out: "Father, Yun Xin often sings to the moon in the back garden of Prince Yu's Mansion. Her singing is as sweet as a yellow oriole singing out of a valley, and the lyrics and melody are like the sound of nature. I haven't heard it for several nights in the past few days. I'm really itching to hear it!"

"Princess Yu often sings for Prince Yu. I'm sure her voice must be extraordinary. Why don't you sing a song for her?" Emperor Cheng said with a smile, his voice revealing a bit of expectation and appreciation.

Hearing Emperor Cheng's words, Yu Yunxin smiled slightly and responded softly: "Thank you, father. Then the daughter-in-law and the prince will show their humility." Her voice was gentle and graceful, like a breeze blowing past everyone's ears.

Nangong Lin, standing at the side, did not hesitate. He walked onto the stage with a straight and steady step. His eyes were firm and confident, shining. After walking to the center of the stage, he first bowed to Emperor Cheng, and then politely asked Nangong Sheng, who was playing, to stop.

Then, Nangong Lin smiled and said to Nangong Sheng: "Brother Emperor, my younger brother and the princess have prepared some musical instruments, so you don't need your piano for the time being." After saying that, he clapped his hands lightly, and the attendants behind him immediately brought some exquisite musical instruments onto the stage.

These instruments are either gorgeous or simple, but all of them exude unique charm. Among them is a guzheng, the strings are taut, waiting for the touch of fingertips, and there are gongs, drums and other percussion instruments, which are neatly arranged together, as if silently telling the melody that is about to be played.

Everyone's eyes were attracted by these musical instruments. They watched curiously and looked forward to the next performance. Nangong Lin stood quietly in the center of the stage. He looked focused and serious, as if he was thinking about how to use these instruments to perform the most moving music. Nangong Lin gracefully picked up a guqin. He had an upright posture and elegant temperament, as if he had merged with this quaint instrument.

Everyone was full of doubts: Prince Yu had been in dementia for five years, how could he still play the strings of the zither! As for Princess Yu, she was a famous talented woman in the capital. She was not only talented in literature, but also in martial arts. She was a talented person with both literary and martial arts skills.

Yu Yunxin walked onto the stage somewhat helplessly, and happened to meet Nangong Sheng who had just walked off the stage. He was smiling, with a hint of mystery in his eyes. Suddenly, Nangong Sheng asked, "Xin'er, do you like Nangong Lin?" This sentence struck Yu Yunxin like a bolt of lightning, shocking her. After all, such a straightforward question is rare in the palace, let alone from Nangong Sheng. She couldn't help but cast her eyes on Nangong Lin not far away. At this time, he was wearing a couple's outfit that matched hers, and looked particularly handsome. Yu Yunxin's face flushed, and then she nodded gently to indicate her consent.